With the Holiday season fast approaching, we’ve reached the unofficial half-way point of the season when it comes to Boston Bruins prospects. This is part one of a series of updates to come your way in the coming days.
Each season I have been doing this, I gave you what I call “prospect chances”. That is the chances of each prospect reaching a certain level anywhere from career AHL’er to playing for your Boston Bruins. A lot of thought goes into this and not limited to: Skill, progression, regression, upside, floor, where they sit on the depth chart, contract situation, potential trade value and more.
Let’s look back at what I believed their chances were in the preseason:
As you know, Matthew Poitras is in the NHL. But what about the rest? While there have been some outstanding performances, I am sorry to say there has been some regression with some players. That’s why you are here correct? For an honest opinion? So, let’s take a look at the graph at the mid-way point and then I will give you, some quick thoughts.
Beginning with Riley Duran, there has been no movement. Yes, his production has taken a bit of a dip, but it was never about production for Duran but every other part of his game. He will be an excellent fourth line player with an ability to move up in a pinch and provide some much-needed energy, strong forecheck and pot the odd goal here and there. If you keep your expectations in check, then you won’t be disappointed.
Next up is Oskar Jellvik. If you are a regular reader here then you know I have been pumping his tires for a couple of seasons now. And I warned readers multiple times a season ago not to be too concerned with where his production was as it was a transition year to North America for him. Now, in his second season with Boston College, he has surpassed even my expectations. I expect him to continue to develop in the NCAA and he could turn into a steal for a 5th round pick in 2021.
His teammate at Boston College Andre Gasseau was a bright spot a season ago and it placed high hopes on the 2021 7th rounder. With 29 points in 36 games, there were some real expectations placed on him. But he is on pace to just match that. What I like about Gasseau is just how far his all-around game has come in just one short season. Size, strength, physicality and a very good defensive game are all pluses. If he could improve his skating/speed, his upside could rise. There’s plenty of time ahead of him.
Dans Locmelis hasn’t moved yet for me and that’s a good sign. Much like Jellvik, I’ve been saying not to worry about production this season, that’ll come next season. It’s a transition year to North America for him and I’m not going to worry too much about points. What he did in the J20 Nationell in Sweden and for his native Latvia internationally has me excited for the 2022 4th round pick. He will continue to round out his game with U-Mass but don’t expect first line potential with him.
Heading over to Sweden and playing professional hockey in the SHL is Jonathan Myrenberg who the Bruins acquired from the Vancouver Canucks along with Michael DiPietro for Jack Studnicka. The 5th round selection in 2021 is just 20 years old and playing against men in Sweden’s top league and he has more than held his own. His defensive game and transition game are very good and only getting better as he gains confidence. The only thing preventing me from making him a lock to join Boston is the newest NHL-SHL transfer agreement.
Coming back to North America and the OHL is Jackson Edward. He has played both defensive positions this season and has even played LW and RW with the extra attacker and the net front presence for the London Knights. Which makes it tough for him to get into a rhythm, not just game to game but shift to shift as he is often changing sides. But Edward is exactly what the Bruins need on defence. Big, physical, willing to drop the gloves and he can play the game. He is still green and has some developing to do. The Bruins see the potential and were quick to sign him to his ELC.
Chris Pelosi, the Bruins 3rd round pick in 2023 is drawing plenty of attention and he has made a nice jump on this list. He has surpassed his production of a year ago with the Sioux Falls Stampede in half the games, right on target. He can score in multiple ways, he’s an ox on the forecheck and his all-around game is pretty developed. He’s headed to Quinnipiac next season and will likely need time in the AHL so he could be as many as 5 years away. This is all about progression and only time will tell how that progression goes.
Beckett Hendrickson has also made a jump on this list. After 2 seasons with the U.S. National Development Teams, he moved onto the Sioux Falls Stampede and is right on track. He looks to be on track to be an NHL player at this point but, the 2023 4th round pick still has 2 levels of hockey after this one just like Pelosi – the NCAA with the University of Minnesota and likely some time with the Providence Bruins in the AHL. That could be as many as 5 years down the road so I will keep expectations realistic at this point.
Philip Svedeback had a very good season with Providence College a season ago. He had a good start to this season and looked to be on track but, he has tapered off lately. I find that a bit concerning because consistency has been his motto. Still, I like his potential and there is no telling what he can do with professional coaching. However, the blue paint position is crowded in the Bruins organization and Svedeback really needs to take the next step is he wants to assure himself a spot with the Bruins.
