Page 56 – Dom

WEDNESDAY MAILBAG: NOVEMBER 24 2021

Sandra via email asks

Question – In your Monday prospects report, you increased Beecher’s chances to 5 out of 5 for playing with the Bruins. He’s had one good game since coming back from injury. Why did you change it?

Answer – Well Sandra, when it comes to John Beecher, it is more than just point production as he’s not being asked to be the go-to guy for offense as Michigan is full of offensive talent. It’s about the rest of his game and at this point in his development, it is where it should be. That bodes well when it comes to being an NHL player. There are 3 options for Beecher once his season is over in Michigan: 1) return to the NCAA for another season (very unlikely) 2) Sign A PTO with Providence to finish out the AHL schedule (much like the Bruins did with Charlie McAvoy) 3) sign his entry level contract and even play an NHL game to burn off a year of his deal. It’s no longer a question of when, but which deal the Bruins sign him too.

Zach Souza via Twitter asks

Question – Do you (think) Studnicka (will be) dealt at the deadline in a package to help the depth to make a run?

Answer – In this business you never say never. Remember the old saying “If Wayne Gretzky can be traded….”? At the same time, it depends on where the team is come trade deadline. GM Don Sweeney should not be trading prospects or picks if there is no reasonable chance of going on a run. (Or to sneak into the playoffs if that’s where they are come trade deadline). The prospect pool is not great so they need to make an honest decision on where they see themselves and start planning for the future.

GeeWally via Twitter asks

Question – We all know Tuukka and team ‘are saying all the right things.’ We also know #itsalwaysaboutthemoney. What other teams come a looking after the Holidays?

Answer – One team I have mentioned a couple of times is the Edmonton Oilers. I can’t imagine a team in their position and with two of the best players in the world heading into the playoffs with Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen as your goaltending pair. Their cap situation makes the timing of it sticky because they are into long term injury reserve. Koskinen is a UFA at the end of the season and his $4.5 million AAV comes off the books, so they are a team that could be looking for a goaltender with term. Question is, would Ken Holland call Don Sweeney? Only time will tell. Keep an eye on Colorado as well. Something tells me that they are losing faith in the crease. That doesn’t mean Tuukka Rask is the guy they would target.

Andrew Peterkin via Twitter asks

Question – While I don`t dislike Karson Kuhlman and think he brings some good elements to the ice, why do the Bruins seem so petrified to lose him on waivers, do they see something in his game this La-Z-Boy watching fan can`t?

Answer – We all know how important depth is and Karson Kuhlman fills a role at this point, a plug and play player you can put into the lineup in the event of injuries. Sometimes, the business side of the game plays a role in their decision making and it’s an area a lot of fans don’t understand or just choose to ignore. If Kuhlman wasn’t your 13^th forward then Chris Wagner would likely be. The difference? Kuhlman over Wagner adds about $2 million in trade deadline cap space. I know there is a large group of fans calling for Oskar Steen. But Steen is waiver exempt – which also plays a role.

RJ Williams via Twitter asks

Question – What is Jeremy Swayman’s ceiling/floor? I see the Philly game as an aberration if anything. He’s been incredibly sharp otherwise his entire career.

Answer – It’s really quite simple: his ceiling is a franchise goaltender while his floor appears to be that of a goaltender that can form a solid 1A/1B goaltending tandem. I believe if he plays his entire NHL career with the Bruins, we will be talking about him as one of the best goaltenders in franchise history.

Eugene Mannarino via email asks

Question – What group of Bruins draft picks has impressed or improved the most so far? Also, how deep is this year’s draft? Finally, chances Rask will be in a Bruins uniform?

Answer – I will answer these in reverse order beginning with Rask. I can’t put a number on his chances as I am not privy to how well his rehab is going. There are almost six weeks until January arrives and anything can happen in that time.

As for the draft, there is some nice depth up front and on defence. If I had to choose, I would say the goaltending is the weak link, but as a Bruins fan, well, you are set there for some time.

As for which draft picks have impressed me the most, I hope you’re talking about 2021 draft picks because that’s where I am heading. I am most impressed with Oskar Jellvik. When his name was called at the draft, my first impression was “oh boy, another PJ Axelsson special” and I mean that sarcastically. But watching him play (granted via video) I can’t help but be impressed by his game despite the league he is playing in. The other is Ryan Mast, who I get to see a plenty of live. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from him with the lost OHL season and he was always going to be a project, but I am really surprised at where his game is at right now.

Bob Doherty via Twitter asks

Question – When do the Bruins accept that Coyle is not a second line player and just leave him in the middle on the third line?

Answer – The answer to this is really quite simple: When they have someone that can play above him.

Matt via Twitter asks

Question – Any chance Krejci makes a return? If not, who would they look at on 2nd line?

Answer – Well Matt, may I suggest you hold your breath for the next 21 days? If David Krejci signs before December 15, 2021, he’s all yours. But if he plays in one European League game on or after December 16, 2021 and then decides to re-sign with Boston, he will be required to clear waivers before he can play for the Bruins – and let me make this clear – he will not clear waivers.

That said, Krejci’s Olomouc squad in the Czech Extraliga doesn’t play between December 12 and December 21, so the Bruins actually have until December 21, 2021 to sign him without the threat of waivers. But once he steps on the ice that night (morning for us here in North America) there will be zero chances of him returning to the Bruins this season.

As for who they could be keeping an eye on? Well, how many teams are sellers right now? That should give you a bit of a clue. You must also remember that owners have lost a lot of money because of the pandemic and there may be fewer sellers then usual this season because owners will want to at least get into the playoffs and recoup any money they can with playoff revenues.

Mike O’Connor via Twitter asks

Question – Hey Dom. What do you think the Bruins need to add on defense, a McQuaid type or our old friend Dennis Wideman offense type guy?

Answer – Honest answer: What they needed was right there in the off season, Ryan Suter. But there is no way Sweeney was going to give him a four-year deal. And I don’t blame him. I had heard the Bruins were willing to go two years and that’s about as high as I would go in term.

That is ancient history now. I believe they need a left shot defenceman that can kill penalties, be a rock defensively and can provide some offence and bring a physical element to the game. I also believe they need a right shot blueliner that can kill penalties with Brandon Carlo because I would love to be able to save McAvoy’s minutes for 5 vs 5 and the powerplay.

Phil G via Twitter asks

Question – Thoughts on breaking up the first line?

Answer – I guess it’s worth a shot, but I honestly don’t know. I asked two coaches (below the NHL level) and both said they would not break them up. I think you could do it situationally. But situationally can mean two things to two different people. I would say break them up if you need a goal and spread the wealth. Better to have two lines trying to get the goal you need rather then one. But I’m not an NHL coach.

Corpuscle2 via Twitter asks

Question – What do you think the chances of Lysell/Beecher/Lohrei turning pro in the spring?

Answer – John Beecher, 100%. I do believe this is his final season in college. Now the question is what type of deal do they sign him too? They could sign him to a PTO (remember they did this with McAvoy) and once his season is done finish out the year in Providence. Or, they could sign him to his entry level contract and get him in an NHL game to burn a year off his ELC. I believe the Bruins would like to get him on his ELC because he will be signing as a 21-year-old and that means a 3-year ELC. If they wait another year, as a 22-year-old, it will be a 2-year ELC.

Fabian Lysell is already signed to his ELC and once his season is over with the Vancouver Giants, I fully expect he will be in Providence to finish out the year. I doubt the Bruins would play him in Boston because his contract could slide for two years and he would be under their control for 5 years as opposed to three. So, 100% chance he’s in Providence but 0% he is in Boston.

Mason Lohrei is a big question mark. He’s going to need a year of seasoning in Providence before he’s ready for the NHL. I would say there’s a chance he is one and done in college (especially with the year he’s having as a freshman) and sign his ELC and head to Providence to finish out the year and then spend next season down on the farm.

Ben Szumack via Twitter asks

Question – How about an honest assessment of Sweeney body of work? Even overlooking ’15 draft because of his “newness”, has he addressed Bruin issues? How secure is his job?

Answer – I feel his job is very secure. His body of work? I’m not going to tell anyone there hasn’t been issues because everyone knows there has been. But I also feel that when he thought his team had a legit shot, he went out and improved his team. No one could have seen the Rick Nash concussion coming. (I had to sneak that in there).

I do think Sweeney gets a bad rap from fans. But I also feel some of the criticism is warranted. 30 other GM’s saw fit to vote him GM of the year in 2018-2019. He finished 9^th during the 2019-2020 season and 11^th last season, so you could do worse. The GM’s more then anyone would know what he’s like to deal with.

Marco Ariganello via Twitter asks

Question – Hey Dom. Can the Bs trade assets to improve team for a legit run for cup? Or should they keep assets and ride the season out with what they have?

