Matt Poitras, who missed Boston’s last game before the All-Star break because of a shoulder injury, did not take part in the morning skate Tuesday because he had a follow-up doctor’s appointment.
Poitras practiced Sunday and Monday in a regular contact jersey but was not available for the game against the Calgary Flames.
Ice time and production have waned since the 19-year-old rookie made the team out of training camp, but Coach Jim Montgomery looks at the stretch run for him to regain the spark he had at the start of the season.
“I think it’s part of his progression to keep growing. That’s the way we view it,” said Montgomery. “We believe he’s a huge part of what we’re going to do. His competitiveness and his hockey sense are just two traits that jump out at you and that’s what makes him such an exciting hockey player for us.”
While he used Poitras on the fourth line lately, Montgomery said he hopes to get him in more offensive situations like he was earlier in the season.
There is one more marker on the contractual calendar for Poitras, who has played 33 games. When he hits 40, he’ll be eligible for free agency at age 26 instead of 27. But it doesn’t sound like there’s been much internal debate about whether he’ll return to his junior team so the team could push out the unrestricted free agency age another year.
“I don’t think that has even come up,” said Montgomery.
KINGS: J.D. Smith, the former Ottawa coach, was hired as an assistant coach by Los Angeles.
General Manger Rob Blake said Monday the Kings were looking to hire an assistant coach from outside the organization after Jim Hiller was named interim coach. Hiller was promoted Friday after Todd McLellan was fired following four-plus seasons as head coach.
On Dec. 18, Smith became the fourth NHL coach fired this season. He was 131-154-32 behind the Ottawa bench without a playoff appearance.
Smith and Hiller spent four seasons together in Toronto as assistants on Mike Babcock’s staff.
The Kings (23-15-10) hold the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 56 points, but are only four points from falling out. They are 3-8-6 in their last 17 games.
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