Bruins defenseman Jakub Zboril is expected to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on a torn ACL, the team announced Tuesday morning.
Zboril suffered the injury on Dec. 2 in a game against the Nashville Predators when his right knee bent awkwardly while getting hit.
It's a brutal break for Zboril, who was playing the best hockey of his career and finally starting to establish himself as an NHL regular following a long developmental road since being drafted in the first round in 2015.
After starting the season as the Bruins' seventh defenseman, Zboril began to see regular playing time after entering the lineup when Mike Reilly was a healthy scratch for a pair of games on Nov. 13 and 14.
Even after Reilly returned to the lineup, Zboril stayed in, essentially taking a job from Connor Clifton. He wound up playing nine straight games before his injury, generally playing 16-18 minutes per game.
Zboril's combination of puck-moving skills and some physicality was a welcome addition to a Bruins blue line that had been struggling in both areas. The Bruins had 59.8% of shot attempts when he was on the ice, the best mark among Boston defensemen. His 66.5% expected goals-for percentage is still the best mark on the team.
With Zboril now done for the season, the Bruins will need more consistent play from Reilly and Clifton in particular. If they can't solidify the third pairing, John Moore and Jack Ahcan lurk as challengers.
*********************
In other Bruins news, the team also announced on Tuesday morning that Brandon Carlo has been placed in COVID-19 protocol, bringing Boston's total to 10 players and two staff members.