Derek Forbort won't play in Seattle after missing team meeting
BOSTON -- The Bruins are shorthanded on defense, with Hampus Lindholm out due to injury. They just got Matt Grzelcyk back from a minor injury of his own, but they're now down one more D-man. This absence is self-inflicted.
Derek Forbort won't play in the final leg of the Bruins' Western swing, as he missed a team meeting. Head coach Jim Montgomery shared that information with the media after Monday's morning skate.
Per Coach Montgomery, Derek Forbort missed a team meeting this morning and will not play tonight in Seattle. pic.twitter.com/NX3e5NIte1
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 26, 2024
The 31-year-old Forbort has yet to score this season, and he has just four assists in his 34 games played. Over his last six games, he has a minus-5 rating, and he hasn't registered a point since Dec. 2.
Based on the lines at the morning skate observed by The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa, rookie Mason Lohrei will skate on the second defensive pair with Brandon Carlo, while Parker Wotherspoon and Kevin Shattenkirk will be the third pair.
AM lines:
— Fluto Shinzawa (@FlutoShinzawa) February 26, 2024
Marchand-Coyle-Richard
DeBrusk-Zacha-Pastrnak
Heinen-Geekie-Frederic
Van Riemsdyk-Boqvist-Brazeau
Lauko
Grzelcyk-McAvoy
Lohrei-Carlo
Wotherspoon-Shattenkirk
Ullmark
Swayman
Derek Forbort is not skating.
Monday night's game in Seattle will conclude a four-game road trip, with the Bruins going 1-0-2 thus far in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. All three of those games have gone to overtime. The Bruins will then return home for one game against Vegas on Thursday before hitting the road for two games (at the Islanders and Maple Leafs).