With roster size limits out the window, the Boston Bruins may look to add some depth to their play-off bid.
However, due to the nature of drafting mainly players with collegiate commitments, the Boston Bruins may find that their call-up pool of talent is a little sparse compared to other NHL teams.
While the Boston Bruins have seldom gone wrong with drafting players that play at least two or three years in the NCAA before graduating to the NHL, this is a rare scenario where it might bite them a little.
By calling up a player from college hockey, the Boston Bruins would cause them to lose their NCAA eligibility and thus negatively impact their ongoing development. For the best team in the league, they’re certainly up against a few challenges this summer.
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Call-ups for the Boston Bruins are going to have to come from Providence; thankfully, there are some decent options for them in the AHL, though perhaps no truly game-changing player.
Whereas other teams might be able to add a junior that awes us with speed or creativity in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; we’re more likely to be adding someone that has been paying their dues and simply adds a different element.
Think someone like Trent Frederic, who could add play-off intensity and grit to the Boston Bruins’ cohort. You only need look at his penalty minutes the past season in Providence to realise that he adds something that is a little lacking on the Boston roster. He would certainly need to curb his enthusiasm at times though as not to ahve a damaging impact.
As an impact player, perhaps Jack Studnicka could shake things up a little if he moved onto the Boston Bruins roster for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He lacks any real NHL experience though, but that could actually be to his benefit; a definite wild card if he were promoted, but that really might not be a bad thing.
In a pinch, we have a strong third-choice option between the pipes with Dan Vladar no doubt ready and raring to go when he eventually finds himself called up to the main roster.
Zach Senyshyn actually saw time in the NHL this past season and surely will be one of the first players added to any sort of expanded roster. He showed he had NHL calibre when given a chance and was actually quite unlucky when it came to injury ending his stint with the big club.
Karson Kuhlman started the year as the heir apparent on the Boston Bruins second-line. That didn’t quite pan out, but he still has an upside that puts him on an NHL roster, when of course, there’s space. This is that perfect chance; the pace and tenacity that he plays the game with will serve him well.
On defense, it’s surely Jakub Zboril and Urho Vaakanainen coming up. The Boston Bruins already have a pretty set-in-stone group on the blue-line, so these guys are likely additional bodies at practise rather than guys expecting to see ice-time. The experience would serve both youngsters well.
If however, we’re looking for experience Alex Petrovic has done well since initially joining the Bruins on a professional try-out this past summer and Steven Kampfer has shown the ability to fill-in on an NHL third-pairing. Upside; not much, but the NHL experience trump card may win out.
All in all though, there’s not that level of depth accessible to the Boston Bruins that other teams with prospects being groomed in junior hockey might have. On the flip side, youthful excuberance can only get you so far and maybe those teams are taking silly risks by promoting youngsters too soon.
Hard to say right now what the right move is; however, the guys on the cusp for Boston certainly have ability to slot in. It’s just whether they can make a meaningful impact or not, that we question.