Taylor Hall will likely miss the start of the season for the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury.
“Taylor Hall is week to week,” Bruins coach Jim Montogomery said Sunday. “It’s a little more significant, the upper-body injury, than we expected yesterday.”
Boston plays its season opener Oct. 12 at the Washington Capitals.
The forward left a 4-0 preseason win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday in the second period. When healthy, he is expected to play on the second line David Krejci and David Pastrnak.
Pavel Zacha replaced Hall on that line during practice Sunday. Montgomery said he thought three Czech Republic-born players could create natural chemistry.
“I am thinking about putting Pavel there,” Montgomery said. “They come from the same school of thought with their upbringing, so let’s see what it looks like.”
Hall had 61 points (20 goals, 41 assists) in 81 games last season with the Bruins and four points (two goals, two assists) in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games. The 30-year-old is in the second season of a four-year, $24 million contract ($6 million average annual value) he signed on July 23, 2021.
Fabian Lysell is day to day with an undisclosed injury. The forward prospect left the game Saturday after being hit by a Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen early in the second period.
The Bruins visit the New Jersey Devils in a preseason game Monday.
“We’re not going to play him,” Montgomery said of Lysell. “But we were hoping, and most likely, for Wednesday (against the New York Rangers).”
The Bruins will be without three regulars when they open the season; forward Brad Marchand had hip surgery in May and is expected to return in late November. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy had shoulder surgery in June and was expected to need six months to recover. Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk also had shoulder surgery and could return in November.
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