Boston Bruins forward Frank Vatrano is confident there will be no sophomore slump in his game this season.
Boston Bruins forward Frank Vatrano is heading into his second season as a NHL player. The 23-year old forward is on a mission to make the team in camp, and stay in Boston through the entire season. Vatrano is now part of the unofficial captain’s practices taking place at the Bruins new practice arena, and he’s doing all he can in order to stay in the spoked ‘B’.
“Competition brings out the best in everyone,” said Vatrano. “For me, it just makes me take my game to a whole other level. It’s always exciting to see new guys come in and compete for spots. I’m up for the challenge.”
Vatrano wants to show off his flexibility this year as well. While he’s listed as a center, he wants to show the Bruins organization he can play any forward position.
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“I’ve been comfortable playing both positions,” said Vatrano. “I went back down to Providence at the end of the year for playoffs and I was playing the right side.
“A little bit more of a challenge defensively… But I think it creates my shot a little bit more. I come in off my strong side and kind of pull it to the middle instead of coming from my backhand. Offensive side, it’s a real good thing for me.”
Vatrano doesn’t care where he ends up on the Bruins roster. He just wants to be on it. He’s confident he can give the team a full 82-game performance this year, and he doesn’t feel he’ll have a mid-season fade like he did last year.
That fade got him sent down to Providence. Vatrano did thrive while playing with the Baby B’s. The Mass native ended up putting in 55 points (36 goals) in 36 games.
“The first time coming up is an adjustment,” said Vatrano about his first time moving up to the NHL. “A lot of young guys go through it…I faded off a bit. Then I went back down to Providence and kind of got some confidence back and worked on the things I needed to work on at this level to become a complete player.
“I think once I got my second time around I knew what I needed to do to be reliable in all areas of the ice. I think that second time around was an eye-opener and I knew what I needed to do to keep a full-time roster spot.”
Vatrano had a decent half-season with Boston last year. He had eleven points (8 goals) in 39 games and found a certain level of chemistry with Noel Acciari and Landon Ferraro. Vatrano certainly did all he could to help the Bruins score. He put up 99 shots last season.
He’ll be in good hands when he hits the ice. The Bruins brought up AHL head coach Bruce Cassidy to backseat (and perhaps supplant if the season starts off rough) Claude Julien this year. Cassidy helped Vatrano get his game back on track, and he’ll certainly help the young forward excel this year in Boston.