Jessica Belmosto

CREDIT: The Associated Press

Torey Krug, you either love him or you hate him. The defenseman had a career year, 59 points ( 14 G, 45 A ) before an ankle fracture ended his season. There’s no way to see “what might’ve been” if he were to avoid that injury against Tampa. A lot of fans were calling for a trade during the offseason. He was deemed as a liability due to his injuries and his habit for playing out of position.

Krug started the 2018 season in a boot and suit. A preseason ankle injury delayed his comeback. Bruce Cassidy addressed his return during his media availability, Tuesday morning. There’s a chance that Krug will be skating in Boston this week and joining the team in Ottowa. His presence has been missed. You need a guy who can play offensively while still defending the goal. Will the Bruins revive the Carlo/Krug pairing. I mean, why wouldn’t you want two liabilities paired together?

Would losing Krug be a big hit for the Bruins? One could argue that there’s enough depth at the blue line that it wouldn’t be concerning. You can justify getting rid of injury prone, Adam McQuaid. Why pay a guy $2m to sit up on the ninth floor? Krug brings more to the game. He racks up points left and right. The Bobby Orr comparisons have been earned. Trade talks are bound to happen. That’s the name of the game. I don’t have an insider or a crystal ball but something tells me he’ll survive this season.

Get ready for Krug. Watch what he brings to the game. He’s a great mentor for Gryz and Carlo. He’s a young guy with six seasons under his belt. If he can avoid another injury, I could see him being more essential to the team than ever.