Category Archives: Boston Bruins prospects

2015-16 NCAA season, Boston Bruins prospects, Ryan Donato , , , Leave a comment

The son also rises: Ryan Donato

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If he’s gotten lost in the shuffle a bit from David Pastrnak’s rapid path to the NHL and a ten-selection draft one year after the Bruins took him in the second round, Harvard freshman Ryan Donato is doing his part to shine.

The son of his Crimson coach and former Catholic Memorial and Harvard hockey star-turned-Boston Bruin (796 NHL games played with the B’s, Islanders, Ducks, Kings, Stars, Blues and Rangers before going back to Boston to finish his career in 2004)  the 56th overall selection in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft is having a terrific 2016, and we’re only in mid February.

To whit:

  • Donato not only made the Team USA 2016 World Jr. squad, but helped the Americans salvage a disappointing semifinal loss to Russia with a resounding bronze medal game victory with a two-goal thumping over the Czech Republic.
  • He played in his first Beanpot hockey tournament after years as a spectator and scored his first goal of that storied tournament, checking two big boxes off of his personal hockey bucket list. Next stop: Win the darn thing and complete the usurpation of Boston College or Boston University for the first time since 1993, three full years before Donato was born. His dad won a Beanpot as a player- in 1989- the same year Donato and his Harvard Crimson mates went on to win the NCAA championship- but doing so as a head coach has thus far eluded him.
  • Donato scored his first career NCAA hat trick over the weekend, his 8th, 9th and 10th goals of the season to get to double digits. For any freshman, that’s a solid achievement but better things are surely in store for the Scituate, Mass. native.

The oldest of Ted and Jeannine Donato’s four talented (and highly competitive) kids comes from impressive athletic stock. Everyone knows about his dad’s NHL pedigree, but his mother played college soccer at Villanova, and her brother, Matt McLees, is a former NFL linebacker with the Cleveland Browns. His son and Ryan’s cousin, Tyler McLees, is a senior at West Point and the captain of the USMA Black Knights varsity wrestling squad.

At this stage of his development, it’s pretty fair to say that Donato is living up to the immense promise that saw his hometown team call his name in Philadelphia with the second of just five total draft picks after a standout career of prep hockey at Dexter School in Brookline, where he skated under his uncle, Dan Donato (who played hockey at Boston University and was a pro baseball player after college).

Ryan Donato has been an impact player in his first year of ECAC competition, in many respects validating the faith his hometown team has in him to one day be a part of the solution in Boston.

“One thing I notice is just paying attention in practice,” he told the Scouting Post blog. “I think one of the biggest things is being a student of the game. There are a lot of things you learn from playing at this level, and a lot of things that the upperclassmen, the older guys- the seniors and juniors can teach you and a lot of the experiences and knowledge that the coaches have. That’s the biggest thing at this level- making sure you’re doing the little things right and I think everything pays off if you pay attention to the things that matter.”

Donato is looking forward to being a part of another potential Harvard run to the ECAC championship, a berth in the NCAA tournament and competing for a chance to be the first Crimson (on only) team to win a national title since 1989. That year, his dad was the NCAA tournament MVP and finished fifth in team scoring with 14 goals and 51 points in 34 games.

“I think there are a lot of guys who really want it, we really want it” Donato said of a veteran group that has the firepower to do some damage if Harvard can come together at the right time. “The difference with our team is that we have a lot of great depth and guys who are sitting out, but every single day they bring it to practice and make sure they’re ready to go for the playoffs. Guys like Jimmy Vesey, Kyle Criscuolo…learning from those guys. Honestly, it’s one of the best things I have to say- it’s an unbelievable opportunity.”

His stats line is a respectable one- 10 goals and 16 points in 23 games with Harvard, good for fourth place behind seniors Vesey and Criscuolo and junior center Alexander Kerfoot. This follows on the heels of being Dexter’s top scorer in that hockey program’s history. If his experience at this month’s Beanpot is any indication, Harvard could be in pretty good hands come 2017 when Donato and company will get another shot at bringing the trophy to Cambridge.

“Honestly, before (the games) I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous because I knew that all of my friends and family were going to be there,” said Donato. “It was something special from the beginning, and I think I’ve been going to the (Beanpot) games for 14 years or a long, long time. I think just getting on the ice for the first time, I had a pit in my stomach going around in warmups. Hopefully, this (the TD Garden) can be my home and after scoring the first goal, I enjoyed the feeling of getting one there and I hope I’ll have other opportunities.

“The Beanpot was such a great tournament but there weren’t many great results for us, but hopefully over the next couple of years, we’ll have a Beanpot title. It’s kind of a whirlwind at the beginning for your first Beanpot because you don’t really know what to expect. Being a Boston boy there are a lot more nerves that go into it beforehand as opposed to maybe a Minnesota guy who doesn’t know what the Beanpot is about.”

However, even with production of more than 200 career points at prep level, there were whispers about him dominating the competition level and how long it might take him to make an impact in the NCAA without being challenged over a full season of junior hockey.

“If there were any doubts about (Donato) after his senior year at Dexter I think they’re pretty minimal now,” said one New England-based NHL scout from an Eastern Conference team. “He put in the (offseason) work and made sure he was ready to go right out of the gate. I think making the World Jr. team was a big statement for him- he beat out some bigger name guys to make the squad and it did wonders for his confidence. We’re seeing it more and more, and he looks like a player who is going to be a key part of his team at Harvard going forward.”

The WJC experience of competing against the top under-20 talent in the world and coming home with a bronze medal certainly framed 2016 in a positive manner for Donato.

“It was a blast, obviously,” he said of his time with Team USA in Helsinki. “The guys I met and played with and against were unbelievable players on the ice and unbelievable people off the ice. I think the coaching staff was great as well- Coach Chelios definitely helped me along the way. He was our ‘D’ coach but was a special guy and influence on all of us just by the way he carried himself around the rink. I’m hoping that just by the way he acts around the rink and with the players is something I can emulate.”

He admitted to having an open mind for the WJC training camp and selection process, not taking anything for granted, especially since he was not a graduate of the U.S. National Team Development Program (Donato did play a few games with the NTDP as an augmentation to the roster and competed in the Under-18 Four Nations tourney in Turku, Finland in November of 2013).

“Going into the tryouts I was kind of nervous because I wasn’t sure what kind of style it would be,” he said. “But I think the NCAA and especially the ECAC is a pretty hard-nosed style with a lot of hitting- some nights, it’s like a wrestling match below the dots. So, when I went there, it felt like there was a lot more space. I wouldn’t say it was a softer game (in the IIHF) but more of a finesse game, which I wasn’t as used to but it wasn’t that hard to adjust, but it’s a style of play I’m more comfortable with.”

Donato completed his second development camp with the Bruins last July, taking the experiences he had in 2014 and applying them to get a little more out of his second summer in Wilmington.

“I’ve just been trying to play a solid game, a reliable game,” he said. “I think that’s one of the biggest things that the Bruins staff is looking for now, and that is a strong, solid game. Being a strong player physically off the ice and on the ice is something I’ve learned that they’re looking for, and getting stronger off the ice is something I’ve focused on, and making sure I know the systems and play the game the right way.”

Bigger than his dad at around 6-foot-1 in height, he doesn’t quite have the senior Donato’s wheels, but uses his high-end hockey sense to get the jump on opponents and has outstanding puck skills to rack up the offensive production at even strength and on the man advantage. One of the knocks on Donato is that he’s lacking in foot speed enough to maximize his impressive hands and head. However, that is not a consensus view in the scouting community.

“I think some people make an issue of his skating where there isn’t much of one in my opinion,” the scout said. “He may not have his dad’s speed, but he’s bigger and is heavier on the puck than Teddy was. I sometimes get the feeling that if it wasn’t for the fact that his father’s calling card was that pure speed, you wouldn’t hear about it being an issue as much with Ryan. Having said that, there’s room for improvement- he can pick up a couple of steps and it’s something he continues to work on.”

When the Bruins drafted Donato in 2014, everyone knew he was a long-term project who would need ample time to grow and mature as a player before he was ready to try and follow in his NHL father’s footsteps. A little less than two years later, that steady growth and development is evident with the 19-year-old, as he has already made an impact and added to his family’s legacy at Harvard.

“Being drafted by Boston was a symbol of all the work that I would have to put in over the coming years,” said Donato. “Things that the team wanted me to work on since then is my body and getting stronger and learning how to play the game right. I think that’s one of the biggest things for the transition that coaches have said for players is making sure they play the game of hockey the right way.”

And how, exactly, does Donato describe that in his own words?

“I think it’s all about doing the little things that will make the difference both on the ice and off the ice,” he said.  “I’ve seen that it pays off in college and will hopefully pay off in the NHL one day.”

Here’s the New England Hockey Journal show episode on Ryan Donato after he was drafted by Boston– it’s worth sitting down and watching in its entirety if you haven’t seen it.

