How concussions derailed this former Bruins forward's career
The Bruins thought they were adding a key piece to their roster when they acquired the Czech-born forward back in 2020.
The move seemed like a smart one for Don Sweeney at the time. Boston's General Manager was getting forward Ondrej Kase from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward David Backes, defenseman Axel Andersson and a 2020 first-round draft pick.
Known as a reliable two-way forward who plays with speed and grit, Kase was brought in ahead of the trade deadline to add depth to an already solid Bruins roster. However, what was a smart deadline deal soon turned into a nightmare.
Just over two years later, it's easy to say that Kase's transaction didn't turn out as expected for the B's. The 26-year-old winger ended up playing in six regular season games for Boston in 2019-20, and suited up for only one full game last season (three total).
As mentioned in The Athletic's story, Don Sweeney had enough of dealing with Kase's concussion symptoms. So much so that, when the Czech forward hit free agency last summer, the Bruins didn't even make him a qualifying offer.
Fast-forward to today and Kase is enjoying a pretty healthy season so far. He signed with Boston's Atlantic Division rivals in Toronto, and has been able to get his career back on track since.
That smile says it all. While his time in Boston was brief, we wish Ondrej Kase nothing but health for years to come as he's already had to battle through his fair share of injuries during his young NHL career.
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