Lee Stempniak shined in the Bruins' preseason game on Monday against the Flyers. The forward was signed to a PTO by the Bruins on September 10 hoping to land a spot on the B’s roster.
“He could,” said Cassidy, via Steve Conory of the Boston Herald. “He’s come in here and done what we’ve asked him to do, which is make plays, have composure, make good decisions with the puck and still be a good 200-foot player. He’s done that. We’ve seen some young mistakes out of our young players that we’re going to allow them to play through. But at the same token, we’ll have to address what’s best for the club. Is it youth or a proven guy? And generally it’s been youth around here if they bounce back. So we’ll see over the next couple of games.”
As the regular season inches closer, Stempniak will have to make a lasting impression on Cassidy to be selected for the squad.
Peter Cehlarik, Brandon Carlo, and Chris Wagner scored the other three goals in the win and goaltender Daniel Vladar made 34 saves in the win.
The Bruins have two preseason games remaining; one against Detroit and the other against Philadelphia, both played at TD Garden.
Expect more roster cuts to come, as Cassidy looks to trim his roster for the remainder of the preseason.