Bruins
Kids like Mason Lohrei, Fabian Lysell, and Georgii Merkulov are just a few names to look at this fall.
In case you’ve been sleeping underneath a rock this offseason, the 2023-24 Bruins depth chart goes to look very, very totally different from the 2022-23 iteration that rewrote the file books (through the common season, no less than).
Boston misplaced franchise stalwarts Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement, whereas different fixtures and worthwhile contributors like Taylor Corridor, Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov, Nick Foligno, Connor Clifton, Garnet Hathaway, and Tomas Nosek are all taking part in elsewhere.
Because the Bruins look to retool their roster, Don Sweeney and Boston’s front-office employees are hoping inside candidates like Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle take large steps ahead.
Boston doled out loads of contracts this summer season in hopes that the likes of Milan Lucic,James van Riemsdyk, Morgan Geekie, Kevin Shattenkirk, Patrick Brown, Danton Heinen, Alex Chiasson, and Jesper Boqvist can shore up different vacancies up and down the lineup.
However because the Bruins start a brand new chapter with out pillars like Bergeron and Krejci in place, might this be the season the place an inflow of younger expertise carve out common roles?
Right here’s a rundown of some youthful gamers to maintain tabs on, particularly with rookie camp set to open on Wednesday morning at Warrior Ice Enviornment.
Marc McLaughlin, F
If the Bruins need to discover viable candidates for a fourth-line position, it could be good to start out with the participant who was one of many last cuts from the 2022 coaching camp roster.
The previous Boston Faculty captain and North Billerica native isn’t a flashy participant. However the 24-year-old can play each middle and wing, has an underrated shot, and boasts a sound two-way sport.
After a strong first season in Windfall in 2022-23 (13 objectives, 30 factors in 66 video games), McLaughlin will possible get one other shot at attempting to carve out a spot at 4C or 4RW with Boston this fall.
Oskar Steen, F
Steen is in the identical camp as McLaughlin as a comparatively polished participant within the AHL ranks who’s trying to land a bigger position transferring ahead. The 25-year-old ahead has appeared in 26 complete video games with the Bruins over the past three seasons, posting seven factors (three objectives, 4 assists) over that stretch.
With 193 video games of expertise (and 100 factors) with Windfall, Steen has little left to show within the AHL. Nevertheless it stays to be seen if the 5-foot-9 ahead has the skillset to constantly stick within the lineup on the NHL degree.
Johnny Beecher, F
Beecher is likely one of the extra intriguing prospects in Boston’s system.
Relating to sizing up his potential within the NHL, most have a tendency to hone in on his standing as a former first-round choose (simply the second Boston has had within the final 5 years) and his lack of manufacturing thus far down in Windfall (23 factors in 61 video games).
Now 22 years outdated, Beecher possible doesn’t venture as a top-six pivot within the NHL.
However as a fourth-line fixture down the center? There’s loads to love if he continues to spherical out his sport.
Beecher is arguably the very best skater in Boston’s system, with that fleet-footed skillset complimented by a 6-foot-3, 209-pound body.
Even when he doesn’t essentially boast a high-end offensive sport, Beecher may very well be a menace towards NHL competitors because of his forechecking capacity and bodily presence.
If he continues to take steps ahead in his growth, he might match into the mould of a Sean Kuraly — with a bit extra of a prickly disposition.
He possible isn’t an odds-on favourite to earn a roster spot out of camp, however Beecher has an incredible alternative in entrance of him if he retains constructing his sport. Despite the fact that gamers like Patrick Brown sit forward of him at 4C, the possibilities must be there for Beecher to leapfrog just a few NHLers on the depth chart in 2023-24.
Matthew Poitras, C
With each Bergeron and Krejci hanging up their skates this summer season, all eyes are centered on Boston’s crop of middle prospects in hopes of some inside reinforcements within the coming years.
Boston’s incapability to draft and develop a confirmed top-six pivot over the previous decade has loomed over a franchise working on borrowed time as Bergeron and Krejci grew older.
However some hope does reside in 19-year-old Matthew Poitras, who has seen his inventory soar since Boston chosen him within the second spherical of the 2022 NHL Draft.
A poised and artful playmaker, Poitras stuffed the stat sheet final season with the OHL’s Guelph Storm — scoring 16 objectives and meting out 79 assists over 63 video games.
Poitras impressed throughout July’s Improvement Camp, along with his endurance with the puck and processing capacity permitting him to orchestrate Grade-A seems to be.
