Overall, there is absolutely no harm in the Bruins claiming Kolyachonok off waivers. At a minimum, he will serve as a solid depth defenseman for the Bruins. However, the possibility of him being a surprise for the Black and Gold should not be ruled out.

The Boston Bruins held a moment of silence Tuesday night to honor the lives lost over the weekend in two shootings, one at Brown University in Rhode Island and one at Bondi Beach.

The Edmonton Oilers (16-12-6) and Connor McDavid (20 goals and 36 assists) visit the Boston Bruins (20-14) and David Pastrnak (13 goals and 24 assists) at TD Garden on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN+. Edmonton won 6-4 on the road its last time out on Dec. 16 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Schmaltz is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) forward who could be a player to watch if the Mammoth do not have a playoff spot near the deadline. If he is made available by Utah this season, he is a player whom the Bruins should consider making a serious push for.

After spending parts of seven season with the Bruins, the burly forward was dealt at last season's trade deadline to the two-time defending Western Conference champions.

The Bruins announced some details and changes to their game on Jan. 15 where they plan to honor Zdeno Chara and retire his No. 33. Boston’s game against the Seattle Kraken, originally scheduled for 7 p.m., has been moved to 8 p.m. to accommodate the pregame ceremony, which will be held prior to warm-ups.

​The Bruins claimed Kolyachonok off waivers from the Dallas Stars on Tuesday and quickly welcomed the 24-year-old defenseman into the family.