Boston's training camp rosters were revealed on Tuesday evening, providing a clearer picture of what players Cassidy will be able to keep a closer eye on. And it appears that he'll have a front-row seat for one of the most intriguing roster battles heading into the 2018-19 campaign.
With the departure of Riley Nash to the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency, the Bruins' third-line center position has been left vacant, opening up the possibility that one of Boston's young pivots seizes this job. The three youngest candidates for the role - Trent Frederic (20), Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (21), and Jack Studnicka (19) - will all travel to China, allowing Cassidy a chance to evaluate them on an individual basis.
"This is truly an evaluation," said Cassidy. "The guys that can step up at this camp amongst their peers probably have a much better shot. It's not like it used to be where you have five weeks to look at them. We're going to China, so some of the young guys we won't even see until we get back, so this is really important for those young guys to separate themselves and that's why there's a little more, probably, importance on it than other years."
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney acknowledged late last month the difficulties that the trip presents, but also pointed to the positive team-building aspects that can come from it. Boston's last preseason trip outside of North America came in 2010 - a visit to Northern Ireland and the Czech Republic - that preceded the Bruins' Stanley Cup championship campaign.
"It's going to be difficult," Sweeney said during the team's Fan Fest Tour. "We've spoken to Vancouver and L.A., they both went through it last year. It's a unique experience and opportunity and the team did a trip to Prague [in 2011] that they utilized effectively going into the course of the season.
"There's a team-building aspect to it. There's some players back here that need to do the same thing, bring along some guys that might feel left out not being over in China and players over in China feeling like, 'Oh, you know, they haven't accomplished anything.'
"But it's a nice experience and exposure to what's a possibility and reality for them if they put the work in."