Jakub Zboril and Jake DeBrusk, the 13th and 14th overall selections in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, faced off against one another last night as Team Canada took on the Czech Republic at the World Jr. Summer Development Camp in Calgary. The home team shelled the Czechs to the tune of a 7-1 score after the visitors tallied first- Brayden Point (surprise- another quality Tampa prospect) had a big night with a pair of goals and five points. Neither DeBrusk nor Zboril figured in any of the scoring.

It’s not a bad time to go back and revisit the two players that the Bruins have a lot riding on.

Zboril was not a surprise or issue at 13 because he was pretty solidly in the second tier of defensemen available after you got past Noah Hanifin, Ivan Provorov and Zach Werenski. Depending on the rankings you were looking at going into the draft, his size, skating ability and puck skills put him in the running to go that early, even if most of the public lists had him hovering around 20-28. The B’s wanted at least one defenseman in the opening round, and he was their guy. I have no problem with where he went or why, but there is some risk associated with the pick

There are a couple of things that kept Zboril perhaps from not grading higher than a 20-something ranking. No. 1- he missed significant time last season to a knee injury, including missing the annual CHL Top Prospects Game. That in itself isn’t a huge concern, but the fact that his father lost a promising pro basketball career to wonky knees is certainly something to watch for.

The other thing that is a little more troubling for me at least, and I saw this with him on film plus have been given similar reports from a couple of NHL scouting sources whose teams interviewed him…attitude. Let me be clear- no one is saying Zboril is a bad kid, but let’s just say that he doesn’t exactly set the ice on fire with his drive and hustle either. He rubbed at least one team official the wrong way at the scouting combine in Buffalo with his demeanor and answers in interviews. Maybe chalk that up to a bad fit between player and team, but Zboril has a lot to prove and high expectations to live up to.

The Bruins cannot afford a talented player who shows up to Boston on cruise control, so how hard he works and applies himself will be a key observation point for me.

DeBrusk, who went one pick behind Zboril, was another selection that raised eyebrows because he was consistently ranked on public lists in the 20’s. The Bruins need offense, and he produced it last season to the tune of 42 goals at Swift Current. He’s one of those guys who just always seems to be around the puck. I’ll let Red Line Report scout Mark Staudinger explain more:

“He has all the tools to play out wide and should utilize the opportunity. My only issue is whether he is a top 6 or middle 6 forward at the next level.”

Staudinger, who is in attendance at the Team Canada camp in Calgary this week, also provided me with this scouting report on DeBrusk back in May for the New England Hockey Journal draft preview issue:

Scoring winger constantly patrols the sideboards with purpose, driving sharply into edges making strong cuts to elude contact or head straight into contested areas. Great in transition, using good acceleration with a strong first step to take off in the neutral zone frequently driving past opposing defenses to get in alone on the goalie. Staggers perfectly, trailing a play to become an outlet for teammates, positioning himself to be in place for rebounds or second chance efforts. Strong on his stick in scoring areas, forces the puck towards the goal keeping feet churning through traffic. Zero hesitation; shot gets the puck off his blade promptly with pinpoint accuracy and strong torque  coming off the stick. Offensive zone cycle game must continue to improve by learning how to work more set plays down low- it will create further sustained puck possession.

So, can DeBrusk eventually make the NHL as a first- or second-line scoring winger? That’s the million dollar question, as DeBrusk was able to find a way to finish off plays in every conceivable fashion last season- in tight, from the outside, stick on the ice and flashing a quick release, or using his quick stick in close to deke goalies out of position. He scored a memorable goal on Zane McIntyre at Bruins development camp last month.

But, there are lingering questions about the skating and the overall game with him. He’s on the average side when it comes to size and he lacks an explosive, dynamic element to his game. It seems that if DeBrusk isn’t scoring, he’s not doing much else to help and that’s going to be a major area for him to address in his development going forward. In short, he also has a lot to prove in the WHL this season- to show the Bruins that last season was no fluke and that they were right to pass on the more highly-touted (and ranked) Mathew Barzal and Kyle Connor to take him. Again- when it comes to rankings, Barzal and Connor were higher than DeBrusk on the public lists, but teams do things differently, and the B’s obviously didn’t see it the same way.

“I’m amped up- it seems like I’ve had seven Red Bulls or something right now,” DeBrusk said right after his selection. “It’s an experience- once in a lifetime- and I’m super happy about it.”

DeBrusk made a comment at the draft that is important to keep in context, especially given the remarks about Zboril and his interview with a different NHL club. DeBrusk said that he got a “good vibe” from the Bruins and had an idea they were interested in him because his interview went so well with them; he said he had the Bruins in his top-three wish list after the interview. The same might hold true for Zboril- he might have felt so good about interactions with other teams that he just wasn’t feeling it with this other club whose scout I spoke to. We don’t know how many interviews he had done up to that point, or if he was just having a bad day in general. Food for thought.

Anyway- in closing, DeBrusk and Zboril addressed clear needs for the Bruins- in terms of their offensive upside and potential to generate scoring chances. DeBrusk doesn’t quite have the ideal speed dynamic, but he makes up for it with a shifty elusiveness around the net and the hockey IQ/creativity to put the puck in the net. They are both quality prospects and for good reason- they, along with Zach Senyshyn, are going to be highly important to Boston’s fortunes if the Bruins are expected to get back on track in the next few years.

No pressure or anything, guys.