The Bruins added another center to their prospect pool on Tuesday by signing University of Minnesota pivot Jaxon Nelson to a one-year entry level deal that carries a cap hit of $870,000.
Nelson, 24, will finish out this season on an amateur tryout deal with the Providence Bruins.
The undrafted free agent brings size to the mix. He’s 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and finished up his fifth year of eligibility strong, scoring 11 goals in his last eight games for the Gophers. But he was a late bloomer in the scoring department. He had 19-12-31 totals in 31 games in 2023-24, but his highest goal total before this season was 10 last season.
“Jaxon is a big, right shot, two-way centerman with leadership qualities as a captain of a very successful collegiate program,” said GM Don Sweeney in a team release. “He has shown consistent growth throughout his time at the University of Minnesota and the Bruins are excited to have Jaxon join our organization.”
The Magnolia, Minn., native had 42-47-89 totals in 169 collegiate games. The B’s hope Nelson will join young centermen Matt Poitras and John Beecher as the next wave to bolster the B’s traditional strength down the middle.
The college free agent market for the B’s has been and will be an important one for the B’s, who have traded away a lot of high draft picks in pursuit of the Stanley Cup, as they try to reload their roster by any means necessary. Last summer they signed Harvard center John Farinacci, who did not sign with with the Arizona Coyotes after they picked him in the third round of the 2019 draft. Providence Bruins’ leading scorer Georgii Merkulov was signed two years ago as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State.
The B’s are without their first three picks in the upcoming draft.
JVR set to return
James van Riemsdyk was set to return to the lineup for the B’s against the Predators in Nashville, replacing Jakub Lauko. Van Riemsdyk had been scratched for five of the previous eight games. Some of those absences were due to illness, but his offense had dried up as well. Going into Tuesday’s game, he had just one assist in 15 games and that’s including regular time on the power play. His last goal came on Feb. 15, when he scored two with an assist against the Los Angeles Kings.
Coach Jim Montgomery was asked what van Riemsdyk needed to do to get his game back.
“I guess what he was doing earlier in the year when he was on top of pucks and he was executing in all three zones and making things happen,” Montgomery told reporters in Nashville.
Said van Riemsdyk: “For my game, I think my strengths are playing smart, playing with detail, making the right play all the time and playing within the structure of the team. Those are things we’re trying to work on this time of year.”
Van Riemsdyk had lost 12 pounds due to his illness a couple of weeks ago.
“It’s kind of a weird thing. I usually pride myself on not being sick too often, so it definitely took a lot out of me but I’m excited to be feeling a lot better,” said van Riemsdyk.
Lohrei back in
On the back end, rookie Mason Lohrei went back into the lineup after being a scratch for six of the previous seven games. Matt Grzelcyk, who played just 13:46 in the B’s shootout win in Washington last Saturday, was scratched. … Pat Maroon, still working his way into the lineup since he underwent back surgery as a member of the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 7, traveled with the team and took part in the morning skate. The B’s are scheduled to practice on Wednesday in Raleigh, N.C., ahead of their game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