Answer – It’s way to early, 15 games into the season, to answer that. For me, it comes down to where they sit come trade deadline. If they are in a position to make a long run, I say go for it. If they feel that at best, they can win a round or two then I would stand pat. If they feel they are going to miss the playoffs, sell what I can and begin a re-tool (not a rebuild).

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GAUGING THE BRUINS DEFENCE ONE WEEK AT A TIME NOVEMBER 21, 2021

Don’t look now but the Boston Bruins are playing hockey!

In each of the previous weeks I talked about the lack of games the Bruins have played and the effect it has had on not just the defence, but the team as a whole. Let’s face it. You can’t replicate games during practice and players find it hard to get into a rhythm while coaches can’t pair guys up in hopes of finding chemistry. Just how much it plays into it is the question.

But going forward? The Bruins will be playing a lot of hockey and that excuse can go out the door. Fin. End of story. You won’t hear it from me again. And beyond that, there are no more excuses except for one: The defence as constituted is just not good enough.

On Saturday, the Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. In Philly no less. Despite Derek Forbort scoring two goals, despite Charlie McAvoy throwing a big hit and quarterbacking the powerplay, despite Matt Grzelcyk making a couple of rushes, despite Brandon Carlo being himself on the PK and despite Mike Reilly finally showing some jump, the defenders were virtually invisible. (Notice I left Jakub Zboril out? I will get to him in a bit).

And there is nothing wrong with being invisible or not standing out because for the most part, that means everything is going your way. They kept things simple, moving the puck quickly, making great pinches, and rarely put themselves in bad positioning. It’s a far cry from Sunday’s performance in a 4-0 loss to the Calgary Flames. They stood out for all the wrong reasons.

I won’t use it being a back-to-back game as an excuse. The Flames were also playing in a back-to-back and both teams traveled. It was just mental mistake after mental mistake from everyone, not just the blueliners.

Back to Zboril. Everyone knows I have been harsh in the past. But he’s been steady since getting back into the lineup. Sunday was no exception. He’s been in for 4 consecutive games now and in seasons past, we would have seen bone headed plays from him by now. Or a stupid penalty. Yes, it’s still early, but I just can’t see taking him out of the lineup at this point. He’s finally getting some confidence and it’s showing. To take him out now would be a blow to that confidence. He has earned, and deserves a longer look. But at the expense of who? His PPG have double from a season ago, but again, small sample size.

I don’t know what else anyone can ask of McAvoy. He is carrying the blueliners and I would hate to think where the team would be without him. He has met and even exceeded expectations. Put simply, McAvoy is not part of the problem.

The Bruins however do need more offence from Grzelcyk. With just two assists in 15 games (.13 PPG) the Bruins and their fans expect more. He is down considerably from his .54 PPG in an injury riddled last season. Ditto for Reilly. With the Bruins last season, he clipped at .53 PPG pace. This season? Just a tad better than Grzelcyk at .23 PPG.

Let’s hope Coach Bruce Cassidy and his staff can mix and match pairs until they find three pairs that work. Because right now, they just aren’t working.

Here’s a look at the individual defencemen numbers, followed by the different pairs used by the coaching staff:

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BOSTON BRUINS MONDAY MORNING PROSPECT UPDATE WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 21, 2021

If you’ll allow me, this week I want to talk a little Mason Langenbrunner who, along with fellow Bruins’ prospect Andre Gasseau, is skating for the Fargo Force of the USHL.

There is a group of prospects that include Ty Gallagher, Roman Bychkov, Dustyn McFaul, Victor Berglund and others that have one thing in common: Late round picks that require several years of development and may or may not turn into NHL defencemen. Langenbrunner is on that list. We know that Berglund is now with the Providence Bruins and his time to prove he is an NHL’er has arrived.

Langenbrunner was drafted in the fifth round – 151^st overall – at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft after a season of Minnesota High School Hockey skating for Eden Prairie High. He is the son of Bruins Director of Player Development and Director of Player Personnel Jamie Langenbrunner. Langenbrunner was the youngest player selected in the draft, making the cut off date for the 2020 draft by just one day.

After his draft, Langenbrunner went on to play another season with Eden Prairie High before jumping to the USHL this season. He is committed to play for Harvard University beginning next season. If Langenbrunner were to finish his full four years at Harvard, it would be six years between draft and turning Pro.

One of the first things that I am asked about Langenbrunner is: “does he have talent or did the Bruins pick him because he’s Jamie’s son?”

While the latter would give the Bruins some insight about character and such that other teams may not be privy too, Langenbrunner isn’t without tangible talent. At 6’3” he has good size but he also has the mobility to go with it, be it north-south or east-west. The basic foundation is there, but If I am being honest, I would say his mechanics need some coaching.

Langenbrunner is good on the breakout, capable of using good passing abilities, vision and an ability to skate out of his zone. He is an excellent stickhandler and can slice through the neutral zone and is able to gain the offensive blueline with possession. With his size and long reach, he is able to keep possession but when he gains the zone, he looks indecisive in his decision making – which with his vision and passing abilities raises questions. It could be that he lacks the confidence to try things at this level as opposed to high school hockey, or that he hasn’t caught up to the faster pace of the USHL.

Langenbrunner showed he had some intriguing offensive ability during the 2019-2020 season with Eden Prairie and NHL Scouts began paying attention. He has a very good wrister and a half-snap shot that he gets off quickly and on target. However, with his slapper, he seems to be a ‘put your head down and fire away’ type of shooter. It would benefit him to keep his head up while firing and looking to see where the traffic is.

He sees the ice extremely well and can keep possession while walking the blue line and open up passing lanes or take the shot himself. His vision is very good and he makes a good pass. He is getting very limited powerplay time with Trebor Griebel and Jakob Stender getting the bulk of the duties, but that’s an area where Langenbrunner should be able to put up points when given the opportunity.

Defensively is where he needs some work (where have you heard that before about 19-year-old defenders?) Langenbrunner is a risk taker but he’s going to need to reel that in to have success at the next level. He will need to work on his gaps as far too many times he is giving the opposition too much space and with his size and reach, that should be an asset going forward. I believe with good coaching and continuing to improve his skating will benefit him in those areas. He will also need to add much more muscle to his body and that will help him with battles along the walls and riding out the opposition. He can sometimes be seen chasing the play instead of protecting the house and that’s something the Bruins demand in their defencemen.

That said, I am not to fixated or worried about the production at this point. I want to see a player that bounces back from a mistake, shows improvement from the start of the season to the end of the season and then improvement year-over-year. If Langenbrunner can do that, then he will trend upwards. For now? It’s slowly heading in the right direction.

It’s too early to say what Langenbrunner will be as he moves up to higher level leagues. He will get good coaching and go up against some pretty good competition in the USHL. It’s going to take the full season before I will come to the conclusion that he is a two-way defenceman or likely headed towards being a shut down defender once he masters the defensive game.

And then he’s off to college where the whole process starts over again as the competition gets tougher.

As I said in the beginning, this is a long-term project.

Providence Bruins Player Stats

Providence Bruins Goalie Stats

Maine Mariners Stats

Coming up this week:

For the first time this season, we have eight games on a Wednesday!!

PLAYER	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN
CEHLARIK			Vs ADM		Vs SIB
BYCHKOV			Vs AVT		Vs SOC	Vs SAL
ARNESSON				Vs SKE		Vs ORE
MANTYKIVI					Vs TPS	Vs KOO
JELLVIK			Vs VAS		Vs BRY
GASSEAU			Vs SF		Vs TC	Vs TC
LANGENBRUNNER			Vs SF		Vs TC	Vs TC
KUNTAR						Vs NDM
BEECHER					Vs NIA	Vs NIA
LOHREI					Vs MRC	Vs MRC
BECKER			Vs BMJ		Vs BMJ
SCHMALTZ					Vs MIN	Vs MIN
DURAN					Vs DAR	Vs DAR
OLSON					Vs AKF	Vs AKF
MCFAUL					Vs WIS	Vs WIS
GALLAGHER						Vs COR
HARRISON					Vs OTT		Vs HAM
MAST					Vs FLT	Vs FLT	Vs SOO
LYSELL			Vs POR		Vs TC	Vs SPO
SVEDEBACK			Vs GB		Vs DM	Vs DM

AROUND THE GLOBE

Not much to see here as 12 of the 19 skaters are riding pointless streaks.

WHO’S HOT:

Oskar Jellvik had his point streak snapped on Saturday at 12 games where he had 8 goals and 8 assists. He began a new streak on Sunday afternoon with a helper in Djurgardens 4-3 loss to Lulea HF.

WHO’S WARM:

Despite being a point-per-game player, Fabian Lysell has recorded points in back-to-back games just once this season. Needs to find some consistency. I can see where he will be once, he finds that consistency.

Ryan Mast is continuing to find his game at both ends of the ice and with Bruins GM Don Sweeney there to watch him live on the weekend proved he can play top minutes in all situations. He leads Sting defencemen in scoring and I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect him to be a .5 points-per-game player at this point.

