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On leadership and GoT’s Lady Lyanna Mormont

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“Bear Island knows no king except the King in the North, whose name is Stark.”- Lady Lyanna Mormont

Bella Ramsey as Lady Lyanna Mormont of Bear Island in Game of Thrones season 6

Bella Ramsey as Lady Lyanna Mormont of Bear Island in Game of Thrones season 6

I meant to post this before, but after re-watching Season 6 of the HBO fantasy saga Game of Thrones, I just had to take time out for some remarks on leadership as personified by the 2016 iteration of the show’s breakout star- Lady Lyanna Mormont of Bear Island, played brilliantly by 12-year-old English actress Bella Ramsey.

You don’t have to be familiar with the books or show to relate to this post, but as was the case in my last detour on Gettysburg and Union Army Chief of Cavalry Major General John Buford, going to take a step away from hockey to talk about the pint-sized, but fierce character and why not only the screenwriters but Miss Ramsey herself did such a tremendous job in distilling pure leadership into just a few memorable scenes and dialogue.

I’ve got 22 years of active duty military service and counting, but I’ll tell you this- Lyanna Mormont knows leadership. It’s one thing for a fictional character to be described as a leader, but the actor has to pull it off, and in just a few scene stealers, it isn’t hard to figure out why young Ramsey is receiving such critical acclaim. It isn’t difficult to see some key lessons in leadership that combat leaders and leaders in general have in common, even though Bear Island resides in fantasyland.

For those who watched season 6 and know exactly of which I speak, I believe there will be some easter eggs in this post for you, so read on. For those who aren’t all that familiar with the George R.R. Martin series of books or with HBO’s runaway hit that debuted back in the spring of 2011, just a few short months before the Boston Bruins captured the Stanley Cup, you can probably follow along just fine. For those who are fans but have not yet seen Season 6 and are worried about spoilers…I will do my best not to include many, but one person’s spoiler is another one’s teaser, so if you’re the kind of person who simply cannot abide being told about something before you see it yourself, then stop reading now.

Okay- you were warned. Spoiler alert is on.

Without spending too much time on it- Lady Lyanna Mormont is the head of a proud warrior house from a hardscrabble island off the coast of Westeros, the fantastical setting for Martin’s Song of Ice & Fire opus, known on television as GoT after the first book of the series, published two decades ago.

Lyanna is just 10 years old when introduced near the end of season six- ascending to the head of House Mormont after her mother died in battle during the War of the Five Kings on behalf of Robb Stark, Lord of Winterfell. The people of the Northlands in Westeros are fierce and proud- they live a difficult existence but embrace the hard living compared to their neighbors to the south, especially those in the Westerosi capital, King’s Landing. Think of them as a loose grouping of warrior tribes, each with their own identity, but united under the Wolf sigil banner of House Stark- the warden clan of the North for a near milennium.

The War of Five Kings has tested those alliances and fractured many of them, leaving the late Robb Stark’s illegitimate brother, Jon Snow, to try and re-form a coalition to defeat the evil, twisted and depraved Ramsay Bolton and drive his minions from the Stark ancestral home and castle at Winterfell. To say any more about Jon Snow or his relationship to Robb’s younger sister, Sansa Stark, would cause for too many spoilers and detract from the post’s purpose, so I won’t go there. Let’s just say that it’s complicated, so when Snow, Sansa and Snow’s right-hand man Ser Davos of House Seaworth arrive at the Mormont stronghold, they’re in dire straits and in need of some good fighting men.

Enter, Lady Lyanna. The exchange is worth watching…not only for the excellent acting (especially by Bella Ramsey but more on her later) but for how one so young carries herself while surrounded by adults and several notable, battle-tested swordsmen at that. If your eyes and ears weren’t betraying her to be one so young, you could close your eyes and imagine a stereotypical fantasy warrior with huge build, muscles and flowing beard saying the same things. Ah, but the key to earning respect and winning influence goes well beyond mere appearances…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIljvhVFE90

So, what did you see here?

The first thing that struck me is that there is no doubting who is in charge. When the group enters the room and addresses them, she firmly replies with “Welcome to Bear Island,” and then says no more. The underlying message for them is clear: let’s see what you have for me. You were the ones who asked for an audience, so…speak. She makes no attempt at small talk and when Sansa Stark tries to do so, she quickly dispenses with the pleasantries.

Strike one for the coalition builders.

When Jon Snow compounds the mistake by referencing her deceased uncle (also his former military commander, but yep- too complicated to get into), she allows him to speak a bit as a basic courtesy and then cuts him off in order to get to the point.

That’s strike two.

When you have your own fiefdom to run, platitudes and remembrances don’t keep the people of Bear Island safe. Time is precious, and you can see early in the scene that she’s doing the mental calculus on how strong her potential allies are, and thus far- they’re showing themselves to be wanting.

What’s interesting about Lyanna here is that she’s not disrespectful, but her demeanor reflects an iron spine that her people pride themselves on. She lives on a small island made up of dense forests (and lots of bears of course) populated by strong and hardy people- lumberjacks and fishermen chief amongst them. Lady Lyanna might be young and not yet a proven, blooded warrior for House Mormont, but she is wise beyond her years. She recognizes the well-meaning attempt by Jon and Sansa to ingratiate themselves before the real parlay begins, but she simply doesn’t have time for it.

She also no doubt knows full well why they came to see her.

Her biggest responsibility as Bear Island’s leader is to make decisions that people will live or possibly die as the result of. It’s one thing for someone to inherit the mantel of responsibility and leadership, but it’s quite another to get your charges to actually comply with your decisions or put their lives at your command. Leadership is respect, and just a minute or so in, I was captivated at just how much respect she commanded in that room.

As Jon talks to her about the importance of defeating the Bolton coalition, and makes another tactical error of continuing with “what you have to understand, my lady, is…” she’s heard enough and takes charge of the meeting once and for all, challenging him to sell her on what is in it for Bear Island if the Mormonts commit more troops to the venture.

Stee-riike three!

It’s a powerful moment, because Snow looks to Sansa and doesn’t know what else to say. They aren’t getting anywhere, and it looks as if Bear Island and House Mormont will join a growing list of northern allies who decline to help Snow and his followers in their greatest time of need.

Luckily, Ser Davos, one of the few truly good men in the series left (ironic given his beginnings as a smuggler and pirate) and a valuable advisor to Jon, steps in and saves the day.

What I love about Lyanna’s response is that while skeptical at first, you sense that Davos has made a genuine connection with her, much like he did with another young noblewoman named Shireen Baratheon earlier in the series. Her tragic story is best told elsewhere, but you sense that in Lady Lyanna, Ser Davos recognizes the same kind of potential for greatness he did in little Shireen and as they speak to one another, you see a growing mutual respect between them. He’s speaking her language- acknowledging her responsibilities and praising her for the work she’s done to maintain her house, but not patronizing her or treating her like a child. He cuts to the heart of the matter, which gets her attention when he says: “this battle is between the living and the dead.” Davos answers the “what’s in it for us?” question Lyanna wanted Jon to answer for her up front.

I also like the dynamic between Lady Lyanna and her advisors. You can see that she depends on them…listens to them. Earlier in the scene, she’s more inclined to take their advice and treats her visitors with healthy skepticism that her maester is fueling. But once she sees the bigger picture that Davos paints, she holds up her hand when the advisor (maester) senses where she might be leaning and attempts to counsel her. In that moment, you see that she has made a critical decision. And you hear her fierce decisiveness in the words that follow.

I actually got goosebumps the first time I watched the scene when Lyanna replies: “House Mormont has kept faith with House Stark for a thousand years. We will not break faith today.”

When Snow asks how many men House Mormont will contribute to the cause, Lady Lyanna again consults one of her advisors, this time the man flanking her and likely her field commander/senior ranking man-at-arms. She replies “62” and Snow is clearly taken aback at such a paltry sum. The Mistress of Bear Island immediately senses the unease and declares that her soldiers can “fight with the strength of 10 mainlanders.” All of the sudden, the power of 620 rough-and-tumble guys joining the fight doesn’t seem like such a bad deal at all.

And when Ser Davos compliments her, at the end by saying “If they are half as ferocious as their lady, then the Boltons are doomed,” she’s not put off- she simply smiles and nods. Because that’s not small talk or idle flattery. It’s the truth.

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It’s rare that one so young and in just about 5 minutes and change of screen time can make such an impression, but that’s what the precocious Bella Ramsey pulls off. It’s a remarkable performance, all the more exceptional by the fact that this is her first-ever role. She not only blew away her fellow actors- the adults in the scene- by already committing her lines to memory the very first time they sat down together for a reading (they hadn’t), but by studying the dialects and accent of Northern England natives, which is what the Northmen of Westeros are based on. Miss Ramsey is 12 years old- a little more senior than Lyanna Mormont as portrayed in the books and show, but she pulls it off so well. There is little doubt that Hollywood has seen enough of Bella and she’s sure to get more work going forward.

But for now, it’s her Game of Thrones role we’re focusing on…

Lady Mormont is seen just two more times in season 6- glaring at the leering, loathsome Ramsay Bolton while he and Jon Snow parlay on the eve before the “Battle of the Bastards” in Episode 9. She doesn’t say a word, but when the vile Bolton turns his attention towards her and in all of his oily repulsiveness, talks of pardoning the “treasonous lords” who allied with Jon’s coalition, he turns his lecherous gaze her way. Seated on her horse behind Snow, Sansa, Davos and their retinue, she need not have run Bolton through with a sword at that point- the daggers should have done the trick if looks could kill. Don’t believe me? Take a look at this championship-caliber scowl, directed straight at Bolton himself:

If looks could kill...there would be no need for the Snow-Bolton armies to clash

If looks could kill…there would be no need for the Snow-Bolton armies to clash

She makes one last memorable appearance in the final episode of Season 6, standing up in a hall of bickering north lords to shame several of them. As you listen to her say “You refused the call” each time in her Northern accent, you can almost feel her words burning through you. When she finishes with the words “(Jon Snow) is my king this day…and until his last day,” I don’t know about you but I was ready to  pick up a sword and start chanting “The King in the North!” right then. You won’t be surprised at what kind of a reaction it gets from all the long-haired manly men with swords.

Bravo, Miss Ramsey, bravo. A star is born.

