Boston Bruins: Is it Ryan Spooner’s Time To Shine?

Dec 31, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins center

(51) congratulates center

(37) after scoring a goal during the second period against the New York Islanders at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The Bruins informal practices are getting a little more formal by the day. For some of the players, its a chance to get caught up with teammates and get themselves fully into a hockey rhythm. For other players, it’s a chance to show off what they’ve done in the off season to get ready to earn a roster slot with the Boston Bruins.

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Ryan Spooner is one of those players. While he’s no stranger to the NHL (he played twenty three games for Boston last season), he wants to show the organization he’s ready to move up to the Boston squad full time. This year is Ryan Spooner’s fifth year attending training camp. In the previous four years, there was only one available opening on the Bruins roster. This year, there at two, perhaps more (depending on what surprises Peter Chiarelli has for us between now and opening night) available positions. If the Bruins truly intend to move Gregory Campbell to the wing this season, than a player like Spooner is primed to end up on the Bruins fourth line.

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Puck Prose

While Spooner does have some competition, he’s currently the odds-on favorite to end up with one of the roster slots.

“My first two camps, I didn’t expect to come in here and make the team, but after that, and after I played a season of pro hockey, I was expecting to, I guess, at least come in here and at least have a chance. It’s my fifth camp here, and hopefully this is the year.”

There are quite a few things going for Spooner. He’s a speed and skill player. While he is not overly flashy with his goals, he’s a dependable person to have in the offensive zone. He has a solid head for the puck and the ability to get it to an open player. When he wasn’t in Boston, he was using that skill set to ring up some impressive numbers in Providence. In the forty nine games he ended up playing in the AHL, Spooner tallied nearly a point a game for the Baby Bruins. He ended up with forty six points (eleven goals). During the post season, he exceeded the point per game by earning fifteen points(six goals) in the twelve games he played in.

Spooner certainly understands his deficiencies and has made an effort during the off-season to correct them. Last season, his win percentage in the face-off circle was 40.69%. Spooner himself admitted that percentage was “not very good”.  In all his NHL appearances last season, he failed to score a goal for the Black and Gold.  So he’s concentrated a lot on shooting during the off season.  If his shots get up with his passing ability, he’ll be a fantastic addition to Boston. For the last five years, he’s been getting ready. Will this be the year he has his breakthrough to the NHL?