Marco Sturm appears ready to put Frederic Brunet back in the Bruins’ lineup.
After sitting Brunet for three straight games, the Boston coach said Thursday’s road matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins is likely the spot where the young defenseman returns. Sturm had already held Brunet out against the St. Louis Blues last Thursday, then kept him on the sideline again Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks and Monday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
“He’s good. That was one where I just wanted him to breathe and actually watch some games and try to get back to where he was playing right at the start.
It was not really a punishment. It was just a reset with him,” Sturm said, per BostonBruins.com.
“We want to build him up the right way. Once in a while we have to do it.
Most likely, he is going to be in next game and be in for a bit. A very exciting kid, too.
It’s fun to be part of those kinds of kids’ development and part of their young career.”
Brunet’s spot has been filled by Connor Clifton and Jonathan Aspirot during the stretch out of the lineup. On Tuesday at practice, Belle Fraser of BostonBruins.com reported that Brunet was back working alongside Mason Lohrei, the pair that had been Boston’s third defense pair earlier this season.
Through 10 games, Brunet has one goal and four points while averaging 16:24 per night. Boston gave him a real chance to hold down a role after not bringing in a bigger-name defenseman through trade or free agency, and Sturm’s message has been that this is about development, not discipline.
Still, a three-game pause is a long one, and it can test a young player’s confidence if it drags on. Sturm framed it as a reset, but it’s also a clear sign that the Bruins want Brunet to sharpen up before he gets back in the mix.
Lohrei went through his own rough patches a couple of years ago and played through them, learning on the job. Now Brunet is in that same kind of stretch, and the next step will be how he responds after what looks like a nine-day break between games.
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