Now here are 5 quick lessons in leadership as taught by Lady Lyanna Mormont

  1. When in charge, be in charge: From the moment Snow and company meet her, there is no mistaking that she commands the fortunes of Bear Island. This is no figurehead- we don’t know how Lyanna rose to be named her house’s chief at such a young age in the wake of her mother’s death in battle, but we know why.
  2. Be polite, be professional, have a plan to kill every person you meet: Her words are iron and although she’s not rude to her guests, she sends a clear message early in the meeting that she’s not messing around. This is someone who has seen much in her 10 years, but she also already possesses the wisdom that to truly protect her people, she must be willing to make hard decisions that put some of them in peril. This is why she allows Davos to speak and listens to what he tells her, recognizing the danger ahead if she doesn’t do her part to help unite the North. It’s just a story, but leaders in just about every walk of life have to be engaged all of the time, and find those golden nuggets that can drive an important decision, even if it isn’t readily apparent at first.
  3. Seek advice of counsel, but own the decisions you make: A few quick exchanges let you see that she understands that she doesn’t have everything figured out. The most successful leaders know that they didn’t reach their position alone and that their real success has a lot to do with the people around them. Surround yourself with smart, talented people over sycophants and yes-men and you’ll make informed decisions more often than not. Once you make those decisions, you’re responsible for whatever happens, good or bad. The great leaders know when to trust informed counsel and when to do what they think is right, even if it means going against the advice they’re given. Once Davos convinced Lyanna that joining the coalition and uniting the north was critical to preparing for what is to come, she didn’t dither or waffle.
  4. Lead from the front, set the right example: Lyanna could have sent her 62 men away from Bear Island and left it to Jon Snow to employ them within his fighting force, but that’s not what great leaders do. She takes a hands-on approach and goes with them to Winterfell, even though she’s not going to ride into battle with the warriors. Her presence ensures that  she has a say in how they are managed and led while safeguarding their personal welfare when it comes to logistics and their partnership. As she grows and gains skill at arms and physical strength, she will fight alongside her men as her mother and predecessors in House Mormont did, but for now- she understands her place is with the overall effort to defeat the Boltons, even if she’s not yet ready for the martial test. Her men see her there with them, sharing in the hardships of field living and are no doubt inspired that in committing them to the cause, she’s also putting herself at risk with her personal stake in the conflict.
  5. Live your values and embrace your code even when times are tough: When it appeared that the most important coalition of all might fracture again, she stood up and cowed a room full of battle tested warriors, many of whom were three, four even five times her age. She did it because she was convinced of the righteousness of the cause and she did it for her king. It might have been easier for her to simply sit and remain silent as the youngest warlord in the room, but her devotion to her values and her understanding of the larger picture and what was at stake gave her the moral courage to intervene. It might be hard to believe in this day and age that one so young could do that, but there is a great deal we can learn from our children if we give them a chance. Lady Lyanna saw the opening and seized it. Like. A. Boss.

If the show’s producers don’t figure out a way to get Bella Ramsey/Lyanna Mormont more screen time in seasons 7 and 8- then there is something seriously wrong. Having said that, I think they’ve heard the call (say it in your best Lyanna Mormont voice) and will trot her out for more scene stealers in 2017 and 2018. She’s got the goods.

***

We’ll be back with hockey and a last look at the undrafted free agents in Boston’s system who have yet to crack the big roster.

 

 

 

2016 Bruins Offseason, Boston Bruins, Kevan Miller, Pop Culture , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

The undrafted free agents: Kevan Miller

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Next in the undrafted free agents series covering the Boston Bruins is California-bred, Massachusetts and Vermont-developed defensive defenseman Kevan Miller. He caught Boston’s eye during a late-season ATO with the Providence Bruins in 2011, and then got an invite to the team’s rookie camp and main training camp that fall. I still remember traveling to Nassau Coliseum and seeing him get involved in a major donnybrook to start the second of the two-game series between the B’s and Islanders rooks. Miller earned an NHL contract a few weeks later, and by the midway point of 2013-14, was playing in the NHL full-time.

He’s a classic American story of hard work and overcoming hurdles, and yet Miller may be one of the more criticized players on the Boston roster, despite an impressive body of work in the realm of analytics that we’ll attempt to shine some light on later on.

This is his story.

Hard as a Rock: Kevan Miller

When it comes to Kevan Miller, few players are more polarizing to a respective fanbase than he is to supporters of the Boston Bruins.  Here’s a video courtesy of friend “Dafoomie”:

The soon-to-be 29-year-old defenseman should be one of those feel good stories in hockey- a California born-and-raised defenseman who went East in high school, rose to the University of Vermont captaincy, and after being ignored in the NHL draft, willed his way into the Boston lineup less than three years after turning pro. Instead, he’s become a convenient scapegoat- a player who is an easy target for frustrations because he was asked to play a bigger role than the one to which he is best suited.

Miller was a few months away from his first birthday when the Los Angeles Kings made “the trade” to bring Wayne Gretzky to Tinseltown in August, 1988. Raised in Santa Clarita, Miller represents the first generation of players who were born when Gretzky arrived and went on to reach the highest levels of professional hockey thanks in large part to the hockey boom the Great One inspired in Southern California. Miller wasn’t the first Golden Stater to make the big time, nor is he the most successful, but all things considered, the guy who the Bruins took a chance on back in 2011, and who recently earned a four-year NHL extension is much better than he gets credit for.

I realize this won’t be a popular opinion to some, who will rightly cite some of Miller’s bungled plays leading directly to goals as proof positive that he should be exiled forever to the lower rungs of the professional hockey ladder, never to take another shift for the Bruins. Of course, the flip side of that is- show me any NHL defenseman who plays enough minutes at this level, and you’ll see some poor plays that lead to bad goals. Like the dead people in the Sixth Sense, once folks lock onto a favorite target- they’ll see what they want to see, so if Miller is a bum, it’s easy to single him out for abuse.

The purpose of this post is not to argue that Miller is a potential All-Star, nor is it to feed into the idea that he’s a drag on the rest of his team and was not worthy of the $2.5M AAV and four-year investment the B’s made in him.

As is usually the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Miller is a fairly vanilla defender: he’s an average skater without much in the way of quick acceleration, but who is rugged and plays with an edge. His offensive numbers are better than one would expect for a shutdown style ‘D’ without high-end skills. He’s a natural leader and former prep (Berkshire School) and college captain who is a respected teammate and put in tremendous work to reach the NHL.

Here’s an interesting study on the top defenders from last season, posted on Reddit by ChrisCFTB97

It’s a thoughtful, analytics-driven look at the most effective defensemen in the NHL from last season, and while advanced stats don’t tell the whole story, Miller’s numbers when compared to those of Zdeno Chara and Colin Miller, the other two teammates the author used for the study (boy, I sure would’ve liked to see him use Torey Krug here), are pretty favorable. If anything- it directly contradicts the idea propagated around the Internet that Miller is “horrible” or “can’t defend.”

Here’s the HERO (Horizontal Evaluative Rankings Optic) chart comparing Miller to that of trade deadline darling Kris Russell, done courtesy of the most excellent hockey analytics source and blog Own The Puck by MimicoHero http://ownthepuck.blogspot.com:

Kevan Miller's HERO chart courtesy of Own the Puck/@MimicoHero http://ownthepuck.blogspot.com

Kevan Miller’s HERO chart courtesy of Own the Puck/@MimicoHero http://ownthepuck.blogspot.com

The numbers don’t lie. When it comes to things that matter on defense such as shot suppression and possession, Miller clearly has the advantage over Russell and it isn’t close. Again- advanced stats aren’t the be-all, end-all when it comes to debating the merits of an NHL player, but Miller is nothing if a serviceable defender who actually looks like a solid bargain at $10M/2.5M per through age 32.

Now, some of the friction points working against Miller could lie in the following observations:

  1. Both of Miller and Adam McQuaid on the 2016-17 Bruins roster is problematic. They’re both right shots and bring similar attributes in terms of style and substance. McQuaid is bigger and not as adept offensively, but both are nasty and because of the physical toll their rugged style takes on their bodies, they’ve missed significant time to injuries in each of the past several NHL campaigns. Neither guy is a classic top-4 player (though if you look at the advanced metrics Miller is closer to that between the two), and when you add up their cap numbers, it’s far too much green to invest in a pair of guys like that. To say that Miller is incapable of making a positive impact is wrong. To argue that having both of Miller and McQuaid on the Boston roster puts the team at a disadvantage is a far more effective way of looking at it. One or the other…Miller or McQuaid. Something should give before the season starts because the pair effectively blocks a younger player from establishing himself at the NHL level, and if either one is on Claude Julien’s top pairing (and even middle pair is an issue), then this is not a playoff-caliber defense.
  2. The tail end of observation No. 1 leads to a second significant challenge with Miller and that is simply- the B’s put him in a position to fail last season. At times, he was expected to carry the mail in a top-three role with expanded minutes and special teams, and naturally- his limitations were exposed. Miller is effective closer to the bottom of an NHL rotation, and he’s capable of being a solid matchup play and at even strength, when he doesn’t have his hands full as much with opponents who can make good use of added time and space. He’s not as big as Hal Gill was, but Miller is a better all-around player and defender. Unfortunately, like Gill later on in his Boston career- Miller has become an easy target with fans who just want to blame someone when a goal is scored against, never mind that the opposition’s top scorer was able to exploit a 1-on-1 matchup with the game but limited Miller.
  3. Let’s face it- sometimes, it’s all about draft pedigree. Fans want to get behind sexy draft picks and big names- they tend to be much more skeptical of and harder on guys like Miller who come in as unknowns and outplay the “big guns.” Go back to the Reddit link I posted and look at some of Dougie Hamilton’s numbers in those categories. He’s better than Miller in a couple, egregiously worse in others. In the end, Kevan Miller’s 84.5 average (lower is better) across the various evaluated categories is better than Hamilton’s 98.2. One guy was drafted 9th overall in 2011, the other one had to make it on an invitation, fight his way onto the team and has managed to stick. Again- you can’t just hang your hat on the analytics, and no one in their right mind would trade Miller for Hamilton even-steven (no, not even Don Sweeney, guys- but nice try). The difference is- one player is making half of what the other guy makes, and maybe that $2.5AAV isn’t so terrible after all. (One more time- *not* saying Miller is better than Hamilton- put the straw man down) It’s all in how you use him, folks. That’s a legitimate debate to have, but you can’t do it in a vacuum- context matters.
Image courtesy of Greg Ezell/PezDOY

Image courtesy of Greg Ezell/PezDOY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay- we had some fun with the image, but it’s tongue-in-cheek from this blog space. The reality is- TSP has time for Miller. He’s an honest, hard-nosed player who will give you every ounce of what he has. Unfortunately, in a results-oriented business, that alone isn’t going to lead his Bruins team to success, so the onus is on the GM to upgrade the talent around Miller so that he can be a capable and serviceable piece.

And therein lies the rub- I don’t think fans inherently dislike Miller at all. In fact, he was pretty popular when he first showed up and was hitting, fighting and playing solid D at a near veteran minimum cap hit. Alas- he lacks the high-end talent to be a firm top-4 NHL D, even if the analytics indicate he has a chance at it. Realistically- the more he plays, the more people will see him get burned, but by the same token, he suppresses a lot of chances he simply doesn’t get credit for because human nature means that those with an axe to grind will dwell on the mistakes.

Ultimately- Miller has been a nice find by the Boston scouting staff. He’s scrapped for every opportunity, but he’s a smart, driven guy- derailed a bit by shoulder injuries and the ruggedness of his style of play. On the downside- Miller and McQuaid are two fine soldiers, but the team can’t really afford to keep both. It’s the tough part of the business, but you figure the B’s signed the former before he could hit unrestricted free agency for a reason.

We’ll have to see what Sweeney and Co’s vision is for the defense and where Miller fits in, but he deserves a more even shake than the one he’s gotten. In the right role, he’s a lot like what these guys are singing:

Take it away, Millsy.

 

2016 Bruins Offseason, Jimmy Vesey, Tim Schaller , , , , , , , 2 Comments

The undrafted free agents: Tim Schaller

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When the Boston Bruins announced the signing of Tim Schaller on July 1 as the dust was settling on the big grab of David Backes, the Providence College product by way of Merrimack, N.H. and the New England Jr. Huskies of the old EJHL was not exactly an afterthought. He scored his first NHL goal against his childhood favorite B’s, and while he doesn’t have a great deal of big league playing time, is one of the more intriguing under-the-radar free agency grabs by the team.

Although on the New England-area watch lists back in his 2009 primary NHL draft season (he was born in late ’90), Schaller was not selected and ended up signing with the Buffalo Sabres prior to the 2013-14 season after playing a full four years in the NCAA with PC.

