He was an undrafted free agent from Livonia, Michigan, who played his college hockey at Michigan State. The five-foot-nine defenseman just wanted a chance, and he received one when the Boston Bruins came calling in 2012.

After spending some time with the Providence Bruins, Torey Krug was signed to an entry-level contract by Boston on March 25th, 2012 before making his NHL debut on April 3, 2012 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Monday night at Madison Square Garden, Krug appeared in his 200th career NHL game for the Black and Gold.

Ever since Krug came on to the scene in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs where he notched four goals in 15 games for Claude Julien (all four against the New York Rangers in five games), the Bruins bench boss knew he had something special, which was essential especially with the departure of beloved Andrew Ference.

The 24 year-old has developed into a dynamic all-around player for the Black and Gold, especially on the power-play where he has 10 power-play points in 2015-2016. Krug is also logging serious minutes due to the inexperience and injuries on their blue line.

“I’m come a long way,” Krug told CSNNE Bruins insider Joe Haggerty. “Even from when I first came into the league, it seems like I’m a different player. I was just a guy used for offensive purposes and for the power-play. I wouldn’t get too many chances defensively, but now it’s a different role for the team. I love the role that I’ve been thrown into.”

Krug is now a very important top-four defenseman for Julien averaging over 21 minutes of ice time per night. This year, Krug has 17 assists to go along with three goals in 40 games.

We know that Krug’s one-year deal expires at the end of the season. But everybody knows he will be in for a nice long-term deal for the Black and Gold because Don Sweeney and the B’s brass could ill afford to lose him with Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg losing a step or two as they age. Krug is still 24 years young, and he is improving in every aspect of his game.