With the 2021-22 hockey season well underway, the assessments are in for the state of the Boston Bruins system, and it is time to rank the organization’s top prospects.
“In general, the group as a whole has had a pretty solid first half,” Jamie Langenbrunner, Boston’s player development director, told New England Hockey Journal. “I don’t know if anyone has hit it out-of-the-park-type situations, but we’re seeing growth pretty much across the board, and that’s what we want. We pretty much have this philosophy with Providence and our whole development group, and that it’s a marathon not a sprint with these guys. We’re going to be patient and work with them. Sure, you want them ready for the NHL right now, but that’s not the reality, and it’s not been the reality in the last for to five years when we’ve been drafting later in every round. So, we’re taking on more projects, and I think we’ve done a good job of developing NHL players from where we’re picking, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
Although the race for No. 1 was close between the team’s two top draft selections in 2020 and 2021, Ohio State Buckeyes freshman Mason Lohrei got the nod based on his tremendous development curve since the B’s took him late in the second round two years ago. Given how critical the development of accomplished two-way defensemen is to NHL teams, Lohrei’s near point-per-game line in his first 22 collegiate games is worth noting.
Fabian Lysell, who slid to the B’s at pick 21 last July, is a flashy right wing whom the Bruins bought out of his Swedish pro contract and brought him over to play major junior with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. After a bit of an adjustment period, the Gothenburg native started heating up in November and December. He was named to Sweden’s World Junior Championship team but missed the first two contests with a non-COVID illness, only to see the entire event scrapped. He probably will need a year in the AHL with Providence but brings the kind of speed and skill the Bruins don’t have enough of.
Not to be forgotten is center Jack Studnicka, who put a down rookie season behind him and had a strong summer of training and exhibition games with the Bruins. Boston opted to return him to the Providence Bruins, where he could play a top-line role in the AHL. He has the smarts and talent to be a solid two-way NHL pivot, even if he might not reach the lofty offensive expectations that followed him out of Oshawa and Niagara of the OHL several years ago. After Lohrei, second-year pro Jack Ahcan is leading all Providence defenders in scoring and playing a major role on that club.
Boston’s prospects are a solid group of players, most of whom project to be middle- to lower-tier contributors in the NHL should they be able to establish themselves at that level. Oskar Steen’s emergence in Boston this season is proof that the B’s scouts have found ways to wring some production out of the latter portion of the draft. However, no players taken after 2017 have played a single game for the big club — a trend that must change soon. With former NHLers Langenbrunner and Boston fan favorite Adam McQuaid working with the prospects regularly, plus first-year head coach Ryan Mougenel leading the way for the AHL roster in Providence, the team is invested in growing the organization from within.
Lohrei and Lysell have the biggest upside but are still several years away from realizing it. Boston’s biggest need is at the center position. Even with Studnicka and John Beecher (2019 first round) and Brett Harrison (2021 third round) in the top 10, none project to be the kind of No. 1 or 2 pivots who can replace the impact and production of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.
It’s not as bad as some make it out to be, but years of drafting without volume or prime pick position mean that the B’s have had to get creative with undrafted free agents and find hidden gems. At some point, with so many other teams around the league collecting high-end talent via the draft, the Bruins will have their work cut out for them to keep pace in the coming years.
Top 10 Bruins prospects
1. Mason Lohrei, D
Ohio State, 1/17/01, left shot, 6-4/205
30 gp, 4-25-29, 20 PIM, +18
Upside: With his size, skating and offensive game, the 2021 USHL Defenseman of the Year (59 points) could end up being the prime piece on the left side that the team is missing right now. He has excellent hands and offensive instincts, with the height and length to break up plays off the rush or move opponents away from the front of his net.
Downside: As a converted forward, he still has much to learn defensively. He loves to get up ice and lead the attack, so playing within Boston’s structure will have a steep learning curve.
Quotable: “Mason’s been good. He’s adjusting to college hockey and he’s getting a great opportunity to play top power-play and top-pair minutes, and putting up points. I think his next step is to continue to grow on the defensive side; we’re working with him there and making good progress.” — Jamie Langenbrunner, Bruins player development director
ETA/projection: 2024. Lohrei has top-two pairing upside at the NHL level because what he does offensively, you can’t teach. Boston could sign him as early as this spring, but the smarter play might be to let him play another year at OSU, sign him in 2023, and give him the 2023-24 season in the AHL. At the same time, his top-end college production could speed up the timeline if his defense rounds into form.
2. Fabian Lysell, RW
Vancouver Giants, 1/19/03, right shot, 5-10/172
28 gp, 13-19-32, 30 PIM, +11
Upside: Elite speed and dazzling puck skills make him a threat to score on every shift. A power-play weapon who can thread the needle with on-target seam passes or unleash his shot with a lightning-fast release. From a pure talent perspective, he’s up with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak as the organization’s most dangerous forwards.
Downside: One-dimensional right now; will need to improve his all-around game. Smallish, light frame will need dedicated time in the weight room to build the functional strength needed in the NHL.