At 6-foot-2 and nearly 220 pounds, Schaller has the ideal size to center a bottom NHL line, but probably has enough versatility to shift to the wing if he can’t beat out Noel Acciari (he spent two years with NA in college before going pro) at the pivot spot in Boston. Schaller is a capable skater in a straight line, and he plays a traditional north-south, take-the-puck-right-to-the-net style. He’s never been one who was seen as a top prospect option, but he’s an above average AHL forward who has shown flashes of serviceable effectiveness with the Sabres, even on two below average NHL rosters (35 games over the past two seasons).

The Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa had a nice little deep dive on Schaller last weekend and as usual, he mined some interesting nuggets:

“We had probably about 10-12 teams calling on one day,” Schaller recalled of the opening of free agency. “About halfway through the phone calls, Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins called. At that moment, I almost told my agent, ‘Why take another phone call? Why not just say yes to the Bruins right away?’ It’s a good opportunity to have to play in Boston. All the numbers worked out perfectly to where it was impossible to say no to them.”

That Schaller is a local guy will not win him any bonus points in his fight to make the roster. The 6-foot-2-inch, 219-pound center will have to beat out several players to earn his $600,000 NHL payday, including former college teammate Noel Acciari. Schaller agreed to a one-year, two-way contract, indicating an assignment to Providence is not out of the question.

Acciari, one of Schaller’s primary rivals, promptly turned into a coaching staff favorite upon his promotion last season. Acciari had just one assist in 19 games, but he did not take long to win the bosses’ trust on defensive-zone faceoffs, shorthanded shifts, and five-on-five situations where his willingness to run over opponents earned him a spot in the regular rotation.

Growing up in the Granite State less than an hour from Boston, Schaller was a Bruins fan, so he said in the Globe piece that when GM Don Sweeney called, he was pretty much sold. This is an example of leveraging the connection local talent has with playing for the hometown team, which although has fallen on harder times over the past two seasons, is still just five years removed from having won a Stanley Cup.

Cynics will probably insert a snide remark about “getting the Duckboats” ready when it comes to Schaller, so I’ll beat them to the punch by acknowledging that at $600k and on a one-year, two-way contract, it’s obvious the Bruins aren’t expecting a major contribution. The larger point is that he’s a smart signing as a player who can hedge against Acciari taking a step backwards or perhaps dealing with unexpected setbacks like injury.  We won’t make Schaller into more than he is currently- a bottom-six forward and center who could earn a fourth-line job right away with his old PC mate or provide the Bruins and Providence of the AHL with an effective heavy-on-the-puck veteran who will rack up close to a point-per-game’s worth of offense on the farm.

You can also connect the dots to Jimmy Vesey a bit with this one, as it is one more example of the lure that Boston has for guys who grew up in the area and have an attachment to home. Schiller’s decision and his accompanying comments reminds us all that the Bruins are still in a pretty good spot when it comes to attracting players and selling them on making Boston a pro hockey destination. There’s a significant difference between Schaller and Vesey in terms of how they project in the NHL, but there is still a good bit to be said about how a guy feels about staying home to play for the team he used to skate around on local rinks dreaming about. That’s not to say it’s the only reason Vesey might pass on another more lucrative (in terms of organization and winning) destination, but it would be foolish to dismiss the kind of influence that might have in the decision process. Guys don’t know what they don’t know, and in Vesey’s case for most of his 23 years, all he’s known is Boston. He’s said it himself- he’s a homebody, and like Schaller, his interest in fielding a lot of other offers might be diminished because he knows the B’s want him.

As we inch closer to August 15, we can’t predict if Vesey will ultimately decide that Boston represents the “best fit” for him, or if some other team like the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, NY Rangers or perhaps New Jersey Devils do.  There’s a lot that can happen between now and when his rights (currently held by Buffalo) expire.

It says a lot that ‘Hawks VP/GM Stan Bowman has been in Foxboro twice in person to watch Vesey play in the summer league there, though.  That’s Chicago’s M.O.- trade away high draft picks, but replenish those by aggressively signing high-end free agents who bring similar upside to those 18-year-olds drafted early on in June. We saw it work to ideal effect last year with the Breadman- Artemi Panarin, winner of the NHL’s top rookie prize (he also cashed in on some sweet bonuses, which contributed to the need to move some veteran players out). This is why Chicago is an upper tier NHL team, so nobody should be surprised that Bowman and crew are in on Vesey. Whether they’ll go all-in and Vesey himself will opt to go there remains to be seen, but this is how great teams stay that way- by being bold and managing risk-reward transactions. Vesey is low-risk, high-reward if he meets expectations, but we shall see.

Back to Schaller- he’s no threat to the memory of Milan Lucic, but there’s goodness in the idea of adding a big-bodied forward who plays a physical but pretty clean game. He doesn’t take a lot of penalties and uses his big frame to good effect along the walls and down low. He’s not going to score much off the rush, but he’ll do the grunt work in front of the net and in the high danger areas. There’s not a lot of skill here, but that’s not why Boston signed him. If he doesn’t make the big club, he can go down to Providence and help to offset some of the forward losses and annual turnover so prevalent in the AHL and lower levels. Of note- he was named the Amerks’ MVP in a vote taken by his teammate despite playing just 38 games last season due to injuries and time in Buffalo. With NHL experience, he’ll be someone who is on the recall short list when inevitable injuries happen up front or players struggle to contribute. When you consider how much of a disappointment Brett Connolly was in Boston after being the sixth overall pick in 2010, Schaller is a solid investment to make for what could end up being a similar payoff. It’s also one more reminder that if you draft a player high and he ends up on your fourth line as Connolly did at the end of last season, then you’ve taken a wrong turn. The undrafted Schaller makes a great deal more sense for where Boston intends to use him.

Some feel that Schaller will make the NHL team right from Jump Street- and that’s all fine. With his low cap hit and versatility, he might not carry a draft pedigree, but has proven himself to be the kind of serviceable grinder who will use his big body and has killed penalties, even though he hasn’t had an abundance of ice time. He’s confident he can win a spot and he wants to be here- that’s most of the battle right there, so may the best player win. Here’s his end-of-year interview with Rochester (AHL):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FerVhgzi0l8

This is the kind of low-risk, medium-reward signing that helps teams get out of the cellar. The B’s still have a gaping hole on defense that needs to be filled, but by building depth at other positions, it allows the GM to build the kind of war chest that might help him to land that elusive young NHL talent that not only represents an upgrade but will have some retainability as well.

Vesey could be the key piece keeping Sweeney from committing to a major deal, but come August 15 and the time it takes the Hobey Baker winner to reach a decision, bigger things could be afoot.

 

2016 Bruins Offseason, Noel Acciari , , , , , 1 Comment

The undrafted free agents: Noel Acciari

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The Boston Bruins undrafted free agents series rolls on with a closer look at Rhode Islander Noel Acciari. He’s a personal fave but I can’t really claim it because I had a chance to sing his praises publicly but didn’t. More on that later, but read on…

No(el) sure thing: Acciari

Noel Acciari was no sure thing.

And after the Boston Bruins signed him in June of 2015, some would say that he still isn’t, even with a promising NHL debut under his belt.

The former captain at Bishop Hendricken, Kent School and Providence College would probably be the first to tell you that even though he played 19 NHL games with the B’s in March and early April to close out a highly disappointing 2015-16 campaign, he has not yet arrived in the big show. However, when you consider the many obstacles that Acciari climbed from his minor hockey days as a Johnston, R.I. native who played with fellow NHLer Kevin Hayes on the South Shore Kings, reaching the highest level in his rookie pro season was a pretty special accomplishment.

The early returns are encouraging, and it shouldn’t be all that surprising if you go back and look at Acciari’s track record. Although he hasn’t ever truly projected as a major league scoring presence, the key cog in the Providence College Friars’ 2015 national championship machine has always brought tenacity, smarts and an ability to elevate his play in key situations.

He showed some of that panache in Boston, when he immediately found a way to make an impact by establishing effective pressure on the puck carrier and finishing his checks at every opportunity. Acciari reads and reacts to the play well and excels when play is in the defensive and neutral zones because of his quickness and anticipation.

“I think Noel is doing a great job in our D-zone as far as really being reliable, closing quickly,” Bruins head coach Claude Julien told the Boston Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa back in March. “On the offensive side, those other two guys (Landon Ferraro and Brett Connolly) are skating and creating some opportunities there, so I think we’ve got a good combination so far.”

Acciari won’t just walk in and grab the fourth-line center job in Boston, but there aren’t many players better positioned to go out and earn it coming out of training camp and exhibition play than the 24-year-old is. After all, he’s no stranger to hard work and has seen his share of setbacks, so at this stage, having already achieved his dream of playing in the NHL has provided him with the proper grounding to go out and carve a niche for himself.

Growing up in the Ocean State, Acciari bounced between top hockey programs in Massachusetts (SSK) and Connecticut (Kent) to round out his development as a Rhode Island product. It wasn’t always smooth sailing for him, though. Never possessing an abundance of size or standout skill, Acciari often had to bring an off-the-charts work ethic and desire to the ice, along with a physical style. Coaches and scouts have always noted that he is the classic forward who plays “bigger than his size” and much of that comes from his natural head and heart.

Veteran Providence Journal assistant sports editor/hockey scribe Mark Divver probably has the best handle on Acciari of anyone in print (he’s watched him for years), and last March, he wrote the following:

If Acciari hadn’t missed a month after fracturing his jaw when he was hit by a slap shot on Dec. 4 — he expects to shed the protective guard on his helmet after the weekend — he might have been recalled sooner. His play in Providence has improved steadily from the start of the season.

Known for his hitting, Acciari said postgame that lining up NHLers is harder than hitting AHL or college players.

 “Every guy out here is very shifty. I can’t just throw my body — then I’ll be out of position. It has to be timed pretty perfectly. I’ll definitely throw my body around when I can. Hopefully, I’ll get some turnovers with that,’’ he said.

“For me, it’s just when I get my chance, be hard to play against. Throw my body around. Get to the net when I can,’’ he said.

Academics also posed a challenge for Acciari as he progressed up through the ranks. Several schools he was interested in were out of reach, and even when he arrived to the Friars, he had to sit out his first year for classroom-related reasons.

Matt Metcalf, writing in the Johnston Sunrise, told of Acciari returning to Bishop Hendricken to talk to student athletes about his hockey journey, and the story took an interesting turn when chronicling his final two years of high school, as he prepared to transition from prep hockey to the NCAA:

Providence, too, was a bit hesitant to take him in because of grades, but Acciari worked hard in his final stages at Kent to prove to the Friars that he could handle the academic load in addition to playing hockey.

Ultimately, Providence and its coaching staff believed in him and Acciari enrolled at PC for his freshman year.

But that freshman season couldn’t have gone any worse. Acciari found himself academically ineligible. Not only could he not play the whole season, but he couldn’t practice or work out with the team either.

“It was the worst feeling in the world,” Acciari said of that freshman year. “There’s nothing worse than seeing your friends playing while you’re just sitting around waiting.”

But Acciari took that time to work harder than he’s ever worked – not only in the classroom, but on his own in the weight room.

And by the time the following winter rolled around, he became an integral part of the team, playing in 33 games and posting 11 points.

However, none of that would’ve happened without working hard in the classroom. Acciari wanted the kids to know that it doesn’t matter how good of an athlete you are because, if you don’t perform well in the classroom, you won’t even get a chance to perform on the field or on the ice.

“I’m glad I could come back to talk to these guys,” Acciari said. “Just to know that I was in their shoes just five or six years ago, I wanted to get the message across that it’s not just all athletics, it’s academics. I wouldn’t be able to be where I am today with just hockey, I needed academics too. I wanted to get that across – that academics is a big part in getting to where you need to be in life.”

