Bruins Call Up Georgii Merkulov In NHL Debut
The NHL season Georgii Merkulov’s big break is almost upon him.
The promising prospect from the Providence Bruins of the AHL was called up by the BB. on Friday. They made a matching move and assigned Patrick Brown to Providence. In Saturday’s game between the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils, Merkulov may make his NHL debut.
This season, Merkulov has been outstanding for the P-Bruins. In terms of goals (14), assists (16), and points (30), he leads the club. On the P-B, nobody else has scored more than 21 points. With 30 points in 31 games, he leads the entire AHL in scoring. With 24 goals and 31 assists for 55 points in the previous season, Merkulov topped the P-Bruins.
A guy with Merkulov’s offensive skill set would be very beneficial to the team. Both in overall goals and 5-on-5 goals, they are ranked 21st. James van Riemsdyk has only scored one goal in his in 16 games, while Jake DeBrusk has not scored in 11 games, so secondary scoring has been an issue.
Merkulov is a playmaker with vision, passing skills, and a reliable shooting stroke, which the Bruins need on the wing. Through the course of the previous two seasons, he has also improved as a two-way player.
Jim Montgomery, the head coach of the Bruins, told reporters during practice on Thursday,
“I think the most encouraging thing we’re hearing is how quickly he’s closing at D-zone and how his 200-foot game has up ticked.” “It is not unexpected to learn that a player who ranks fourth in scoring is improving his 200-foot game. Strong defense makes an attack possible.”
The veteran middle-six winger may require a deal before the Bruins’ March trade deadline, according to general manager Don Sweeney. It is a good thing that Merkulov is having an opportunity to show himself, though, since it would be preferable to address this requirement internally.
Several prospects, including centers John Beecher and Matthew Poitras and defender Mason Lohrei, have already been incorporated into the Bruins lineup this season.