Brett Harrison had his point streak end at 7 two weekends ago had points in 2 of 3 games this week on 2 goals and an assist and included the game tying goal yesterday against Kingston with 1:06 remaining and allowed his team to win it in overtime.

WHO’S COLD:

Philip Svedeback suffered his second regulation loss of the season Saturday and it wasn’t a good outing giving up 4 goals on 12 shots in 23 minutes of play. Not the bounce back game I was hoping to see from him.

After going on a little run (after a cold start) Mattias Mantykivi is once again cold going pointless in his last 6 games.

Despite missing the last two games with an injury, Andre Gasseau is still tied for the team lead with 6 goals for Fargo Force of the USHL and second in points. He entered last week on a two-game pointless streak.

If you’re reading here for the first time, the chart below shows what I believe a prospect’s chances of playing for the Boston Bruins are on a scale from zero to five. Many things come into play here including his projection, how his development curve is going and where he sits on the depth chart. This is not a reflection on whether he will become an NHL player, but a Bruin as the depth chart plays a major role there. For those who have been here before, notice that John Beecher is now a 5 out of 5.

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WEDNESDAY MAILBAG NOVEMBER 17 2021

Time For another mailbag. I hope you’re finding them as entertaining as I am.

Matt via email asks:

Question – You don’t talk about Urho Vaakanainen much. I still believe he’s an NHL defenseman. What are your thoughts on him?

Answer: When the Bruins drafted Urho Vaakanainen 18^th overall in 2017, I was told he wasn’t their first choice and the player they actually coveted was taken a couple of spots earlier. Then I was told that the majority of the scouting staff wanted a player who had number one centreman potential but one or two scouts pounded the table for Urho and here we are.

It’s not that Vaak didn’t have talent, he did. It’s been four and a half years since he’s been drafted and we know defencemen sometimes take longer to develop. But time for Vaak is soon running out. He is a restricted free agent at the end of this season and will need a new contract. He will certainly be given his qualifying offer so that the team retains his rights but the problem is that if he doesn’t make the big club next season, he will no longer waiver exempt and that means 31 other teams could grab him at no cost.

After five years in the organization, I get the sense he will be looking for a one-way deal similar to the one the Bruins gave to Jakob Zboril. I also think there could be a stalemate if that is the case. At that point, I would not be the least bit surprised if Vaak went back to his native Finland to play professional hockey back home.

So, what happened to his hockey? Honestly, I don’t know. Some blame the concussion he received back in October 2018. That was over three years ago. Some say the concussion he received has made him tentative. I’m of the opinion that if he is tentative and worried about the hit, then hockey isn’t the sport he should be playing.

On some nights Vaak has looked absolutely dreadful for the P-Bruins. There are times he has shown flashes of what he could be, but those are few and far between. Maybe his head isn’t into it like it was before his concussion. Or maybe he just doesn’t have the head most of us thought he had when he was drafted.

Raleighfer via HF Boards asks:

Question – Thank you for the mailbag. I look forward to this and your Monday posts. Can you address this more specifically?

There are a couple of examples in the system where a player wasn’t necessarily put in a position of strength and it’s hurt the player and the organization. That’s on the development side not the scouting side. (This was something I wrote in last week’s mailbag).

Answer – Sure I will. I probably should have gone into more detail. As I said last week, it’s up to player development to determine a player’s strength, put him in that position to succeed and then work on the areas of his game that need improvement. Rightly or wrongly (that’s not the debate here and now) the Bruins selected Zach Senyshyn back in 2015 as a goal scorer. As an OHL rookie, he scored 26 goals playing mostly fourth line duties and just under 12 minutes per game. And he followed that up with consecutive 40-plus goal seasons. Senyshyn was, to put it simply, a pure goal scorer who had no idea where the defensive end was because he was never tasked with those duties. Immediately upon his arrival in Providence, that changed and his task was to learn defence first. That was what he was asked to do (for more than a season) and his offensive game never took on the development at the pro level.

Jakub Forsbacka-Karlsson is another. Could never find his offensive game and when his contract was up, he went back home to re-try and establish his game. Didn’t happen and now he’s looking for someplace to play hockey.

There are other examples I’m sure you can find. But as I said, let them play to their strengths and use the old Detroit Red Wings model of working on the other parts of their game afterwards. Let them percolate in the AHL as long as necessary. And that, is on player development.

Annie via email asks:

Question – Hey Dom, long time HF lurker and a reader of yours outside of the forums as well. I’ll try to be brief and concise, but I suck at it: What exactly is it you believe the Bruins saw in Koppanen that led to them offering him that ELC so quickly? Was it simply asset management, or something they felt they saw in the player that early? The sort of minutes they try to feed him, situationally, make it seem to me they felt they had a player who could produce quite a bit more offensively in NA.

Answer – Great question Annie and the truth is I don’t know. I can honestly say I was surprised they gave Joona Koppanen his qualifying offer in the summer. I thought for sure they would let him walk to be honest. The timing of him signing his entry level contract is somewhat irrelevant since he signed as an 18- or 19-year-old his contract would slide unless he played in 10 NHL games, meaning they would get an extra year out of it (similar to Vaakanainen when he signed and Fabian Lysell this season).

As for whether they saw some offensive potential in him that’s possible. He did have a solid season statistically with Ilves Under-20 after his draft. But prior to that, he only showed offensive potential in Finland’s Under-18 league. It’s safe to say any offensive ability has not been seen at the AHL level, but you know, you have to ice an AHL team as well and you need different types of players to make a successful team. Maybe that’s why they kept him. I don’t realistically see the NHL as an option for him. He’ll end up an AHL player or more likely overseas.

Annie had a follow up a couple of days later:

Comment – I wanted to add a firm and sincere belief I have, also: I believe if Senyshyn had played the same number of NHL games with David Krejci, he’d have produced similarly to JD.

Reply – Sadly Annie, we will never know the answer to that. As odd as this may seem, Senyshyn, throughout his career, has always done much better with a right shot center. It’s odd because you would think his style would be better suited with a left shot making passes on their forehand rather than backhand. But I really don’t think Krejci’s slow the pace down and create space and opportunity would have meshed with Senyshyn’s fast paced skating. But like I said, we’ll never know.

Eugene via email asks:

Question – Hi Dom. Do you see if either Wolff or Senyshyn can still have a shot with the big Club? Also, it’s early but what do you think the possible trade targets are for Don Sweeney?

Answer – I just don’t think Nick Wolff is an NHL player. He may turn into one at some point, but not right now. If he’s skating for Boston at any point this season, then they have some serious injury problems and are doomed for the bottom half of the league standings. As for Zach Senyshyn, he is off to a good start with Providence but I’m not sure in his first 18 games he will surpass what he did in 18 games last season. That said, there are two issues I see in Senyshyn’s way: One, he can’t seem to stay healthy when he does get a shot with the big club and two, he has been passed on the depth chart as was evidenced by the Bruins calling up Oskar Steen instead of him this past weekend. He could still get a chance if there are injuries later in the season, but any callup will be based on injuries. There just isn’t any room on the 23-man roster for callups otherwise.

As for trade options, you answered that already. It’s early. Every NHL team is still in the process of determining needs and the future with the exception of the Arizona Coyotes. Let’s revisit it in December when teams have a better understanding of where they are.

David via email asks:

Question – *Pastrnak doesn’t count, he’s out of the world with skill and fell into their laps* Who is the last quality top 6 F the Bruins drafted? What’s the problem here? Are we drafting the wrong Fs or are we not developing Fs properly? Talk about a lack for secondary scoring the last few years… it’s almost like we shoot ourself in the foot to start.

Answer – Why wouldn’t David Pastrnak count? They could have passed on him and picked someone else, no? Or the fact that then General Manager Peter Chiarelli wanted to move up to select him only to be told be then Assistant General Manager Don Sweeney that he would still be there when they pick proves that Pasta is a player they recognized as being ‘special’ and were willing to do what it took to select him. I believe you’re closing the book on Jack Studnicka too soon. And of course, there is Lysell. And I am seeing some excellent things from Brett Harrison. While I agree the drafting has been a mixed bag, things can’t happen overnight. I think they did well with Jakub Lauko and Oskar Steen as middle sixers. But the Bruins are going to have to be at the top of their drafting game in 2022.

Not suggesting you are in this category, but with social media the way it is, this has become a fast-food mentality type of world and it applies to hockey as well. Everyone wants everything yesterday. Patience is required with some of the prospects.

William via email asks:

Question – My question is regarding the Bruins defense pairings – I think Cassidy is making a mistake by deviating from Grzelcyk-McAvoy, Reilly-Carlo, Forbort-Clifton. I get that they may not feel completely comfortable with Grzelcyk on the top pair, but he has at least shown himself capable of doing that job. (I shortened this because it was just too long).

