There was an encouraging update to come out of the Bruins' morning skate Thursday.
Defenseman Brandon Carlo was on the ice with his teammates in a regular black practice jersey for the first time in nearly a month, and he could be ready to return to game action early next week when the Bruins travel to New Jersey for two games.
"We’re aiming for early next week, so the Jersey trip has been discussed," said coach Bruce Cassidy. "If he progresses well, needs a few practices -- he’ll get one tomorrow with us. We’ll see about Sunday. That’s his timeline right now. Obviously could change. But he’s done a good job. A fairly quick turnaround for his injury, so we’re pleased with that. But again, let’s get through the next few days and decide."
Carlo hasn't played since April 1, when he suffered an upper-body injury in a game against the Penguins. The injury was unrelated to the previous concussion he suffered when Tom Wilson hit him in the head on March 5.
Carlo missed 10 games with that concussion, then suffered the most recent upper-body injury in just his second game back. He has missed 15 games so far with this injury.
Carlo's return will be crucial for the Bruins' defense, as he is expected to slot back into his usual spot on the right side of the second pairing, where he will most likely be paired with trade deadline acquisition Mike Reilly.
If Carlo is indeed able to return Monday or Tuesday, that would give him five or six games before the playoffs begin. That will be important both to get Carlo back up to speed after missing so much time, and to build some chemistry with Reilly, if that is in fact the pairing Cassidy opts to go with.
In other Thursday pregame news, Cassidy revealed that forward Craig Smith missed morning skate due to a COVID-19 testing issue. Cassidy said they hoped it would be cleared up before Thursday night's game against the Sabres.
If Smith isn't cleared, Jake DeBrusk would go in on the second line with David Krejci and Taylor Hall. If Smith is cleared, Cassidy said he would be using the same lineup as Tuesday, meaning DeBrusk would be a healthy scratch for a second straight game. Kevan Miller would presumably replace Steven Kampfer on the D pairs listed below -- Miller generally skips morning skates as part of the load management for his knee.
Tuukka Rask gets a second straight start in goal.
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