Marc McLaughlin made a strong impression in the preseason
With Opening Night only days away, the Bruins continued to trim their roster on Thursday afternoon. While many of the latest cuts came with little surprise, one name that stood out was Marc McLaughlin. The Billerica native made his NHL debut last season and had an impressive preseason. However, his stay in Providence is not expected to be long.
In his first stint of NHL action, the twenty-three-year-old scored three goals in 11 games. He did not record an assist, but he wasn’t afraid of shooting the puck and attempted 19 shots. That aggressive approach showed up in the preseason.
Before McLaughlin was cut, he had four points in four preseason games. He is tied with Pavel Zacha for the team lead and had one game-winning goal. The Boston College product also landed five hits. In Providence, he will get to improve his game so that the next time he is recalled, it is on a more permanent basis.
The main area the Bruins are looking for him to improve is his physicality. When Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery spoke with reporters about his play, he highlighted the talented center's strengths and weaknesses.
“He had a great camp,” said Montgomery. “We’re really happy with his development. There’s certain areas of his game that we really want him to focus on down in Providence, details and physicality. His offensive production, his tenacity on pucks, his ability to score — all that has shown through. He’s going to be a big part of our future. We have great depth. So right now, it’s what we think is the right thing for the Boston Bruins, moving forward.”
Although McLaughlin is already a well-known name due to his days at BC and his time in the NHL last year, he has one game of AHL experience. Other prospects, such as Jack Studnicka, would be exposed to waivers if they did not make the Opening Night roster. Losing him for nothing is something that would not be ideal for the Bruins.
When injuries do arise, the former Eagles captain could be among the first names the Bruins call and the anticipation for his return to the NHL is already building.
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