Vatrano sent to Florida for 3rd-rounder
TORONTO — Bruins general manager Don Sweeney
continued his wheeling and dealing yesterday by moving Frank Vatrano to the Florida Panthers for a 2018 third-round draft pick, recouping their own thirdrounder that was used in the deal that brought them Nick Holden from the Rangers on Tuesday.
The move also gives the B’s a little more trade capital with which to work before Monday’s trade deadline.
Vatrano had been nursing a lower-body injury but had rejoined the Bruins and was skating in Toronto, said coach Bruce Cassidy.
Vatrano, an East Longmeadow native who signed with the B’s as a free agent out of UMass three years ago, appeared to be a top prospect when, in his first full pro season, he scored 36 goals in 36 games for Providence. But he was never able to utilize his terrific shot as much at the NHL level. He had just two goals in 25 games this year with 22 penalty minutes. In 108 NHL games, he had 20-11-31 totals.
While Vatrano, who turns 24 on March 14, no longer appeared to be in the B’s longterm plans with some of the young players like Danton Heinen and Jake DeBrusk, he required waivers to go back to Providence and the B’s would have risked losing him for nothing if they tried to get him through to free up a roster spot.
Vatrano, meanwhile, has a chance to stick it to his old team, as the B’s face the Panthers four times between now and the end of the season.
“Frank is a talented, versatile forward who can score goals, contribute offensively and add to the depth of our forward group,” said Florida GM Dale Tallon in a statement. “He’s a young player who is still improving and has the ability to support our core group right now and for many years to come.”
Tough end for Bjork
The Bruins announced that rookie Anders Bjork underwent “successful left shoulder arthroscopy and labral repair” on Wednesday and the recovery time is expected to be six months.
While the club had only said that Bjork had suffered an upper-body injury until this point, it seemed as though the injury was going to be the longer term variety. He was seen at the team’s practice facility in Brighton wearing a sling.
Bjork was hurt on Jan.30 when, early in a game against Anaheim, he ran into Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin and needed help off the ice as he favored the shoulder. Bjork had also missed seven games after suffering a concussion after taking a big hit from Toronto’s Matt Martin.
It was hoped that Bjork, who left Notre Dame a year early, would be a major contributor. He started the season on the top line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand and looked good, posting three goals and four assists in his first nine games. But the concussion sidetracked his development and he was sent to Providence for a couple of weeks in January. He suffered the shoulder injury in his second game back in Boston . . . .
Holden arrived in Toronto and had skated in the morning with Vatrano. Cassidy is not sure when the former Ranger will get into the lineup, but thought it might take him a few practices to get up to speed.
Power outage
The B’s are 0-for-10 on the power-play on this trip. Is there concern?
“Yeah, there is, actually,” said Cassidy. “I don’t like our execution lately. It hasn’t hurt us much, but as some point it will. Clearly in Vancouver I guess you could point to that, but when you lose 6-1 there’s a lot of things going on. Certainly a power play (goal) could have gotten us back in the game.
“It’s not where it needs to be, let’s put it that way. It’s an area of our game that needs to improve.”