The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced on Friday that David Backes would have a hearing for his illegal check to the head on New Jersey's Blake Coleman. Backes, who received a minor penalty for the hit, was suspended three games last March for an elbow on Detroit's Frans Nielsen.
"It was all shoulder. Unfortunately, there looked like there was enough contact to the head that they're gonna review it," said Cassidy. "From there, it's anybody's guess…I know he was suspended [last year], so that doesn't help matters when you're reviewing.
"But at the end of the day, you're never quite sure how those things will play out. We'll have an idea later obviously and go from there."
Should the Bruins be without Backes and Marchand on Saturday night in Buffalo, Cassidy will have some line juggling to do, which could mean shifting both Sean Kuraly and Noel Acciari to the wing, with Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Colby Cave in the middle.
"JFK's here. It's not as easy just dropping him into the right wing spot because I'm not aware that he's played right wing at all in pro hockey. Doesn't mean he hasn't in the past," said Cassidy. "How the lines would shake out - give me a day on that, I'll let you know [Saturday] morning."
Cassidy also said the Bruins could turn to Providence, indicating that Anders Bjork could be a possibility to return to the big club just in time for the Winter Classic at his alma mater, Notre Dame. Bjork has 10 points (goal, nine assists) in 10 games since being assigned to the P-Bruins in late November.
"It's an interesting story, playing there," said Cassidy. "He's played well in Providence, hasn't scored as much as we'd like, but he's putting up points. So he's generating offense…but he would be one of the guys in the mix.
"I don't want to get ahead of ourselves because there would have to be a conversation of who's the best fit for us, who's playing the best down there now."