Quotable: “We’ve gone through a little bit of an adjustment period with him just moving from Europe to North America, which you expected. Credit to him, he’s been as open a kid as I’ve dealt with. He will tell you what he’s feeling, which has been really refreshing. In the last three or four weeks, we’ve seen his game take a step as he’s gotten more comfortable playing in the WHL and North America.” — Langenbrunner
ETA/projection: 2023. Lysell has top-two-line talent, but it might take him some time to realize it. The B’s will need to exercise patience — he likely won’t follow the same rapid timeline Pastrnak did.
3. Jack Studnicka, C
Providence Bruins, 2/18/99, left shot, 6-2/196
27 gp, 6-13-19, 20 PIM, -9
Upside: A natural centerman who can skate, provide secondary scoring and win a lot of faceoffs. Good character guy; a rink rat who wants to be a player and has dedicated himself to the details.
Downside: Not an offensive play driver. Confidence after a difficult 2020-21 campaign is still in rebuild mode.
Quotable: “He’s another kid you just root for. He loves hockey. He’s inquisitive. He wants to know how to make himself a more complete player. He wants it, he wants to be a player for the Bruins. I’m confident he will get there. His ability, his skill-set — he’s just got to be in a spot where he has a long runway. The more he plays, the better he gets.” — Ryan Mougenel, Providence Bruins head coach
ETA/projection: 2022. The days of thinking that he might be a Bergeron-lite in Boston are over, but Studnicka could become a staple on the third line and bring a respectable 30-40 points. Still in the mix to be a long-term Bruins player, even if expectations have to be brought down a bit from where they were three years ago.
4. Jack Ahcan, D
Providence Bruins, 5/18/97, left shot, 5-8/178
31 gp, 5-14-19, 8 PIM, -6
Upside: Scrappy little Minnesotan resembles Torey Krug in style and substance. Undrafted free agent (St. Cloud State), he can wheel, move pucks quickly and has a big shot. Plays with a real chip on his shoulder and is a good all-around defender/respected teammate.
Downside: Size always will be a limiting factor, so he will need to develop the tricks to outsmart opponents.
Quotable: “He’s a gamer. He wants to make an impact all the time. His offense is a gift; he’s just free-flowing and sees the game extremely well. Probably what’s not talked about enough is how well he defends. He’s inside, he’s in and out of guys’ gear, which means he doesn’t get stuck in there; he’s in there, he ends the play and then he’s out. Can he do it at the NHL level? I’m a big believer that he can.” — Mougenel
ETA/projection: 2022. Will start on the bottom pair and eventually should work his way up to second-pairing minutes and see time on the second PP unit. Another diamond-in-the-rough find to supplement the Boston draft, having earned the complete trust of the AHL coaching staff for his ability and consistent effort.
5. Brett Harrison, C
Oshawa Generals, 6/7/03, left shot, 6-3/182
37 gp, 18-19-37, 8 PIM, -4
Upside: Big-bodied pivot brings a shoot-first mindset and will soon blow by his career-best 21 goals in 58 games two years ago. Tall, rangy frame and can move up and down the sheet pretty well.
Downside: Needs a lot of work on his 200-foot game, must develop better habits away from the puck. A lot of room to fill out on that lanky frame.
Quotable: “His best hockey has come in the last two weeks, three weeks leading into the (holiday) break, so he’s been very productive. Similar to Fabian, he’s been productive on the power play; his 5-on-5 play was a little bit off early on, but it’s getting better.” — Langenbrunner
ETA/projection: 2025. The offensive numbers look good, but he should max out his time in major junior through 2023, and will then benefit from a couple of years in the minors. Has the ceiling of a second-line center, but only if he becomes a more reliable two-way player from what he is now. Time and patience required, but he was very good value at the end of the third round.
6. Jakub Lauko, LW
Providence Bruins, 3/28/00, left shot, 6-0/170
28 gp, 3-10-13, 34 PIM, -17
Upside: World-class skater is dynamic and has more skill than he gets credit for. He can drive past defenders with his speed and has some nifty east-west lateral agility. Underrated puck game and shot.
Downside: He’s young and still learning the smaller things and details that will allow him to keep a job in the NHL. There is some frustration and perhaps impatience, but he had not played more than 23 AHL games in a single season until this year, so he’s still pretty raw and inexperienced.
Quotable: “Jakub Lauko is without a doubt the most talented of all of them (in Providence). There’s maturity in his game that he has to grow into and he’s still really young. But from his thirst to complete a play and fire, too — he has a real competitive spirit — he should be knocking on the door. It’s coming.” — Mougenel
ETA/projection: 2022-23. Lauko could be ready for part-time NHL duty next season and if he stays with it, could earn regular time in 2023-24. Although he looked like a draft-day steal at 77th overall in 2018, his development has been slower than expected. Of all Boston’s prospects, he has the biggest boom/bust potential.
7. John Beecher, C/LW
Univ. of Michigan, 4/5/01, left shot, 6-3/210
21 gp, 4-4-8, 10 PIM, -3
Upside: A gorgeous skater — accelerates to top speed in just a few effortless strides and can go end-to-end like other Bruins of yore. With his big body and wheels, he has the ideal physical attributes of a power center.
