Boston Bruins: Jakub Lauko has made a great impression

Jakub Lauko impressed plenty of people with his performances in pre-season with the Boston Bruins.

Since being sent back to the minors, specifically the Boston Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence, Jakub Lauko has continued to impress, tallying two goals including the overtime game-winner in their Friday fixture.

Every young player reacts differently to being cut from training camp. Luckily for the Providence Bruins, it appears Jakub Lauko is now out to prove people wrong and that maybe the Boston Bruins shouldn’t have cut him.

While it’s hard to see where they could possibly have fit him on their final roster, his pre-season performance versus the Springfield Thunderbirds suggests a definite air of confidence, cut or otherwise!

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Now obviously we’re talking pre-season AHL action here, so those two goals may or may not be a precursor to any further point production, but the way he turned on the burners for the Boston Bruins in their pre-season tilt with the Philadelphia Flyers suggests there is certainly a level of quality there against decent quality opposition.

Playing in Providence can only help him to hone his skills further. At just 19 years old, coming off a Memorial Cup win last year, a regular season point tally of 41 points in 44 QMJHL games and a further 11 in 16 playoff games, Jakub Lauko is ready to go.

Given the depth of forwards available in Providence and his very young age, there’s every chance that Jakub Lauko isn’t playing every single night. That’s not a bad thing, provided he continues to develop his game and continues to hone his ability to match speed and puck carrying.

By the end of this American Hockey League season, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Jakub Lauko has edged himself into contention as a top-six guy in Providence, which surely means that with another training camp next summer and some potential turnover on the Boston Bruins roster, he could be knocking on the door of the NHL.

As a third round (77th overall) pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, that’s rapid progress. Maybe, we’re overestimating his ability based on one pre-season play and a decent showing in an AHL pre-season game, but it’s nice to see some youthful energy that is ready to eventually wear the Boston Bruins uniform!

Whilst I hope not to be proven wrong, maybe it would be wiser to err on the side of caution and not expect too much from his first AHL season.

Right now, we have a player in Lauko that clearly has the potential and certainly at least some of the tools needed to succeed in the modern game, now we just need a strong focus on his ongoing development and we’ll be laughing.

Expect to hear plenty more of the name Jakub Lauko this year in Providence!