Cole Spicer has been an enigma for me. While he has already surpassed totals of a year ago with Minnesota-Duluth, and he has already reached the goals I had him targeted for (more on that in the next article), I didn’t have high expectations for the 2022 4th round pick. I see him as a forward who can be solid defensively, forecheck strongly and win puck battles despite his size. When it comes to offence, I think he has trouble with consistency. There’s still plenty of time however.
Ryan Walsh has made a little jump here. Why? While other prospects writers were telling you that they didn’t know what to expect from the 2023 6th round pick, I gave you a solid target. Over 3 months later, those same writers are telling you not to be surprised by his offence while I’m saying he’s right on target. The goals to assist ratio may be off but I am not surprised in the least. The problem for Walsh is the number of bodies ahead of him on the depth chart. But he’s got 3 more years at minimum to continue to climb.
Reid Dyck has climbed this chart and if you read here regularly, then you know he has been the MVP for the Swift Current Broncos this season. Until an injury knocked him out. It’s his second major injury of the season with the first one keeping him out of the Bruins rookie camp and the start of the WHL season. Quite simply, he gives the Broncos a chance to win every night. Their record with and without him speaks volumes. Some went as far as to say that he would be on Team Canada’s roster for the World Junior Championships. I don’t know about that, but he was certainly being looked at.
There has been quite the drop off for Mason Langenbrunner. The 5th round pick in 2020 showed some offensive promise in high school and the USHL but just hasn’t come through with Harvard in the NCAA. He’s a great skater who can play a shut down role but at this point, any offence looks limited. Maybe it’s a product of his team and situations he is put in. I also believe he has been jumped on the depth chart but, anything can happen in the next 2 years.
Quinn Olson is interesting here. Like former Bruins prospect Dustyn McFaul, Olson decided to return for a graduate year. The difference is that Olson did not have the necessary credits to make him an unrestricted free agent but McFaul did. Now, what to do with him? He’s on the verge of having his best offensive year to date with Minnesota-Duluth and is right on target for what I expected from him. I don’t know that it will be enough to earn a contract when his season is over and there are prospects that have jumped him.
Jake Schmaltz continues to drop with each list I make. Things looked promising after the Bruins drafted him in the 7th round in 2019. He had two productive seasons with Green Bay in the USHL and a great Freshman season with the University of North Dakota. But it’s been two seasons of regression since then. As a center, there are so many prospects ahead of him that I can’t see him carving out a role even as a defensive center. And he’s only got one more year of college eligibility after this one.
Massive drop for Ty Gallagher and the biggest drop on this list. After a couple of excellent seasons with the NTDP and two excellent seasons with Boston University, his offence has vanished. I was asked on a recent podcast if the 2021 7th rounder was being asked to work on other parts of his game and thus effecting his offence and my answer is worth repeating: No. I just don’t believe a player’s offence falls off the map just because he is working on other areas of his game. Granted, I will admit he is not in an ideal situation at BU quite often dressing as the 7th defenceman. If you go back to what I said about Myrenberg, that’s why Gallagher is no longer my top right shot defenceman prospect.
Casper Nassen has been a huge disappointment. Yes, he has missed the last half dozen games due to injury, but the 2023 7th round pick should have been lighting up the J20 Nationell in Sweden. He won’t come close to reaching the 23 goals and 17 assists he had a season ago in the same league, the league that produced Jellvik and Locmelis for the Bruins. At this point it’s a wait and see approach as he is set to join Miami University (Ohio) for next season as he makes the jump to North America.
Kristian Kostadinski has actually impressed me more than Nassen has. The fellow 7th round pick in 2023 has obviously put in a lot of work after attending the Bruins development camp. He’s a big, mean SOB to play against and that’s something the Bruins could use. Skating was an issue with him but he has put in some work and he’s going to have to continue that work to get to higher levels. He could return to the J20 for one more season but he will likely play in Sweden’s Allsvenskan league against stronger competition.
Roman Bychkov will most likely end up a career European. Since the Bruins drafted him in the 5th round in 2019, Bychkov has been up and down various Russian leagues like a yoyo. He’s having a tough time sticking with any KHL teams with any regularity and will likely be looking at other European leagues in the near future.
Part two will look at how each prospect is doing in comparison to the offensive targets I had forecasted for them back in the preseason. Be sure to check back for that! Better yet, follow the blog and get it sent right to your inbox!!
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