For the second time this season, the Boston Bruins have waived defenseman Jakub Zboril.
The 26-year-old, 6-foot-1, 197-pound rearguard was also waived just prior to the 2023-24 regular season beginning on Oct. 8.
Jakub Zboril was part of the string of three consecutive first round picks at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft for the Boston Bruins. Through numerous trades, including current Bruins winger Milan Lucic, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney acquired two more first-round picks and entered the 2015 NHL Entry Draft with the 13th, 14th, and 15th picks overall. Sweeney selected Zboril with the 13th overall pick, current Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk 14th overall, and now-former Bruins forward Zach Senyshyn.
What’s interesting about Zboril being waived now is that if the Boston Bruins wanted to recall him, they do not need him to clear waivers again. That would only happen if they recalled Zboril and then attempted to re-assign him to the AHL and the Providence Bruins.
The read here – and this has not been confirmed yet – is that given how things have unfortunately gone for the 2015 first round pick with the Bruins, this was a move that Bruins general manager Don Sweeney, Zboril’s agent Allan Walsh, and Zboril himself agreed on to gauge NHL trade interest in the defenseman. Waiving Zboril now at least sends out smoke signals to the other 31 NHL teams and general managers that the Bruins are willing to listen and potentially trade him.
Zboril has seven assists in 19 games for the Providence Bruins this season. Since entering the NHL in the 2018-19 season, Zboril has a goal and 15 assists in 76 NHL games for the Bruins.
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