Some things in life come more readily to some than others, and in Acciari’s case, he found success in the classroom at PC, earning enough credits to graduate with a marketing degree in the spring of 2015. Even though he had a year of college hockey eligibility left by virtue of redshirting that freshman year of 2011-12, winning a national title and even more- pulling down a bachelor’s in the process- made the decision to sign with the Bruins that much easier.

Once again- credit Boston scouts like Ryan Nadeau, Scott Fitzgerald and ultimately- GM Don Sweeney, who made the final decision on offering a two-year deal to the PC captain- for finding another undrafted gem in Acciari.

He’s not going to put up a great deal of offense at the NHL level, but he’s a proven winner. With the wheels, physicality, faceoff prowess and character/poise to get you big time points when the game is on the line, Acciari is a strong bet to establish himself as Boston’s fourth-line pivot this season and beyond.

Here’s one last personal perspective to share on No. 55 for the Bruins:

Back in March of 2011, while watching the NEPSIHA Elite 8 prep tourney, Acciari far outshined other bigger “sexier” names on the Lions roster, such as manchild D Mike McKee (not drafted) and 2012 NY Rangers second-rounder Boo Nieves.

I kept looking at Acciari in those playoff games (his team lost a 2-1 heartbreaker to Rob O’Gara’s Milton Mustangs in the championship contest) and asking myself what was I missing? He was not overly big, but so physical- and it was an effective physicality. He demonstrated superior closing speed and instincts- he would often read and react so quickly that the puck carrier was on his butt and sans biscuit before he could even process what had hit him (Acciari). He wasn’t getting whistled for his play, either. Even then, he played the game hard, but clean. When it came time to key goals, he had a knack for scoring them or making the important plays to set them up.

I lacked the courage of my convictions to stand up for Acciari and take the time to write about him on my Bruins 2011 Draft Watch blog (to my eternal shame). The fact is- after watching Acciari in prep and since, there was nothing I was missing- he’s a player. The Bruins stand to benefit from his contributions provided he’s used in the right bottom-six role and more is not expected of him than he is suited for.

Acciari reinforces the importance of recognizing that there is always something new you can learn in the business of evaluating hockey talent. Sometimes, the gut feeling is the right one. Four years after watching him rock the competition as a prep but not having the guts the float his name out there as having legitimate pro potential, even as a lower-end checking player, it just goes to show that you don’t have to be a highly-touted teen who lands early in the first round to be an NHL player.

Not every prospect projects to be a top-end guy, but to build winning teams, you need players like him. He’s got a nice NCAA championship ring in the collection- perhaps some more hardware and jewelry could be in Acciari’s future.

 

Noel Acciari 2012-14 Providence College away frontNoel Acciari 2012-14 Providence College away back

Military History 2 Comments

Sunday detour: Remembering General John Buford at Gettysburg

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Taking a quick break from the undrafted free agents series (will continue this week with Noel Acciari, Kevan Miller and some of the other up-and-comers in the system) to delve into my love of military history and something that happened Friday that ties it together.

So, this is a somewhat self-indulgent post, but if you stick with it, then it’ll all make sense in the end.

For those of you who may not know this about me, I am a U.S. Army veteran and armor (cavalry) officer still on active duty, now in my final year of service before retiring in mid-2017. I’ve been fortunate and honored to serve, but events a few days ago reminded me of why the profession of arms is a calling, not a task. If you’re only here for the hockey, I doubt any of this will interest you. But, for those of you interested in getting to know this blog’s author more and what makes him tick, then read on.

On July 22, 2016, I had the honor of being a part of the promotion ceremony of my best friend, Jay Miseli, who was elevated to the rank of colonel. Jay is an amazing guy who was a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 with the 3rd Infantry Division, commanding a company during the march to Baghdad. As a lieutenant colonel, he went on to command the storied 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment (Garryowen) from 2012-14 and the Army got it right- he’ll spend the next year as an Army War College fellow before taking command of a Stryker brigade in the summer of 2017. There are stars in his future and I could not be prouder of my friend and fellow Army officer. He’s not only a superb warfighter, but he’s the most humble and honorable man I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and serving with. Our Army is in great hands with people like Colonel Jay A. Miseli in its ranks, and boy- do we ever need it!

Presiding over the ceremony and promoting him was Colonel (retired) Sam W. Floca, Jr.- an old Soldier and artilleryman who received the Silver Star for heroism while serving as a fire support officer (FSO) in the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam in 1968. I’ve read his citation (goosebumps) and to me, if he did something like that today, he’d be considered for the Medal of Honor. Col. Floca also received five…that’s not a typo…FIVE Purple Heart medals for being wounded in direct action with the enemy. He’s an amazing American and a personal mentor. Like me, he finished out his Army career as a public affairs officer, and his knowledge of the Army, military history, and old fashioned common sense has given me my own sounding board whenever I need it. Not everyone is so lucky to have a confidant like “Uncle Sammy” of Temple, Texas.

Okay- so why the need to post all of this on the blog?

Well, I have to take you back to 1993, when I was a young ROTC cadet preparing to put in my wish list for the job (we call it basic branch) I wanted to do upon being commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1994. At the time, I was torn by the calling to combat arms- deciding between the infantry and armor (tanks) branches. My dad served in the Special Forces, so if I would follow in his footsteps, infantry was the obvious choice. But, I had always been drawn to tanks and the traditions of the Army’s horse cavalry- I had seen “They Died With Their Boots On”, “She Wore  A Yellow Ribbon” and “Rio Grande”- classic films that helped shine light on the mounted arm (and yes, you can even throw in “F Troop” if you must). I sometimes tell an irreverent story about marching 12 miles as a cadet in the driving rain at Fort Bragg in the summer of 1993 and seeing a column of old Sheridan tanks roll by on a nearby fire break and thinking – A. They’re driving to wherever they’re going and I’m walking, and B. They’re nice and dry and I am not, as the deal breaker that saw me eschew a life in the infantry for the armored cavalry.

But that’s not completely it.

Back in 1992, Sammy Floca was a key military (and history) advisor for the film “Gettysburg”. As a member of the U.S. Army War College’s faculty, he was an esteemed historian and his reputation reached the filmmakers, who brought him on board to lend authenticity to several major characters. One of those characters was Major General John Buford, Jr. (he was a one-star Brigadier General during the battle- later promoted to Major General on his deathbed retroactive to July 1, 1863 when he passed away from typhoid fever in December of that year). Buford was being played by iconic actor Sam Elliott, and Sam Floca and Elliott grew close during the filming.

I had read Michael Shaara’s “the Killer Angels” upon with the movie is based, but my knowledge of the battle and its major players was still pretty superficial at the time. I obviously knew none of production backstory when my dad and I went to see Gettysburg together in Nashua, N.H. in the fall of 1993.  I was home from my senior year of college for a long weekend and was still debating whether to make armor or infantry number one on my “wish list”. My TAC (ROTC) Officer had told me that a Distinguished Military Student (DMS) designate, I stood a good chance of getting my first choice.

So, there we were watching the film, which chronicled not only the decisive engagement of the American Civil War, but within the battle, a key decision that may have been critical to preserving the Union and these United States. That decision was the one by Gen. Buford, who had two brigades of mounted horse cavalry (the Union Army’s 1st Cavalry Division), recognized that General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army would likely reach Gettysburg before the Union Army’s 1st Corps could and would seize the decisive terrain to the south of that soon-to-be-famous Pennsylvania town.

In the film, Elliott gives a memorable performance as he speaks with his brigade commanders and staff and makes the fateful decision to fight a delaying action that might allow the 1st Corps under General John F. Reynolds (later shot from his saddle and killed by a rebel sniper after he got too close to the front lines) to seize the key terrain dominating Gettysburg. This was not the cavalry’s mission- they served as the eyes and ears of the Army commanders, and their job was not to slug it out with the infantry. Buford knew he was putting his some 2,500 men in a tough spot, but he also realized that if he did not occupy and hold, then Lee would beat them to the key ground and a bloodbath (for the Federal Army) would likely ensue.

I remember sitting there, watching Elliott’s portrayal of Buford, and thinking to myself- THAT is it. THAT is what I want to do. Sure, we were a mechanized force more than a half-century past the use of horses, but that bold, audacious spirit captured so perfectly in a brief scene did it for me. I indeed commissioned in armor, had several armor and cavalry assignments, and even though I left the combat arms for Army public affairs as a young major, got my dream job as the 1st Cavalry Division’s Chief of Public Affairs as a lieutenant colonel, a three-year assignment that was everything I could have asked for and more.

As for the battle and what Buford and his cavalrymen accomplished, if you don’t watch the film or are not all that familiar with what happened…Buford’s men held long enough for Reynolds and his corps (followed by Winfield Scott Hancock’s 11th Corps) to grab the decisive terrain and after three bloody days, the Confederate Army was driven back in defeat. How different might things be today if Lee’s Army of Virginia had prevailed? When you think Gettysburg, you think of “Pickett’s Charge” or Little Roundtop, perhaps. But without Buford’s cavalry brigades, those Southern defeats might have been reversed.

It seems perfect, then, that as I sat and watched a movie as a 21-year-old cadet and made my final decision about what I would do as an Army soldier, that nearly 22 years later, I am friends with the man who advised a great actor how to get the performance down.

Little did I know it at the time, but Colonel (retired) Sam Floca had a big influence on my life and subsequent military career. To be able to call him a friend and mentor two decades later is far more than I deserve.

 

Here’s the transcript from the scene and the movie clip- give it a good viewing if you have the time.

 

Brig. Gen. Buford- You know what’s going to happen here in the morning?

Col. Devin- Sir?

Brig. Gen. Buford- The whole damn rebel army is gonna be here. They’ll move through this town, occupy the hills on the other side. When our people arrive, Lee’ll have high ground and there’ll be the devil to pay. The high ground!

Meade will come in slowly, cautiously, new to command. They’ll be on his back from Washington. Wires hot with messages. Attack! Attack! So he will set up a ring around these hills. And when Lee’s army is all nicely entrenched behind fat rocks on the high ground, Meade will finally attack, if he can coordinate the army. Straight up the hillside, out in the open…into that gorgeous field of fire.

We will charge valiantly and be butchered valiantly! And afterwards, men in tall hats and gold watch fobs will thump their chests and say what a brave charge it was.

Devin, I’ve led a soldier’s life, and I’ve never seen anything as brutally clear as this. It’s as if I can actually see the blue troops in one long bloody moment…going up the long slope to the stony top…as if it were already done…and already a memory. An odd, set, stony quality to it. As if tomorrow has already happened and there’s nothing you can do about it. The way you sometimes feel before an ill-considered attack knowing it will fail, but you cannot stop it. You must even take part and help it fail. We have  twenty five hundred men. They’ll be coming in force. There could be twenty thousand coming down that road in the morning. If we hold this ridge for a couple of hours, we can keep them away. We can block that road until the main body gets here.

We can deprive the enemy of the high ground!

Col. Devin- The boys are ready for a brawl. No doubt of that.

Brig. Gen. Buford- We’ll force the rebs to deploy.  That’s a narrow road they’ll be coming down. If we stack them up, it will take them a while to get on track to get into position. Is Calef’s battery up yet?

Col. Devin- Sir, his six guns are deploying forward now.

Brig. Gen Buford- How far back is Reynolds with the main force?

Staff Officer- About ten miles, sir. Not much more.

Col. Gamble- Sir, you were right. My scouts report the rebel army is coming this way for sure. They’re all concentrating in this direction.