 

 

2015-16 AHL season, 2015-16 CHL season, 2015-16 NCAA season, Boston Bruins prospects , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Bruins prospects update 2/15/16

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Frank Vatrano continued his goal scoring blitzkrieg in the AHL since being returned to Providence late last month. He’s only a few markers off the AHL lead, but in far fewer games. The kid is a keeper.

Unfortunately for Providence, Malcolm Subban suffered a fractured larynx during warmups in Portland eight days ago. He had successful surgery but faces a minimum eight-week layoff before he’ll even be able to be an option to return to the nets. That prompted a recall of Jeremy Smith from the Iowa Wild and both Smith and Zane McIntyre have done well to keep the P-Bruins rolling.

Jesse Gabrielle leads all Bruins prospects with 35 goals and 67 points for the Prince George Cougars of the WHL. Zach Senyshyn is second in goal scoring with 33 tallies for the Soo Greyhounds.

Ryan Donato notched his first career NCAA hat trick over the weekend, while Ryan Fitzgerald continues to produce for BC- he now has 16 goals and 35 points- a new career best in points and just one off to Colin White for the team lead. Notre Dame RW Anders Bjork scored a highlight reel goal over the weekend as well- he continues to add to his breakout sophomore season.

On the defensive side of things, Jakub Zboril’s play is steadily improving and he’s now getting some production to go with his physical, edgy play. Jeremy Lauzon is back in action after dealing with a nagging groin injury that has limited his participation since January. Harvard sophomore Wiley Sherman did not find the back of the net at all during his freshman season, but already has four goals and has tripled his points totals. He’s raw but with his 6-foot-6 size and good mobility, he’s an intriguing project player to watch for the long term.

And now for the update:

AHL

Seth Griffith, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 40 Goals- 16 Assists- 35 Points- 51 Penalty Min- 22 +/-   5

Alex Khokhlachev, C Providence Bruins

GP- 38 Goals- 15 Assists- 26 Points- 41 Penalty Min- 8 +/-  -6

Austin Czarnik, C Providence Bruins

GP- 41 Goals- 13 Assists- 23 Points- 36 Penalty Min- 14 +/-  3

Frank Vatrano, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 19 Goals- 20 Assists- 10 Points- 30 Penalty Min- 8 +/-   7

Four goals and four assists in his last five AHL games for Vatrano to keep his stick red hot.

Colton Hargrove, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 41 Goals-12 Assists- 9 Points- 21 Penalty Min- 49 +/-   7

Colby Cave, C Providence Bruins

GP- 49 Goals- 10 Assists- 10 Points- 20 Penalty Min- 10 +/- -6

Chris Casto, D Providence Bruins

GP- 45 Goals- 5 Assists- 12 Points- 17 Penalty Min- 35 +/- -5

Tommy Cross, D Providence Bruins

GP- 38 Goals- 2 Assists- 13 Points- 15 Penalty Min- 61 +/- -4

Zack Phillips, C Providence Bruins

GP- 39 Goals- 5 Assists- 9 Points-14 Penalty Min- 8 +/- -14

Noel Acciari, C Providence Bruins

GP- 36 Goals- 6 Assists-7 Points- 13 Penalty Min- 15 +/-  5

Anton Blidh, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 47 Goals- 9 Assists- 3 Points- 12 Penalty Min- 27 +/- -3

Anthony Camara, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 29 Goals- 0 Assists- 5 Points- 5 Penalty Min- 37 +/- -1

Justin Hickman, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 39 Goals- 3 Assists- 2 Points- 5 Penalty Min- 36 +/- -4

Linus Arnesson, D Providence Bruins

GP- 35 Goals- 0 Assists- 3 Points- 3 Penalty Min- 4 +/- -3

Brian Ferlin, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 4 Goals- 1 Assists- 0 Points- 1 Penalty Min- 2 +/-  2

Ferlin is back from a concussion after missing all but one of the previous games on Providence’s schedule- he tallied his first goal of the season last week.

Malcolm Subban, G Providence Bruins

GP- 27 MIN- 1635 GA- 67 GAA- 2.46 Spct- .911 W- 14 L-8 OTL 5 SO- 1

Zane McIntyre, G Providence Bruins

GP- 20 MIN- 1146 GA- 55 GAA- 2.88 Spct- .892 W- 8 L- 6 OTL- 5

Jeremy Smith, G Providence Bruins

Iowa: GP- 23 MIN- 1326 GA- 65 GAA- 2.94 Spct- .911 W- 5 L- 14 OTL- 3

Providence: GP- 2 MIN- 120 GA- 4 GAA- 2.00 Spct- .925 W- 2 L- 0 OTL- 0

 

OHL

Zach Senyshyn, RW Saulte Ste Marie Greyhounds

GP- 52 Goals- 33 Assists- 16 Points- 49 Penalty Min- 20 +/- 3

 

QMJHL

Jeremy Lauzon, D Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

GP- 33 Goals- 5 Assists- 32 Points- 37 Penalty Min- 56 +/- 28

He’s back in action and has played 4 games (2 assists) since the last update as he works through constraints of a nagging groin injury.

Jakub Zboril, D Saint John Sea Dogs

GP- 35 Goals- 4 Assists- 12 Points- 16 Penalty Min- 36 +/- 9

With four assists in his last five games, Zboril is getting more done on the score sheet after a brutal statistical start.

 

WHL

Jesse Gabrielle, LW Prince George Cougars

GP- 57 Goals- 35 Assists- 32 Points- 67 Penalty Min- 86 +/- 8

With 11 points in his last six games, Gabrielle has elevated his overall game at the right time.

Jake DeBrusk, LW Red Deer Rebels

SCB: GP- 24 Goals- 9 Assists- 17 Points- 26 Penalty Min- 15 +/- -5

RDR: GP- 21 Goals- 8 Assists- 16 Points- 24 Penalty Min- 13 +/-  13

With eight points (seven assists) in his last six games, DeBrusk is often a forgotten player in major junior this year, but his more balanced offensive game is a good sign for the future, even if his goal numbers are way down from a year ago.

Brandon Carlo, D Tri-City Americans

GP- 35 Goals- 2 Assists- 17 Points- 19 Penalty Min- 69 +/- 0

 

NCAA

Ryan Fitzgerald, F Boston College Eagles (HEA)

GP- 29 Goals- 16 Assists- 19 Points- 35 Penalty Min- 39 +/-  21

Anders Bjork, LW University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish (HEA)

GP- 28 Goals- 11 Assists- 18 Points- 29 Penalty Min- 4 +/-  24

Danton Heinen, RW Denver University Pioneers (NCHC)

GP- 28 Goals- 12 Assists- 15 Points- 27 Penalty Min- 4 +/-   8

Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, C Boston University Terriers (HEA)

GP- 30 Goals- 7 Assists- 16 Points- 23 Penalty Min- 16 +/-   1

The scoring has cooled a bit for the BU freshman, but he’s still a high riser and strong bet for eventual NHL success as a top two-way center.

Sean Kuraly, C Miami University Redhawks (NCHC)

GP- 28 Goals- 6 Assists- 13 Points- 19 Penalty Min- 31 +/-   4

Matt Grzelcyk, D Boston University (HEA)

GP- 18 Goals- 8 Assists- 8 Points- 16 Penalty Min- 28 +/-  11

Ryan Donato, C Harvard University Crimson (ECAC)

GP- 23 Goals- 10 Assists- 6 Points- 16 Penalty Min- 18 +/-   5

Four goals in five games including a hat trick for Donato since last update.

Cameron Hughes, C University of Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten)

GP- 23 Goals- 3 Assists- 13 Points- 16 Penalty Min- 12 +/- -10

Matt Benning, D Northeastern University Huskies (HEA)

GP- 30 Goals- 4 Assists- 9 Points- 13 Penalty Min- 25 +/- -6

Wiley Sherman, D Harvard University Crimson (ECAC)

GP- 25 Goals- 4 Assists- 5 Points- 9 Penalty Min- 8 +/-   8

Rob O’Gara, D Yale University Bulldogs (ECAC)

GP- 23 Goals- 1 Assists- 7 Points- 8 Penalty Min- 39  +/-  2

 

 

Europe

Peter Cehlarik, LW Lulea (Sweden)

GP- 36 Goals- 9 Assists- 8 Points- 17 Penalty Min- 2 +/-   4

Cehlarik established a new personal season high for  goals  in the Swedish Hockey League (formerly the elite league) to date, eclipsing his 6 goals in 46 games last year.

Emil Johansson, D HV71 (Sweden)

GP- 40 Goals- 0 Assists- 5 Points- 5 Penalty Min- 12 +/-  2

Maxim Chudinov, D St Petersburg SKA (Russia)

GP- 54 Goals- 8 Assists- 9 Points- 17 Penalty Min- 87 +/- -9

 

USHL

Daniel Vladar, G Chicago Steel (USHL)

GP- 19 MIN- 1106 GA- 39 GAA- 2.11 Spct .922 SO- 3; 6-7-4

Played one game since last update- a shutout.

