"Once he's in contact…wasn't full blown middle of the year practice, but there was some jostling out there, some battling," said Cassidy. "Let's see how he feels tomorrow. He won't go in tomorrow. But if there's no ill effects from today, that really ups his chances for Monday or Tuesday.
"That will depend where we are, what's the best fit for us and then, is he ready…what's best for him, as well. Try to merge those two. Anytime - we've always said it - if he's in a normal colored jersey in practice, going through what everyone else is going through, then that's probably the last hurdle, typically, for guys to get in the lineup in terms of their process of practicing."
When Kase does return, Cassidy will have the luxury of having a surplus of wingers to choose from - should the Bruins remain at full health, of course. Kase would join a bevy of players battling for permanent spots in the bottom six, including Jake DeBrusk, Trent Frederic, Karson Kuhlman, and Chris Wagner.
"We don't know with Ondrej yet," said Cassidy. "He may go into a spot where if we're resting a guy or our playoff seed is determined. That will factor into it down the road. By Monday and Tuesday, we'll have much more clarity…that will determine where he plays as well. I really can't answer that until Charlie [Coyle] gets cleared to get back in the lineup.
"If he's not, is Kase better with a [Curtis] Lazar and DeBrusk, that type of line than a [Sean] Kuraly and [Nick] Ritchie? We'd have to sort through that. It's a little bit early now to say. We would like to see him, if he does get cleared.
"It's been a long time. A lot of catching up to do. It's still nice to know what is available to you should we need to put him in the lineup in the playoffs at some point."
Cassidy will also have to nail down an identity for his bottom six. With the B's top two lines seemingly solidified, Boston's bench boss noted that the style of the third and fourth trios could look a bit different than years past.
"What it looks like now is a little more of a threat to score, a little more speed," Cassidy said of the fourth line, which on Thursday night featured Curtis Lazar centering Jake DeBrusk and Karson Kuhlman. "We'll see who we get matched up against [in the playoffs] and see what the best fit is and go from there. We've said that that's probably how it's gonna shake out.
"We're real happy with our top two lines in terms of the productivity there. The third line was a little bit newer in the making here recently, three guys that have contributed all year, but maybe not together as a trio. We've liked what we've seen so far. Hopefully Charlie gets back in there and that's something we can stick with and they can have some more success.
Coyle, who had been ramping up his game after a move to third-line right wing, was not on the ice on Friday morning as he continues to deal with an upper-body injury that kept him out of Thursday's win over the Rangers. Cassidy did say, however, that Coyle "should be back before long."
