Aspirot's Breakout Reshapes Bruins' D Deadline Plan

Jonathan Aspirot storms onto the Bruins' blue line from AHL obscurity, pairing seamlessly with Charlie McAvoy and leading the team in plus-minus at plus-15. Don Sweeney locks him up with a two-year extension, but his steady 16 minutes a night forces a rethink on deadline targets like Justin Faulk. As Boston clings to that eighth playoff spot, Aspirot's emergence raises the stakes on whether they chase a top-four stud or ride the hot hand into the stretch run.