Answer –

GeeWally via twitter asks:

Question – First, what is the rule on if Krejci wants to come back and by when? Second, for clarity who is responsible for 23-man roster? Ups and downs. Thanks. Seems many don’t really know. One more- we know there’s annual Christmas roster freeze. Will there also be one during the Olympic break?

Answer – Normally Wally, the rule is that if a player playing in Europe plays in one game overseas after the start of the NHL season, and then signs an NHL contract, that player would require waivers before he can play in the NHL. However, under the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the NHL and NHLPA, item 56 (section 13.23) states: “CBA 13.23 amended such that it shall continue to apply to another Club’s RFA but it shall not apply to UFAs who play for a club outside North America after the start of the NHL Regular Season through and including December 15.” In other words, if Krejci signs with the Bruins on December 16, 2021 and plays even one game in Europe, he would require waivers.

As for your second question, it’s on the General Manager. But you’re fighting a losing battle as I have had this conversation countless times with people. The coach does not have the power to reassign or assign players. Obviously, he can make a suggestion but usually a coach doesn’t have the understanding of the CBA and salary cap to be making those decisions. And usually, management and the coach will discuss with their AHL coaches what the big clubs need is at the time and ask for input in who fits best and who is playing best at the time. For the Bruins, they have the luxury of Sweeney and Evan Gold getting to Providence games to see for themselves first hand. Many fans also miss the point that there is a 23-man roster limit and you can not exceed that (except after trade deadline if you are cap compliant). So, barring a player going on injured reserve, in the Bruins case – because they have no one waiver exempt on their roster – subsequent moves (waiver or trade) are required. That’s on the GM not the coach. In the end, you can’t just call up a player because you want to call up a player.

As for the Olympics, yes there will be a roster freeze during the Olympic break just as there was in 2010 and 2014 when the NHL sent players to the Olympics.

Randy via email asks:

Question – Awesome mailbag last week! Great detailed responses!

1) Why is Kevin Dean not on the bench tonight? At least I have not seen him. Looks like Sacco running the D.

2) An observation more than a question but if they kept icing stats, Gryz must be leading the way. Frustrating with the number of times he does it. Think he is looking for that long lead pass but seems to miss more than not.

Answer – Thanks Randy! I don’t know about Dean. Have not heard anything and really didn’t notice. I had the TSN feed and they never really scanned the Bruins bench much at all.

Interesting observation about Grzelcyk. I think that when you have a good faceoff team like the Bruins, they aren’t too worried about it. That makes the reward greater than the risk. But I am sure if that is the case, it is something the coaching staff (and analytics department) will have noticed and will try and address. You don’t want to keep playing with fire.

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. We’ll do this again next week. If you want to get questions in early, you can submit them via email to ohlwriters@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter @dominictiano

GAUGING THE BRUINS DEFENCE ONE WEEK AT A TIME NOVEMBER: 14, 2021

Last Thursday, the Boston Bruins faced off against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers and there is only one way to describe the Boston blueline as a group: It was a total shit show.

There. I said it. You can agree or disagree, but I have no other way of describing it. Blown leads, bad coverage, unable to protect a lead: it was a game everyone wants to forget. But from management down to the players, the Bruins should remember that game for the next seven months, because if they hope to have any type of success, they can not play the way they did against the Oilers.

I will go one further: Management should remember that game for eight months as that will take them into July 2022 and free agency.

On Saturday, the Bruins faced off against a Jack Hughes – less New Jersey Devils and cam out on top 5-2. The big difference on Saturday was that Jakub Zboril was in for the MIA Mike Reilly. I know I have had my share of criticism of Zboril in the past, but not on this day. It was easily his best NHL game to date. He was engaged in the offensive zone and was steady and almost always in the right place in his own zone. But the biggest change was that he kept his mistakes to a bare minimum. He didn’t make that one bone-headed move we are accustomed to seeing that would get him in the dog house with Coach Bruce Cassidy.

He spent the majority of his time with Connor Clifton as the pair logged 11:46 of TOI together. They were a serviceable pair outshooting their opponents 7-4 when they were on the ice together but the high danger chances favored their opponents 3-2.

Cassidy kept the same group together on Sunday against their arch rivals, Les Habitants du Montreal. Except for one play where Zboril went for the big hit and missed, leaving himself out of position, it was another strong effort from him at both ends. He was once again paired with Clifton, but what really piqued my interest was the 3:15 seconds he spent with Charlie McAvoy. Yes, it is a very small sample size, but one can’t help but wonder. Their numbers overall are better than the McAvoy – Matt Grzelcyk pairing.

Let’s look at each defenceman’s underlying numbers:

As we look at the pairings, there is a trend. Everyone expected (or should have) the Reilly – Brandon Carlo pair to pick up where they left off last season. But it has not been a good pair for most of the season. Cassidy opted to put Grzelcyk with Carlo and while they’ve had a couple of good games, the analytics say that the Grzelcyk – Carlo pair does worse.

Here’s a look at the different pairs the Bruins have used this season:

We all know what the Grzelcyk – McAvoy pair is capable of doing. But putting all your eggs in one basket is weakening the other two pairs. However, the Reilly – Clifton pair has fared well in almost metric. The Grzelcyk – Clifton pair has done okay, but not as good.

If we are to assume, and it will almost certainly happen, that Reilly gets back in over Zboril, you have an excellent pair in Grzelcyk – McAvoy and a pretty good pair in Reilly – Clifton. Am I saying Carlo is the weak link? No. I’m saying form your own opinion based on the facts.

What hasn’t really been tried is a Derek Forbort – Carlo pair, except mainly on the penalty kill. And if you look at the pair’s numbers, they are actually pretty good considering they are down a man.

Forbort – Carlo would give Cassidy a true shut down pair and take away some of the harder minutes where Grzelcyk and McAvoy would be eating up, leaving them to go up against weaker matchups. Worth a try? I say why not?

I want to go back to each defender and talk about something I talked about early on here and something the coaching staff wanted to improve on this season: getting shots on target and shot attempts from the blueline.

I’ll begin with Zboril. Getting shots through is something that has haunted him. He just wasn’t very good at it. But he has put in the necessary work and it’s shown. Again, when we talk about Zboril, it’s a small sample size, but he attempting the same two shots per game as he did a season ago. The biggest difference is in the shots making it on target. Last season he was at just 42.7% but this season he has improved by a whopping 24%. If he could keep that up it would be a blessing for the Bruins.

Reilly hurts in this department. Second only to Grzelcyk last season, he is down 12.2% from 59.6% and that is while attempting the same 3.5 shots per game. If you’re missing more than 50% of your shots like Reilly is, chances are your turning possession over much too often. And for an offensive blueliner, that doesn’t bold well.

Clifton is another surprise for the good here. He’s attempting half a shot more per game than a season ago and his success rate has jumped 18.1% to 64.7% which is the second best among defencemen. And that is all 5 on 5 because he gets zero powerplay time. If he can keep that up, the points will start to come for him.

Grzelcyk is usually the leader in this category and I am sure when the season is over, he will once again be at the top. Grzelcyk is attempting almost one full shot per game more than a season ago. That’s the good news. The not so bad news is that his success rate is only down 4.2%. That’s not too bad considering the difference is just 2 more of the 54 shots he’s attempted finding the target. And when you’ve attempted 13 more shots (on average) than this time a season ago, I can live with the drop in percentage. Like Clifton, if he keeps doing the same, the points will come.

Forbort is kind of an enigma because he has a pretty good shot. The problem is that he is attempting one less shot per game then he did last season. However, his success rate is up 13.4%. The problem I see with Forbort here is that he isn’t as capable of a more fluid skater of walking the line or moving to create lanes for himself than a more mobile defenceman. And maybe, with Cassidy preaching the importance of getting shots through, he is being more selective on when he tries. Just a thought.

Which leaves us with McAvoy. C-mac wasn’t shooting as much as he should have been earlier in the season but he’s now taking his own shot rather than dishing off – sometimes when he should have been more selfish. Earlier in the season, he was attempting less shots than a season ago, but now he is at 3.9 attempts per game versus 3.7. But success rate has also jumped 8.2% which is a big reason why he is a whisker shy of being a point-per-game defender.

As tough as I may have been to start off here, I have to be fair. The Bruins have not played a lot of hockey compared to most of the teams in the league. Finding cohesiveness and trying to get a rhythm and chemistry with pairs is difficult when you’re getting four and five days off between games.

I’m a very patient person but I may have lost my patience after Thursday’s game with the Oilers. But I got it back. If I don’t see something significantly better by American Thanksgiving, then I too will begin to worry.

Follow me on Twitter @dominictiano

BOSTON BRUINS MONDAY MORNING PROSPECT UPDATE WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 14, 2021

This week, although a little early, I have done my top-10 Boston Bruins prospects. I am certain that the list will raise some eyebrows as well as some negativity, but it was based on many different things and not just throwing a list together, some real though went into this list as you will see a little later. But first, I want to talk a little Philip Svedeback.

