Jan 7, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Mark Kastelic (47) skates with the puck during the third period against the Edmonton Oilers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

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Bruins Place Mark Kastelic on Injured Reserve, Recall Patrick Brown and Max Jones

Injury sidelines Kastelic; Bruins reinforce lineup with Patrick Brown and Max Jones recalls for upcoming matchups.

Bruins forward Mark Kastelic’s return to the lineup didn’t last long. According to a team announcement, the 25-year-old is back on injured reserve today, just days after being activated on Saturday. This move opened up two roster spots, which Boston quickly filled by recalling forwards Patrick Brown and Max Jones from their AHL affiliate in Providence.

Kastelic initially sustained an upper-body injury on January 9 during a game against the Lightning, sidelining him for two games. With a light schedule this month, the team placed him on IR. He returned against the Senators but didn’t play in the third period of Monday’s win over the Sharks. It’s unclear if this is a recurrence of his previous injury or a new issue.

The #NHLBruins have placed Mark Kastelic on injured reserve and recalled Patrick Brown and Max Jones. Full story for @BNGProductions https://t.co/Yu40bf1dQf
— Tom Calautti (@TCalauttis) January 21, 2025

This season, Kastelic has recorded four goals and a career-high 13 points in 45 games. Acquired from Ottawa in the Linus Ullmark trade last summer, he has become a key fourth-line center for Boston. His strong performance earned him a three-year, $4.7 million contract extension earlier this month. Known for his physicality, Kastelic leads the team with 175 hits and holds a solid 55.1% faceoff win rate, ranking second among Bruins with over 100 draws. He’s also logging a career-high 11:11 of average ice time, though he’s not a regular on special teams.

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The Bruins are now missing two-thirds of their usual fourth line. Winger Cole Koepke, sidelined with an upper-body injury, was placed on IR over the weekend. In response, Boston called up Brown and Jones to fill the gaps for Wednesday’s game against the Devils. At least one of them will join the lineup with Kastelic out, though Koepke could be eligible to return, and Trent Frederic might also be an option after missing the Sharks game due to illness.

Patrick Brown, 32, has only played one NHL game this season, back on November 14. He has spent most of his time in the AHL in the second year of a two-year, $1.6 million contract. As captain of the Providence Bruins, he’s been a consistent performer, tallying 25 points in 37 games this season.

Max Jones, 26, hasn’t met expectations since signing a two-year, $2 million contract last summer. After starting the season on Boston’s roster, he cleared waivers in November following four scoreless NHL appearances. Since then, he’s played 26 games in the AHL, where he has 11 points but has struggled defensively during his limited NHL action this season.

Kastelic’s IR designation rules him out of Boston’s next three games, making him eligible to return on January 28 against the Sabres. In the meantime, the Bruins will rely on Brown and Jones to provide much-needed depth.

Image Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Mark Kastelic

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Anamika Shrivastava

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