Boston Bruins: Top 10 prospects entering 2019
The Boston Bruins have seen a number of their best prospects either graduate to the NHL or get moved to a different organization. Let’s take a look at their top 10 prospects after the 2019 NHL Draft.
The Boston Bruins made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019. Though Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and Tuukka Rask led the way, a number of homegrown prospects helped them along the way. The Bruins have seen most of their best prospects from last season either make the jump to the NHL or leave for a different organization.
With an aging core, Boston will continue to need their prospects to develop so that they can account for players like Zdeno Chara getting older. Let’s take a look at their top 10 prospects after the 2019 NHL Draft.
Before I begin, I’d like to clarify a few things. First of all, everyone has a different definition of “prospect”. For me, it’s anyone who is under 25 years old (because by then you tend to know who a player is) and has yet to find a consistent spot in the NHL. Anders Bjork, for the purposes of this article, is not a prospect.
Let’s start with the goaltenders. Because, as any player will tell you, they’re special and deserve their own category.
Goaltenders
1. Dan Vladar
Acquired: 2015 third-round pick
Stats: 31 games, 2.73 GAA, .898% save percentage, 1 postseason appearance, 2.00 GAA, .926% save percentage (Providence Bruins, AHL)
Goalie prospects are like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get. So I’m going with the slightly more proven Dan Vladar over their other options. The soon-to-be 22-year-old from the Czech Republic had a nice first season in the AHL despite being one of the youngest goaltenders in the league.
Vladar’s calling card is his size, as he’s 6’5″. I like his athleticism, but he needs to get better at using his size. Vladar likes to challenge the goaltender, but he’s a bit too aggressive there. He’s made impressive strides over the past year and I think he has the potential to be the next Bruins starting goalie after Tuukka Rask.
I can’t imagine Rask will surrender his post without a good, long fight, so they can definitely afford to be patient with Vladar.
2. Kyle Keyser
Acquired: Undrafted (signed in 2017)
Stats: 47 appearances, 2.75 GAA, .915% save percentage (Oshawa Generals, OHL); 1 game, 3.15 GAA, .897% save percentage (Providence Bruins, AHL)
Kyle Keyser has a nice resume and will be making a big move to the AHL in the 2019-20 season after a successful career in the OHL. His positioning must improve, but he has impressive athleticism, which allows him to get away with his subpar positioning. Keyser also has youth on his side (he’s just 20 years old) and I like the improvements he has made over the past year.
3. Jeremy Swayman
I’ve definitely got time for Jeremy Swayman. He’s entering his third season at the University of Maine, where he has steadily developed into a pretty solid goalie. Swayman was named to the Hockey East Third All-Star Team in 2018-19 and should enter the 2019-20 season as one of the best goaltenders in college hockey.
However, he has yet to really prove himself against top competition. So that’s why Swayman’s pretty low on my list. As I said, goalies are hard to predict. That’s why I’ll tend to go with experience over everything else. Swayman’s still an unknown, but he could be something.
10. Karson Kuhlman
Age: 23 (24 in September)
Position: Center/Right Wing
Stats: 11 games, 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points, 8 postseason games, 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points (Boston Bruins, NHL); 58 games, 12 goals, 18 assists, 30 points (Providence Bruins, AHL)
Karson Kuhlman has proven he’s an NHL caliber player. He has yet to earn a full-time spot in the Bruins lineup, but I think that could change next season. One way or another, Kuhlman will be off this list next year – either he’ll be a full-time NHL player or he’ll be too old for it.
I think he’ll max out as a decent fourth-liner. However, Kuhlman can kill penalties and has proven to be fairly reliable.
9. Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson
Age: 22 years old (turns 23 in October)
Position: Center/Right Wing
Stats: 28 games, 3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points (Boston Bruins, NHL); 28 games, 7 goals, 9 assists, 16 points (Providence Bruins, AHL)
The 2019-20 season is going to be a very important one for the second-most famous person in recent history with the initials JFK. Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson will be heading to the SHL in 2019-20 in hopes of getting more playing time. A move to Sweden should do him well.
JFK is running out of time to develop, but I still believe he has top-nine forward potential. I’m not sure if he’ll stick at center. One interesting note – his SHL team listed him as a right wing in their press release. A move to wing could be a good thing for JFK.
8. Jeremy Lauzon
Age: 22 years old
Position: Defense
Stats: 16 games, 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point
You could honestly flip Lauzon and Zboril on this list and I’d have no issue. Both are going to be NHL guys, in my opinion. Lauzon has the higher floor while Zboril has the higher ceiling. I prefer ceiling to floor, but Lauzon’s still a fascinating guy for me.
He really stood out on the penalty kill for me. Lauzon’s got nice defensive instincts and takes away shooting lanes efficiently. He has the tools to be a third-pairing defenseman. His ability to kill penalties and avoid mistakes should suit him well in that role. Lauzon doesn’t do enough offensively to be much more than that, though.
7. Jakob Zboril
Age: 22 years old
Position: Defense
Stats: 56 games, 4 goals, 15 assists, 19 points (Providence Bruins, AHL); 2 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points (Boston Bruins, NHL)
People are starting to think Jakob Zboril is a bust. But he did make his NHL debut this season, which is a good sign. To be fair to Zboril, he’s in a hard place. The Bruins blueline is pretty deep and it’s hard to stand out. Zboril’s done a very solid job in the AHL and is steadily rising up on their call-up list.
