The Providence Bruins got a big lift over the last 24 hours, and Mikey Eyssimont was right at the center of it.
After Providence rolled to an 8-0 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday night, the club learned that Eyssimont had been named the AHL Player of the Month for October. The Boston Bruins forward, who has been carving up the minors since his demotion, piled up 13 points in seven games during the month and earned the recognition with the kind of production that demands attention.
Eyssimont’s month has turned into a strong reminder of what he can bring. Once he was sent down, the path back to Boston looked murky, especially with the Bruins’ younger players performing well.
Short of injuries opening the door, there didn’t seem to be an obvious route back to the NHL. But his work in the AHL has made him impossible to ignore for teams looking for help down the lineup.
For now, though, he remains with Providence, where the Bruins are trying to climb out of an early-season hole. Eyssimont was not in the lineup for Sunday’s blowout because he was recovering after taking a puck to the face in Friday evening’s game. If the rest of the roster can start finding the net with more consistency around him, Trent Whitfield’s team has a chance to string together some wins and move back up the standings.
There’s also a growing argument that Boston should make room for him. The Bruins are carrying eight defensemen, and Eyssimont’s play has been strong enough to warrant a call-up. Boston may prefer having him active in the AHL instead of parked in the press box, but his recent stretch has put him in position to get another look.
After Saturday’s game, Eyssimont appeared to be a candidate to head back to Boston with Jonathan Aspirot coming down to Providence. Even so, Marco Sturm looks set to give the defender another chance on Monday night.
That leaves Eyssimont in a familiar holding pattern, with his future tied to what Boston does next. If the Bruins are active in the trade market and move a forward like Pavel Zacha, or even a defenseman, a spot could open for him.
There’s also the possibility that Boston is keeping him in Providence to maintain his trade value. Leaving him in the NHL without meaningful minutes for weeks would only work against that.
For Whitfield, the upside is simple: he gets to keep an NHL-caliber player in his lineup a little longer while Providence tries to get rolling.
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