Collegiate system has helped the Boston Bruins thrive
When you look around the Boston Bruins line-up in their most recent game, Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final; it’s intriguing to see that only Patrice Bergeron, Jake Debrusk, Brandon Carlo, John Moore and Brad Marchand played their post-draft hockey within the Canadian major junior hockey landscape.
The rest of that side either honed their skills in overseas competitions, often playing against men at a younger age than their Canadian counterparts, or plied their trade in the American collegiate system. Perhaps it’s quite telling too that even among the most recent draft class, all of the North American born draft picks will be headed to NCAA schools this Fall.
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The key reason so many teams have undergone rebuilds is that they are the result of either poor drafting year-on-year or their management groups hedged their bets trading away early-round picks in search of that rental player that could push them over the line.
Whilst the Boston Bruins haven’t been immune in that time-frame to trading away first, second or third round picks, they’ve done so knowing there was talent working it’s way through school.
Look around the roster and the likes of Charlie McAvoy, who is likely to become the franchise’s number-one defenseman sooner rather than later, Danton Heinen, who although often maligned provides vital versatility up and down the line-up and Torey Krug, who has now consistently performed on the blue-line for six seasons.
They’re all the result of spending considerable time learning the game, whilst also broadening their minds at University. Instead of it being hockey 24/7 as it can be in some Canadian markets, the distraction of schoolwork no doubt played a role in rounding them out.
Krug and Heinen also spent time with the Providence Bruins before making the Boston Bruins roster; the pathway to making the main roster is clear-cut. Just look at Connor Clifton; nobody expected the late pick to graduate from Quinnipac Univeristy onto an NHL roster, no least be playing in this past season’s Stanley Cup Final.
Perhaps it’s the fact that they’re surrounded by such a talented core group that these players can graduate from University hockey to NHL hockey so comfortably.