According to the minor league transaction record, veteran defenseman Derek Forbort has been called up by the Bruins from his LTI conditioning assignment to AHL Providence.
Forbort hasn’t been placed on long-term injured reserve by Boston yet, but they probably will before Monday’s Game 2 against the Maple Leafs after he played in two games with the P-Bruins without any problems.
However, that doesn’t always mean he’ll be back in the starting lineup. Since the trade deadline, Boston’s current bottom-pairing rotation of Parker Wotherspoon, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Andrew Peeke has produced strong advanced results. A persistent lower-body ailment has plagued Forbort’s season, keeping him out of the NHL lineup since March 2.
Over the course of the campaign, he only managed four assists in 35 games, his
Forbort’s first two seasons on a three-year, $9 million contract were mostly worth it for the Bruins, though. In 130 games for Boston between 2021–22 and 2022–23, Forbort—a capable penalty taker—added 26 points and a +14 rating while averaging about eighteen minutes each contest. Considering his lockdown role at even strength, particularly in his rookie season, his possession metrics were passable.
This persisted in 2023–2024. Although he only recorded a 45.0 CF% in his raw shot attempts at 5-on-5, he was able to effectively minimize the quality of opponents’ opportunities with a 52.7 xGF%, according to Natural Stat Trick. There are undoubtedly worse players to include in a playoff lineup if his talents are required throughout the tournament.
With the emergence of the younger Wotherspoon and the acquisition of Peeke, though, Forbort will likely head to the open market in a few months. The 32-year-old pending UFA has nine years and 496 games of NHL experience with the Bruins, Flames, Jets and Kings.
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