Jack Becker, C Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)

GP- 40 Goals- 5 Assists- 8 Points- 13 Penalty Min- 12 +/- -11

2015-16 NHL season, 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Boston Bruins, Boston Bruins prospects, Mailbag, Podcasts , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Scouting Post podcast: pre-NHL trade deadline

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I solicited questions on Twitter and got a lot of solid queries about various topics, much of them related to the Boston Bruins, but some of them not.

The podcast is a little over an hour long, and in it- I address the chances of the B’s landing a younger, higher-end defenseman at the trade deadline, what will happen with Loui Eriksson going forward, whether the team should bring Frank Vatrano back, a few questions about the 2016 NHL draft, and other topics. I close out by answering who I would keep if the Bruins could have just one prospect at every position, which is a much tougher question to answer than you might think.

So, settle in, grab some popcorn and check it out. Or not. An hour is a lot of anyone’s time to give up, but I appreciate the support this blog has gotten since I launched it back in July.

2015-16 CHL season, Boston Bruins prospects, Zachary Senyshyn Leave a comment

Senyshyn continues to march ahead

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What a difference a year makes.

In the case of the 15th overall selection in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Zach Senyshyn is himself taken a little aback at how rapidly things have come together for him since the Boston Bruins made him the first real controversial choice last June in Florida. In the some eight months since, Senyshyn has gone from being a polarizing discussion point between draft enthusiasts to a source of genuine excitement with hockey fans who follow the entire organization and not just the goings on with the NHL roster.

Senyshyn, who is in just his second full OHL season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, has already blown by his goal total of 26 as a rookie in 66 games during the 2014-15 campaign. He currently leads the time (by a wide margin) with 33 goals in 50 contests, on pace to exceed the 40-goal plateau if he can keep finding the back of the net.

“I’ve always kind of been a goal scorer,” Senyshyn told the Scouting Post blog before practice today. “When I got here, I was able to watch guys on the first line like  (Jared) McCann and (Nick) Ritchie. I saw how they were able to dominate and establish themselves at this level, and I think that by being around them it helped me to take the reins more this year and take on more of a role with the offense than I did in my first season.”

The B’s went off the board to grab Senyshyn with the third of three consecutive first-round selections. The pick immediately raised eyebrows given that it officially closed the door on a pair of forwards who were still available when Boston made its final choice in Mathew Barzal and Kyle Connor, both of whom were immediately snapped up by the Islanders and Jets respectively at 16 and 17. For Boston to pass on those two, both of whom have gone on to post outstanding offensive seasons themselves, it said more about what the team felt about Senyshyn’s long-term potential than it did any misgivings the scouts might have had about the ones they didn’t select.

“He is easily one of the fastest players in the CHL,” said one league insider with close ties to the OHL. “He’s super athletic, which helps with his explosiveness. Zach’s dad, Paul, was a quarterback at Queen’s (University) in the late 80’s and I’ve heard (Zach) equated to a wide receiver in football- you get him the puck in the right spot so to speak- and he’s gone.”

(Video posted by HockeyVidz)

Senyshyn’s 33 goals represent a smorgasbord of different looks: the classic rebound cleanup while standing just outside the paint? Check. An impressive tip-in from the slot? Check. A quick bang-bang one-timer from between the hashmarks? Check. But it’s the signature Senyshyn goals that have tended to capture the imagination and excitement of fans…you know the ones I’m talking about?

Like when he intercepts a bad pass in the high slot of his own end and then explodes down the ice with a powerful, explosive stride, accelerating away from hapless, helpless, backpedaling defenders who can only chase him as he goes in alone and often finishes off the breakaway with a snap release on a twine-tickling laser beam?

(Weekend at Bergy’s)

Yeah, that’s the one. The ones. He keeps doing it, and nobody (at least at the OHL level) seems to have a formula down for stopping him consistently. 2016 top prospect and Sarnia defenseman Jakob Chychrun was the latest victim of a Senyshyn cutback and short side snipe in a February 10 game. As Chychrun came across his own blue line to try and staple a charging Senyshyn into the right wing boards, Senyshyn changed direction at the moment Chychrun lost his balance and went tumbling into the wall. The Soo Greyhound, with a clear path to the net, fired home his 33rd tally of the year.

Here’s a nice Vine compliments of Kathryn Jean (@msconduct on Twitter- give her a follow, mates) giving you the closer look:

If you watched Senyshyn last year, he did it more than a few times, often rocketing down the right side and beating scrambling defenders to the spot along the boards where they might have sealed him off. He would then often cut to the net and bury his shot, which was a big reason he went inside the top-15 selections, because Senyshyn played bottom-line minutes and virtually no special teams on a veteran-laden club built to contend for a league championship and chance at the Memorial Cup. It didn’t happen for the Greyhounds, and so as multiple key veterans left the team for pro hockey this season, Senyshyn was elevated to the top line and plenty of power play and penalty killing work- situations he barely sniffed a year ago.

“It’s been great, it’s a great time,” Senyshyn said of the expanded role and his chemistry with power play linemates Blake Speers and Gabe Guertler (the team’s top three scorers for the record). “They’re terrific players who do a great job of moving the puck in space and setting us up for good scoring chances. I’m lucky to have a chance to play with them in any situation, but on the power play, when we have that added time and space, we can work together and make a lot of plays.”

Making plays is something that Senyshyn has excelled at this season, though his assist totals are nothing to write home about- he has less than half (16) helpers than goals, but it is clear from watching the ‘Hounds in action that when No. 9 is on the ice, his teammates are looking for him to be the finisher and at least with more than 2/3 of the regular season in the books, he’s delivered.

“As good as he is, he could be better,” said the CHL insider. “Ideally, you’d like him to be more creative, but that’s not his game.”

Senyshyn’s game is played in direct lines- the shortest distance from point A to B. Sometimes, too much might be made of a “lack” of creativity, however. If you watch closely, you can tell that he sees the ice well and will make good reads and passes but if the puck doesn’t end up in the net, there is no accompanying point to validate a nifty play in distribution.

This is not to say that Senyshyn is ready to step in next season and start terrorizing NHL goalies with his big league shot and exciting but as-of-yet-not-realized potential.

“He goes through lulls in his play where he is ineffective and for a lack of better terms- is invisible,” the source said. Those observations jive with what Bruins player development director Jay Pandolfo told me back in December when I interviewed him about the organization’s top prospects.

Here’s what Pandolfo had to say about Senyshyn: “He just needs to round out some of the other parts of his game- his play away from the puck and making sure he’s engaged all game long and not just kind of waiting for one opportunity. He can do more and I think he’s learning to do more- he’s a young kid so he’s really raw. As he gets older and stronger and more mature, he’s just going to get better and better.

“He’s off to a real good start and he’s got a bright future. Just being in the OHL for one year, you’re already seeing some of the improvements. The coaching staff in Sault Ste. Marie is doing a good job with him and trying to help him in those areas away from the puck and in the d-zone and he’s doing a much better job with those things and he’s coming around in all areas of the game, so it’s promising.”

The improvement in shift-to-shift consistency is probably the biggest area that Senyshyn needs to address in his game before he’ll be ready to stake a claim to an NHL job.

“I think the (lack of) consistency is the frustrating part at times,” said the source. “But that’s what you get with scorers. You have to accept that, but it still could be better. Defense is always something (most) every player could be better at. It mainly comes from working harder, because most forwards don’t like playing defense- it doesn’t come naturally to a lot of them.”

In other words, we have to remember that Senyshyn is still a pretty raw prospect, even with the impressive goal totals. He’s a full year behind many of his peers who spent their 16-year-old seasons in the OHL in terms of major junior experience. He played for the Smith’s Falls Bears of the CJHL, and openly admits that it was a good thing that it took him a little longer to reach his current level.

“It was a great developmental year for me,” said Senyshyn. “I loved the coaching staff (led by head coach Mark Grady; assistants Walt Dubas and Tom MacLaren) and they really helped me in my development, because I wasn’t ready to make the jump to the OHL at 16. I realize that and am thankful for what I learned at Smith’s Falls- the experience really made me a better player when I got here than I would have been otherwise.”

Senyshyn parlayed that readiness into 26 goals as a rookie and selling one of the NHL’s 30 clubs that it wasn’t worth risking losing him to anyone else who saw him similarly. Boston pounced early, and things are looking pretty good in retrospect.