With the emergence of Jeremy Swayman and the signing of Linus Ullmark by the Bruins, it allowed them to trade Daniel Vladar and recoup an asset but also allowed them to bring in a goalie who was going to be several years away from being an NHL netminder. Enter Svedeback.

Svedeback suffered his first loss in regulation on Friday giving up 6 goals on 26 shots versus the Chicago Steel. It was his first bad outing of the season and of course his numbers took a big hit. It’s not a bad thing, it happens to even the best of professional goaltenders. The good thing is we now get to see how he bounces back. In fairness to Svedeback however, he was hung out to dry on more than one occasion by his teammates.

Entering Friday night’s contest, Svedeback was eighth and eleventh in goals-against and save-percentage respectively in the USHL. When it was all said and done, he sat seventeenth and fourteenth respectively among 20 goaltenders. He has faced the seventh most shots per game among USHL goaltenders with 226 pucks fired his way in eight games, or 28.25 per game. Svedeback is clearly Dubuque’s number one netminder having played the seventh most minutes in the USHL with 483, while his partner Paxton Geisel has played 313 – second fewest in the league.

Svedeback, who is committed to Providence College for the 2022-2023 season won a SHL Championship with Vaxjo Lakers HC last season as a backup. Now, some will say “well he was a backup and never played any games.” That’s true, but don’t underestimate the value a backup brings. Usually, it’s the backup and not the starter that has to go into the net and mimic what the opposition goaltender does as best as possible so that his teammates can come as close as possible to facing the opposition netminder? You think that’s an easy task?

Svedeback is very efficient in his movement in the blue paint. He’s a big netminder that can cover a lot of the net even when down in the butterfly position. He has good hockey sense and reads and reacts well in every situation. There really is a lot to like about Svedeback’s game. At this stage it’s all about facing shots and having his development curve go in the right direction. When he is under the control Bob Essensa and Mike Dunham, they will fine tune or tweak some of the things they will need to. And there are adjustments that will have to be made.

One of the things they will work on is his short side post coverage. It’s not bad, but at times he leaves some room upstairs and good NHL shooters can exploit that when he is leaving the room. His rebound control is also not bad, but he can be prone to giving up a bad rebound at least once a game. Again, it’s just a minor tweak that the Bruins coaching staff will work with him on.

Svedeback fights through traffic very well to see the puck. When he can’t, they work with him on how to make the “positional save” instead of just guessing. His squareness to the shooter is very good and he will be aggressive when he needs to be – he’s able to get to the top of the blue paint quickly for a big goaltender. He is also surprisingly quick at getting back up on his feet from the butterfly position. And his lateral movement is also quite surprisingly quick, although he can over commit at times but something the coaching staff will work with him on.

My good friend Kirk Luedeke (New England Hockey Journal and formerly with the Omaha Lancers of the USHL) told me shortly after the draft that, like Swayman, Svedeback is going to face a lot of rubber and it will be great for Svedeback’s development. One thing I’ve learned over the past decade knowing Kirk is to never doubt him.

Providence Bruins Player Stats

Providence Bruins Goalie Stats

Maine Mariners Stats

Coming up this week:

PLAYER	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN
CEHLARIK	Vs VIT		Vs KUN		Vs MET
BYCHKOV	Vs KUN		Vs MET		Vs AVT
ARNESSON				Vs TIM		Vs LIN
MANTYKIVI					Vs MIK	Vs MIK
JELLVIK					Vs SKE	Vs SKE	Vs LUL
GASSEAU					Vs LIN	Vs SF
LANGENBRUNNER					Vs LIN	Vs SF
KUNTAR				Vs MNE	Vs MNE
BEECHER					Vs NDM	Vs NDM
LOHREI
BECKER
SCHMALTZ					Vs MND	Vs MND
DURAN					Vs VER	Vs VER
OLSON					Vs NDK	Vs NDK
MCFAUL					Vs QUI	Vs QUI
GALLAGHER					Vs NOE	Vs NOE
HARRISON					Vs NB		Vs KGN
MAST		Vs LDN			Vs LDN	Vs GUE	Vs OS
LYSELL					Vs EVT		Vs VIC
SVEDEBACK					Vs MUS	Vs MUS

The following chart shows what I believe the prospects chances are of playing for the Bruins. It is based on potential, age and who is ahead of them on the depth chart. It’s not about their chances of playing in the NHL, but the Bruins. The depth chart greatly affects that.

AROUND THE GLOBE

WHO’S HOT:

Oskar Jellvik returns to the ice this week with three games in three days and will be looking to extend his 11-game point streak. It’s going to be a tough task for him.

Brett Harrison extended his point streak on Friday to 7 games with 7 goals and 5 assists. That streak came to an end Saturday. On Sunday he was back on the scoresheet with a goal and an assist.

Mason Lohrei leads Ohio State in points with 8 in 10 games. Not bad for a defenceman who “was doing it against kids in the USHL” a season ago.

WHO’S WARM:

Philip Svedeback. Not going to let one bad game affect my judgement here. It’s all part of the process and like I said earlier, seeing how he bounces back after one of these stinkers is also important.

If Fabian Lysell can find consistency, he would be near the top of the WHL leaders in points. Only once through 12 games has, he recorded points in back-to-back games but he’s also not been held pointless in back-to-back games.

Like Lysell, John Beecher has been an every-other-game point producer though Beecher has only played in 4 games since returning from injury. He has two multi-point games and is pointless in two others but is a point-per-game producer this early into his season.

After a hot start in the KHL, Peter Cehlarik has 3 goals and 2 assists in 8 games since returning from his injury. That’s below his point per game pace through the first month of the season.

WHO’S COLD:

Dustyn McFaul ended his pointless streak at 9 games on Friday versus Harvard. He was shut out on Saturday versus Dartmouth but is still getting big minutes versus the opposition’s top players.

Care for my prospect rankings? Keep reading! But here is the thought process in my rankings. It is based on potential when they were drafted versus their potential now and how the development curve is trending. Then I looked at what they were projected to be at the time of his draft versus what they are projected to be today. You’ll see some names missing because they took a big hit there. Then I looked at the depth chart ahead of them. Finally, I looked at what their trade value is (included conversations with a couple of NHL team personnel).

1. Fabian Lysell

With the 21^st pick at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the Bruins added an elite level offensive player in Lysell who will give the squad a dynamic one-two punch on the right side with David Pastrnak. He plays with pace and that is something Coach Bruce Cassidy will admire. Shot, skating and the ability to create offense are NHL ready. He just needs to mature.

“Would have been to early to select him where we were picking but the Bruins got themselves an offense- driving juggernaut”

2. Mason Lohrei

Selected with the 58^th pick at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Mason Lohrei is proving that his 2020-2021 season in the USHL was no fluke. Lohrei hasn’t missed a beat with the Ohio State Buckeyes and will one day be that top pairing left shot they need with Charlie McAvoy. But can they wait until he is ready?

“Bruins should be ecstatic. Wasn’t on our radar and he should have been. Plenty of teams missed out. It happens every year with a player being missed on.”

3. Jack Studnicka

Selected with the 53^rd pick in 2017, Studnicka is a top 6 pivot who will play a solid two-way game. He’s ready for a middle six role now, but a numbers game in Boston, barring injuries, is keeping him from full time duties. He has put in all the necessary work and his dedication is off the charts.

“Slow and easy. I think the Bruins are taking the proper approach with him. I think he is handling the ups and downs like a pro. His overall game is perfect for Cassidy.”

4. John Beecher

Drafted 30^th overall in 2019, Beecher has been slowed by injuries the last calendar year. And his role with the University of Michigan may not be what we expect from him, but it will help develop his all-around game. The size and speed are assets any NHL coach covets. He’ll slot in right behind Studnicka at center.

“What’s there not to like? Size, speed and some physicality. We’ll have to see if the shoulder surgery has any lasting effects. We had him as an early second rounder though I still have questions about his offensive upside.”

5. Oskar Steen

Selected 165^th overall in 2016, perhaps no other prospect in the system has risen to the extent that Steen has. He had an excellent final season in the SHL and his transition to North America is finally starting to show as he is off to a great start with Providence. There isn’t much in his game left to work on.

“We were picking X spots after Boston. Was one of two players on our list. He will have an NHL career.”

6. Jakob Lauko

Selected 77^th overall in 2018, is an elite skater with tremendous speed who is always willing to use it. He has yet to play a full season in any league in North America (3 years) but this is the season he will and show what he is capable of in a full year. He’ll need to bring certain parts of his game under control.

“We had him pegged as a fourth rounder. Appears now he would have been a steal then. May just turn out to be a steal in the third round.”

7. Brett Harrison

Drafted 85^th overall in 2021, Harrison is a two-way center who can provide a little extra offense over a regular two-way pivot. He can play in any situation and is trusted enough to go up against the best the opposition can put on the ice. For now, he slots in behind Studnicka and Beecher at center.

