When the Bruins signed free agent Parker Wotherspoon to a one-year contract last July 1, it was barely a blip on anyone’s radar.

The B’s had signed handful of recognizable NHL veterans with long resumes and they took up most, if not all, of the oxygen on that day. Wotherspoon, meanwhile, was a soon-to-be 26-year-old year-old defensive defenseman who had just 28 games NHL in his six-plus years with the Islanders organization.

But as it turned out, a tough stretch for the Bruins would have been made much tougher without Wotherspoon. With each game he’s played, the British Columbia native seems to get more and more comfortable with the role and what’s asked of him.

“It’s growing and growing,” said Wotherspoon of his confidence after the B’s 3-0 win over the New Jersey Devils. “Obviously it’s a new system and a new team this year, so it took a little bit to get comfortable with the system. The coaches have been helping me out a lot and bring me up to speed early on in the year. Just more and more every game.”

Wotherspoon has stepped up at an important time with Boston’s two big stay-at-home defensemen, Brandon Carlo and Derek Forbort, on the shelf. A left shot, he’s jumped into action for Carlo on the right side to play with Hampus Lindholm, not always the easiest task, though he does have some experience with it.

“There’s pros and cons to both. I played it a little bit last year for half the season. And when I was in Providence, I played a little bit on the offside. I do like it and I’d like to think that I can play both sides,” said Wotherspoon.

In the absence of Carlo, Wotherspoon has stepped up to eat important minutes. He’s played over 18 minutes in all but one game, with his high marks being in Colorado (20:48) and Arizona (21:28). In 16 games with Boston, he’s got a couple of assists and is plus-3. The assertiveness in his decision making has grown significantly in a short amount of time.

“I think we see a player who has the confidence to know that he can play well and help us night in, night out,” said coach Jim Montgomery. “And the physicality that he brings, the consistency of it, is something that we need back there and he’s given that to us. A very, very welcome addition and he’s earned the right to be here.”

What happens with Wotherspoon and the defense corps as a whole when everyone is healthy – if that ever comes to fruition – will be interesting. Wotherspoon would be subject to waivers if the club tried to send him down. And we’re getting into the stage of the season where under-performing teams just might be in the market for waiver wire castoffs to help change direction. And versatile defensemen who play with a little spice are a valued commodity.

The easy solution – though one that might not be popular to some sections of the fandom – would be to keep Wotherspoon in the NHL mix and send Mason Lohrei down when the time comes. It would be nice to see the clearly talented rookie develop at the NHL level, but he does not require waivers to get sent to Providence.

Lohrei has shown flashes of both brilliance and inexperience. In the win over Jersey, his toe-drag move to get by the first line of defense and into and the slot was scintillating. He also got his pocket picked in the neutral zone on a rush attempt. Those things happen to players in their first year of pro hockey.

Whatever the case may be, it’s a decision that doesn’t have to made now. Given the nature of injuries that happen on the back end, it may never have to be.

But the fact that Wotherspoon has played himself into being a player the organization should be concerned about losing shows how far he’s come in a short period of time.

It appears as though Linus Ullmark is feeling close to ready. The B’s returned goalie Brandon Bussi to Providence on Tuesday. Bussi was brought up when Ullmark suffered a lower body injury in Arizona last week. At the time, it appeared to be serious as Ullmark needed help to get off the ice.

Fortunately, the goalie was able to get back on the ice within a couple of days. If it turns out he’s not ready, the B’s could always recall Bussi to back up Jeremy Swayman. … The B’s will get back to practice on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s matchup against the explosive Colorado Avalanche. The last time the B’s held a real off day practice? Jan. 3, a full two weeks ago.