The Boston Bruins were well represented at this years World Juniors Tournament in Canada. The Black and Gold ended up taking gold and silver at the event.
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The Boston Bruins certainly had a stake in this year’s World Juniors. The Bruins got to see some of their hottest prospects perform in international competition. The Bruins front office has to be excited after watching several of their players stand out among the best young hockey players in the world.
Bruins prospect Charlie McAvoy shined for Team USA. The American team beat Team Canada twice for the first time in the history of the competition. McAvoy helped get Team USA on the board after the Canadians had taken an early 2-0 lead in the finals. McAvoy earned ‘Player of the Game’ honors for his performance in Team USA’s come from behind win.
Charlie McAvoy da gawd pic.twitter.com/eqhmILxQ1F
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) January 6, 2017
McAvoy ended up leading all Team USA defenseman in points with six. He had two goals, finished with a +6 rating, and put up 12 minutes in penalties over the course of seven games. McAvoy will held back to Boston University (where he was one of six Terriers who helped get Team USA the gold).
Charlie McAvoy was selected by Boston in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. There was plenty of talk about seeing McAvoy in Boston next year, but it wouldn’t hurt the organization to give him another year to develop in college. That being said, the Bruins are going to need to find blueliners to replace Zdeno Chara, and McAvoy could be ready to step into that role very quickly.
Fellow Bruins prospect Ryan Lindgren joined McAvoy with a gold medal. Lindgren had an assist during the tournament. Lindgren also earned ‘Player of the Game’ honors during the tournament. He earned in Team USA’s first win over Canada. Lindgren currently plays for the University of Minnesota, and was a second round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
The Boston Bruins were also represented in Team Canada, who won the silver medal. Jeremy Lauzon scored a goal as well in the 5-4 shootout loss. Lauzon finished with two goals and an assist in seven games. Lauzon will go back to the Quebec Major Juniors league where he plays for Rouyn-Noranda Huskies as their captain.
Lauzon was selected by the Bruins in the second round by the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Lauzon might take a couple of years before his NHL ready. Still, he looked great for Team Canada in most of their games.
The blue line is the biggest deficiency the Boston Bruins have right now. There is some amazing young talent coming down the pipe for the Black and Gold. The Bruins greatest weakness could be one of their strongest assets in just a few years time.