Bruins' David Pastrnak available to play in World Juniors

The 19-year-old has played a couple of conditioning games with the Providence Bruins after missing seven weeks with a fractured left foot, and will use the rest of the World Juniors as an extended rehab assignment with a little bit more on the line.

"We think that based on last year, his experience there and rolling out of that tournament with the confidence that he had, that he'll come back to the full level he had really had gotten to last year in impacting our lineup", said Bruins GM Don Sweeney of Pastrnak, who has two goals and four points in 10 games for the Bruins this season.

Sweeney & Co. hope Pastrnak will be ready to rejoin the Bruins once he returns from Finland.

"We are going to make him available at that particular time unless we have injuries that would dictate otherwise", Sweeney said.

Pastrnak registered a goal and six assists in five games at last year's World Junior Championship as one of the Czech Republic's top forwards, and he will be expected to be one of their top players again. "I think this will give him a real shot in the arm from a confidence standpoint".

Pastrnak could be in the lineup for the team's third game on Wednesday against Belarus. Now with the AHL Bruins, Sweeney says the plan is for Pastrnak to return to the big club upon the conclusion of the tournament.

Team Czech Republic will play their second game of the tournament on December 28, though it's not clear how that will work in relation to the end of the roster freeze at Midnight December 27 and whether Pastrnak will join the team for their next game or if he won't be available until the game after due to travel.