“It was a little bit of a surprise,” Senyshyn says in a voice that seems to betray a smile from the other end of the phone. “Your heart drops (soars?) when you hear your name called in the draft, no matter when it happens. But the reality is- I had a great connection with the Boston Bruins. They talked to me a few times before the draft and told me that they liked my game. That was a team that I had a real good feeling about, and I was hoping, I was hoping…they would pick me.. When they did, it was a dream come true.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhXPMxUM2iw

(LGT91)

If you watch the above video and listen to the analysts on draft day express concern over the choice of Senyshyn with other “better” options on the board, that’s the rub and until he breaks through and makes an impact with the B’s, this will be the proverbial sword of Damocles that hangs over the player and franchise. In the end, we have to remember that drafting players is not an exact science, though with the use of metrics and analytics, we’re getting closer to making the process more predictable than ever before.

The road to the NHL is shorter for some, longer for others. Others, yet, never even get there.

In Zachary Senyshyn’s case- he seems to have all the tools, character and moxie to live up to his billing as a top-15 pick. The Bruins certainly appear to have gotten their gut instinct right on this one. There’s no need to rush him into the fray- they say all things in good time.

The payoff could be big with this one.

 

2015-16 AHL season, 2015-16 CHL season, Boston Bruins prospects, Uncategorized , Leave a comment

TSP Bruins Prospects of the Month: Gabrielle & Subban

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Gabrielle

We have a tie for Scouting Post Bruins Prospect of the Month for January: With eight goals and 16 points in 14 games and seven wins in eight starts and a .935 save percentage and 1.84 GAA, Prince George Cougars left wing Jesse Gabrielle and Providence Bruins goaltender Malcolm Subban are your top honored players. Both played so well- it would be a shame to elevate one at the expense of the other, and since one is currently playing in the pro ranks and the other still in junior, it made sense to give the nod to both.

Gabrielle’s 20 goals and 41 points in the last 31 games is the best offensive output of any B’s prospect in the season thus far, but the 2015 fourth-round pick is also getting it done in myriad other ways. He plays a chippy, agitating game and is contributing on the power play and as a dangerous penalty killer. His six short-handed markers leads the WHL. His 86 penalty minutes in 55 games are a testament to his ruggedness and willingness to play a physical game.

Gabrielle has been a revelation this season as a player who certainly had the tools to be an NHL prospect, but who has put things together nicely and is playing with a burr up under his saddle. As a fan of the Bruins and Brad Marchand, he was thrilled to get the call from Boston last June, even if he did have to wait a little longer for it, and is ringing the bell with a flourish.

His 34 goals is tied for second in the WHL right now behind Dryden Hunt (35) and is just one short of tying his entire output for the previous *two* seasons with Brandon and Regina.

Subban, who is currently sidelined indefinitely with a fractured larynx after taking a puck to the throat during warmups in Portland Saturday (Zane McIntyre played his best game of the season in relief, making 35 saves in a 3-1 win), won seven of eight games for the month, losing just one overtime contest to Portland by a 2-1 score.

Subban turned things around after a brutal start to the season. He missed most of October with a lower body injury and then went just 1-5-2 in November with a bloated 2.99 GAA and .869 save percentage. The 2012 1st-rounder then spent the months of December and January getting his totals back to a respectable mark, sitting with 14-8-5 record, 2.46 GAA and .911 save percentage.

With Subban out for the time being, veteran Jeremy Smith has been summoned to Providence from the Iowa Wild and it will be interesting to see how much of a split he and McIntyre take on in terms of the workload going forward. For now, we wish Malcolm the absolute best for a speedy recovery from a scary situation and injury.

Malcolm_Subban

Malcolm Subban (Photo courtesy of Alison M. Foley)

2015-16 AHL season, 2015-16 CHL season, 2015-16 NCAA season, Boston Bruins prospects , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Bruins prospects update 2/2/16

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Just in time for the AHL All-Star festivities- Seth Griffith leads the league in scoring, while Frank Vatrano posted his 2nd AHL hat trick of the season (3rd this year) in an 8-1 drubbing of Springfield. Griffith and Koko were the Providence representatives at the All-Star affair.

With Jonas Gustavsson on IR, Malcolm Subban was brought up to Boston this week, but the team has been pretty mum on the veteran backup’s status and what that means for Subban in terms of whether he will see any NHL action.

Jesse Gabrielle and Zach Senyshyn have both broken the 30-goal plateau in their respective junior leagues as we enter the stretch run for the CHL regular season. A good chunk of B’s NCAA prospects are competing in the annual Beanpot Tournament, with Ryan Donato scoring a nice goal against BC in Harvard’s 3-2 loss yesterday. Sean Kuraly is quietly creeping up the NCAA scoring list after a brutal offensive start.

 

And now for the update:

AHL

Seth Griffith, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 35 Goals- 14 Assists- 32 Points- 46 Penalty Min- 20 +/- 3

Alex Khokhlachev, C Providence Bruins

GP- 33 Goals- 12 Assists- 24 Points- 36 Penalty Min- 4 +/- -7

Austin Czarnik, C Providence Bruins

GP- 37 Goals- 12 Assists- 21 Points- 33 Penalty Min- 12 +/- 1

Frank Vatrano, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 14 Goals- 16 Assists- 6 Points- 22 Penalty Min- 6 +/- 3

With six points in two games, Vatrano continues his torrid scoring pace at the AHL level.

Colton Hargrove, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 36 Goals-12 Assists- 8 Points- 20 Penalty Min- 42 +/- 6

2012 7th-rounder continues to contribute during impressive rookie pro season.

 

Colby Cave, C Providence Bruins

GP- 44 Goals- 9 Assists- 10 Points- 19 Penalty Min- 10 +/- -5

Two goals, three points this past week for the undrafted free agent.

Chris Casto, D Providence Bruins

GP- 40 Goals- 4 Assists- 11 Points- 15 Penalty Min- 26 +/- -7

Zack Phillips, C Providence Bruins

GP- 38 Goals- 5 Assists- 9 Points-14 Penalty Min- 8 +/- -14

Tommy Cross, D Providence Bruins

GP- 35 Goals- 1 Assists- 11 Points- 12 Penalty Min- 53 +/- -6

Anton Blidh, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 42 Goals- 9 Assists- 3 Points- 12 Penalty Min- 27 +/- -2

Noel Acciari, C Providence Bruins

GP- 32 Goals- 6 Assists-5 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 13 +/-  2

Anthony Camara, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 27 Goals- 0 Assists- 5 Points- 5 Penalty Min- 37 +/- -1

Justin Hickman, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 35 Goals- 2 Assists- 1 Points- 3 Penalty Min- 34 +/- -5

Linus Arnesson, D Providence Bruins

GP- 30 Goals- 0 Assists- 2 Points- 2 Penalty Min- 4 +/- -4

Malcolm Subban, G Providence Bruins

GP- 26 MIN- 1570 GA- 64 GAA- 2.45 Spct- .913 W- 14 L-8 OTL 4 SO- 1

Zane McIntyre, G Providence Bruins

GP- 18 MIN- 1026 GA- 52 GAA- 3.04 Spct- .884 W- 6 L- 6 OTL- 5

Injured- Brian Ferlin (upper body)- 1 game played.

 

OHL

Zach Senyshyn, RW Saulte Ste Marie Greyhounds

GP- 46 Goals- 30 Assists- 14 Points- 44 Penalty Min- 16 +/- -3

 

QMJHL

Jeremy Lauzon, D Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

GP- 29 Goals- 5 Assists- 30 Points- 35 Penalty Min- 52 +/- 26

Injured- (lower body) no games since last update.

Jakub Zboril, D Saint John Sea Dogs

GP- 30 Goals- 4 Assists- 8 Points- 12 Penalty Min- 32 +/- 8

 

WHL

Jesse Gabrielle, LW Prince George Cougars

GP- 51 Goals- 31 Assists- 25 Points- 56 Penalty Min- 71 +/- 6

Jake DeBrusk, LW Red Deer Rebels

SCB: GP- 24 Goals- 9 Assists- 17 Points- 26 Penalty Min- 15 +/- -5

RDR: GP- 16 Goals- 7 Assists- 9 Points- 16 Penalty Min- 13 +/-  6

Brandon Carlo, D Tri-City Americans

GP- 29 Goals- 2 Assists- 13 Points- 15 Penalty Min- 61 +/- -5

 

NCAA

Ryan Fitzgerald, F Boston College Eagles (HEA)

GP- 25 Goals- 14 Assists- 17 Points- 31 Penalty Min- 35 +/- 23

Anders Bjork, LW University of Notre Dame (HEA)

GP- 24 Goals- 10 Assists- 16 Points- 26 Penalty Min- 4 +/- 22

Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, C Boston University Terriers (HEA)

GP- 26 Goals- 7 Assists- 15 Points- 22 Penalty Min- 14 +/- 2

Danton Heinen, LW Denver University Pioneers (NCHC)

GP- 26 Goals- 10 Assists- 10 Points- 20 Penalty Min- 2 +/- 1

Sean Kuraly, C Miami University (NCHC)

GP- 25 Goals- 4 Assists- 11 Points- 15 Penalty Min- 27 +/- 1

Matt Grzelcyk, D Boston University (HEA)

GP- 14 Goals- 8 Assists- 6 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 22 +/- 8

Cameron Hughes, C University of Wisconsin (Big Ten)

GP- 21 Goals- 3 Assists- 11 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 12 +/- -8

The 2015 sixth-rounder has a goal and three points on the offense-challenged Badgers since the last update

 

Ryan Donato, C Harvard University (ECAC)

GP- 18 Goals- 6 Assists- 6 Points- 12 Penalty Min- 14 +/-  4

 

Matt Benning, D Northeastern University (HEA)

GP- 26 Goals- 4 Assists- 7 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 23 +/- -6

 

Rob O’Gara, D Yale University (ECAC)

GP- 21 Goals- 1 Assists- 7 Points- 8 Penalty Min- 20 +/- 0

O’Gara netted his first goal of the season for Yale; it’s been a statistical disappointment for the senior given expectations, but he still figures prominently into Boston’s future plans.

