Boston Bruins: Top 8 prospects worth getting excited about
While they certainly aren’t everyone’s favorite team, there is no denying that the Boston Bruins have been a powerhouse in the NHL this past decade.
Despite some of their main core of players getting up there in age, they still haven’t slowed down either. As of now, the Boston Bruins sit first in the East Division with 24 points in 16 games. Patrice Bergeron, who is 35-years-old, is second the team with 19 points, while still maintaining his excellent defensive play.
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While David Krejci has yet to score a goal, he still has 10 assists on the year at age 34. Then you have Tuukka Rask who, at age 33, is still as good as he has ever been with a 7-2-1 record and a 2.56 Goals Against Average. It is incredible how long this team have been able to remain at or near the top, but the fact is that sooner rather than later, things will change.
Eventually, Father Time catches up to everybody, and that will soon enough happen to many of the Bruins’ current star players. Of course, they do have young talent on the roster, headlined by 24-year-old David Pastrnak, but the fact is that the majority of their top players are getting old. That’s where things get interesting for this team, as they have a very underwhelming pipeline of prospects at the moment.
There is no doubt that Boston Bruins management still looks at this roster as one that can compete for a Stanley Cup, which is the ultimate goal after falling just one game shy of doing so in 2019. The question is, what about the 2021-22 season, or the one after that? How long do they believe these top players can continue playing at an elite level?
If they choose to continue holding onto them rather than dealing them for picks and/or prospects, which they very well may do, that will result in at least a few rough seasons for the B’s. It certainly isn’t an easy decision to make going forward for General Manager Don Sweeney, and you can bet he knows his prospect pool lacks talent.
Having said that, the Bruins still do have a few exciting players in the system, a few of which should be able to contribute to the team within the next few seasons.
As mentioned in every other Top 8 Prospects articles throughout this series, any player who has played in more NHL games than any other league in a season, regardless of the season, will not be included. (Exception has been made for the 2020-21 season, given that many leagues, including the AHL have just begun their seasons).
Here are the Top 8 Prospects in the Boston Bruins System:
8. Trent Frederic
Many fans were surprised and somewhat upset when the Boston Bruins announced they were selecting Trent Frederic with the 29th pick at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. It was somewhat surprising given that he didn’t have stats that shouted out First-Round talent, managing just 14 points in 23 games for the U.S. National Under-18 Team in the USHL. His offense seemed to turn a corner quickly however, as he spent the following two seasons after being drafted with the University of Wisconsin where he registered a combined 32 goals and 65 points in 66 games played.
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After those two seasons with the University of Wisconsin, Frederic made the decision to turn pro for the 2018-19 season. He spent the majority of the past two seasons in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, where his style of game really developed into an agitator who was willing to drop the gloves, particularly during the 2019-20 season in which he had 148 penalty minutes in just 59 games. The 23-year-old has started off the 2020-21 season in the NHL and is making a name for himself around the league due to his ability to get under opponents skin, as shown in hte video below. His offensive game, at least to this point, leaves something to be desired, but he has found other ways to be valuable to his team and is still relatively young.
Frederic’s not a fan of the PK workout vids pic.twitter.com/tS0lKYFRvq
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 22, 2021
7. Jakub Lauko
While many will look at Jakub Lauko’s nine points in 22 AHL games with Providence last season and dismiss him as a top prospect, it is important that they remember he was just 19-years-old. The now 20-year-old, who was taken in the Third-Round (No. 77 overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has a chance to turn into a solid NHLer down the road.
At the time he was drated, Lauko had finished his second season in the Czech league where he had nine points in 42 games. He then went to play against players his own age the following season in the QMJHL and showed his true skill with 41 points in 44 contests. As previously mentioned, he turned pro last season but suffered a variety of injuries which limited him to just 22 games. Thankfully, he is fully recovered now and is off to a fantastic start with Providence this season as he has a team leading five points in four games played.
6. Dan Vladar
The first of two exciting goaltending prospects the Boston Bruins have is Dan Vladar, who they grabbed in the Third-Round (No. 75 overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. While it has taken some time for the now 23-year-old to find his footing, there is now an argument to be made that he is NHL ready, especially after his outstanding 2019-20 season. Appearing in 25 games with Providence last season, Vladar posted a 1.79 Goals Against Average (GAA) along with a .936 Save Percentage (SV%) and a 14-7-1 record.
