Here are some quick thoughts (hence the title, "Monday Musings") on what's been going on with the B's in recent days.
- Marc Savard's out again This was arguably the biggest Bruins-related news of the weekend, as Savard will apparently be sidelined indefinitely as he recovers from post-concussion syndrome. PCS can persist for up to a year after a person suffers from a concussion, with symptoms ranging from headaches and light sensitivity to vomiting and irritability. The fact that Savard is now suffering these symptoms could lend some credence to earlier rumors that a Savard to Calgary trade was shot down earlier this summer because Savard allegedly failed a concussion test. This was dismissed as ridiculous at the time, considering Savard played in all seven games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. But now that he's apparently suffering from severe enough symptoms to keep him out of training camp, one can't help but wonder if the rumors might have actually had some truth to them. If PCS can persist for a year, the B's may have some serious decisions to make. Earlier reports said that Savard would be reevaluated at some point today. If he continues to suffer, however, long term IR may be a possibility. If Savard is put on LTIR, that essentially clinches a spot on the big club for Tyler Seguin, barring a horrendous showing at training camp.
- Too soon? The fact that Savard is out of action again leads one to wonder whether or not the pivot returned to action too soon. It's no secret that Savard is ultra-competitive and wants to win, so watching his team in the playoffs must have killed him. However, other than his game-winning goal in Game 1, Savard wasn't all that effective for the B's. A little rust was to be expected, and one can't fault Savard for wanting to return. However, much like it may have been a blessing in disguise for Patrice Bergeron when the B's got eliminated by the Habs in 07-08 (Bergeron was rumored to be considering a return if the B's advanced), would it have been better for all parties if Savard simply sat out the remainder of the 09-10 campaign? Hindsight is always 20/20, but maybe Savard would have been better off with the full summer's rest.
- Camp observations I was able to go to the second session of training camp on Saturday, and was glad to get a fix of live hockey this early in September. Plenty of vets were at this session, including Milan Lucic, Mark Recchi and Patrice Bergeron. Tyler Seguin was the main attraction at the second session, and to these eyes he didn't disappoint. Seguin has been getting rave reviews for his attitude and work ethic, and his performance on the ice on Saturday was strong as well. He's a very strong skater, has soft hands and a lightning-quick release. During a 3-on-1 drill, Seguin rifled a wrist shot past Tuukka Rask's glove hand. The puck was almost in the net before Rask even reacted. Seguin made a number of sublime passes during drills as well, passes that probably would have been buried if he had bona fide NHL scorers on the receiving end. It was just one practice, but it appears that the hype fits the kid's actual performance so far.
- Why McGrattan? One of the more puzzling moves so far in camp has been the invitation extended to tough guy Brian McGrattan, most recently of the Calgary Flames. For a team with minimal cap space and a resident tough guy in Shawn Thornton, the invitation is a real head-scratcher. Pundits say that McGrattan's presence is meant to be a wake-up call/challenge to Thornton, but by all accounts management is happy with Thornton's role, his attitude and his performance (if they aren't, why'd they give him a two-year extension this summer?) The rest of the fourth line will be in all likelihood filled out by Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell. Is McGrattan here just to light a fire under Thornton, or are the Bruins really considering adding more muscle to protect youngsters like Seguin?
- Wides updates Uh...there really aren't any. BHN scoured the websites of Florida news organizations like the Sun Sentinel and the Miami Herald, and there were very few mentions of Wides, his Norris Trophy candidacy, and his rocket-goal scoring prowess. Maybe they don't have BHN down there in Florida...that must be it.
- Boychuk's blog I stumbled across this earlier today, apparently Johnny Boychuk will be blogging for ESPNBoston.com throughout the season. Boychuk will be an important player for the B's this season. If he can play at the high level he showed at some points last season, that will go a long way towards tightening up the team's defense. Reading through his post, I realized NHL players pass their summer days a bit differently from NHL website creators. For example, your humble BHN writer spent his summers working full-time. Boychuk went to Atlantis with Milan Lucic, played golf, worked out...oh and he bought a house. I know what you're thinking, and I agree: I bet he's jealous of me too. Anyone can go to the Bahamas, only a few can work in a Shaw's produce department.