Brig. Gen. Buford- We’ll hold here in the morning. Long enough for Reynolds and the infantry to arrive. If we hang on to the high ground, we have a good chance to win this fight that’s coming.  Understood?

Brigade commanders and staff: Yes, sir!

Brig. Gen. Buford- Post the cannon along this road, the Chambersburg Pike. The rebels will hit us at dawn. I think we can hold them at least two hours.

Col. Devin- Hell, General, we can hold them all the damn livelong day!

Staff officers: He’s right, sir…

Col. Devin– At Thoroughfare Gap, you held against Longstreet. You held for six hours.

Col. Gamble- And they never came. We held for nothing.

Brig. Gen. Buford- The rebs will hit us just about first light. Keep a clear eye!
Have the pickets give us a good warning.

All right, gentlemen. Let’s get posted.

***

And if Sam Floca’s own personal Army history interests you at all, here’s a small clip of his oral testimony of his Vietnam War experience (a link to the entire portion is there if it piques at all). “Anyone who tells you that they weren’t afraid in combat is either a liar or a fool,” he says at one point. Yep…that about captures it- Floca at his absolute best. He’s a national treasure, and I will cherish every moment I have with him.

 

 

2016 Bruins Offseason, Boston Bruins, Frank Vatrano Leave a comment

The undrafted free agents: Frank Vatrano

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TSP is back with the second installment in a series that looks closely at undrafted free agents that have helped to offset some of the lack of production the Boston Bruins got from drafting, especially from the window of 2007-09.

Whether talking about the team not getting great mileage out of NHL Entry Draft decisions or the loss of productivity incurred from trades of the top choices in 2010 and 2011, the success with several undrafted free agents is encouraging. In the 2015-16 drafts, the B’s have had nine first- and second-round selections, so the club is bound to see some impactful contributions from that particular group soon. In the meantime, players such as Torey Krug, Kevan Miller, Frank Vatrano and Noel Acciari all saw NHL action in 2015-16. A few more young but intriguing undrafted talents such as Austin Czarnik, Colby Cave, Justin Hickman and Chris Casto are all slated to have bigger roles in the AHL with Providence this season, with one or more even seeing NHL time at some point.

This does not explain away Boston’s checkered past at the draft table, but it does point to an effective capability to identify and develop talent through a secondary market. If the team can start hitting on its higher profile draft picks, the B’s have a chance to turn things in a more positive direction.

Last year, one player in particular was not expected to have much of an impact in Boston, and yet dazzled AHL audiences while showing NHL opponents he belonged. When all is said and done, this plucky young winger from Western Massachusetts could be on the verge of becoming a fan favorite and regular contributor in the NHL going forward.

Frank Vatrano played one game with UMass in 2013-14 before switching to No. 13 in 2014-15

Frank Vatrano played one game with UMass in 2013-14 before switching to No. 13 in 2014-15

The Springfield Rifle: Frank Vatrano

The call never came.

In all reality, Frank Vatrano probably wasn’t expecting to hear his name called in primetime. So when U.S. National Team Development Program players and teammates Jacob Trouba, Brady Skjei, and Stefan Matteau all came off the board in the first 30 selections at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft in Pittsburgh, it was another validation for the strength of the Team USA hockey program and the many sacrifices they all made for two years in Ann Arbor. What hockey player doesn’t dream of being picked in the first round of the NHL draft, though? It would be natural to allow for that sliver of disappointment to creep in.

The call didn’t come in the second or third rounds either. Sure, Vatrano had heard the whispers around the scouting grapevine about the amount of weight he was carrying around on his smallish 5-foot-10 frame, but he’d been a dynamic scorer coming up through the ranks in New England as a scoring ace in the Empire League. The NHL’s Central Scouting Service rated him as the 88th North American skater for 2012, so chances were solid that someone would take him.

Nicolas Kerdiles, Patrick Sieloff…Matt Grzelcyk. Grizzy to the Bruins in the third round- there was his fellow Mass ‘dawg- living the dream. How amazing would it be to get drafted by the B’s and yet, there’s his fellow Team USA brother wearing the spoked-B jersey and draft day ball cap…sweet.

Thomas DiPauli, Connor Carrick, Collin Olson…three more guys from Ann Arbor in the middle rounds and the plus-sized lady is warming up her pipes.

When Riley Barber was selected 167th overall by Washington in the sixth round, no one yet knew it- but that was all she wrote for the 2011-12 U.S. NTDP Under-18 squad: 211 total choices, 10 of them from the gold medal-winning USA team.

The call never came. 30 teams making 211 picks, and not one of them had time for Gregory and Clara Vatrano’s kid (one of four boys) from East Longmeadow.

And of course he was happy for his mates, how could he not be?But even with that, a spark ignited a fire that day. A small one, to be sure- a flickering, sputtering little conflagration- but a fire nonetheless.

Soon, he would be at Boston College and soon, he would have the chance to prove to those 30 NHL clubs that they made a mistake in not drafting him. Vatrano made it to Chestnut Hill later that summer, but his NCAA dream was put on hold when an issue with his SAT score ruled him academically ineligible and as a result- on the outside looking in once again. Whatever his dreams and goals at BC might have been, they were gone in as quick as the instant it took him to fire a puck into the back of the net off the rush.

Instead of skating for the Eagles in 2012-13, Vatrano was putting pucks in the net for the EJHL’s Boston Jr. Bruins while trying to resolve his NCAA status. Looking back on it, being in limbo had to be the hardest thing for the bubbly, fun kid who loved the game and grew up rooting for all Boston teams, but the Big Bruins most of all. He was 17 and somewhere in the sea of thousands when the B’s paraded through the Boston streets on Duckboats, hoisting the Stanley Cup as last NHL team standing in 2011.

He would decide to transfer to UMass in nearby Amherst at the end of the season, and the 2013 NHL draft came and went once more with the Vatrano name nowhere to be found. And just when he thought he might be playing college hockey soon, the NCAA took their time in reviewing his case before ruling him ineligible for the 2013-14 regular season. Once again- Vatrano would have to wait.

But that fire that had started on the day of the 2012 NHL draft, though deprived of oxygen and fuel to feed it, continued to smolder and burn.

Vatrano persevered and even played his first NCAA game in March 2014 (a losing effort in a play-in after the regular schedule ended), but used the practice time and work with the Minutemen staff to prepare himself for the 2014-15 season. Even though the 2014 NHL draft was his final year of eligibility, Vatrano was already looking ahead to redemption and the chance to play a full season in college after missing out on so much.

“I just tried to keep a positive mindset. I worked on getting better and faster. I did a lot of weight training and worked on the defensive part of the game. I knew that I needed that in the Hockey East,” Vatrano told SBN college hockey correspondent Jeff Cox in early 2015.

2014-15 represented a major turning point for Vatrano. After a sluggish start, his offensive game took off, and he rose to the top of the Minutemen scoring chart, firing home 18 goals in 36 games. His 28 points were good for second on the team, which took a little bit of the edge off of another disappointing collective year. But the hockey…oh, to be playing again and to be going up and down the ice with the puck on his stick. Vatrano returned to doing what he knew best- scoring goals. And, as it turned out, his prowess did not go unnoticed.

That blaze within re-ignited a sense of purpose that had perhaps been dampened by the setbacks, but never extinguished.

When the hometown Bruins came calling in March of 2015, Vatrano gave up two remaining years of NCAA eligibility to make his childhood dream come true. They didn’t draft him, but the B’s wanted him, and that was good enough.

Vatrano played five AHL games with Providence and scored his first professional goal in the process. But, as he packed up for the summer and prepared for his first real test, his employers had one key piece of guidance for him: drop the weight.

So, several months later and 15 pounds lighter, Vatrano, who swore off his parents’ pizza and subs at the family business Antonio’s, arrived in Wilmington on a mission.

That spark on a day when the NHL had given him his first taste of the cold, results-oriented side of the professional sports business, was now a raging inferno. A quicker, faster, hungrier Vatrano jumped out immediately at rookie camp and then carried that over in Buffalo, when he and fellow undrafted forward Austin Czarnik forced everyone to sit up and take note while competing in a rookie tourney.

Vatrano wasn’t done and followed it up with 10 goals in his first 10 AHL games to start the season, including a 4-goal effort. That blazing start earned him his first NHL call-up and wouldn’t you know it- his big league debut came against none other than the hated Montreal Canadiens on the road at the Bell Center.

His dad and uncle (by marriage) had their own adventure of a road trip to get there in time, but they made it and saw him tally his first NHL goal, albeit in a losing effort. He kept right on scoring in the AHL and again in Boston later in the year, and then earned a spot on Team USA’s World Championship team, adding three more scalps and eight points in 10 games while representing his country in hockey again after winning the 2012 U18 tourney.

Frank Vatrano…the Springfield Rifle. A new nickname was born for a rising young star, never mind the fact he’s from East Longmeadow- close enough.

The kid who had so loved hockey and always reveled in finding the back of the net has done it in the NHL. Now, the trick, as most NHL veterans would tell you, is in staying there.

Vatrano’s eye-popping numbers- 36 goals and 55 points in 36 AHL games- are tempered by the slightly less dazzling eight NHL goals in 39 games with Boston. Vatrano also managed to throw an NHL hat trick into that mix. In the process, he impressed Claude Julien with his natural hustle and willingness to embrace the defensive aspects of the B’s system, even if it didn’t come as a natural fit.

And as for his Team USA buddy, Grzelcyk? He’s now in the fold with an NHL contract in hand, but ironically enough- after being drafted by Boston and playing a full four years at Boston University, he’s still looking to get into his first NHL game. If ever there was a real-life hockey metaphor about the tortoise and the hare parable, this is it.

So, what’s next for Vatrano? Can he somehow earn his way into a top-six role on the left side of Boston’s forward lineup? Can he make it inside the top-nine? Will that fire that burns inside of of him continue to drive him to newer heights?

“Scoring goals is one thing and he’s always been able to do that,” one NHL scout told the Scouting Post recently when asked about Vatrano. “But the thing that made me take notice about him last year beyond the obvious weight loss, was how much energy and desire he played with. If he can sustain that, it’s not hard to see how he might turn out to be a pretty nifty two-way threat for Boston for some time. I don’t think many of us saw that coming.”

Vatrano’s far from a finished product, but when you look at how far he’s come in such a short amount of time, you can almost see the flames through the twinkle of his eyes whenever he scores another goal or smiles as he talks about the work he put in to achieve his ultimate goal.

It only took a spark to get that bonfire going, but the personal discipline, singular focus and desire helped it along. The kid never gave up, and four years later, it doesn’t even matter that Vatrano wasn’t anyone’s draft choice. At 22, he seems to be scratching the surface of his potential, and the B’s are set to benefit.

Where once he was driven just to get to a point in time where he could be called an NHL player, the Springfield Rifle now has his sights set on becoming so much more.

2015-16 NHL goals video (Bruins Fan):

 

 

 

 

2016 Bruins Offseason, Austin Czarnik, Boston Bruins, Boston Bruins prospects, Frank Vatrano, Noel Acciari, Torey Krug , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

The undrafted free agents: Torey Krug

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Torey Krug, David Krejci and Tommy Cross at training camp. Photo by Alison Foley

Torey Krug, David Krejci and Tommy Cross at training camp. Photo by Alison Foley

One can argue that a lack of draft pedigree and the retention of those top-10 picks that the Boston Bruins scored with in 2010 and 2011 is a significant factor in the team’s recent two-year, non-playoff slide.

