A week shy of training camp, Caron remains with the Bruins.

WILMINGTON — It wasn’t until June 30, the day restricted free agents must receive their qualifying offers, that Jordan Caron received his papers from the Bruins. The team that made him a first-round pick five years ago would be bringing him back for a fifth year as a professional.

Not that there was anything definite about that. General manager Peter Chiarelli said July 1 that trading Caron might be best for all parties — the Bruins could create room for more-proven players, and Caron would get a fresh start and a better opportunity for playing time elsewhere.

Yet a week shy of training camp, Caron remains with the Bruins. He could still be traded in the next month, and if he’s not, his spot with the team is no guarantee; Caron is one of at least a half-dozen players competing for three roster spots.

“You know I didn’t know what to expect [this summer],” Caron said Wednesday after a captain’s practice at Ristuccia Arena. “I know there was a lot of rumors from my meetings from last year, I kind of knew there were maybe going to be some trades. But I’m pretty happy to be back.

“I’m excited for training camp, and who knows what’s going to happen this year. So just taking it one day at a time, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”

With the Bruins continuing to bring in more young forwards that they want to see at the NHL level — Ryan Spooner, Alexander Khokhlachev, Seth Griffith, Brian Ferlin, David Pastrnak — it seems Caron could be benefitted by going to a team that has more ice time to provide.

Was he hoping for a trade this summer?

“Not as of now,” he said. “I love this city. I love the team here, everything. So I just want to earn a spot on this team and keep getting better and earn a spot on this team and go all the way with these guys.”

Caron signed a one-year, one-way deal worth $600,000 in July. He’s coming off his first season spent entirely in the NHL, and he recorded one goal and two assists in 35 games.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder knows his offensive output has to improve for him to stay in the NHL, and especially with the Bruins. Caron has been known to float offensively and could spend some more time around the net.

“Just playing my game and maybe try to be a bit more better offensively,” Caron said, asked what he needs to do to secure a spot with the team. “Try to create more, not being scared of making mistakes and be confident and I think when I’ve done that in the last few seasons it paid off. I just need to do it even more, I guess, game in, game out. So if I do that I think I’ll be a better hockey player.”

As most of his teammates came off the ice for Wednesday's practice, Caron worked in the crease on tipping shots from Adam McQuaid.

“It’s been some good parts, some tougher ones,” Caron said. “But when I have a good stretch playing maybe a little bit more of an offensive role, I think I was up to the challenge and I think it went pretty well. I’m just hoping for that to happen again. It’s my job to be ready if I get that chance.”

Of course, there’s no guarantee he gets that chance with the Bruins.

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