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Bruins invite Mark Fayne to training camp |
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Ty Anderson
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The Boston Bruins have invited veteran defenseman Mark Fayne to training camp on what appears to be a professional tryout.
Waived by the Oilers after failing to live up to the final two seasons of his $3.625 million per year contract, the 31-year-old Fayne comes to Boston after spending the last two seasons toiling in the American Hockey League between the Bakersfield Condors and Springfield Thunderbirds. Officially loaned to the Thunderbirds early in the 2017-18 season, it was with the Thunderbirds that the Nashua, N.H. native posted three goals and five points with a minus-10 rating in 39 games.
Before his two-year demotion to the minors, Fayne skated in four NHL games for the Oilers in 2016-17, with two assists. He also played a staggeringly low 31:40 of total time on ice over that span, and had two games with less than 4:35 of time on ice. Before he became another victim of the Oilers' dysfunction and habitually reckless spending on middle-of-the-road talent, Fayne's best year undoubtedly came in 2011-12, when he established a career-high in points (17) with the Devils and skated in 24 postseason contests in New Jersey's unlikely run to the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals against the Los Angeles Kings.
A veteran of 389 NHL games between the Devils and Oilers, Fayne arrives to camp with 17 goals and 65 points in his pro career.
Given Boston's current logjam of NHL-quality defenders, Fayne likely comes to the Bruins with the hopes of latching on with the hometown club on an AHL contract. It's in Providence where the 6-foot-3 defender could skate in a depth/leadership role given the P-Bruins' influx of youth, as well as the departure of longtime P-Bruins captain Tommy Cross.
In the now, though, Fayne will be part of the Black and Gold's 'domestic' group, which will remain stateside while the other group of Bruins regulars and hopefuls begin their preseason with the 2018 O.R.G. NHL China Games.
Ty Anderson is a digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston. You can even hear him on the radio over there sometimes! Ty has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010. Ty has also been part of the Boston Chapter of the PHWA since 2013. Contact him on Twitter or send him an email at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.
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