“He was my target in the second round. Obviously, we went in a different direction. When he dropped to the third round, I pushed even harder.”

8. Curtis Hall

Drafted 119^th in 2018, Hall has smarts, size (though he could add some bulk), can skate – although he’ll need some work on his edges and mobility – and can really shoot the puck. He’s fourth on the Bruins center prospect list and while they lack a true number one in potential, he helps set up the Bruins down the middle.

“Wasn’t on our draft list. Hasn’t played a lot of hockey the last few years but his tool box and tools are intriguing.”

9. Trevor Kuntar

Selected 89^th in 2020, Kuntar exceeded expectations almost immediately and he’s built on that. Plays with the kind of pace Coach Cassidy will love, he is a force on the forecheck. He is an above average skater who can score in multiple ways. His complete game and high hockey IQ will ensure he plays in the NHL one day.

“The Bruins jumped on him early. We had him pegged for the fifth round. It appears the third round was just about right for him.”

10. Kyle Keyser

Signed as an undrafted free agent back in 2017, injuries have slowed his development. He’s over the injury bug, with the exception of being under the weather last week and is proving like he always has that he was worthy of the Bruins signing him to a contract.

“I pushed for our team to draft him in 2017 with our last pick. Seems to be over the concussion issues. We actually interviewed him prior to the draft and was the nicest kid we sat with.”

I’m sure this list is going to draw some negative attention from some people and that’s fine. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I don’t want to be a pom-pom waiving fan and want to call it as I see it, as well as talking to some people in the game. The fact of the matter is that I don’t watch the games like the vast majority of fans. I break the plays down as they happen and then I re-watch them in the event I missed something.

Case in point. I have a lot of admiration for @BruinsNetwork (Anthony) and am honored to be able to call him a friend. He does some marvelous work with videos and explanations on Twitter. But like anyone else in the business, sometimes you have to play to what the fans want and that’s exactly what he does in his tweet below. I on the other hand, saw it differently the first time as you will see via my reply to his tweet. In fairness to Anthony, he totally agrees with me. But the vast majority of fans saw exactly what he states.

I would substitute "shows his intelligence and speed" for "coasting" – which is not always a good thing in hockey. I think he realized that puck was 50-50 when his teammate went and wanted to be ready to defend. Then as he saw the puck go in deep he turned on the afterburners. https://t.co/CZD71xP2iH
— Dominic Tiano (@dominictiano) November 12, 2021

Follow me on Twitter @dominictiano

WEDNESDAY MAILBAG NOVEMBER 10 2022

Randy via email asks:

My question relates to the B’s defence. My concern is lack of physicality other than Charlie. Nice to see Brandon step up with some solid hits last game. Teams are not intimidated in our zone. Reilly and especially Grzelcyk really worry me. Not so much in regular season but come playoff time. Gryz is a great skater, passer but when pressured, in corners, along the wall, net front, he gets beat consistently. Even our “next man up” D are not physical. We also do not have one guy that can really rifle the puck from the point.

Anyway, do think the management sees this as a need to address or are they happy with the set up?

Also, curious on your thoughts on Taylor Hall. I love the player, just have never seen a guy fall as much as he does. Morning Bru were asked a few episodes ago but did not really have an answer.
Any thoughts?

Answer – I’ll start with Taylor Hall. Jaffe and Razor don’t usually shy away from questions. It was probably an oversight with them. I respect them both immensely and their podcast is a must listen too. I don’t think it’s a serious issue with Hall. It’s something I’ve seen since his junior days. It’s probably a combination of him going full effort almost 100% of the time and we’re noticing it more because of the focus we are putting on him.

As for the defense, only time will tell. So far, the tweaks to their breakout appear to be working. Be the first to retrieve pucks, put a little distance between your d-men and your forwards and spread the ice just a little more. It keeps the opposition honest in their defending and technically, shouldn’t allow them on the forecheck as easily as in the past.

The physicality part, well you’re right Brandon Carlo has stepped it up a bit (I actually think he was robbed of a couple of hits in his statistics) but Connor Clifton leads the defense with 27 hits, followed by Carlo with 18 and Charlie McAvoy with 17. That all said, I don’t believe this is the defense that will be manning the blueline in the playoffs.

Finally, Coach Bruce Cassidy has also changed what shots look like from the point. The emphasis isn’t on back scratching windup shots from the point. It’s ‘get it off quickly, on target and with a purpose’. You’re going to see more wristers from the blueline than slap shots so get use to it. I’ve talked about it at length in my weekly defense breakdowns here. It hasn’t shown up on the scoresheet as much as they have wanted, but I think that’s more on the forwards than the defense.

Eric via email asks

Question – Last week you said on HF Boards that you don’t like people who post highlights of goals on Twitter. What is wrong with that? That’s the only way some of us get to see them as not everyone can afford to pay for streams like you can. Get down off your high horse.

Answer – First off, thanks for the email. Secondly, that’s not what I said at all. (See the screen capture)

That was in response to a person responding to a highlight of a Fabian Lysell goal. Over a week later, he has yet to respond to my question of whether he was basing it off of the highlight alone or something else. My educated guess based on his posting history is that he isn’t watching the games.

Highlights are fun. I like them as well. I am not against them but I am against fans who form a judgement on the player based on highlights of goals and assists. There is something wrong with that because you aren’t watching previous shifts where a player turned over the puck, decided to try an impossible pass instead of keeping possession with a safer play, and rather than changing after a long shift, selfishly stayed out on the ice. It didn’t cost them this time, but your playing Russian Roulette if it becomes a habit.

I stand by what I said. If you are offended by it there is not much I can do about it. I would apologize but I don’t feel one is warranted in this situation (at least by me). *Now getting off of my high horse.

HustleB From HF Boards asks:

Question – Could you possibly talk about what you see for Steen’s future upside?

As much as I give European Scout PJ Axelsson a hard time pushing for his Swedes, I actually really like Oskar Steen. In 155 career SHL games he scored 22 goals and 30 assists which was pretty good considering he was a boy playing against men. His breakout season was 2018-2019 where he had 37 points in 46 games.

He’s now enjoying a breakout year for Providence and leads the team offensively with 5 goals and 5 assists in 6 games. Steen may be small in stature but he’s built (Ford F150 Final Five) tough. You’d think he would be easy to knock off of the puck, but his amazing lower body strength allows him to stay on his feet. He has very good speed and possesses a separation gear. He has an ability to gain the offensive zone using his speed, puck possession skills and stickhandling abilities and his ability to read and think the game should find him success. He also has a superb shot and he catches goalies off guard with different release points. The question that will only be answered with time is “can he find the same success against NHL goaltenders?”

He’s playing almost exclusively on right wing in Providence and I believe that’s where he’ll make his bread and butter in the NHL. But David Pastrnak and Lysell will be ahead of him in Boston in the future so he’ll be a third liner who could move up in a pinch when needed. And he’ll be there just in the nick of time for when the Craig Smith and Nick Foligno deals comes to an end.

Patrick Renzi via Twitter asks:

Question – do you get the sense from the org and contacts that the bruins are going to focus on a center or LD for the Trade Deadline (they need another serviceable RD to be honest, Clifton is a tweener at best)

Answer – At this point no, they haven’t really played enough hockey games to determine what their biggest need is at the moment. At different points so far, all four lines have had their moments and that with the absence of Foligno. But I do believe that they will be players on the market to address what they feel is a need. However, I do get the sense that they feel they may need an upgrade on Clifton.

Pauly Walnuts via Twitter asks:

Question – How long before the B’s are almost forced to give Steen a serious chance to crack this lineup.

DJ via Twitter asks:

Question – When will Lauko get good chance?

Answer – Combining these two questions because the answer is the same: When injuries occur. I know fans don’t want to look at the business side of the game, but it plays a huge role here. We all know how important depth is, and the Bruins don’t have anyone on their 23-man roster they can send to Providence to open up a spot for one or both of them without requiring waivers. They are already going to have to place someone on the waiver wire once Anton Blidh and Foligno are cleared to play. To call up one or both of Steen or Jakub Lauko will require additional waivers. They won’t risk it to protect depth.

RJ Williams via Twitter asks:

Question – At what point do we really worry about Hall’s lack of production?

Answer – When he stops producing. At the time of your question, Hall had 3 goals and 3 assists in his first 9 games. I think if you had told me that before the season started, I would have been happy with that. Sure, he’s been a little cold lately, but it’s hard to get into a groove and find your stride when everyone else in the league is playing more games than you.

The Bruins Fan Digest via Twitter asks:

Question – Who is your favorite Bruins prospect?

Answer – Putting me on the spot? I follow all the prospects closely and hope for the best from all of them. But gun to my head forcing me to choose it’s Lysell but Mason Lohrei is right there with him. But there are a couple I am very intrigued about since the Bruins drafted them in 2021: Oskar Jellvik, who is playing for Djurgardens IF J20 in the J20 Nationell and Ryan Mast who is playing in the Ontario Hockey League, only because they were picked late and are off to great starts this season and because they are underdogs.

