Boston Bruins Top-10 Prospect Rankings

All of the Boston Bruins prospects around the world are well into their 2022-2023 seasons and the sample size is enough to see if those players have improved in any specific areas of their games.

To be considered a prospect they must be playing outside the National Hockey League, be under 24 years of age (2017 draft or later) and must have been drafted or signed as an undrafted free agent. Players under AHL contracts such as Luke Toporowski (who might or might not of made my list) are not eligible because they are not actually Boston Bruins assets and could sign with another NHL club.  

These lists are always subjective and should be looked at as such. The value I place on a player’s play may not be the same as the next persons. The only thing I will say in my defence is that I watch all these players regularly.

The number in brackets is where I had them ranked pre-draft. So, here we go:

1. Fabian Lysell – Providence Bruins – American Hockey League (1^st)

2. Mason Lohrei – Ohio State Buckeyes – NCAA (2^nd)

3. Georgii Merkulov – Providence Bruins – American Hockey League (3^rd)

4. Brett Harrison – Oshawa Generals – Ontario Hockey League (4^th)

5. Oskar Jellvik – Boston College – NCAA (6^th)

6. John Beecher – Providence Bruins – American Hockey League (5^th)

7. Marc McLaughlin – Providence Bruins – American Hockey League (8^th)

8. Riley Duran – Providence Friars – NCAA (NR)

9. Matthew Poitras – Guelph Storm – Ontario Hockey League (NR)

10. Matias Mantykivi – Ilves Tampere – Liiga (Finland) (7^th)

I actually struggled between Mantykivi, Ryan Mast, Trevor Kuntar and newly acquired Jonathan Myrenberg at the number 10 spot. Mantykivi plays an extremely rounded 200-foot game. His offensive game has taken a bit of a hit this season and thus dropped on my top-10.  

What truly should have been a breakout year for Poitras has been hampered by two suspensions so far. Have to love the engine and the skill set on the player and now it’s about putting the early part of the season behind him and moving forward. May be the best playmaker of the group. He will move up this list.

I’m a fan of Duran and he was just outside my top-10 back in July. What he has done since then at the World Junior Championships and continues to do with Providence College may have some ranking Duran higher. He just plays the game the right way and has Boston Bruins written all over him.  

Everyone loves McLaughlin especially after his stint with the big club a season ago. The determination, the engine and the skill set are all noticeable. His offence has taken a hit in Providence early on and he is going to have to get that back on track to move up the list.

I’m disappointed in myself for having Beecher at number six. There is just so much to like about his game that says NHL player – and a long career at that. But I cannot deny the offence has not come through to this point and thus, others have surpassed him.

Possibly the only player I like more than Duran on this list is Jellvik. The only concern about him coming into the season was how he was going to acclimate to the North American game/ice. I think we’ve seen the answer and now it’s about improving on that. Will be hard to move any higher on this list though.

Next to Lysell, Merkulov may just be the most offensively talented player on the list. While I believe Poitras may be the best playmaker, I believe Harrison to be the best pure goal scorer of the group. Merkulov brings both skills to his game more than the two Ontario Hockey Leaguers do. I think everyone knows by now that Lysell and Lohrei are as close to blue chip prospects as they come – it they already aren’t.

This list isn’t to disprove anything National Writers say about the Bruins prospect pool and how it stacks up against the other 31 teams across the league. When you are constantly competitive and lack high end picks, it’s bound to happen.

The Bruins were lucky to get Lysell and Lohrei where they did. But they are Boston Bruins and unquestionably their top two prospects. The others I do believe will play in the NHL and that doesn’t make those writers wrong. It just means that the Bruins have done pretty well considering where they were drafting. And that’s all you can ask for.

Follow me on Twitter @dominictiano