With those numbers, he likely would have cracked many NHL rosters this season, however the Bruins are an exception given that they have arguably the top goaltending duo in the league with Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. As a result, Vladar is back with Providence this season and is posting great numbers early on once again as through two games played he has a 1.03 GAA and a .957 SV%.
5. Jack Ahcan
Though it remains to soon to tell, the Bruins appear to have found a steal in defenseman Jack Ahcan. They were able to sign the now 23-year-old undrafted blueliner in late March of 2020 after his fourth season with St. Cloud State. The offensive abilities for him are very evident, given his combined 103 points in 144 games over his four seasons. On top of the great offensive skill, he also has great leadership qualities, proven by being named St. Cloud’s captain prior to the 2019-20 season.
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While he is just five games into his professional hockey career, it has been a fantastic start for Ahcan, as he already has three assists. Though it is almost a guarantee he won’t see any NHL action this season, if he is able to keep up the offensive pace with Providence this year he may give himself a chance to crack Boston’s lineup for the 2021-22 season. The one concern on him is his size, as he is listed at just five-foot-eight, 185 pounds. However, former Bruins defenseman Torey Krug was a nearly identical size and was one of the team’s best players for a number of years.
4. Curtis Hall
Though he is just one game into his professional career, it looks like the Bruins may have found a mid-round gem in Curtis Hall who they selected in the Fourth-Round (No. 119 overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. At the time, Hall didn’t seem to be the most exciting pick given that he had just 31 points in 54 USHL games with the Youngstown Phantoms. The very next season saw him play as a freshman for Yale University where he once again didn’t impress many, managing just 11 points in 24 contests.
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While there wasn’t much excitement around Hall at the time, that all changed during his sophomore season with Yale. By the time the year had come to an end, the now 20-year-old led his team with 17 goals and 27 points in 28 contests. Thanks to the outstanding season, he was able to sign a one-year deal with the Boston Bruins and is currently playing in Providence. He will be an exciting player to keep tabs on this season as he not only offensive skill but size, as he is listed at six-foot-three, 197 pounds.
3. Jeremy Swayman
The other fantastic goalie prospect the Boston Bruins have in their system is Jeremy Swayman, who they took in the Fourth-Round (No. 111 overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The Alaskan-born goaltender had a solid season with the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL during his draft eligible season, but it is his three seasons since with the University of Maine that really got people talking about him.
The 2019-20 season, which was his junior year, was the best of Swayman’s college career, as he posted a 2.07 GAA along with a .939 SV% in 34 games played. Those numbers were good enough to have himself named as a Hobey Baker Award finalist, as well as sign a three-year, Entry-Level contract. As a result, he is now in the AHL with Providence and doesn’t seem to be having any problem adjusting to the professional game, as through three starts he has a perfect 3-0-0 record along with a 2.00 GAA and a .928 SV%. The future looks very bright for the 22-year-old.
2. John Beecher
The first and only First-Round pick appearing on this list is John Beecher, who the Bruins selected 30th overall at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The American-born forward spent his draft eligible season playing for the U.S. National U18 Team where he recorded 15 goals and 43 points in 63 games. The following season, he joined the University of Michigan and is currently in his sophomore season.
His first season in Michigan went just ok, as he scored nine goals and 16 points in 31 games. The highlight of that year was the fact that he was selected to play for Team USA at the 2020 World Juniors, though he didn’t have the greatest showing as he was held pointless at the tournament. Beecher has started the 2020-21 season off slowly, as he has just eight points in 16 games. While it is a bit frustrating that he has not yet excelled at the college level, it is important to remember that he is still just 19-years-old.
1. Jack Studnicka
The top prospect in the Bruins system is Jack Studnicka, who has been a part of their organization since being selected in the Second-Round (No. 52 overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The now 22-year-old had a terrific junior hockey career in the OHL, including his final season in 2018-19 where he scored 24 goals in just 30 games for the Niagara IceDogs after being picked up in a mid-season trade. His great season was enough to have him crack Team Canada at the 2019 World Juniors, where he scored a goal and added three helpers in five games.
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The 2019-20 season marked Studnicka’s first as a pro, and it went exceptionally well as both his 23 goals and 49 points in 60 games led Providence in scoring. On top of that, he was also able to suit up for two regular season games with Boston, and an additional five in the Playoffs.
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So far in the 2020-21 season he has played in seven NHL games where he has a goal and an assist, and two AHL contests in which he has a single helper. While he may continue to bounce around between the two teams this season, he has a very exciting future and should be able to establish himself as a solid point producer in the NHL sooner than later.