It appears the Boston Bruins have decided to stick with Anton Khudobin as their back-up goalie to begin the 2017-18 season.
According to reports on Monday, the Bruins put former first-round pick Malcolm Subban on waivers following a training camp battle for the back-up role behind starter Tuukka Rask.
Subban entered camp with the belief that he could make the jump to the NHL this season, and appeared to put together some solid performances during the preseason. Putting the 23 years old puck stopper on waivers was a risk Bruins general manager Don Sweeney had been aware of well before this decision was made.
From the Boston Herald on Friday:
At the top of the list is what to do with goalie Malcolm Subban, who played well in nailing down the victory over the Blackhawks on Tuesday. But Subban is still a developing talent and would probably best be served by going back to Providence. The only hitch is that he requires waivers, and there’s a fear he’ll get scooped up.
Khudobin, 31, played 16 games for the Bruins last season, with a .904 save percentage. It’s likely, though, that he solidified the back-up job with an impressive 35-save performance against the Chicago Blackhawks in preseason action Saturday.
The Bruins open their regular season schedule at home versus the Nashville Predators on Thursday.