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Boston Bruins: Urho Vaakanainen expected to replace Zdeno Chara

By Mitchell Bannon

BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 26: Boston Bruins defenseman Urho Vaakanainen (58) watches his shot during a preseason game between the Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings on September 26, 2018, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Wings defeated the Bruins 3-2 (OT). (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 26: Boston Bruins defenseman Urho Vaakanainen (58) watches his shot during a preseason game between the Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings on September 26, 2018, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Wings defeated the Bruins 3-2 (OT). (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Zdeno Chara may miss the rest of the Stanley Cup Final with an injured jaw, but the Boston Bruins are expected to replace him with Urho Vaakanainen.

Though Steven Kampfer is the Boston Bruins current seventh defenseman and could be asked to step in for their injured captain Zdeno Chara, Sportsnet’s Elliot Friedman indicated on Toronto sports radio that the Bruins could look to another younger candidate to fill their void on the back end – top prospect Urho Vaakanainen.

Though the rookie defenseman Vaakanainen is merely 20 years old and has seen just over 18 minutes of NHL ice time, he has been skating with the team during the Stanley Cup Final and could get the call to make his NHL playoff debut on one of the most pressure filed stages.

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The Stanley Cup Playoffs are always filled with storylines far beyond the stars and top liners. A 20-year-old defenseman being tossed into his third ever NHL game for a best two out of three series for Lord Stanley’s Cup would certainly make a hypothetical Bruins’ championship DVD.

Vaakanainen is no stranger to big game hockey, playing for Finish national teams at almost every level. But nothing could have prepared the youngster for being thrown into Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Finnish defenseman played most of his hockey this season for the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League, registering 14 points in 30 games.

Vaakanainen was drafted 18th overall by the Bruins in 2017. He quickly impressed Boston’s development officials with his smooth skating and puck-moving potential.

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Animated GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY /

Though journeyman Kampfer would be the far safer option for coach Bruce Cassidy, being a right-handed shot, he is not a plug-and-play replacement for Chara. With Vaakanainen sharing handiness with Chara, there have been rumblings that the Bruins could elect to dress both Kampfer and Vaakanainen, for a total of seven defensemen.

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Zdeno Chara is not the talent he once was, but replacing the 42-year-old’s on ice presence, leadership, and ability to absorb minutes is simply impossible. Whoever is thrown into this brutal battle of a Cup final, be it Kampfer, Vaakanainen, or both, will big playing under the NHL’s tallest shadow.

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