Following the trade deadline, the Bruins are sporting a 2-6-1 record. Who are these newly acquired Bruins players and what do they have to offer the team?
With no thanks to the March 7th trade deadline, we had to unfortunately see some veteran Bruins exit the TD Garden in exchange for some new-to-us players. March brought us defenseman Henri Jokiharju, centers Casey Mittelstadt and Marat Khusnutdinov, and the return of former favorite Bruin Jakub Lauko. What can we expect from these new and returning Bruins, and have they made an impact thus far?
What does this mean?
The new additions were a chance to beef up the O-lines and D-lines in an attempt to grasp the possibility of still making the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs for the 9th year in a row. The Black and Gold are officially not out of the running yet, but chances are looking slim. So, what do these new players have to offer going into next season?
Henri Jokiharju
This Finnish 6', 200# defenseman previously played for the Blackhawks and the Sabres. In the 9 games he's played with the B's, Jokiharju has been paired with rising favorite Parker Wotherspoon to form a dynamic duo. This pairing has aided Joki in producing a total of 11 blocked shots, 1 assist and 9 shots on goal.
With an average time on ice of 20 minutes per game, it's a no-brainer that Joki has already proven he's not afraid to step up and fill the gap the boys have in the D-line. As his skills and teamwork with the black and gold are honed during summer training camp, he can be expected to serve as a formidable opponent in the upcoming 2025-2026 season.
Casey Mittelstadt and Marat Khusnutdinov
This pair of centers wasted no time in being thrown right into the first line, joining record-setting David Pastrnak. As part of the powerhouse line up, both Mittelstadt and Khusnutdinov have already scored 2 goals apiece, proving early on that they have scoring at the forefront of their mind. In addition, Mittelstadt has collected 2 assists, 11 shots on goal and has blocked 5 shots.
Similarly, Khusnutdinov gave us 6 shots on goal and blocked 7 shots against the B's. In the 20 goals the Bruins have scored since the deadline, the Mittelstadt-Khush-Pasta line has been responsible for a combined 7 goals alone. As Pasta continues to emerge as a leader, this line is not one you want to miss watching as the B's go forward.
Jakub Lauko
#94 returned to the ice excited, amped up and ready to go. In a 1-on-1 with Bruins reporter Eric Russo, Lauko stated, "It feels familiar, obviously. The personnel in the locker room changed a lot, but people (are) around. The core guys, Pasta, C-Mac, those guys stay the same. So, it's been a nice transition. Obviously, better to go somewhere I know than to go somewhere to the completely unknown."
Since rejoining his teammates, Lauks has already blocked 12 shots on goal, garnered 2 assists and tried 8 times to score for the B's. Clearly, the Jacobs team recognized the value in the former Wild player, and scooped him back up to assist in where we need to go this season and beyond. The skills Lauko acquired during his time away may prove to be an asset as the B's move forward. Lauks definitely looks better in the black and gold, where he belongs.
Will these new additions keep up their drive and push the B's to enter a successful 25-26 season? Stay tuned, Spoked B-Nation!
