Boston Bruins AHL Report Card: Seth Griffith‘s Superb Season
Seth Griffith – Right Wing – 22 Years Old
Stat Line: 57 GP – 24 Goals – 53 Assists – 77 Points – 32 PIM
Season Grade: A+
With the Providence Bruins season coming to an end after a 3-0 series loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday, it’s time to hand out some report cards. Seth Griffith showed that size isn’t everything as he dominated the AHL this season and ranked second in the scoring race with his 77 total points. The only player to score more was Hershey Bears forward and former Boston Bruins-prospect Chris Bourque who scored 30 goals and 50 assists for 80 points in 72 games.
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What’s most impressive about Seth Griffith is the fact that he scored only three less points than Bourque in 15 less games.
Seth Griffith will be a Restricted Free Agent this offseason and he will become waiver eligible in September. It was reported that the Bruins’ were shopping Seth Griffith at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline, but nothing came to fruition as the young forward remained with Providence for the remainder of the season.
The Boston Bruins would be wise to extend Griffith this offseason as he should be able to be retained for relatively cheap while also competing for a roster spot on the big club next season. It’s no secret that the Boston Bruins had trouble finding depth scoring last season, and their right wingers were at the center of the problems. Brett Connolly and Jimmy Hayes who accounted for over $3,300,000 in cap space this season totaled 22 goals and 32 assists for 54 points this season. Brett Connolly was given top-line minutes for a large chunk of the season alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, but the once prolific-scorer in the WHL and AHL simply couldn’t find his scoring touch at the NHL level.
Next: Brett Connolly Report Card
Seth Griffith could step-in next season in a middle-to-top-six role with the Boston Bruins and provide a decent scoring touch for the team. The team has nothing to lose by giving the young forward a chance in the lineup once again now that he’s gained more experience at the AHL level, but his success will definitely be dependent on how head coach Claude Julien uses him in the lineup. A player like Seth Griffith needs to play in a situation where he can use his skill to create opportunities, and if the Bruins want to see what he can do, he’ll need to be given that chance.