The flip side to that argument is that the B’s have been able to remain competitive in the Atlantic Division, and aside from last spring’s implosion in the last 25 days, a big reason for that are the contributions of several undrafted free agents to the club’s fortunes.

All three of Torey Krug, Frank Vatrano and Noel Acciari were completely passed over in NHL draft.  The trio went on to play NCAA hockey and eventually signed with Boston, all of them seeing NHL action pretty soon afterwards. In Krug’s case, he’s become one of the team’s most reliable two-way defenders, recently inking a four-year extension. Vatrano and Acciari could both take big steps this year as key contributors while providing different roles in Boston. A fourth free agent, Austin Czarnik, is coming off a very good rookie pro season in the AHL last year and could push for NHL playing time as well, as could journeyman defender Chris Casto (signed in 2013) and former Swift Current (WHL) captain Colby Cave is in the mix down in Providence as well.

Some will say that the lack of former first-round picks puts the Bruins at a disadvantage, but when you consider that Brett Connolly (now with Washington) was the highest-drafted player on the roster from a year ago, draft position isn’t as important as the consistency and production. Without the early draft positions of teams that bottom-out in the standings, the B’s are going to have to keep making hay by finding players wherever they can, and players like Krug and Vatrano are showing that you don’t have to be a top selection to make an impact.

This post, one of several that will go into detail on each undrafted free agent on the Boston roster, looks at Krug, who has been the team’s biggest success since joining the club in the spring of 2012.

He’s proven his mettle: Torey Krug

One of the things the 25-year-old defenseman and veteran of 241 NHL games usually brings up when you talk to him about how he beat the odds without the natural size or a draft pedigree to reach hockey’s highest level is the fact that he grew up with three brothers who all helped immeasurably to toughen him up. The word the Krugs all like to use is “mettle,” and since breaking into the NHL, Boston’s No. 47 has proven his mettle time and time again.

But, in order to begin to understand what makes him tick and drives him, you have to go back well before his time with the Bruins.

A supremely gifted athlete, Kyle and Cheryl Krug’s third of four sons often had to contend with older brothers Adam and Matt, who didn’t cut their diminutive but fiery younger sibling any slack despite a significant age gap between them. With eight and six years respectively on Torey, they were much more physically advanced, which meant they usually prevailed in physical contests. Note the use of the word usually in lieu of always, and young Torey learned at a tender age how to use guile and cleverness to gain an advantage wherever he could (remember that- it becomes important later on). Youngest brother Zak (who didn’t play hockey, instead choosing volleyball as a NCAA student athlete), Torey says, is the most competitive of all of them. The Krug brothers brought out the best in each other, and those intra-family rivalries helped to build a foundation that paved the way for the third Krug son’s NHL success in the wake of his older brothers’ college and pro hockey example.

The former Michigan State captain (named to that position as a 19-year-old sophomore- a rarity that speaks to his character and ability to inspire) has always been driven by his love of family, passion for hockey and the slights and doubts that have dogged him since he was a standout minor player, buzzing around the ice and making players much bigger than he was look quite small by comparison.

His dad, who played at Eastern Michigan and is a well-known coach in and around Detroit, helped build a suit of armor around his son as Torey progressed up the elite hockey ladder there, teaching him the hard lessons that went well beyond the systems their teams executed. There were times when other kids and parents whispered that Torey got preferential treatment as the coach’s son, but the reality is that Krug was pushed harder than anyone else, and he earned that ice time the old fashioned way. When you consider that folks still talk about Kyle Krug cutting some kid named Mike Modano from one of his teams back in the day, it isn’t hard to realize that Coach Krug drove his son harder than anyone else, but he did it to bring the best out of him. Mission accomplished.

Yet, even as Krug excelled in the sport as a teen, college programs kept their distance. Unfortunately for him, the size bias he faced as a high schooler wouldn’t end there. Ultimately, Krug has taken relish in proving the doubters wrong time after time since then, but it was a bitter pill for him to swallow when he would see inferior players his age being recruited and locked up to scholarships while he received tepid D1 NCAA interest at best.

However, as he began to look ahead to his final year of high school for the 2008-09 season, there was one team that came calling. Krug’s willingness to take some risk by leaving home at 17 to play in the much more rugged USHL- a junior league dominated by older, bigger, stronger players provided him with an opportunity to not only win a championship, but put Krug on a path that would bring him to Boston and the NHL just three short years later.

The Indiana Ice convinced him to leave his family in Detroit for Indianapolis. It was a major sacrifice to give up a comfortable situation and play at a much higher level than he was used to, but he went, because if you haven’t figured it out by now- Krug has never backed down from any challenge. And wouldn’t you know it- a young coach named Jeff Blashill, who would one day rise to take a position behind the bench of Krug’s beloved Detroit Red Wings, saw the young defender’s potential and gave him the ice time and trust with which to flourish. Although it wasn’t enough to get him drafted into the NHL that June, Krug’s 10 goals and 47 points in 59 games (very impressive numbers for a 17-year-old rookie defenseman in that league) secured him a place with the Michigan State Spartans, where he would go on to have three fine seasons in East Lansing (and where he got engaged to the love of his life, wife Melanie).

The Bruins could have drafted him, but didn’t. Heck all 29 other teams are in the same boat, and while the bidding was fierce for him in 2012 after a 12-goal, 34 point (38 games) junior season, Krug remembered the interest Boston had showed in him early on. Give Boston assistant amateur scouting director Scott Fitzgerald an assist- he and others in the organization too the time and cultivated a relationship with Krug before he decided to leave school. Even though the B’s courted disaster by not investing a draft pick to secure his rights when they should have, they still got their guy.

Give Krug an apple as well- he could have  chosen from several NHL destinations that might have afforded him a shorter path to the big show given the B’s were just one year removed from winning a Stanley Cup and still had a solid veteran defense in place, but personal principles matter to Torey Krug. Why? Because that’s how Kyle and Cheryl Krug raised him, and he learned the game and personal discipline from his dad, but also courage, selflessness and commitment from his mom. He chose Boston because those are the values he learned from following Adam and Matt around observing their sacrifices and work to play hockey at the pro level. He didn’t just grab the money and quickest path to the NHL because he recognized his youngest brother’s personal courage at walking away from the family’s focus on hockey to blaze his own successful trail in a different sport. The biggest difference between those other teams and Boston is that back when Krug was trying to establish himself at Michigan St., the B’s were the ones who took the time to say they believed in him. Those other guys? Johnny-come-latelies, walking through the door of the party after the main event already happened.

Before you confidently declare that athletes will only act in their self interests, take a moment and remember what Torey Krug did.

Four years and a lockout that wiped out half of the 2012-13 campaign later, Krug led all Boston defensemen in scoring last season with 44 points. Though he scored just four goals, he also played much of the year with one arm, having offseason shoulder surgery that is expected to make him right again. He’s at a disadvantage when it comes to size, but Claude Julien has talked repeatedly about how smart Krug is and how he uses his natural wits to outthink opponents and make the right defensive plays. Some out there might declare that he can’t play defense, but the film study and analytics don’t lie. Every NHL defenseman, no matter how accomplished, gets beaten for a goal on occasion, but Krug is far more effective with and without the puck on his stick in his own end than some give him credit for. Just like he did with his brothers, Krug often outsmarts the opposition and thinks the game at such a high level that he can more than compensate for what he gives away physically to a bigger, stronger forward in most situations.

That intelligence and the white-hot fire that burns within Krug’s heart are what define him as an NHL defenseman. They are what convinced the Bruins that he was absolutely worth burning a year off his ELC to secure, and going forward- is the kind of player who you can expect will do all in his power to get the B’s back on track. The team barely missed the playoffs in April and he was playing on just one arm. Think of what a fully healthy and established Krug might help the team accomplish.

That’s the Krug family mettle taking over again, and if you don’t believe it- just ask them to show you their tattoos. Mettle is much more than a word to them, and they’ve got the ink to prove it.

Torey Krug played at Michigan State from 2009-12 before signing with Boston after his junior season.

Torey Krug played at Michigan State from 2009-12 before signing with Boston after his junior season.

 

 

 

 

2016 Bruins Development Camp, 2016 Bruins Offseason, Anders Bjork, Boston Bruins prospects, Cameron Hughes, Charles McAvoy, Jack Becker, Jake DeBrusk, Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, Jesse Gabrielle, Matt Benning, Podcasts, Ryan Donato, Ryan Fitzgerald, Ryan Lindgren, Trent Frederic, Wiley Sherman, Zachary Senyshyn 2 Comments

Bruins post-development camp prospect check- the Amateurs

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McAvoy2

We’re back with part 2 of the mid-summer look at where the prospects in the Boston Bruins organization stack up.

As previously mentioned in part 1 when we reviewed 23 of the prospects who will play in the pro hockey ranks this coming season, this is a subjective list based on multiple inputs to include (but not limited to) live viewings and film study, input from members of the Bruins organization and some sources around the NHL not with Boston, media and fan observers who attended the recent development camp in Wilmington from July 12-15.

This is just one view and take- there will no doubt be disagreement, but I would offer that even if the Bruins as an organization released their own rankings of where they think their prospects stack up from 1 to 40-something, folks would still take issue with it. We would live in a mighty boring world if everything was definitive and we agreed on everything.

So, with that in mind, here is the supplemental podcast (complete with Dirty Harry theme music from the early 1970’s) and the write-ups on the kids expected to spend the season in the amateur ranks for 2016-17.

The Amateurs (NCAA and CHL/major junior)

