The Bruins are set to get one of their injured defensemen back Thursday, as coach Jim Montgomery told reporters after morning skate that Matt Grzelcyk will be making his season debut.
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Grzelcyk underwent right shoulder open stabilization surgery on June 3 and was given an expected recovery time of approximately five months, which would've been early November.
He had been trending ahead of schedule for a while now, including practicing in a regular jersey for the last two weeks. Grzelcyk is expected to slot in next to Jakub Zboril on the third pairing to start.
The Bruins will still be without Brandon Carlo on the back end, as he continues to recover from an upper-body injury suffered on Saturday. They will also be without Anton Stralman, who played Tuesday in Ottawa but is still unable to play in the United States due to an unresolved visa issue.
Grzelcyk won't be the only Bruin making his season debut Thursday night against the Anaheim Ducks, as Montgomery also said Jack Studnicka will draw into the lineup.
The 23-year-old Studnicka made the Bruins out of camp for the first time this year, but was a healthy scratch for the first four games. Montgomery said he will center the third line between Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle, who will shift from center to right wing.
A.J. Greer, who has five points in four games, will drop from the third line to the fourth, while Craig Smith and Jakub Lauko are expected to be healthy scratches. This would be the second straight game the veteran Smith has been scratched.
Linus Ullmark will start in goal. Here is the Bruins' expected lineup for Thursday, per The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa:
Pavel Zacha - Patrice Bergeron - Jake DeBrusk
Taylor Hall - David Krejci - David Pastrnak
Trent Frederic - Jack Studnicka - Charlie Coyle
Nick Foligno - Tomas Nosek - A.J. Greer
Hampus Lindholm - Mike Reilly
Derek Forbort - Connor Clifton
Matt Grzelcyk - Jakub Zboril
Linus Ullmark
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