Nikos Papadopoulos via Twitter asks:

Question – Is Sweeney all but guaranteed a new contract?

Answer – Yes

Mark Allred via Twitter asks:

Question – John Beecher had a solid return to the University of Michigan lineup last night (Friday) against cross state rival Michigan State University with 1-1-2 numbers after missing 8 games. Thoughts on his upside and how a full season with the AHL Bruins soon will be beneficial to the player & the Bruins organization.

Answer – As usual, Mark bringing the tough question regarding John Beecher. I think with such a power house team in Michigan, Beecher will be playing a different role where it will do everything to help him develop his overall game. I actually wrote about what we might expect from Beecher here earlier this season.

I think the adrenaline was running in his first game back and he didn’t look like a guy who had missed four weeks of the season. His skating looked like he was in mid-season form. Now it’s about accepting what ever role the coaching staff put him in and working hard. I actually think Beecher signs with Boston once his season is over (whether it’s a PTO to finish out the Providence season or his entry level contract is yet to be determined). Once in Providence, he’ll spend a year learning and developing his pro game and might be ready for the NHL for 2022-2023.

GeeWally via Twitter asks:

Question – Looking into your crystal ball, if Tuukka can physically come back and Bruins have accrued $ how does it work with 3 goalies? Trade? Sway waiver eligible? Roster expands?

Answer – At first glance, this looks like an easy question. But the answer is not short. Let’s cover the cap first. As of today, barring any changes, the Bruins will bank enough cap space that signing Tuukka Rask will not be an issue, at least cap wise. The roster, and how it is affected all comes down to timing. If it were at trade deadline (March 21, 2022 this season) then there is really no impact as the 23-man roster limit goes out the window on trade deadline day as long as the team remains cap compliant. However, all indications are that if Rask returns, it will be well before trade deadline.

In that case, the easy answer is Jeremy Swayman would be assigned to Providence since he does not need to clear waivers. Linus Ullmark has a full no movement clause for this season and next, so he can not be waived. And this is where many fans have an issue – giving Ullmark a full NMC. Ullmark was fully aware of the situation with Rask and the NMC wasn’t to protect himself from getting traded, but to give him a say on where he does get traded if that’s what the Bruins decide to do (hello Edmonton Oilers?). Would Don Sweeney trade Ullmark? My opinion is no. What if Rask has a setback and Ullmark is gone via trade? Do you want to go into the playoffs with Swayman and Kyle Keyser as your goalies? I think we are headed into the playoffs with a combination of Rask/Ullmark or Ullmark/Swayman. The off season however, could be a different story if Rask returns and is himself again.

Brian Casey via Twitter asks:

Question – One prospect I don’t hear much about is Quinn Olson. Any thoughts on how he has been progressing at UMD?

Answer – I think the reason you don’t hear much about him is that no one really wants to take the time to discuss a player that looks to be a tweener. The problem for Quinn Olson isn’t Olson, but who is ahead of him on the depth chart. For starters, there is Lauko, Trevor Kuntar and Matt Filipe on the prospect list. At the NHL level, Brad Marchand and Hall are there for at least three more seasons after this one. A decision will need to be made on Jake DeBrusk and no one really knows if Trent Frederic will eventually make his way to the middle or be kept on left wing. That’s a lot of bodies to beat out. Personally, I have Olson ranked 17^th on the Bruins prospect list. That’s not to say Olson has not shown progression with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, he has. Just not enough to overtake anyone on the prospect list. It’s why I give him a less than 1 in 5 chances of ever playing for the Bruins in my weekly prospects update.

Andrew Ryan via Twitter asks:

Question – Which Bruins prospect are you most excited about and why?

Answer – Bruins Fan Digest asked a similar question earlier, but there is a difference between favorite and most excited about. Again, the obvious choice is Lysell because of draft positioning and the ‘hoopla’ surrounding him. But I am going with Lohrei again. The reason why is not what you think though. For over a year I had to listen and debate the internet crowd who used the “but he’s doing it against kids in the USHL” mantra. Many of them didn’t understand the USHL and the ‘age of players’ in the league. And when you attempted to have a rational conversation with them explaining it, they chose not to respond or simply ignored it. There was also the “he couldn’t do it in the CHL” crowd. Again, that crowd would ignore any attempts by me to explain the age comparisons between the USHL and CHL. And finally, there was the “I will get excited when he does it in the NCAA” crowd. Well, that time is here and now. Lohrei has played in 8 games and has 2 goals and 5 assists and is a plus-7. I do believe there is a real chance he signs his ELC once his season is over. And that has me very excited. Not to mention it has quieted the internet crowd.

BruinsNetwork via Twitter asks:

Question – Brett Harrison— drafted as two-way center but currently looking more like a one-way center. Not that focusing on scoring goals is a bad thing, especially for this organization, but what are your thoughts on his two-way game. Any idea as to what might be the culprit(s) right now?

Answer – My dear friend Anthony! Well, I was going to respond with “You watch the games. You know the answer.” But that would have been the easy way out and I can’t do that. So, here is my long-winded response.

Let me begin by saying I am answering this question before Brett Harrison takes to the ice in Sunday night’s matchup against the Sudbury Wolves because I wanted to answer right away.

After a slow start, the offense has taken off but, on most nights, I am disappointed with the defensive part of his game because that’s not who he is. There is no recency bias here, because you can find examples of what I am about to say through his first 8 games.

In Friday’s matchup against the Barrie Colts, which they lost 5-4 in overtime, there were a couple of defensive zone gaffs that really stood out to me. On the first one, one of the Colts retrieved the puck behind the Generals net, skated through the corner and all the way up the half wall before dishing it off. My problem here is that Harrison followed him the whole distance and stayed three to four feet away from him never once putting his stick or body on him. Harrison had a teammate standing close by waiting for him to rub him out against the wall so that he could pounce on the puck, but that contact never came. It didn’t cost them this time, but next time he might not be so lucky.

The other glaring gaff came in the second period with the score tied at three. There was a 50-50 battle for the puck in front of his own net. Harrison made a bad decision and attempted to fly the zone. The problem is that one of his teammates had already flow the zone and was up at center ice. When Harrison realized that Barrie had gotten control of the puck, he turned back and seemed lost as to who to pick up. His “guy” was the player that eventually scored the goal. And this time it cost his team.

As for the culprits? I can think of a few. First and foremost, Harrison is playing on the wing a lot and it’s not his natural position. There may be a learning curve there. But he is smarter than that to be making those poor decisions. And I haven’t pounced on him for those decisions because I want to give him a few more games to see if he works through it. He’s certainly capable of it.

I also see some comparisons as to the way Harrison is being used now to how the Soo Greyhounds utilized Zach Senyshyn back in the day. The Greyhounds used Senyshyn to score goals and only score goals. His defensive game took a hit because he never learned it. Oshawa is in the bottom half of the OHL in goals for – goals against ratio and Harrison spends a lot of time on wing with Calum Ritchie (2023 NHL draft) and Ty Tullio just to go out there and score goals. In fairness though, he gets quality PK minutes and is successful there. When your duty is to simply go out there and try to outscore your opposition, you don’t concentrate on defense.

Finally, I don’t see the commitment defensively I have been so used to seeing. Part of it may be playing the wing as a winger has different responsibilities than the center does. It’s most noticeable coming back on the back check. I see a lack of effort too many times and that is not like him. In the end, I know he can work through it. He has it in him. I’m just not going to guarantee it will happen.

Edit: I was at Sunday’s game and Head Coach Todd Miller had him back in the middle. Noticeable difference.

Front Office via Twitter asks:

Question – Does their org need a revamping of their domestic and international scouting group? Are they understaffed? Or are they just missing? Haven’t had much development from their drafts in the last few years.

Answer – Since taking over as GM, Don Sweeney has made numerous additions to the scouting department both in North America and Europe and they are good quality hockey people. I may be alone in this line of thinking, but I believe a couple of scouts have a greater voice at the table and over the years it’s been noticeable with some of the decisions that were made. However, I also believe that changed at the 2021 draft. Only time will tell if that continues.

I am a firm believe that you assess a player’s strengths and you put them in a position to succeed and then work on other areas of his game rather than putting a player in a position where he’s doomed to fail because it’s a weak part of his game. There are a couple of examples in the system where a player wasn’t necessarily put in a position of strength and it’s hurt the player and the organization. That’s on the development side not the scouting side.

Thanks for all the questions. There are some tough ones there. Let’s do this again next week. If you have any questions you can email them to ohlwriters@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter @dominictiano

GAUGING THE BOSTON BRUINS DEFENSE ONE WEEK AT A TIME NOVEMBER 7, 2021

I have no clue on where to begin. But here we are.