  1. Charlie McAvoy, RD  Plus: The 14th overall pick has the skating and sense to become a legitimate two-way presence on the blue line in the NHL one day; watch for him to take a significant step forward in his development during his sophomore season at Boston University. Minus: He’s only about 6-foot tall; lacks the kind of ideal NHL height for the position, and needs to keep honing his judgment and decisions as an aggressive offensive player who can at times get too far up the ice.
  2. Zach Senyshyn, RW Plus: A year after tallying 26 goals on the bottom line and without much special teams time, the 15th selection in 2015 scored 45 goals to lead the Soo Greyhounds; he’s a big, explosive and skilled scoring presence on the right side. Minus: The goals are great, but the 19-year-old has work to do in his 200-foot game; he has a tendency to wait for the next scoring chance or let others go and get him the puck.
  3. Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, RC Plus: When it comes to maturity, poise and a complete game at the center position, no prospect brings more promise than the BU sophomore; he’s already earned an ‘A’ on his sweater, and has drawn positive comparisons to Patrice Bergeron for his pure intelligence and playing style. Minus: The Stockholm native and 45th overall pick from 2015 does’t seem to have the kind of exciting and dynamic offensive upside of others in his draft class, but he’s one of those players who will likely play 10-15 years as a key cog because he can do a little bit of everything.
  4. Jeremy Lauzon, LD Plus: Underrated no more after a 50-point season (he only played in 46 games due to WJC camp and injuries); 2015 second-rounder has skill, smarts and some jam/toughness as a two-way D prospect who keeps getting better. Minus: He gets lost in the sauce a bit with all of the competition for blue line jobs in Boston; had a tough time staying healthy with a variety of injuries including a serious skate cut to the neck that could have severed a nerve and ended his career.
  5. Ryan Donato, LC (Scituate, Mass.) Plus: Coming into his own after a strong freshman season at Harvard; was one of Boston’s real standouts at the development camp, showcasing his high-end hockey sense and hands throughout. Minus: Still several years away from competing for an NHL job; needs to keep developing the physical aspect of his game and must continuing moving forward in his three-zone progress.
  6. Jake DeBrusk, LW Plus: High-end hands plus very good hockey IQ/offensive creativity make DeBrusk a legitimate scoring threat every time he has the puck on his stick; good attitude and drive- overcame a debilitating lower body injury early in the season to finish strong in the WHL playoffs and Memorial Cup tournament. Minus: His size and strength are pretty average and he might be ‘tweener right now in terms of not quite being ready physically for the pro hockey grind- could return to the WHL for his overage season.
  7. Jakub Zboril, LD Plus: Came to camp leaner and in better shape with more jump and energy than was reported a year ago; when on his game has all the tools in the toolbox to be a No. 2 or 3 two-way NHL D with some bite and nastiness on the physical side.  Minus: At times loses his focus and appears disinterested; the positive strides last week are encouraging, but Zboril still has to prove that he can maintain his intensity and consistency over a longer period of time. He has impressive big league potential if he can put it all together.
  8. Jesse Gabrielle, LW Plus: Surprise (maybe not to him and his supporters) 40-goal scorer after being picked in the fourth round a year ago plays the kind of scoring game with an edge that Boston fans love; has worked himself into excellent shape and added strength and mass since being drafted. Minus: Will have to guard against a letdown season now that WHL opponents will be keying on him this year; as a ’97-born player he has to make the Boston roster out of camp or go back for a full season with Prince George- he can’t play in the AHL on a full-time basis yet.
  9. Ryan Lindgren, LD Plus: All-around skilled and hard-nosed defender is a proven leader and player; Minnesota product has no flaws in his game and could be the captain-in-waiting of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers if he spends enough years there. Minus: He’s only about 6-feet in height, so given his physical nature, he will face some limitations in certain matchups and could pay the price physically; there isn’t a ton of dynamic upside here.
  10. Ryan Fitzgerald, LC (North Reading, Mass.) Plus: Feisty, gritty center erupted offensively as a junior with his finest season for BC- will contend for the 2017 Hobey Baker Award. He’s got terrific hockey sense and a nonstop motor that inspires teammates and infuriates opponents. Minus: The size and skating concerns have followed him since before the long-time Massachusetts minor hockey standout was drafted at the end of the fourth round three years ago. Might need to move to wing to thrive as a pro.
  11. Anders Bjork, RW Plus: One of the top performers last week at development camp with his speed and energy, it all comes after he surprisingly let the Fighting Irish in scoring as a sophomore last season. Minus: Bjork is an interesting player to watch- he was a late fifth-round pick in 2014 and could be one who tries to leverage  path to free agency if the Bruins are unable to sign him this year.
  12. Trent Frederic, LC Plus: The polarizing pick in the 2016 draft’s first round has settled concerns down some with his fine size, athletic ability and willingness to roll up the sleeves and get to work. He’s a strong two-way player and solid citizen who might just be scratching the surface in terms of his offensive game and potential. Minus: There’s not a lot to get excited about here- Frederic has impressive physical tools but is raw and might not ever be much more than a bottom-six forward assuming he reaches the top rung of the pro hockey ladder.
  13. Wiley Sherman, LD (Greenwich, Conn.) Plus: Huge (6-7) defender is such a fluid, impressive skater for one so big and that’s always been his calling card going back to his days at the Hotchkiss School.  Minus: Scouts are divided on his long-term potential: the physical tools are on another level, but can Sherman react and process the game effectively enough to thrive in the NHL?
  14. Cameron Hughes, LC Plus: Highly skilled, creative playmaker was a late-round pick out of the Wisconsin Badgers and showed solid progression in his sophomore season with 25 points in 32 games- watch for his production to go up with new coaches who will lean on him. Minus: He’s a smallish player trapped in a light 6-foot frame that isn’t going to get all that bigger based on the body type; while talented, he can be neutralized by teams with size and mobility on the blue line.
  15. Matt Benning, RD Plus: Smart, opportunistic defender who plays bigger than his 6-foot frame and has been a standout at Northeastern over the past three seasons. Minus: Benning was not asked to attend development camp, and according to the ProJo’s Mark Divver, that could be a harbinger to his imminent departure from the organization either via trade or by pursuing similar action by Kevin Hayes, Mike Reilly and Jimmy Vesey to play out the NCAA string in 2017 and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
  16. Cam Clarke, RD Plus: Smooth-skating intelligent rearguard can move the puck and excels with extra time and space as a PP QB; he’ll get a chance at premium playing time right off the bat at Ferris State. Minus: He’s still quite raw and observers pointed to times during the development camp when he was a little behind compared to other players. Clarke was drafted in the fifth round as a known project, and the payoff will take time if at all.
  17. Joona Koppanen, LC Plus: Big (6-5) center has the skating and smarts to make the NHL one day in more of a defensive, shutdown role; he’s seriously considering the NCAA path, which would be a good step for him.  Minus: There’s just not a whole lot there in terms of hands, offensive skill and long-term potential beyond being a serviceable bottom-liner and journeyman.
  18. Jack Becker, RC Plus: 6-foot-3 power center as some impressive finishing skills, especially in close when time and space are lacking; shows some intriguing offensive potential in flashes after a solid but unspectacular USHL season in Sioux Falls. He scored a memorable breakaway goal in the camp-ending scrimmage. Minus: University of Wisconsin-bound 2015 7th-rounder was once described as “thorny” by a scout in that he’s got a lot of developing ahead, and like Clarke- was said to struggle at times in camp last week with the pace and demands of the drills.
Trent Frederic was Boston's 2nd choice, 29th overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft

Trent Frederic was Boston’s 2nd choice, 29th overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft

2016 Bruins Offseason, 2016-17 AHL season, Anton Blidh, Austin Czarnik, Boston Bruins prospects, Brandon Carlo, Brian Ferlin, Colby Cave, Colin Miller, Colton Hargrove, Danton Heinen, Emil Johansson, Frank Vatrano, Justin Hickman, Malcolm Subban, Matt Grzelcyk, Noel Acciari, Oskar Steen, Peter Cehlarik, Podcasts, Rob O'Gara, Sean Kuraly, Seth Griffith, Zane McIntyre , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Boston Bruins post-development camp prospect check- the Pros

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Heinen

The purpose of this two-post series is to make a quick snapshot of where one analyst sees the Boston Bruins’ professional prospect depth chart stacking up after the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and this past week’s development camp. We’ll start with he professional players who are expected to be in Providence or in the North American and European pro ranks this season. On Monday, we’ll hit the amateur (NCAA and junior players).

Caveat up front- I did not personally attend development cam this year, so am basing my assessment on feedback from members of the Bruins organization, media and fans who were there in person to see the players. I have seen every prospect on the list, either on film or live, so the bulk of this assessment comes not from four days of on-ice drills and a 3-on-3 scrimmage, but from a season and in several cases, multiple years worth of evaluation. Note- I am only covering players aged 25 or under, so that takes Tommy Cross out of the mix on this list for those who might be wondering. Noel Acciari  and Chris Casto just make the cut as December 1991-born players.

Here we go, and I’ve done an audio file to supplement the limited write-ups below, so for all you Bruins hockey junkies, there’s more content in this post than ever…tell your friends!

The Pros (AHL, ECHL or Europe)

