Capitals forward Chris Bourque spent much of his Monday morning avoiding his own coach, Bruce Boudreau.
With just two days left until final NHL rosters must be submitted, no one could blame Bourque for seeking refuge from team officials. After all, the 23-year-old was one of the last players cut from last fall’s camp.
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But he needn’t worry. Bourque was one of three Caps told they will be on the roster when the season opens Thursday at Boston.
“I have to prove to them that they made the right decision. It’s up to me now,” Bourque said. “They’re giving me a chance and I’ve just got to capitalize on that chance and hopefully I do.”
Bourque returns home to Boston, where his dad, NHL Hall-of-Famer Ray Bourque, is a legend. Chris Bourque also played one year of college hockey at Boston University and said he will have plenty of friends and family on hand.
But making the team is just the beginning for Bourque, defenseman Tyler Sloan and forward Quintin Laing. The two forwards, especially, are vulnerable because both Eric Fehr (shoulder surgery) and Tomas Fleischmann (blood clot) are expected to return next month.
“It’s been a stressful few days,” said Sloan, a 28-year-old who has played in 403 career minor-league games. “But you can’t relax really because you’re still fighting. Now I have to fight to get into the lineup every night.”
Sloan made his NHL debut last season, filling in nicely after the Caps’ blueline was decimated by injuries. He appeared in 26 regular-season games and another two in the playoffs. Laing, 30, has a similar story. A fan favorite when he played in 39 NHL games two years ago, Laing has played 586 games in the minors. The Caps consider him a good fit for the fourth line, where he’s excels at blocking shots. Laing played in just one game last year in the NHL. He suffered a torn spleen against Tampa Bay on March 19 and only returned in late May to help Hershey win the AHL title.
“You got to continue to play exactly the way you’ve played,” Boudreau said. “Because when you’re in the minors for a long time you don’t get the grace period guys that have been in the NHL for a long time get.”
