NHL Rumors: Bruins Ink Anton Stralman, John Tavares to Play, Don't expect Shane Wright to excel


Opening night is tonight, the National Hockey League season is finally with us! With the upcoming season, here are some notes to know prior the start:

Bruins Ink Anton Stralman from PTO

The Boston Bruins have announced that they have signed defensemen, Anton Stralman to a one-year contract today. The deal is set to be worth $1,000,000, after the Swedish player joined the B's on a professional tryout.

Stralman will play a key role within the Bruins organization, as the Bruins start the year without star, Charlie McAvoy. Stralman was pleasant throughout preseason with the Bruins, providing a sense of confidence, and defensive excellence.


It isn't expected of Stralman to play high-end minutes with the team, but he is a player worthy of playing bottom, shut-down minutes. Last season, Stralman played as a member of the Arizona Coyotes. The veteran d-man played in 74 games, scoring twice and assisting 15 times.

It is unlikely that Stralman suits up in Boston's opener tomorrow, but it shouldn't be long till we see the veteran rocking the Black N' Gold.

John Tavares Expected to Play Tomorrow

Captain, John Tavares is back! The Leafs have announced that it is extremely likely that the all-star forward will suit up for the season opener. 

Originally, it was expected that Tavares would miss the beginning of the season, due to an offseason injury. That is not the case. As the forward is set to be ahead of schedule and practicing at a high tempo.

The Leafs are extremely pleasant to have their captain back in the lineup. Tavares will center the second-line, along with a spot on the first power play unit. Due to the recent news, it is expected that Nick Robertson is the odd man out and has been sent to join the Toronto Marlies.


JT played in 79 games last season, scoring 27 goals and assisting on 49 plays. The Leafs start their season tomorrow, against their long-time rivals the Montreal Canadiens.

Don't Expect Shane Wright to Excel

The start of the season is always a mixture of emotions for many young NHL players. But for a player like Shane Wright, he definitely feels the pressure. 

The fourth-overall selection by the Seattle Kraken, was touted as the top prospect throughout his draft season, before dropping to Juraj Slafkosky, Simon Nemac and Logan Cooley at the NHL Draft.

It is unknown how Wright will fair in the NHL, but as fans we shouldn't expect the forward to excel at first. For instance, it is worthy to note that Wright missed a full-year of development in the Ontario Hockey League. The OHL shutdown for the 2020-21 season due to health concerns, Wright chose to stay home and missed the entire year.


There is no doubt that Wright dominates at the junior level, but can he do the same in the National Hockey League? Last season playing for the Kingston Frontenacs, the righty notched 94 points in just 63 games.

There should be no disagreement that Wright will have a successful NHL career, but as of his rookie season, we should not push expectations.