He will not be an explosive skater, however Poitras has a knack for driving towards Grade-A ice and capitalizing off of a collapsing defensive construction. Not often does he skate to the surface and watch for passing lanes to develop.
Poitras has loads of upside, and it wouldn’t come as a shock if he will get an prolonged look throughout camp and preseason motion. Nonetheless, it could be asking loads for a youngster to go from the OHL to the NHL within the span of 1 season.
In some respects, Poitras is in unenviable no-man’s land so far as his preseason path.
If he doesn’t make the Bruins roster this fall, he can’t be re-assigned to Windfall and should report back to Guelph — the place he’ll possible put up a formidable stat line, however gained’t be examined to the identical diploma as he would towards AHL competitors.
Poitras could also be no less than one other yr away, however he’s value watching this preseason for the Bruins. There’s loads to love right here.
Georgii Merkulov, F
Not like different Windfall regulars like Beecher, McLaughlin, and Steen, Merkulov holds a bit extra promise because of his larger offensive ceiling.
The 22-year-old ahead has rewarded the Bruins after they signed him after his freshman season at Ohio State. He earned a spot on the AHL’s 2022-23 All-Rookie Workforce, main Windfall in scoring with 55 factors (24 objectives, 31 assists) over 67 video games.
Merkulov has the offensive instruments to be a middle-six common on the subsequent degree. However he’ll should shore up his play down the opposite finish of the ice if he desires to repeatedly earn minutes with the Bruins within the years forward.
Count on Merkulov to earn loads of seems to be throughout preseason play this month. However given the assortment of NHL veterans and PTO candidates already on the roster, Merkulov would possibly must marinate in Windfall a bit longer earlier than incomes a legit shot up with Boston.
John Farinacci, C
Signed by Boston final month after a formidable collegiate profession at Harvard, the 22-year-old Farinacci has arguably already asserted himself as one of many Bruins’ most promising pivot prospects subsequent to Poitras.
Despite the fact that he could not have the offensive upside of a Poitras, Farinacci is projected to be an efficient two-way middle within the professional sport if his growth goes easily.
He’s but to face AHL/NHL competitors, however Farinacci’s refined sport ought to permit him to hit the bottom (or ice) working this fall, whether or not or not it’s with Windfall or Boston.
Fabian Lysell, F
It doesn’t take very lengthy to see why Lysell was a highly-regarded prospect taken within the first spherical of the 2021 NHL Draft.
Given Boston’s dearth of high-end expertise discovered inside its prospect pipeline, Lysell has been a breath of recent air. The 20-year-old Swede is already a plus-skater with a knack for each gliding into Grade-A ice and carving up defenses with an array of dangles and dekes.
This stands as a pivotal camp for Lysell, who’s trying to put an AHL marketing campaign marked with loads of ups and downs within the rearview mirror.
Nonetheless, questions stay about Lysell’s capacity to resist the bodily toll of professional hockey, in addition to each his defensive sport and his total aggressive degree.
The Bruins ought to give him each alternative to battle for a roster spot throughout camp. However very similar to Merkulov, Lysell has fairly the uphill climb if he desires to beat out the likes of Frederic, Geekie, Heinen, Chiasson, and others for a middle-six spot on the wing.
Mason Lohrei, D
The Bruins are already anticipated to return many of the identical blue-line grouping that led the NHL in objectives towards final season.
However an already gifted section of the roster might obtain one more main raise if a blue-chip prospect like Lohrei carves out a task with Boston.
It stays to be seen what Lohrei’s flooring is now that the 22-year-old blueliner has gone professional. However his ceiling can also be sky-high, given his distinctive talent set.
There are many younger defensemen throughout hockey who’ve poised, playmaking capabilities like Lohrei (61 factors in 71 video games at Ohio State). However few offensive-minded D-men additionally jump over the boards at 6-foot-4 and 209 kilos.
On the subsequent degree, Lohrei might carve out a task as a third-pairing, power-play specialist who is best suited to a bevy of sheltered O-zone begins. Or if he actually hits, he might develop into Boston’s model of John Carlson.
However as tantalizing as Lohrei’s sport is, endurance must be preached relating to his growth this season. He’s a gifted playmaker, however Lohrei stands to learn from some reps down in Windfall this winter, particularly as he continues to stabilize his D-zone play.
Add in the truth that Boston’s D corps is already chock stuffed with established NHLers, and loads has to fall Lohrei’s method for him to start out the yr with the Bruins. A late-season promotion could be the very best course for him, particularly if he helps push Boston excessive forward of a possible playoff push.
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