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Yesterday was a nice day at Bruins training camp! We got to see the return of David Pastrnak, and Ondrej Kase skated as well.
Those two were the last two missing pieces of the team. All was harmonious and well.
And now...SPECULATION.
Neither Pastrnak nor Kase was present at training camp this morning. Per the NHL’s new policy, which seems like it was created solely to sow confusion and fuel speculation, both were deemed “unfit to participate.”
#NHLBruins coach Bruce Cassidy confirms that David Pastrnak and Ondrej Kase were "unfit to participate" in today's practice: "Hopefully that changes in the near future." pic.twitter.com/6lhViFh9mq
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) July 16, 2020
Before we go wild, it’s worth noting that being deemed unfit to participate doesn’t mean a player is sick, showing symptoms of COVID-19, tested positive, etc.
The NHL is having its teams use that phrase whenever a player is injured, so for now, at least, the days of “upper-body injury” or “southwestern quadrant core injury” are over.
This will, of course, only lead to rumors, speculation, and innuendo.
If, for example, Pastrnak tweaked a muscle in his first day back yesterday, people would likely shrug and move on. However, when he’s simply deemed UNFIT TO PARTICIPATE™, you know exactly what people are going to think.
Interestingly enough, Pastrnak was scheduled to do a Zoom conference with the media this morning. His name and a time were listed on a PR schedule yesterday, but that schedule was then amended this morning.
MYSTERY.
Anyways, hopefully it’s something minor for both guys.
In case you wanted more drama, Tuukka Rask disappeared in the middle of training camp too.
Cassidy on Rask: "He got stung the other day with a shot. ... Maybe that was acting up today."
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) July 16, 2020
It is unclear why he was stung by a shot, while the other two players are unfit to participate, but...we should all probably just get used to it at this point.