Wiley Sherman, D Harvard University (ECAC)

GP- 20 Goals- 3 Assists- 4 Points- 7 Penalty Min- 8 +/- 6

 

Europe

Peter Cehlarik, LW Lulea (Sweden)

GP- 33 Goals- 8 Assists- 6 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 0 +/- 2

Emil Johansson, D HV71 (Sweden)

GP- 37 Goals- 0 Assists- 4 Points- 4 Penalty Min- 12 +/- 1

Maxim Chudinov, D St Petersburg SKA (Russia)

GP- 52 Goals- 8 Assists- 9 Points- 17 Penalty Min- 85 +/- -11

 

USHL

Daniel Vladar, G Chicago (USHL)

GP- 18 MIN- 1046 GA- 39 GAA- 2.24 Spct .917 SO- 2; 5-7-4

Jack Becker, C Sioux Falls (USHL)

GP- 36 Goals- 4 Assists- 7 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 10 +/- -10

2015-16 AHL season, 2015-16 CHL season, 2015-16 NCAA season, 2015-16 NHL season, Boston Bruins prospects , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Bruins prospects update: 1/24/16

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Frank Vatrano was returned to the AHL from Boston last week, and he wasted little time re-establishing himself as a scorer at that level.

Seth Griffith continues to lead Providence in scoring, and Koko and Austin Czarnik have done well to keep pace.

Malcolm Subban continues to play well as the team’s undisputed No. 1 this season, and while Zane McIntyre has had his ups and downs, there is plenty of positive raw potential with him going forward.

In the amateur ranks, Zach Senyshyn and Jesse Gabrielle have 29 goals apiece- good for the best goal totals of all Boston prospects at any level. Jake DeBrusk’s offensive play has tailed off after a hot start in Red Deer, but is not a major cause for concern, as he’s still creating chances- they just aren’t going in.

Ryan Fitzgerald remains atop the NCAA scoring list for Boston prospects with 30 points for BC- second on the team in scoring to Sens 2015 first-rounder Colin White. Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson continues his impressive, mature two-way play, while Danton Heinen had a big weekend production-wise, as did Sean Kuraly, who lit it up against University of Nebraska-Omaha. Otherwise- it’s been a pretty forgettable year for him production-wise.

Now, here’s the update:

AHL

Seth Griffith, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 33 Goals- 13 Assists- 28 Points- 41 Penalty Min- 20 +/- 0

Griffith had a great month in December and has continued his scoring into the new year.

Alex Khokhlachev, C Providence Bruins

GP- 31 Goals- 12 Assists- 22 Points- 34 Penalty Min- 4 +/- -6

 

Austin Czarnik, C Providence Bruins

GP- 35 Goals- 11 Assists- 20 Points- 31 Penalty Min- 10 +/- 1

 

Colton Hargrove, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 34 Goals-11 Assists- 8 Points- 19 Penalty Min- 40 +/- 3

Three goals and four points in five games since the last update- Hargrove continues to be a pleasant surprise as a rookie pro who is producing well above where most projected him.

Frank Vatrano, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 12 Goals- 12 Assists- 4 Points- 16 Penalty Min- 4 +/- 0

Colby Cave, C Providence Bruins

GP- 42 Goals- 7 Assists- 9 Points- 16 Penalty Min- 8 +/- -8

Chris Casto, D Providence Bruins

GP- 38 Goals- 4 Assists- 11 Points- 15 Penalty Min- 24 +/- -9

Zack Phillips, C Providence Bruins

GP- 37 Goals- 5 Assists- 9 Points-14 Penalty Min- 8 +/- -14

 

 

Tommy Cross, D Providence Bruins

GP- 34 Goals- 1 Assists- 11 Points- 12 Penalty Min- 49 +/- -10

Anton Blidh, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 40 Goals- 9 Assists- 2 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 20 +/- -5

Blidh finally added some totals to the assists column in his scoring line, but it took him more than 35 games to do it. He is a grinding, agitating bottom-line type- fans should not expect much more than that if he reaches the NHL.

Noel Acciari, C Providence Bruins

GP- 30 Goals- 5 Assists-5 Points- 10 Penalty Min- 13 +/-  0

 

Anthony Camara, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 25 Goals- 0 Assists- 3 Points- 3 Penalty Min- 37 +/- -3

Justin Hickman, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 34 Goals- 1 Assists- 1 Points- 1 Penalty Min- 32 +/- -7

Linus Arnesson, D Providence Bruins

GP- 28 Goals- 0 Assists- 1 Points- 1 Penalty Min- 2 +/- -4

Malcolm Subban, G Providence Bruins

GP- 24 MIN- 1450 GA- 61 GAA- 2.52 Spct- .911 W- 12 L-8 OTL 4 SO- 1

Zane McIntyre, G Providence Bruins

GP- 18 MIN- 1026 GA- 52 GAA- 3.04 Spct- .884 W- 6 L- 6 OTL- 5

Injured- Brian Ferlin (upper body)- 1 game played.

 

OHL

Zach Senyshyn, RW Saulte Ste Marie Greyhounds

GP- 43 Goals- 29 Assists- 12 Points- 41 Penalty Min- 12 +/- -3

 

QMJHL

Jeremy Lauzon, D Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

GP- 29 Goals- 5 Assists- 30 Points- 35 Penalty Min- 52 +/- 26

Injured- no games since last update.

Jakub Zboril, D Saint John Sea Dogs

GP- 28 Goals- 4 Assists- 6 Points- 10 Penalty Min- 30 +/- 6

Zboril’s play has picked up since his return from the WJC, but he is well off his offensive pace from a year ago. He has, however, embraced a more physical edge with better attention to the defensive side of his game, but is still prone to stretches without urgency.

 

WHL

Jesse Gabrielle, LW Prince George Cougars

GP- 48 Goals- 29 Assists- 21 Points- 50 Penalty Min- 71 +/- 3

Jake DeBrusk, LW Red Deer Rebels

SCB: GP- 24 Goals- 9 Assists- 17 Points- 26 Penalty Min- 15 +/- -5

RDR: GP- 14 Goals- 5 Assists- 9 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 13 +/-  5

After erupting for five goals in his first four games with the Rebels after being traded, DeBrusk’s offense dried up considerably with just three assists in his last six games. He’s far too talented a player to be held without a goal for long, but he’s nowhere close to the 42-goal season he had a year ago.

Brandon Carlo, D Tri-City Americans

GP- 26 Goals- 2 Assists- 13 Points- 15 Penalty Min- 59 +/- -5

 

NCAA

Ryan Fitzgerald, F Boston College Eagles (HEA)

GP- 23 Goals- 14 Assists- 16 Points- 30 Penalty Min- 35 +/- 22

Anders Bjork, LW University of Notre Dame (HEA)

GP- 23 Goals- 10 Assists- 16 Points- 26 Penalty Min- 4 +/- 22

The 2014 5th-rounder has been on a tear since returning from the WJC, notching three goals and eight points in his last five games. He’s blown by his freshman season scoring totals (23 points) in half the games.

Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, C Boston University Terriers (HEA)

GP- 24 Goals- 7 Assists- 15 Points- 22 Penalty Min- 10 +/- 2

Danton Heinen, LW Denver University Pioneers (NCHC)

GP- 24 Goals- 9 Assists- 9 Points- 18 Penalty Min- 0 +/- -4

Had four points over the weekend in a two-game series.

Matt Grzelcyk, D Boston University (HEA)

GP- 12 Goals- 8 Assists- 5 Points- 13 Penalty Min- 20 +/- 7

Senior D and 85th overall pick in 2012 continues to find the back of the net- he is just three markers shy of passing his season best set a year ago (in 41 games).

