The Boston Bruins added some organizational depth on Thursday.
Boston brought two fresh faces into the organization by signing forward Shawn Element and defenseman Christian Wolanin to professional tryout agreements with AHL-Providence, according to the league’s transaction wire.
Element, 25, receives the promotion after scoring one goal and dishing out four assists in six games for ECHL-Maine — which he joined after reportedly being the final player cut from training camp with AHL-Providence. Element also previously played under Bruins head coach Marco Sturm with AHL-Ontario.
Wolanin, 30, joins the organization after spending last three seasons with AHL-Abbotsford — with whom he posted 15 goals and 124 points in 149 games, taking home the Eddie Shore Award as the league’s top defenseman in 2022-23. Wolanin has appeared in 86 NHL games between stints with the Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabers and Vancouver Canucks.
The B’s have been ravaged by injuries over the last couple of weeks, as they placed first-year forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Casey Mittlestadt on injured reserve, and forward John Beecher on waivers on Monday. Charlie McAvoy is also out indefinitely after taking a deflected shot in the face on Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens, while Elias Lindholm has been absent since being injured against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 30.
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It’ll remain to be seen if either Element or Wolanin make an appearance with the big club, but at this rate, it was important to add some depth…