Andrew said:
That warning could exist without Svedberg sitting next to him on the bench, though. And, besides, what's the point of warning Johnson? He's been better than what could be expected, he's never going to be perfect or anything. It's not like he's a rookie they're trying to teach.
It might be a trade showcase, as timlin asks above. They may be comfortable with Subban as Providence's #1, and feel they have to move Svedberg with Rask locked up, Svedberg's contract being up, and Subban as a better prospect.
However, the difference on the cap space isn't that much, and they might be developing more serious concerns about giving Johnson an extended workload to rest Rask. If Finland rides Rask in the Olympics, the Bruins are going to have to give their backup a lot of games down the stretch. They will need points in those games, and if they feel Johnson can't handle that workload then it makes sense if they see whether Svedberg can handle the NHL game.
And I'm not worried about the cap space. I don't want the Bruins doing anything at the deadline. They just need to get healthy.