Ryan Donato, C Harvard University (ECAC)

GP- 16 Goals- 5 Assists- 6 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 14 +/- 2

Cameron Hughes, C University of Wisconsin (Big Ten)

GP- 19 Goals- 2 Assists- 9 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 12 +/- -9

Matt Benning, D Northeastern University (HEA)

GP- 25 Goals- 4 Assists- 6 Points- 10 Penalty Min- 21 +/- -5

Curious statistical inversion- a year ago, Benning did not score in 36 games, yet posted 24 assists. This season,  he has four goals but just six helpers. He’s still seeing considerable minutes and power play time, but without several key scorers in the lineup, NU’s scoring is down.

Sean Kuraly, C Miami University (NCHC)

GP- 23 Goals- 3 Assists- 10 Points- 13 Penalty Min- 21 +/- -6

The former San Jose prospect went on a tear with 1g and 6 points in his last three games. He’s not a high-end scoring player at the next level, but it’s a good sign for him after a rough senior season statistically speaking.

Rob O’Gara, D Yale University (ECAC)

GP- 19 Goals- 0 Assists- 7 Points- 7 Penalty Min- 20 +/- -1

Wiley Sherman, D Harvard University (ECAC)

GP- 18 Goals- 3 Assists- 3 Points- 6 Penalty Min- 8 +/-  6

 

Europe

Peter Cehlarik, LW Lulea (Sweden)

GP- 30 Goals- 8 Assists- 6 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 0 +/-  2

Emil Johansson, D HV71 (Sweden)

GP- 34 Goals- 0 Assists- 3 Points- 3 Penalty Min- 12 +/-  1

Maxim Chudinov, D St Petersburg SKA (Russia)

GP- 48 Goals- 8 Assists- 9 Points- 17 Penalty Min- 77 +/- -11

His goal total is the highest it has been since joining St. Petersburg and just one away from his career high of 9 in a season set in 2011-12 with Cherepovets.

USHL

Daniel Vladar, G Chicago (USHL)

GP- 16 MIN- 928 GA- 34 GAA- 2.20 Spct .920 SO- 2; 4-6-4

Jack Becker, C Sioux Falls (USHL)

GP- 35 Goals- 4 Assists- 7 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 8 +/- -9

2015-16 AHL season, 2015-16 CHL season, 2015-16 NCAA season, 2016 World Junior Championship, Boston Bruins prospects , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Bruins Prospects Update 1/11/16

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Jesse Gabrielle continues to be a revelation with Prince George out west.

Boston’s fourth-round pick in 2015 is currently tied for the WHL lead in goals with 27 (in 42 games) with Jon Martin and Dryden Hunt, with seven of those goals coming in his last six games, and one goal in four of his last five. In addition to the scoring, Gabrielle makes his presence known by playing an aggressive, high-energy style. He’s not ready to be thought of as an NHL option in the next year or so, but it looks like the Bruins may have struck gold again out West one year after drafting BC native Danton Heinen in the same round in 2014.

Speaking of Heinen, after posting about his down production earlier this week, he posted 1 goal and an assist in a Denver win over the University of Nebraska-Omaha. It was good to see him get off the schneid, because he’s such a smart and gifted player. Going on the record right now in saying that three years from now, Heinen will be contributing in Boston and he’s got 50-point NHL potential in my view.

Boston’s NCAA prospects went off this weekend: Ryan Fitzgerald had a four-point night Friday (1g, 3a) then added a helper the next night, but Saturday night was all right for scoring as Matt Grzelcyk potted a natural hat trick in BU’s trouncing of Mass. NU defenseman Matt Benning also got into the act, scoring a pair of goals to establish a new career-high for goals (and for the record- he went the entire 2014-15 season without finding the back of the net once). Also scoring goals Saturday night were: Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Ryan Donato and Anders Bjork. In fact, when you factor in David Pastrnak’s second period goal against Ottawa, all of Boston’s 2014 draft picks save defenseman Emil Johansson (seventh round) tallied on the same night.

Providence rolled this week, scoring 6 out of 6 points and getting superb play up front and in net from Malcolm Subban.

Now, here’s the update:

AHL

Alex Khokhlachev, C Providence Bruins

GP- 26 Goals- 11 Assists- 20 Points- 31 Penalty Min- 2 +/- -6

He didn’t get credit on the stats line, but Koko was the only player to register a shootout goal Sunday against the Falcons, earning Providence its 9th consecutive home win.

Seth Griffith, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 28 Goals- 10 Assists- 21 Points- 31 Penalty Min- 20 +/- -3

 

Austin Czarnik, C Providence Bruins

GP- 30 Goals- 10 Assists- 17 Points- 27 Penalty Min- 10 +/-  0

Colton Hargrove, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 29 Goals- 8 Assists- 7 Points- 15 Penalty Min- 34 +/- -2

Zack Phillips, C Providence Bruins

GP- 33 Goals- 5 Assists- 8 Points-11 Penalty Min- 6 +/- -11

Chris Casto, D Providence Bruins

GP- 33 Goals- 3 Assists- 10 Points- 13 Penalty Min- 20 +/- -7

Good NHL tools here for the undrafted free agent out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth. If the B’s blue line depth takes a hit, he’s earned a recall at some point. Unfortunately for Casto, he’s the same type of defender that Boston has no shortage of, which works against him for obvious reason. He should win an award for best Twitter handle, though- “@FidelCrusto”scores major creativity points.

Colby Cave, C Providence Bruins

GP- 37 Goals- 7 Assists- 6 Points- 13 Penalty Min- 8 +/- -8

Tommy Cross, D Providence Bruins

GP- 29 Goals- 1 Assists- 11 Points- 12 Penalty Min- 45 +/- -11

 

 

Noel Acciari, C Providence Bruins

GP- 25 Goals- 4 Assists-4 Points- 8 Penalty Min- 11 +/-

Anton Blidh, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 35 Goals- 8 Assists- 0 Points- 8 Penalty Min- 18 +/- -5

The 2013 seventh-rounder posted his first two-goal game over the weekend but is still looking for a North American helper.

Anthony Camara, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 20 Goals- 0 Assists- 2 Points- 2 Penalty Min- 33 +/- -3

Justin Hickman, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 31 Goals- 1 Assists- 1 Points- 1 Penalty Min- 27 +/- -7

Former Seattle Thunderbirds captain scored his first pro goal this past week.

Linus Arnesson, D Providence Bruins

GP- 24 Goals- 0 Assists- 1 Points- 1 Penalty Min- 2 +/- -4

Malcolm Subban, G Providence Bruins

GP- 21 MIN- 1266 GA- 56 GAA- 2.65 Spct- .907 W- 10 L-8 OTL 3 SO- 1

Subban had a tremendous outing Sunday against Springfield, stopping 41 pucks and surrendering just one goal in a 2-1 shootout win (he stopped all three Springfield shooters for good measure).

Zane McIntyre, G Providence Bruins

GP- 16 MIN- 902 GA- 44 GAA- 2.93 Spct- .887 W- 6 L- 6 OTL- 3

Injured- Brian Ferlin (upper body)- 1 game played.

 

OHL

Zach Senyshyn, RW Saulte Ste Marie Greyhounds

GP- 39 Goals- 26 Assists- 11 Points- 37  Penalty Min- 12 +/- -5

Two goals this week and he’s already reached his entire 2014-15 goals output with 26 (in 27 fewer games). Spending a top-15 selection on this natural scorer and character kid now looks like a pretty forward-thinking (no pun intended) move for the Bruins.

QMJHL

Jeremy Lauzon, D Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

GP- 28 Goals- 5 Assists- 29 Points- 34 Penalty Min- 52 +/- 24

Injured- no games since last update.

Jakub Zboril, D Saint John Sea Dogs

GP- 23 Goals- 3 Assists- 6 Points- 9 Penalty Min- 26 +/- 1

 

WHL

Jesse Gabrielle, LW Prince George Cougars

GP- 42 Goals- 27 Assists- 18 Points- 45 Penalty Min- 61 +/- 9

Jake DeBrusk, LW Red Deer Rebels

SCB: GP- 24 Goals- 9 Assists- 17 Points- 26 Penalty Min- 15 +/- -5

RDR: GP- 8 Goals- 5 Assists- 6 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 0 +/- 6

Brandon Carlo, D Tri-City Americans

GP- 22 Goals- 2 Assists- 12 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 57 +/- -5

Has yet to get back into the Tri-City lineup since his standout performance for Team USA at the WJC, winning a bronze medal.

 

NCAA

Ryan Fitzgerald, F Boston College Eagles (HEA)

GP- 19 Goals- 12 Assists- 14 Points- 26 Penalty Min- 35 +/- 20

Anders Bjork, LW University of Notre Dame (HEA)

GP- 19 Goals- 7 Assists- 11 Points- 18 Penalty Min- 4 +/- 19

After scoring a highlight reel goal against Sweden in the bronze medal game at the WJC, Bjork scored in both games/wins against WMU over the weekend.

Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, C Boston University Terriers (HEA)

GP- 20 Goals- 5 Assists- 13 Points- 18 Penalty Min- 10 +/- 0

1 goal and 4 points in 2 games since JFK returned from the WJC.

Danton Heinen, LW Denver University Pioneers (NCHC)

GP- 20 Goals- 6 Assists- 8 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 0 +/- -3

Matt Grzelcyk, D Boston University (HEA)

GP- 8  Goals- 6  Assists- 4  Points- 10  Penalty Min- 16 +/-  5

One word to describe Grzelcyk’s weekend for BU after missing three weeks with a LBI: Wow! The 2012 third-rounder posted the first hat trick for a BU defenseman since 2003.

Ryan Donato, C Harvard University (ECAC)

GP- 12 Goals- 5 Assists- 5 Points- 10 Penalty Min- 12 +/-  5

Scored two goals in the bronze medal game against Sweden, and followed up with a goal in his second game back with Harvard.Steady as she goes is the mantra for the 2014 2nd-round pick.

Cameron Hughes, C University of Wisconsin (Big Ten)

GP- 15 Goals- 1 Assists- 8 Points- 9 Penalty Min- 6 +/- -6

Matt Benning, D Northeastern University (HEA)

GP- 21 Goals- 4 Assists- 5 Points- 9 Penalty Min- 19 +/- -11

Sean Kuraly, C Miami University (NCHC)

GP- 20 Goals- 2 Assists- 5 Points- 7 Penalty Min- 21 +/- -6

Rob O’Gara, D Yale University (ECAC)

GP- 15 Goals- 0 Assists- 5 Points- 5 Penalty Min- 20 +/- -5

 

 

Wiley Sherman, D Harvard University (ECAC)

GP- 14 Goals- 2 Assists- 2 Points- 4 Penalty Min- 6 +/- 4

 

 

Europe

Peter Cehlarik, LW Lulea (Sweden)

GP- 26 Goals- 8 Assists- 6 Points- 13 Penalty Min- 0 +/- 0

Emil Johansson, D HV71 (Sweden)

GP- 30 Goals- 0 Assists- 2 Points- 2 Penalty Min- 12 +/- -1

Maxim Chudinov, D St Petersburg SKA (Russia)

GP- 42 Goals- 6 Assists- 8 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 77 +/- -10

 

USHL

Daniel Vladar, G Chicago (USHL)

GP- 13 MIN- 737 GA- 26 GAA- 2.12 Spct .925 SO- 2; 3-5-3

No games since last update.

Jack Becker, C Sioux Falls (USHL)

GP- 31 Goals- 4 Assists- 7 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 6 +/- -2

2015-16 NCAA season, Boston Bruins prospects, Danton Heinen , , 2 Comments

Stat watchers beware- Heinen succeeding despite down numbers

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Heinen

A year ago, Danton Heinen came out of left field in the BCHL (and the fourth round of the NHL draft) to post one of the most productive seasons of any freshman NCAA player not named Jack Eichel.

His 16 goals and 45 points in 40 games a year ago for Denver University highlighted his fine puck skills and fine vision/offensive hockey sense. He’s a good skater, though lacks a top gear that would make him even more of a consistent threat on every shift. The biggest knock on Heinen a year ago was his average size and though he’s still listed at 161 pounds on some rosters, in speaking to him and others in the Bruins organization, he’s north of 180 pounds now. He’s still got some growing and physical maturing to do, but don’t be fooled by the outdated 160-pound measurement.

This season, it’s been tougher sledding for Heinen offensively. In 18 games, he has five goals and 11 points. Folks who just look at the stats line are starting to ask questions about that, so this is a quick post to provide some observations from several games I’ve seen from him on film. Interestingly enough, he had no points in either game, and even more intriguing- he was in my opinion, the best DU Pioneers player on the ice. I also recently interviewed Jay Pandolfo, Boston’s player development director, and he said the same thing- Heinen’s play has not been an issue at all, even if the pucks aren’t going in for him.

In his most recent weekend series against Notre Dame (officially ties), the Pioneers carried the offensive play, outplaying and shooting the Fighting Irish by a wide margin in both games. Thanks to Notre Dame goalie (and Sabres prospect) Cal Peterson, DU scored just three goals on 95 shots in both games. Give Peterson credit, because anything less than the stellar performance he brought with him from South Bend, and the outcome would have been different.

On Friday evening Heinen played extremely well, officially credited with five shots out of DU’s 50, but he also had multiple shot attempts- close to doubling that total in shots either blocked or ones that missed the net. Several of his shots on goal were of the high danger variety- Peterson made a great save to deny him on the power play and then another of Heinen’s shots squeaked through his pads but died on the goal line. The play went to review but was called a no goal. On one opportunity, he got behind the Notre Dame defense and broke in alone on Peterson, only to ring the puck off the post on the blocker side. Heinen’s line had 23 shots between them, so that unit was a going concern all night and only thanks to the Notre Dame netminder was the damage nearly negated (Moore scored on a flukey goal that hit Peterson’s mask, then pinballed into the net off his defenseman in front).

It’s easy sometimes to get caught up in a player’s statistical success, and Heinen would probably be the first to express his disappointment that the offense isn’t happening for him the way it did a year ago, but the good news for the player is that he’s still working hard and creating scoring chances. Losses of upperclassmen like Joe Laleggia, Daniel Doremus, Ty Loney and Zac Larraza haven’t helped much, either. Heinen is currently skating on a line with junior Trevor Moore (who is an undrafted free agent and looked real good against Notre Dame) and freshman Dylan Gambrell (named NCHC freshman of the week), and they are DU’s most productive unit, with all three currently in the team’s top-4 for scoring.

In the fast food mentality of modern sports fans, it is easy to look at Heinen’s lack of production and simply assume that he is playing poorly, but that is not the case. While there is a certain bottom line to everything in that Heinen is inviting criticism for not raising the scoring bar in his sophomore season, there are other factors in play. Denver as a team is collectively struggling to score and sometimes the blind luck of doing everything right on a play but still not having the puck go in for you play a part. Hovering around .500, the top scorer, Gambrell, has just 15 points in 18 games, so offense is at a premium. On a different club, and given the quality chances I’ve seen Heinen generating this year, it is a reasonable assertion that he would be faring better in that situation.

This is often lost on the stat watchers who aren’t seeing  many (if any) of the games and instead of seeking to find the right context, engage in the easy way out of assuming a player is not performing. In the eyes of Pandolfo and DU head coach Jim Montgomery, Heinen is doing the little things and as long as he keeps his high effort levels up, he’ll eventually be rewarded with production much like Matt Beleskey has in Boston.

In the end, Heinen’s best attributes- his soft hands, his superior vision and three-zone game and work ethic are all prized assets for any pro. It might mean the B’s will want him to return to DU for one more season in lieu of signing this spring, but the down numbers are not a major cause for alarm.

2015-16 AHL season, 2015-16 CHL season, 2015-16 NCAA season, 2016 World Junior Championship, Boston Bruins prospects , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Bruins Prospects Update 1/4/2016

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Welcome to 2016!

Since the last stats update, two of Boston’s three 2015 first-round picks- Jake DeBrusk and Zach Senyshyn had impactful weeks with their respectful clubs.

DeBrusk, originally credited with a four goal outburst in Red Deer’s 10-0 drubbing of the Brandon Wheat Kings Saturday night, had to “settle” for three goals and five points in that one, raising his totals to 5 goals and 10 points in 4 games since being traded from Swift Current the last week of December. Brent Sutter has since added two more veteran forwards and the 2016 Memorial Cup host team is probably not finished- that bodes well for DeBrusk’s continued offensive output, as he finds himself suddenly in a significantly better situation on the Rebels than he was with the Broncos.

Senyshyn has scored goals in his last several games and has been noticeable and effective offensively with each viewing. He continues to beat defenders wide with his impressive speed and powerful skating stride. As long as that continues, he’s on pace to crack the 40-goal mark in the OHL this season.

2015 fourth-rounder Jesse Gabrielle had a tremendous week as well, netting a hat trick and rising to second place in goals scored for the entire WHL. He’s not only producing but providing his patented gritty, agitating game,

Alex Khokhlachev continues to demonstrate the dichotomy between his AHL season (highly impressive) and his limited NHL stint (can’t get out of first gear). He tallied two goals and four points Sunday after being returned to Providence from Boston after the disaster of a Winter Classic. I posted on Twitter that it’s hard to square the Koko we’re seeing in the AHL with the passive, unengaged chap who has been brought up (and sent back down) three times by Boston. Yes, he hasn’t gotten much ice time in his limited opportunities (multiple not singular) but at some point- you have to do something with the ice you receive in order to get more. It certainly looks like his days in the Boston organization are numbered, but then again- I felt the same way about Ryan Spooner at this point last year.