That said, it’s time for him to earn a role, one way or another. Zboril has developed into a better two-way defender than I thought he would. However, his offense hasn’t quite developed as I believed it would. To be fair though, Zboril’s been in more of a shutdown role than an offensive one for Providence. So I think there’s still something there.
6. Trent Frederic
Age: 21 years old
Position: Center
Stats: 15 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points (Boston Bruins, NHL); 55 games, 14 goals, 11 assists, 25 points (Providence Bruins, AHL)
The 2018-19 season did not go quite as well as planned for Trent Frederic. He got a cup of coffee in the NHL, but wasn’t able to stand out. Frederic didn’t do as well with the Providence Bruins as I thought he would, but considering it was his first professional season, it’s nothing to worry about.
Frederic has top-nine potential, though his offense has to get better. I think a more consistent role in the AHL or NHL would do wonders for him. He’s got the tools to be an NHL player and I think he can put them all together to become an everyday guy.
5. Peter Cehlarik
Age: 23 years old (24 years old in August)
Position: Left wing
Stats: 53 games, 12 goals, 26 assists, 38 points (Providence Bruins, AHL); 20 games, 4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points (Boston Bruins, NHL)
Peter Cehlarik finally got the cup of coffee in the NHL that I’ve been pushing for. He didn’t disappoint, forming immediate chemistry with his line. Six points in 20 games isn’t too shabby for someone who averaged just 12:36 of ice time per game in the NHL.
Cehlarik used to be an all-skill guy, but I really like how he’s developed as a two-way player. The Bruins have been patient with him and it has paid off. I see him as a top-nine forward, though he looked really good in a limited sample with David Krejci. So maybe there’s still a top-six forward hiding in him somewhere.
4. John Beecher
Age: 18 years old
Position: Center
Stats: 63 games, 15 goals, 28 assists, 43 points
John Beecher is someone who was a second round pick for me at the 2019 draft. The Bruins drafted him in the first round. He fits the profile of the guys they usually draft. Beecher is a big guy. More importantly, he knows how to use his size.
Obviously, Beecher has to show he can do it against people who he’s not bigger than. He was one of the biggest prospects in the 2019 draft. Still, I like what he did around the net. Beecher isn’t afraid to go there and could be a nice net-front presence on the power-play.
I’m excited to watch more of him at the University of Michigan. Beecher impressed me with the limited playing time he got. Let’s be fair to him too – you’re not going to stand out too much if the guys ahead of you are Jack Hughes, Alex Turcotte, and Trevor Zegras. Those guys were top 10 picks for a reason.
3. Jakub Lauko
Age: 19 years old
Position: Center/Left Wing
Stats: 44 games, 21 goals, 20 assists, 41 points (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL)
I loved Jakub Lauko at the 2018 draft. He was a second-round pick for me, but the Bruins got him in the third round. Thus far, Lauko’s made me look smart. He got a shot of espresso in the NHL during the preseason. It’s not much to get excited about, but still, as an 18-year-old, he didn’t look out of place against (mostly) professional hockey players.
Lauko nearly got a point per game during the regular season. An injury cut his season short, but he was an outstanding player for the Huskies. His speed is outstanding and his acceleration is going to guarantee him some rush attempts. I like his shot and I’d like to see him use it just a little bit more.
He has top-six forward potential for me. Lauko is slightly lacking in skill, but he makes up for it with a high hockey IQ, excellent skating, and an impressive work ethic. At the very least, he should be a top-nine forward.
Who’s Number One?
This was a tough decision for me. Both Jack Studnicka and Urho Vaakanainen deserved serious consideration for the number one spot. If you flipped them, I’d have no issue. It all depends on what you prefer when evaluating prospects.
2. Jack Studnicka
Age: 20 years old
Position: Center
Stats: 60 games, 36 goals, 47 assists, 83 points (Oshawa Generals/Niagara IceDogs, OHL); 4 postseason games, 1 goal, 2 points (Providence Bruins, AHL)
Jack Studnicka could compete for a roster spot as soon as next season with the Bruins. However, Boston is famously patient with their guys, so I’d expect him to at least start in Providence. Studnika is probably on top of their call-up list if they’re looking for a center, though.
He’s a better passer than scorer, though he was outstanding with the IceDogs. Studnicka was a lot more aggressive with the puck there, as 24 of his 36 goals came with them. He’s the kind of player who excels at creating scoring chances, whether it’s for himself or his teammates.
I see him as a second-line center. Studnicka could be David Krejci’s eventual replacement. If the Bruins want to go with a more offensive third line, he might be a good fit there.
1. Urho Vaakanainen
Age: 20 years old
Position: Defense
Stats: 30 games, 4 goals, 10 assists, 14 points (Providence Bruins, AHL); 2 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points (Boston Bruins, NHL)
If the Bruins didn’t have a very deep blueline, Urho Vaakanainen would be in the NHL right now. For me, he was Providence’s most impressive defenseman. Vaakanainen quickly became one of their most trusted blueliners in just his first season in North America. That’s impressive.
There’s a lot to like about his game. Vaakanainen excels in transition and should be a second-pairing or top-pairing defenseman. I’d imagine he’s the replacement for Chara, though who knows when the giant will retire.
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It’ll be interesting to see what the Bruins do with him next season. In my book, Vaakanainen is good enough to play in the NHL right now. But their blueline is a bit crowded. My brain tells me he’ll be down in the AHL again, but my gut tells me Vaakanainen will make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to keep him down.