There’s no point in breaking down the defense against Detroit because, well, they are the Red Wings. But if there’s one conclusion to come out of that game as well as the Saturday night contest with the Toronto Maple Leafs is that Coach Bruce Cassidy has virtually given up on the Mike Reilly and Brandon Carlo experiment.

I have discussed in previous articles already that the pair just doesn’t seem to be clicking like it was last season and Cassidy has made the switch and moved Matt Grzelcyk onto the second pair with Carlo, at least predominantly in the last two games. And their underlining numbers have been pretty decent over those two games.

That left Reilly to pair predominantly with Connor Clifton and their underlining numbers also faired pretty well.

Here are how the pairs matched up over the previous two contests:

That brings us to Charlie McAvoy and Derek Forbort.

The pair was great against Detroit but they are the Red Wings and they were missing arguably their best player in Dylan Larkin. On Saturday, to say it was an abysmal pair is an understatement.

If the Grzelcyk/Carlo pair and the Reilly/Clifton pair continue to be worthy of sticking together then Cassidy and his staff better find a way to make the Forbort/McAvoy pair work.

The options here are minimal. If you want to pair Forbort with Clifton, they haven’t been bad. But personally, I wouldn’t pair Reilly with Carlo with how they’ve faired this season. Do you give them time to work things out? I would be tempted to keep Grzelcyk with Carlo, at least for now and that leaves you the opportunity to pair Reilly with McAvoy. Through nine games they’ve skated together for 13:09 time on ice and have done pretty well.

Unless they are bringing in Jakub Zboril in for Tuesday’s matchup against the Ottawa Senators or recalling John Moore, I would be tempted to try the following pairs:

Reilly – McAvoy

Grzelcyk – Carlo

Forbort – Clifton

Something has to give because if the status quo just isn’t getting the job done.

Here are the defensive pair underlying numbers for the season:

And here are the individual defenseman’s stats for the season:

Let’s hope I’ve got more to say (with more positivity) next week.

By the way, the Bruins are heavily into analytics and they are hiring. Perhaps it may be something for one of you? https://www.teamworkonline.com/hockey-jobs/boston-bruins-jobs/boston-bruins-jobs/developer-boston-bruins-1996099?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Follow me on Twitter @dominictiano

NICK FOLIGNO POSSIBLE FOR THURSDAY

#NHLBruins updates per Coach Cassidy:

◾️Team's considering playing Jack Studnicka at right wing tomorrow.

◾️Nick Foligno is eyeing a Thursday return to the lineup.

◾️Jeremy Swayman will play tomorrow vs. Senators. pic.twitter.com/brWm0ARAHJ
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 8, 2021

Coach Bruce Cassidy announced today that Nick Foligno, out with an upper body injury, could get into the lineup Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers if cleared by the medical staff.

Foligno has been on injured reserve since October 24, 2021. Once moved to the active list, that will put the Bruins up to 24 players on the active roster, one over the 23-player limit. That means that someone will be heading to Providence to open up a roster spot for him on Wednesday morning or immediately following Tuesday’s matchup with the Ottawa Senators.

The most likely candidate to head to the P-Bruins is Jack Studnicka if for no other reason because he is waiver exempt and are probably not ready to make a decision on who to put through the waiver process as of yet.

That decision will have to be made as Anton Blidh, on injured reserve since October 27, 2021 is now eligible to come off injured reserve and he inches towards a return. When Blidh is activated (and barring any further injuries) the Bruins will once again be over the 23-player roster limit. And with no one left on the big club’s roster that is waiver exempt, someone will have to hit the wire.

My guess is it will be Blidh with Karson Kuhlman remaining as the 13^th forward.

BOSTON BRUINS MONDAY MORNING PROSPECT UPDATE WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 7, 2021

John Beecher made a triumphant return from injury on Friday with a goal and a helper as Michigan Wolverines easily handled Michigan State Spartans 7-2. Beecher looked in mid-season form in his first game and the adrenaline was pumping. He had 4 shots on goal and was 8 for 10 on the dot. In Saturday’s rematch, the game was much closer as the Wolverines took it again, this time by a 3-2 score. While I don’t have TOI stats, it appeared Beecher played less than he did in his return. He finished with a minus-2 with no shots on goal. On a positive note, he was one of two Wolverines (five in total) to finish on the plus side on the dot at 5-3.

But enough about Beecher. Today, I want to talk about Trevor Kuntar, the Bruins third round pick in 2020 – 89^th overall. The Bruins selected Kuntar after a 2019-2020 season in which he put up 53 points in 44 games with Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL.

During the COVID year of 2020-2021, Kuntar began his NCAA career with a respectable 6 goals and 4 assists in 23 games – pretty good as a freshman for Boston College.

This summer, Kuntar attending the Bruins development camp and by most accounts from those I respect very much, had an excellent showing with the other Bruins prospects. Some went as far as to say they were surprised.

Taking on an expanded role for Boston College this season, Kuntar is off to a decent start with 3 goals and 4 helpers in 10 games. But it’s not always about the goals and assists. Kuntar is getting valuable time on both the powerplay and penalty kill with the latter being key to a player’s overall development.

Kuntar has shown that he can think the game at a high level. He has some good quickness but more importantly, he can handle the puck with relative ease when in full flight. He’s not shy about trying to beat defenders to the outside and then take the back to the inside and drive for the net. He can play a gritty game or a skilled game and make the adjustment when necessary. He racked up penalty minutes throughout his time in the USHL and even had 33 PIMS with Boston College last season.

Defensively Kuntar shows a willingness to work hard coming back to his own zone to defend. He’s always aware of his responsibilities and usually in the right spot. He can be seen directing traffic as well. I’ve been told he is always willing to learn, is very coachable and is not afraid to ask questions. Those are very good qualities in a young player wanting to take the next step.

His skill set is intriguing and has shown flashes of top-6 potential but will probably be a pretty good middle sixer which is why I have him fourth among prospects for chances on making the Boston Bruins.

If you are a fan of the Bruins or a prospect junkie, I suggest keeping a close eye on Kuntar if you have access to the games. You won’t be disappointed.

Providence Bruins Player Stats

Providence Bruins Goalie Stats

Maine Mariners Stats

It is a quiet week for European Leagues as there are 2 tournaments happening from November 11 through November 14: Karjala Cup and the Deutschland Cup. The two are part of the European Hockey Tour to allow nations to prepare for the Olympics and/or the World Championships.

Coming up this week:

PLAYER	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN
CEHLARIK						Vs SPAR
BYCHKOV
ARNESSON
MANTYKIVI
JELLVIK
GASSEAU					Vs SUX	Vs SUX
LANGENBRUNNER					Vs SUX	Vs SUX
KUNTAR					Vs CT	Vs MA-L
LOHREI					Vs MIN	Vs MIN
BECKER					Vs QUI	Vs QUI
SCHMALTZ					Vs MIA	Vs MIA
DURAN					Vs AMR	Vs CT
OLSON					Vs COL	Vs COL
MCFAUL					Vs HAR	Vs DAR
GALLAGHER					Vs MAS	Vs MAS
HARRISON					Vs KGN	Vs NIA	Vs OTT
MAST					Vs WSR	Vs SAG
LYSELL		Vs PG	Vs PG		Vs KAM	Vs KAM
SVEDEBACK					Vs CHI

AROUND THE GLOBE

WHO’S HOT:

Oskar Jellvik missed Thursday’s game versus Mora IK and is still riding an 11-game points streak with 8 goals and 7 assists.

Philip Svedeback remains unbeaten in regulation with a 5-0-2 record and a 2.55 goals-against-average (eighth in the USHL) and .910 save percentage (eleventh in the USHL). His 423 minutes ranks ninth in the league. He has been a wall in the crease for the Dubuque Fighting Saints and has given his team a chance to win each time he has manned the net.

Brett Harrison extended his point streak to 5 games on Friday. Made a couple of ill-advised decisions defensively, but the offense is where it should be. On Sunday, he extended it to 6 games with a goal. He was back playing in the middle and looked much, much better in his all-around game. He now has 6 goals and 4 assists during his 6-game point streak.

WHO’S WARM:

Ryan Mast had his 2-game goal streak come to an end on Friday and despite a bad giveaway on the game winning goal displayed some impressive tools. Bounced back in the rematch on Saturday with 2 helpers. But Sunday he would once again pointless versus the Erie Otters. Mast now has 2 goals and 3 assists in his last 7 games.

Mason Langenbrunner ended a 7-game pointless streak with 2 assists on Saturday and played his best game of the season.

WHO’S COLD:

I must sound like a broken record but, Roman Bychkov played his first game since October 19 (1:47 TOI) and just his third game since October 1. He registered his first point of the season – an assist – with 9:55 TOI. It ended a 10-game pointless draught.

Dustyn McFaul of the Clarkson Golden Knights is pointless in 9 games. He’s still getting top pair time in a shut down role.

Follow me on Twitter @dominictiano