Arnesson Seals Boston Bruins Deal, Via Twitter
The Boston Bruins haven’t officially announced the deal yet, but Swedish prospect Linus Arnesson has apparently signed with the B’s, according to his twitter account, which shows an Instagram picture of him with a pen in hand ready to finalize the move.
A dream to have signed a contract with nhlbruins Boston Bruins! I am very happy and proud. http://t.co/wliQg0tQe3
— Linus Arnesson (@ArnessonLinus) May 30, 2014
Boston selected the defenseman with the 60th overall pick (second round) in the 2013 NHL Draft. Via EliteHockeyProspects.com, the scouting report on the 19-year-old is shown below.
"“A rather defensive minded defenseman with good mobility and size. Arnesson is not flashy at all, but always gets the job done. Has good positioning, makes easy and smart plays and rarely puts himself or his teammates in complicated situations. Has some offensive upside, and will join the rush at times, but it is his overall sound defensive game that makes him a stand out prospect.”"
A silver medalist for Sweden in the World Junior Championships, Arnesson plays for Djurgarden IF Hockey in the Elitserien, tallying one goals and five assists in 44 appearances last season.
He will fight for playing time in Providence, but what is really interesting about this defender is his solid, workable size 6-foot-2, 181 pounds, as was noted in the scouting report. The Boston Bruins’ prime young D-man, Dougie Hamilton, fits a mold similar to Arnesson but currently shows more prowess on the offensive side.
The Bruins don’t necessarily require a defensive D-man, but Arnesson evidently has an offensive, puck-moving upside that could develop over the years. And once he evolves into a reliable two-way defenseman, that’s when you get a complete, franchise blueliner–the type of player that ends up anchoring a defense.
For the Boston Bruins, young talent like Arnesson can make their mark in the NHL, even if they’re not starring in Boston.