5. Jeremy Lauzon, LW
Bruins fans will recognize Jeremy Lauzon for his 16-game stint early in the 2019-20 season, where he picked up a goal and tried his best to fill the sizable gap left by the injury spell that hexed the Bruins d-corp.
Lauzon will almost definitely be spending much of this season in Providence, considering the B’s considerable defensive depth and more high-profile defensive prospects, but I find this to be more beneficial than not. Players at defense typically take longer to develop and really hit their stride. Charlie McAvoy’s success is a pleasantly surprising exception to the rule.
His training camp and preseason effort have been enough to not only stay afloat with the main team but also glean some valuable advice from head coach Bruce Cassidy.
Cassidy hinted that there may be room for defensive wiggle room with Kevan Miller and John Moore‘s statuses still uncertain, and that Lauzon should look for ways to distinguish himself from the rest of the pack and make himself valuable to the team.
"“In games, that’s where he has to stand out in his own mind, play to your strengths, be a big body, be hard to play against and maybe that pushes you up the ladder ahead of the Zborils or the Vaakanainens… I think those are the things he has to take away when he leaves here and then gets back on the ice, that he can push his way in with that type of play.” – Bruce Cassidy, as reported by Steve Conroy in the Boston Herald"