Subban at B’s Dev Camp to Make Up Time

As the Boston Bruins development camp got underway on Tuesday, there was one participant whose presence many may question—Malcolm Subban. The 22-year-old goalie has spent two seasons now with the Providence Bruins, AHL affiliate of the Boston club. Traditionally this would indicate that he has graduated from the summer camp roster, usually devoted to the up and coming prospects who have not yet entered their professional careers. Of course, Subban experienced a horrific accident during the last season that certainly halted his development with the team, though not his positive approach nor his sense of humor.  The puck he took to the throat during warm-ups of the game on February 6, 2016 was not only an extremely terrifying injury, but it was also season-ending.

Thanks for all the supportt! pic.twitter.com/rAEY9d6k6x

— Malcolm Subban (@SubbZero30) February 7, 2016

Subban has been declared healthy once more, but his absence from the game for almost half the season means that he is unfortunately behind now in his quest for a full-time NHL job. It’s for this reason that he is once again making an appearance at the July development camp.

Assistant Coach Jay Pandolfo

“He’ll be a hundred percent and ready to go [for training camp]. He is now. It’s just we wanted to get him in here and get some more reps just in the summer time because like I said, he didn’t play, I think since February, so that’s a long time to be out for a goalie,” assistant coach Jay Pandolfo expressed.

Though not on the ice Tuesday during the sessions with the rest of the prospect roster, Pandolfo told media after the on-ice sessions that Subban had spent some of the morning working alone on the ice with Goalie Bob (Essensa) and was expected to take to the ice with the group during Wednesday’s on-ice practice.

Subban in net in Providence

For Subban, the injury was obviously at first upper most in his mind, but once he was making progress healing, he was probably frustrated at how it had stalled his momentum with the Bruins. After all, his goal is to play in Boston, and he felt he was on that track as did the Bruins’ management.

“It was unfortunate the injury that he had. He’s definitely on the right track,” Pandolfo shared. “I think that is part of the reason that we brought him in here was because he hasn’t played in a long time.”

Subban’s commitment is evident with his appearance at development camp once again. In the end that commitment will undoubtedly carry him forward in his overall advancement as a goalie. In the meantime the Bruins have signed Anton Khudobin to ensure Subban doesn’t feel an inordinate amount of stress as he refreshes his skills. Of course it is likely that Subban will do everything he can to push for the backup goalie position once training camp gets going in September.