Downside: Lacks skill and high-end creativity. He’s not a dumb hockey player by any means, but he doesn’t have the elite vision and hands to put up a lot of points.
Quotable: “High floor, low ceiling-type guy. He’s not a natural scorer, but he can really move for a kid that size, and if he embraces what he is, I see Beecher as a fourth-line staple in Boston for a long time, and he might be able to play up a bit. Sure, you probably want more scoring out of a first-rounder, but he’s a good player who gets a bit of a bad rap.” — NHL scout, Western Conference
ETA/projection: 2023. To be clear: Beecher will play in the NHL, and he could carve out a pretty lengthy career when all is said and done. However, for a first-round pick, he didn’t have the ceiling coming out of the NTDP, and his NCAA tenure has only deepened the doubts about his pro production. Whether he plays center or wing in the pros, he looks like a solid grinder/energy type, but at 30th overall, there were better options.
8. Urho Vaakanainen, D
Providence Bruins, 1/1/99, left shot, 6-2/200
23 gp, 1-7-8, 20 PIM, +6
Upside: Tall, rangy Finn is starting to show signs of life this season as a reliable defender who knows what he is. Very good agility and range to angle opponents to the outside and a good stick. Efficient puck mover.
Downside: There isn’t much of an offensive dimension, which is disappointing for a top-20 pick. After battling concussion injuries early in his pro career, there’s that feeling that he’s holding back at times.
Quotable: “He was a vanilla defenseman coming out of Finland, and not much has changed since he started playing in North America. He moves well and can defend, but I wouldn’t say that he’s all that hard to play against. He can be passive and play off of guys at times, and doesn’t have the puck game or hockey sense to produce a lot of points. What is he going to be in the NHL?” — NHL scout
ETA/projection: 2022. In Boston as an injury call-up early in the new year, he’s like Jakub Zboril in that he brings depth now, but could develop into a serviceable third-pairing ‘D’ by 2022-23. That’s a small consolation given where he was drafted, but at age 23, the improvement window isn’t closed.
9. Riley Duran, C (Woburn, Mass.)
Providence College, 1/25/02, right shot, 6-2/185
31 gp, 8-9-17, 16 PIM, +7
Upside: Two-way center has earned a lot of playing time as a freshman on a top college team and is playing an effective, heavy-on-pucks game.
Downside: There’s not an abundance of points at the higher levels here, and he’ll need to embrace his identity and not get away from being tough to play against by trying to be a skill guy.
Quotable: “The things in his game that I really like are that he’s a big kid who can skate and get up and down the ice. He has an ability to play through people. We’ve seen it at Providence where he’s got to learn how to not run himself out of the play and stay in control, but he can bang bodies and get himself to the scoring areas. I know Nate (Leaman) has been happy with his play and the way he’s progressing.” — Langenbrunner
ETA/projection: 2027. If the former Lawrence Academy Spartan is going to achieve the dream of playing for his hometown Bruins, Duran will have to take the longer route and be patient with his development.
10. Trevor Kuntar, LW
Boston College, 6/20/01, left shot, 6-0/195
26 gp, 7-10-17, 27 PIM, +7
Upside: Hard-nosed, throwback-style winger isn’t flashy but around the puck a lot and plays in straight lines. Possesses a hard, heavy shot that he can get off quickly on the fly or from a standstill.
Downside: Doesn’t have the pure speed or higher-end skill-set to become a top-six forward, so he represents more of what the Bruins already have an abundance of — depth forwards.
Quotable: “He plays in the dirty areas, he’s not afraid to bang bodies and can shoot a puck. I think what we want to push for him is working on that first step and change of direction. I think at the pro level that will be his next challenge, because his willingness to get to the hard areas to score and the ability to do it when he’s there is part of his game.” — Langenbrunner
ETA/projection: 2026. Like Duran, it will be a longer process for the third-rounder in 2020, but the son of former pro goaltender Les Kuntar has a junkyard dog mentality. He’s been slower to develop at the various levels going back to his time in the USHL with Youngstown, but he will probably put up some bigger numbers at BC when seniors Jack McBain and Marc McLaughlin move on.
Best of the rest
Brady Lyle, D
Undrafted out of the OHL, he’s taken backward steps after a hot first AHL season a year ago. Even so, he can skate and fire the puck — the tools will give him a chance to sniff the NHL, but what he does with that opportunity is up to him.
Kyle Keyser, G
Athletic and a battler, Floridian undrafted free agent has had a tough time with concussions early in his pro career. He’s been serviceable in Providence but faces a daunting task to crack the Boston depth chart in net.
Oskar Jellvik, LW
Swedish fifth-rounder in 2021 is scoring a lot and just committed to Boston College. Boston fans will get a good look at him next season and we’ll have a better read on how he projects as an NHL prospect.
Ryan Mast, D
At 6-5 and with some fluid mobility, the Michigander playing for Sarnia of the OHL reminds of a young Brandon Carlo. There’s plenty of time for that projection if he pans out.
