Bruins
The Bruins’ subsequent wave of expertise took half in a full-team scrimmage on Friday morning.
The Bruins wrapped up their annual Improvement Camp at Warrior Ice Area on Friday, with the five-day session concluding with a full-squad scrimmage on the frozen sheet at Boston’s observe facility.
Workforce Black secured a 2-1 victory, with defensemen Ty Gallagher and Frederic Brunet lighting the lamp for the successful squad. Ahead Cole Spicer discovered the again of the web for Workforce White.
Right here’s what stood out throughout Friday’s scrimmage and earlier drills involving Boston’s subsequent wave of expertise.
Matthew Poitras’ upside is obvious
Each Mason Lohrei and Fabian Lysell have held court docket as Boston’s premier prospects in a largely barren pipeline over the previous few seasons. However 2022 second-round choose Matthew Poitras is perhaps pushing his means into the dialog as Boston’s most intriguing younger asset.
The 19-year-old ahead doesn’t have the wheels or stick expertise of a Lysell, nor does he have the scale of a playmaking blueliner in Lohrei (6-foot-5). However the 6-foot, 182-pound pivot has the potential to be an affect participant on the professional stage, because of his craftiness with the puck and hockey IQ.
Despite the fact that his skating capability dropped Poitras out of the primary spherical final summer season, Bruins assistant GM Jamie Langenbrunner famous that the teenager’s “elite mind” permits him to generate Grade-A appears to be like by means of altering tempo, positioning down low, and poised passing.
Poitras broke by means of final season with the Guelph Storm (OHL), rating fifth within the league with 95 factors (16 targets, 79 assists) in simply 63 video games.
Poitras’ shifts throughout Friday’s scrimmage frequently led to high quality appears to be like, with the pivot extending O-zone sequences by shielding the puck down low. He usually reduce inside towards the slot with the puck on his stick, somewhat than cling on the surface and look ahead to seams to develop.
Along with his processing capability, he can drive close to the blue paint and nonetheless feed the puck to different skaters hovering close to the crease.
Poitras might not be flashy, however there’s so much to love about how his sport ought to evolve on the subsequent stage, particularly as he continues to fill out his body.
And given the grim outlook of Boston’s depth down the center within the coming years, Poitras is effectively conscious of the chance in entrance of him if he continues to construct his sport.
“It’s simply attempting to assault every single day, attempting to win every single day,” Poitras mentioned of his mindset shifting ahead. “Clearly I sit up for that. This can be a good alternative for me. It form of helps me simply in all probability push myself every single day, simply having that at the back of my thoughts.”
Few surprises with Boston’s blue chippers
Poitras has taken a serious step ahead throughout his quick time in Boston’s system. However the Bruins’ different two prized prospects in Lohrei and Lysell had been additionally as marketed all through the week.
Lohrei’s mix of dimension and playmaking acumen on the blue line affords super upside. His flooring on the NHL stage is perhaps a third-pairing, power-play specialist. If he hits and reaches his ceiling, he might be reduce from the identical material as an identical big-bodied, points-producing D-man like John Carlson.
Even when he falls someplace between these two projections, it leaves Boston with a hefty, two-way defenseman who ought to kind a potent top-four grouping within the close to future with Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Brandon Carlo.
Lohrei’s improved skating and sought-after sturdiness had been obvious this week, particularly when weighed towards earlier improvement camps.
Lysell’s sport has been well-documented at this level. After a sluggish build-up this week whereas recovering from a concussion, Lysell did loads of harm throughout Friday’s 3v3 session, because of his high-end ability.
Nonetheless, after hitting a wall final season in Windfall, the 20-year-old winger might want to show in 2023-24 that his first professional marketing campaign was only a small setback somewhat than a recurring pattern.
He’s not afraid to hold the puck down low, and has the fingers to do harm on these O-zone possibilities. However Lysell’s smaller body (5-foot-11, 179 kilos) and head-down mindset may result in extra punishment within the AHL ranks and past if he doesn’t brace for it.
Heft on the again finish
A smaller, puck-moving stalwart on the blue line has been a staple of Boston’s defensive items for over a decade.
However only a fast look at Boston’s Dev Camp roster indicators how the crew is concentrating on extra beef on the blue line shifting ahead.
In whole, the Bruins introduced in 10 defensemen this week, 9 of that are at present within the group.
The typical top of these 10 D-men? 6-foot-3. Common weight? 204 kilos. Hulking defensemen like Kristian Kostadinski (2023 seventh-round choose) and Jackson Edward (2022 second-round choose) are nonetheless uncooked, however their prickliness is obvious on most contact drills.
Boston’s smallest possibility on protection is BU’s Ty Gallagher (2021 seventh-round choose) nonetheless made his presence felt throughout Friday’s scrimmage with some sound stick work and bodily push-back across the boards.
Woburn native Duran appears destined for a checking-line position
Prospects like Lysell and Poitras would possibly supply top-six upside in the event that they hit on the subsequent stage. However when it comes to set-in-stone projections, a bodily ahead like Windfall’s Riley Duran looks as if a lock as a fourth-line common in due time.
The Woburn native and 2020 sixth-round choose has been productive throughout his two seasons with the Friars (39 factors in 67 NCAA video games). However Duran’s excessive motor and physicality stick out throughout 5v5 motion, particularly on Friday morning.
If he carves a path to the NHL, Duran ought to ingratiate himself to the TD Backyard crowd briefly order, given his pugnacious and dedicated type of play.
Odds and ends
When you missed Improvement Camp, simply tune into any Hockey East contest later this 12 months. Six gamers on Boston’s camp roster will play within the league this upcoming season, with Andre Gasseau and Oskar Jellvik in line for sturdy seasons on a stacked BC roster. Latvian-born Dans Locmelis might be a reputation to observe as he begins his collegiate profession at UMass Amherst. … Each 2023 picks Chris Pelosi and Beckett Hendrickson popped throughout numerous battle drills, however each might want to tack on some much-needed weight. … Ukrainian-born goalie Hlib Artsabanov held his personal within the web as a camp invite.
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