  1. Frank Vatrano, LW (East Longmeadow, Mass.) Plus: Put up mind-boggling numbers with 36 goals (55 points) in as many AHL games, while adding another eight goals in 39 NHL games with the big Bruins. The undrafted free agent turned himself into a sleek scoring machine as a rookie pro and is primed for a bigger Boston role this year. Minus: Without ideal NHL height, Frank the Tank will have to maintain a high-energy pace and work in all three zones to maximize his potential.
  2. Danton Heinen, RW Plus: After two high-end scoring years as a collegian, he put up a pair of assists in his second AHL game last spring; with his genius-level hockey IQ and slick hands, the 2014 fourth-rounder could earn an NHL job right away. Minus: He’s about 6-foot and not even 200 pounds, so he’s going to have his hands full with the increased speed and physicality of the pro game.
  3. Brandon Carlo, RD Plus: Like Heinen, Carlo’s on a positive trajectory at making the Bruins right away- he’s 6-5 and can really skate and move, already a beast in his own end, something Boston lacked down the stretch a year ago. Minus: Not all that instinctive in the offensive end; could stand to play a lot of minutes in more of a top role and on the power play to try and tease more offensive production and build confidence.
  4. Rob O’Gara, LD Plus: At 6-4 and north of 220 pounds, this premier shutdown/defensive mind can also skate extremely well for one so big- his speed and footwork has always been advanced, and the rest of his game has come along quite well in the five years since he was drafted in the fifth round. Minus: More of a “safe” prospect than one you would assign talk of high “upside” or “ceiling” to, O’Gara isn’t quite the physical specimen Carlo is (they’re close), but he may be a more complete defender when all is said and done.
  5. Colin Miller, RD Plus: “Chiller” has top-shelf skating, passing, shooting skills; showed off some offensive flair in his first NHL campaign, putting up a respectable 16 points in 42 games despite not having an overabundance of ice time/becoming a spare part in the season’s second half. Minus: The former LA Kings farmhand has a lot of work to do on the defensive side in terms of processing/making better decisions and improving his three-zone play.
  6. Austin Czarnik, C Plus: Dazzling offensive center impressed in his first rookie pro year with 50+ points to back up his tremendous speed, lightning-quick hands and ubermensch-worthy vision/hockey sense. Minus: At barely 5-8 (and that’s probably being charitable) the former Miami RedHawks captain wasn’t drafted, and will have to overcome size concerns at a position the Bruins are pretty deep at.
  7. Malcolm Subban, G Plus: The progress has been slower than expected, but there is no doubt that he’s one of the more dazzling athletic talents at the position and when healthy, has shown some major league promise. Minus: The fractured larynx was a significant setback, and if it hasn’t been one thing for Subban, it’s been another (    outplaying him in 2014-15)- this is the year that he proves his worth to Boston and justifies his selection in the 2012 first-round once and for all.
  8. Noel Acciari, C (Johnston, R.I.) Plus: Ace two-way center earned his way to Boston for a 19-game stint at the end of the year after being an undrafted free agent less than a year earlier; a good skater, superb faceoff man and intelligent, charismatic 24-year-old who plays the game hard, but clean- he’s got a lot in common with Patrice Bergeron, without the scoring. Minus: With just one NHL assist- there isn’t a whole lot of scoring in the well for the one-time captain of Providence College’s 2015 championship squad; as he turns 25 in Dec., there probably isn’t a whole lot of development left- he’s a solid, if unspectacular grinding bottom-line pivot.
  9. Matt Grzelcyk, LD (Charlestown, Mass.) Plus: When it comes to speed, sense, and spirit/heart- they aren’t built much better than the Townie, whose veins probably bleed black and gold; the former BU captain is an ultra-slick puck-moving defender who can push the pace and get the puck out of his own end with ease. Minus: At about 5-foot-10, Grzelcyk is going to have his hands full forcing his way into Boston’s top-six D rotation and might have to benefit from some luck and minors time to get there.
  10. Peter Cehlarik, RW Plus: Big-bodied Slovak plays the off-wing and signed with Boston after spending four years playing pro hockey in Sweden; he’s got a nice 6-foot-2 frame plus some offensive chops as a late third-round pick in 2013. Minus: He’s just an okay skater- he’s gotten better and can move pretty well in a straight line, but his first few steps and acceleration are clunky; he’s not great at the quick stops/starts/direction change and it will be interesting to see how he adapts to the smaller North American ice surface.
  11. Zane McIntyre, G Plus: When it comes to drive and character, they don’t come much better than the native of Thief River Falls, Minn. who once earned top goalie honors in that state- named for former Bruins great Frank Brimsek; whenever tested, the 2010 sixth-rounder has always responded with dramatic improvement and maturity beyond his years. Minus: It was a tough transition to pro hockey for the NCAA’s best goalie; he’s got technique issues to work through and will have to fend off fellow pro Daniel Vladar for internal crease competition.
  12. Seth Griffith, RW Plus: Despite the odds working against a smallish forward without dynamic wheels, the 2012 fifth-rounder has seen NHL action in each of the past two seasons; he’s a highly creative scoring mind with the superb puck skills to set up plays or finish them off. Minus: We so want to have Griffith higher on the list, but what is he at the NHL level? Scorer? Checking forward? We probably know the answer to the second question, so he’ll have to make it in the top-two lines- good luck.
  13. Daniel Vladar, G Plus: Huge (6-5), athletic and learning- he put up pretty nice numbers with the Chicago Steel of the USHL in his first North American season; very tough to beat on the first shot and improving his technique. Minus: After the B’s signed him to a 3-year ELC in the spring, where is the still quite raw Czech native going to play next year? ECHL? AHL? Europe? Clock is now ticking on his timeline.
  14. Linus Arnesson, D Plus: A bit of a forgotten man and 2013 second-rounder didn’t forget how to play- he’s got good size, can skate, make a clean first pass and is a smart, savvy defensive player even if he’s very much on the vanilla side of the red line. Minus: Nagging injuries kept Arnesson from getting out of second gear, and questions about his vision and ability to process the game well in the offensive aspects mean that at best, he’s probably a 4/5 at the NHL level assuming he ever gets there.
  15. Brian Ferlin, RW Plus: Looking for someone who can play the right side effectively and has enough size to drive through traffic and skill to make things happen around the net? Ferlin’s your guy. Minus: After a promising rookie pro season in 2014-15 that saw him see seven NHL games near the end, a concussion forced him out of most of this year- he’s got a lot of work ahead to put himself back to the fore.
  16. Sean Kuraly, C Plus: With his pro-style body (6-2, 210) and wide skating base, the Ohioan gets around the ice pretty well and has shown the potential to be a solid if unspectacular bottom-six option, either at center or more likely on the wing somewhere. Minus: There’s just not a whole lot to get excited about when it comes to Kuraly’s hands and creativity- when forced to carry more of an offensive load for Miami U. as a senior, he flamed out.
  17. Anton Blidh, LW Plus: You gotta love this energetic, abrasive little cuss of a Swedish forward who plays bigger than his size and stands out with his pure hustle and physical style. Minus: Unless you’re fine with him on Boston’s fourth line (which is A-OK) there’s simply not enough pure talent/ability in our view for much of an impact at the NHL level.
  18. Colby Cave, C Plus: Fine skater with a fine two-way hockey IQ and the raw leadership skills that will be an asset in any room. Minus: We just don’t see much in terms of high-level skill, so he’ll have to win a spot on the bottom lines while swimming in a pretty deep pool.
  19. Chris Casto, RD Plus: With his thick build and pretty quick feet to go with a bomb of a shot, Casto is a bit like Arnesson in that he’s not suited to ride around near the top of Boston’s prospect lists; he just spent three years in Providence after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota-Duluth and was qualified, so that speaks to the fact that the B’s saw something in him worth keeping around. Minus: Every team needs solid, safe, unspectacular players to feed their minor league farm teams and Casto might be that guy- unless the B’s get into a real pickle with injuries this season, it’s hard to envision him being seriously in the mix as a regular.
  20. Colton Hargrove, LW Plus: Put up surprising numbers in his first full AHL campaign; big, gritty power winger is heavy on the puck and finds ways to get dirty goals- one tough nut. Minus: There’s a lot of competition for bottom-six jobs and Hargrove  needs to improve his foot speed and maintain his focus/drive. He’s getting there.
  21. Emil Johansson, LD Plus: Another Swede in the Boston system- he impressed at development camp after a real strong finish to the Swedish pro season with HV71; he skates well and moves the puck with gusto- something the B’s desperately need. Minus: Excelling at drills against amateurs when you’re playing pro hockey overseas is one thing, being able to process, read and react in the NHL is another- still not sold on the 2014 seventh-rounder’s ultimate big league potential.
  22. Justin Hickman, F Plus: Coming off shoulder surgery, it was a frustrating year for the Seattle Thunderbirds captain and power forward who was slow out of the gate and never recovered. Minus: Undrafted free agent just another physical forward in a sea of them, but could rebound and improve his stock with better health and more confidence after playing through a challenging rookie season.
  23. Oskar Steen, F Plus: Energetic and gritty; excellent skater who has a low center of gravity and powers through would-be checkers while taking pucks tot he net. Minus: He probably deserves a better fate than to be at the bottom of the list, but someone has to bring up the rear- reports said he showed quite nicely in drills at development camp but was not as noticeable in the scrimmage/replicated game situations. A 5-9 forward has to be better at that.
2016 Bruins Development Camp, 2016 Bruins Offseason, Boston Bruins prospects, Ryan Donato, Wiley Sherman , , , , Leave a comment

RyDo n’ the (Sherman) Tank- B’s find promise in Harvard duo

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Ryan Donato

Ryan Donato and Wiley Sherman are both Boston Bruins prospects. But first and foremost, they’re teammates and friends on the Harvard University Crimson.

The two bear a striking contrast in style and stature, but when it comes to substance- both made quite an impression this week at the recently concluded NHL development camp in Wilmington, Mass.

Donato is more of a hot shot prospect than Sherman is. He’s the coach’s kid at Cambridge- a man who knows firsthand what his son is going through. Nearly 30 years ago, Ted Donato was a high school superstar at legendary Catholic Memorial, a Hyde Park native drafted by his hometown Bruins in 1987. He stayed home and went on to win an NCAA title at Harvard (the school’s only championship) in 1989, played for the U.S. Olympic team after graduating in 1991, and joined the Bruins in the spring of 1992. Little Ryan came along four years later, and in 2014, the B’s made Ted and Jeannine Donato’s eldest of four children their second-round selection (56th overall).

If Ryan was born into this Boston hockey legacy, then Sherman comes via a different path and has been much more unheralded in his development. A native of Greenwich, Conn. who like most kids from that region of New England, owes his childhood sports allegiances to New York and the Rangers in particular, Sherman didn’t grow up around the FleetCenter and TDGarden the way Donato has. Nonetheless, a product of the Hotchkiss School Bearcats prep program, Sherman hasn’t found it tough to switch his focus to Boston after coming to the Ivy League two years ago.

“Wiley is a great guy on and off the ice,” Donato told the Scouting Post via text. “Many people don’t realize it- he looks skinny because he’s so tall but he’s actually very strong. He’s probably one of the hardest guys that I’ve ever gone 1-on-1 against.”

The “Sherman tank” is about 6-foot-7 and weighing in around 220 pounds these days. The scary thing is- he’s going to get a lot heavier as he continues his growth and development. Boston’s fifth-round choice in 2013 was immediately identified as a project selection; a raw player whose impressive physical traits and surprisingly smooth and agile skating meant that with ample time and patience, he could make it all the way to the big show one day.

Three years after being drafted in Newark, with one of those seasons spent as a senior back at Hotchkiss, Sherman is a rising junior and coming off a three-goal, 10-point season. With his natural size, reach and effortless skating and footwork, he has a legitimate shot at one day being at the very least, a lower-pairing shutdown player who could be pretty effective if put on the ice with a partner who can also skate and move the puck.

“He’s tough, has a long reach and is quick,” said Donato. “He’s the type of guy who is a hard-nosed player that you hate going against in practice and then is one of your best friends off the ice.”

Not known for his physicality at the prep level, Donato said that Sherman has added some sandpaper to his game since arriving in Cambridge. History has certainly shown that big players don’t have to be bring the pure nastiness and intimidation factor of a Scott Stevens to be effective, so long as they are willing to use their natural size and strength to initiate contact and finish checks/do the hard work along the walls to separate opposition forwards from the puck.

Sherman probably doesn’t get enough credit for his ability to make an effective first pass and he has exhibited an absolute smoke show of a shot from the point, which is not surprising when you consider the kind of power he’s able to generate with his gigantic frame. Offense won’t likely be Sherman’s strong suit if he reaches the NHL, but he’s got potential to chip in with some points when needed. He’s an excellent athlete who also starred in lacrosse while at Hotchkiss and his brother, George, was a college LAX player at Brown as well.

“He always could move for such a huge kid,” an NHL scout for a Western Conference team recently quipped. Fans who were used to seeing Hal Gill lumbering around the ice over the course of 1,000+ NHL games are in for a bit of a treat with this guy. That’s not to say Sherman is assured of reaching the NHL and staying there, but in the right role, he could go on to have prolonged success, even if not in a top-three role.

As far as Donato goes, points at the next level do not seem to be an issue. He tallied 13 goals and 21 points in 32 games in his very first year in college. Those totals included a hat trick, and by the end of the season, the cerebral and skilled playmaking center was skating with a wealth of confidence. Part of that stemmed from being named to Team USA’s World Jr. Championship squad- he earned a bronze medal in Finland and tallied twice against Sweden in that decisive game (along with fellow B’s prospect Anders Bjork).

When Donato played at Dexter School in Brookline under his uncle, Dan Donato, he blossomed as one of the most dominant prep players in the past five years. The elder Donato rightly pointed out that because his nephew was so talented, the competition often game planned around him- doing all they could to stop him and often failing at it. Additionally, Donato was subjected to cheap, even dirty fouls in an effort to goad him into retaliating so he would come off the ice. He showed even then a high level of discipline to not take the bait and hurt his opponents where it mattered: on the scoreboard.

“The first thing you notice about Ryan is that he’s bigger than his dad,” said one New England-based NHL scout who was high on Donato in his draft year and has kept tabs on him since. “He’s not quite the skater Teddy was, but he’s got greater scoring potential because he’s got a great head for the game and just super hands. He’s always creating, always pushing the pace and finding ways to make plays in the offensive end.”

Like Sherman, the B’s drafted Donato with the idea of being patient with him and allowing him to come along on a more deliberate timeline. He played another year of prep at Dexter, sandwiched with junior experience with the South Shore Kings (USPHL) and Omaha Lancers (USHL) prior to attending Harvard. The numbers might have taken a bit of a dip in 2014-15, but Donato showed up to the Crimson ready to play.

“You’re going to hear about Donato just playing for his uncle and dad, nepotism and rah rah rah,” the scout said. “That’s some silly stuff, because whenever he’s been put on the spot, he’s performed. He needed to improve his fitness and conditioning, and he did it. It seems like some go out of their way to knock Ryan because he came out of prep, but he’s done a good job of playing through it and sinking that argument.”

Ryan Donato…or “RyDo” for the 140-character Twitter set if you please…is on the verge of breaking out with the departure of Hobey Baker-winning captain Jimmy Vesey. Who knows? Perhaps Donato will soon see Vesey at a Boston training camp in a few years, perhaps not. You wouldn’t blame him one bit if the Scituate native threw his own hat in the ring with his former Crimson teammate and pride of North Reading to try and convince him to stick closer to home, but with Vesey moving on, Donato is primed for a bigger role in his sophomore year.

And when it comes to big, Sherman is right in the middle of the conversation. Watch for him to log major minutes and much expanded usage in his final two seasons at Harvard.

RyDo and the Sherman tank are eager to take another big step forward, and with the two already having been teammates at the NCAA level, they’d love nothing more than to keep it all going when the time comes to turn pro.

“Great player and even better guy,” Donato said. And if you asked Sherman, the feeling is probably mutual.

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