Now, here’s the update:

AHL

Seth Griffith, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 25 Goals- 10 Assists- 20 Points- 30 Penalty Min- 20 +/- -2

Griffith played two games in Boston (1 assist) but was sent back down to Providence after the Winter Classic. He posted three assists in Sunday’s win to hold Koko at bay for the team scoring lead.

Alex Khokhlachev, C Providence Bruins

GP- 23 Goals- 11 Assists- 18 Points- 29 Penalty Min- 2 +/-  -2

Three AHL games since the last update- three goals and six points.

Austin Czarnik, C Providence Bruins

GP- 27  Goals- 9 Assists- 17 Points- 26 Penalty Min- 10 +/-  3

Czarnik’s passing has picked up- he added seven helpers in three games since the last update.

Colton Hargrove, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 26 Goals- 8 Assists- 6 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 30 +/- -7

Hargrove continues to be a pleasant surprise as a rookie pro- the former WMU product and seventh-round pick in 2012 was expected to be a bit player this season as he acclimated to the AHL, but instead, has opened eyes as an effective power play presence and consistent middle-of-the-roster option.

Chris Casto, D Providence Bruins

GP- 30 Goals- 2 Assists- 10 Points- 12 Penalty Min- 18 +/- -9

Tommy Cross, D Providence Bruins

GP- 26 Goals- 1 Assists- 10 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 45 +/- -11

Zack Phillips, C Providence Bruins

GP- 30 Goals- 3 Assists- 8 Points-11 Penalty Min- 4 +/- -11

The former 1st-round pick in 2011 is playing more effectively after recovering from a lower body injury that caused him to miss training camp and hampered him in the first couple of months.

 

 

Colby Cave, C Providence Bruins

GP- 34 Goals- 7 Assists- 4 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 8 +/- -11

Noel Acciari, C Providence Bruins

GP- 22 Goals- 3 Assists-3 Points- 6 Penalty Min- 9 +/- -1

Acciari returned to the lineup Sunday after being cleared to play post-surgery for a broken jaw.

Anton Blidh, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 32  Goals- 6 Assists- 0 Points- 6 Penalty Min- 14 +/- -5

Anthony Camara, LW Providence Bruins

GP- 17  Goals- 0 Assists- 1 Points- 1 Penalty Min- 31 +/- -4

Linus Arnesson, D Providence Bruins

GP- 21 Goals- 0 Assists- 1 Points- 1 Penalty Min- 2 +/- -2

Injured- has not played since last update.

Justin Hickman, RW Providence Bruins

GP- 28 Goals- 0 Assists- 1 Points- 1 Penalty Min- 27 +/- -7

The former Seattle Thunderbirds captain and undrafted free agent finally registered his first pro point last week. There is a lot to like about Hickman, but this season is a learning process for him as he will have to scrap for bottom line minutes.

Malcolm Subban, G Providence Bruins

GP- 19 MIN- 1141 GA- 51 GAA- 2.68 Spct- .904 W- 8 L-8 OTL 3 SO- 1

Two starts, two wins for Subban- he’s strung together a solid month of play after a brutal start to the season.

Zane McIntyre, G Providence Bruins

GP- 15 MIN- 842 GA- 42 GAA- 2.99 Spct- .885 W- 5 L- 6 OTL- 3

Injured- Brian Ferlin (upper body)- 1 game played.

OHL

Zach Senyshyn, RW Saulte Ste Marie Greyhounds

GP- 36 Goals- 24 Assists- 11 Points- 35 Penalty Min- 10 +/- -5

Three goals in four games since the last update- finished December with 11 goals, 17 points in 9 games.

QMJHL

Jeremy Lauzon, D Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

GP- 28 Goals- 5 Assists- 29 Points- 34 Penalty Min- 52 +/- 24

Missed the last couple of games due to injury.

Jakub Zboril, D Saint John Sea Dogs

GP- 21 Goals- 3 Assists- 6 Points- 9 Penalty Min- 26 +/- 2

After Zboril’s Czech squad was eliminated in the quarterfinal match against USA (7-0) he’ll be back in the Sea Dogs’ lineup this week. Zboril earned player of the game honors against USA in a contest that did not give the Czechs a whole lot to be positive about.

WHL

Jesse Gabrielle, LW Prince George Cougars

GP- 39 Goals- 25 Assists- 18 Points- 43 Penalty Min- 57 +/-  10

Gabrielle has really picked it up, scoring a hat trick this past week in a dominant performance against Vancouver and drawing raves from at least one other NHL team’s Western Canada scouts. He’s currently second in the WHL in goals and is outperforming more than a few players drafted well before he was. The 105th overall pick is feeling it- and grabbing a lot of notice in the process.

Jake DeBrusk, LW Red Deer Rebels

SCB: GP- 24 Goals- 9 Assists- 17 Points- 26 Penalty Min- 15 +/- -5

RDR: GP- 4 Goals- 5 Assists- 5 Points- 10 Penalty Min- 0 +/- 2

DeBrusk has looked every bit the 14th overall pick this past week playing on the top line with (undrafted) Ivan Nikolishin (son of former NHLer Andrei) and Sharks 2015 draft pick/overager Adam Helewka. There’s a lot more offense coming from this trio if Sutter keeps them together- they combined for 5 goals and 13 points in the Brandon game.

Brandon Carlo, D Tri-City Americans

GP- 22 Goals- 2 Assists- 12 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 57 +/- -5

Carlo’s Team USA squad faces Russia today in the WJC semifinal match- he’s been his club’s top defensive player and continues to demonstrate high-end shutdown potential at the next level.

NCAA

Ryan Fitzgerald, F Boston College Eagles (HEA)

GP- 17 Goals- 11 Assists- 10 Points- 21 Penalty Min- 33 +/- 18

Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, C Boston University Terriers (HEA)

GP- 18 Goals- 4 Assists- 10 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 10 +/- -2

JFK’s Sweden team takes on the impressive Finnish offensive juggernaut featuring offensive whiz kids (with size and skill) Jesse Puljujarvi and Patrik Laine. JFK has been very good in the tournament thus far and should return to BU with elevated confidence regardless of the WJC’s final outcome.

Anders Bjork, LW University of Notre Dame (HEA)

GP- 17 Goals- 5 Assists- 11 Points- 16 Penalty Min- 4 +/- 17

With Team USA at WJC.

Danton Heinen, LW Denver University Pioneers (NCHC)

GP- 18 Goals- 5 Assists- 6 Points- 11 Penalty Min- 0 +/- -3

No points in two games against Notre Dame, but it’s not for a lack of trying. Heinen is playing well and creating numerous scoring chances on a line with Trevor Moore and Dylan Gambrell, but the Pioneers ran into a hot goaltender (Cal Petersen) on Saturday night.

Ryan Donato, C Harvard University (ECAC)

GP- 10 Goals- 4 Assists- 5 Points- 9 Penalty Min- 10 +/- 6

With Team USA at WJC.

Cameron Hughes, C University of Wisconsin (Big Ten)

GP- 14 Goals- 1 Assists- 8 Points- 9 Penalty Min- 6 +/- -6

No games since last update.

Sean Kuraly, C Miami University (NCHC)

GP- 18 Goals- 2 Assists- 5 Points- 7 Penalty Min- 19 +/- -4

Matt Benning, D Northeastern University (HEA)

GP- 19 Goals- 2 Assists- 5 Points- 7 Penalty Min- 17 +/- -13

Matt Grzelcyk, D Boston University (HEA)

GP-6 Goals 2 Assists- 3 Points- 5 Penalty Min- 12 +/- 2

Grzelcyk is still out with a lower body (knee injury).

Wiley Sherman, D Harvard University (ECAC)

GP- 12 Goals- 2 Assists- 2 Points- 4 Penalty Min- 6 +/- 5

No games since last update.

Rob O’Gara, D Yale University (ECAC)

GP- 12 Goals- 0 Assists- 4 Points- 4 Penalty Min- 16 +/- -4

No games since last update.

Europe

Peter Cehlarik, LW Lulea (Sweden)

GP- 24 Goals- 7 Assists- 6 Points- 13 Penalty Min- 0 +/- 3

Emil Johansson, D HV71 (Sweden)

GP- 28 Goals- 0 Assists- 2 Points- 2 Penalty Min- 12 +/- 0

Maxim Chudinov, D St Petersburg SKA (Russia)

GP- 40 Goals- 6 Assists- 8 Points- 14 Penalty Min- 77 +/- -7

USHL

Daniel Vladar, G Chicago (USHL)

GP- 13 MIN- 737 GA- 26 GAA- 2.12 Spct .925 SO- 2; 3-5-3

Vladar will be back in the USHL this week.

Jack Becker, C Sioux Falls (USHL)

GP- 29 Goals- 4 Assists- 6 Points- 10 Penalty Min- 6 +/- 0