Boston Bruins: Top 5 players that will need impressive training camp to make 2021 opening night roster

These five players will need an impressive training camp to make the Boston Bruins’ 2021 opening night roster.

At the end of training camp, the Boston Bruins will have some tough decisions to make in regard to who makes the regular roster, who gets sent down to the AHL, and who makes the taxi squad.

When it comes to players that are in between making the NHL roster and going down to the AHL or being put on the taxi squad, the B’s have many of these players.

Most of these players are prospects that have very limited NHL experience but are ready to play in the NHL and don’t exactly benefit from playing in the AHL anymore. However, Boston just doesn’t have a spot open for them on the roster at the time, unless they can prove in training camp that they deserve to play over an experienced veteran.

The B’s also have some veterans that may not make the team and could be put on the taxi squad because, like the prospects, there just isn’t room for them on the regular roster.

Here are five players that I think have a chance to make the Bruins’ 2021 opening night roster, but will need an impressive training camp to win over management and the coaching staff to earn their spot.

5. Kevan Miller will need an impressive training camp to make the Boston Bruins’ 2021 opening night roster.

Defenseman Kevan Miller hasn’t played in an NHL since April 4 of 2019 after he went down with a serious lower-body injury. Now, over a year later, he is finally ready to return.

Even with a spot, possibly even two, open to take on the left side of the Bruins’ defense, Miller may not be able to win one of them thanks to the likes of prospects Urho Vaakanainen and Jakub Zboril who will also be fighting for a spot on the roster.

Although Miller has the disadvantage of coming back from a serious injury, he also has the advantage of having over 300 games of NHL experience. With the B’s losing veteran Torey Krug and potentially losing Zdeno Chara, they may decide to go with Miller over one of the prospects as the left side of the defense is already inexperienced enough with Jeremy Lauzon and Matt Grzelcyk.

However, with Miller not playing in a hockey game in over a year, I think he’ll most likely start this season in the AHL on a conditioning stint or on the taxi squad as extra depth.

Miller will definitely need to show he’s ready to return to game action in training camp. If he can’t do so, he’ll lose both a lineup spot to prospects and even the seventh defenseman spot to John Moore.

4. Urho Vaakanainen will need an impressive training camp to make the Boston Bruins’ 2021 opening night roster.

With just seven games of NHL experience under his belt, Vaakanainen is surprising the more experienced prospect out of him and Zboril, despite being two years younger.

Vaakanainen was drafted by Boston in 2017 at 18th overall, and at just 21 years old could make the jump to the NHL full-time. He is known for his shutdown defense and isn’t a flashy defenseman by any means.

The 6-foot-1 D-man prides himself in his stay-at-home style of defense and doesn’t often jump in on the rush or take part in any offensive play. Instead, he’s much more concerned with what’s going on in his own zone and shutting down his opposition.

Vaakanainen shuts down his opposition with physical play and cutting off their shooting lanes and passing lanes. In five NHL games last season, Vaakanainen had eight hits and blocked three shots while having a plus/minus (+/-) of +2.

Because of his safe stay-at-home shutdown defense, Vaakanainen is the safest of the three choices to fill that last spot on the left side of Boston’s defense.

However, he’s going to have to prove that this style is good enough for the NHL and that it’ll benefit the team rather than hurt them by not being aggressive and unable to control and drive the play.

3. Jakub Zboril will need an impressive training camp to make the Boston Bruins’ 2021 opening night roster.

A former 13th overall pick by Boston, Zboril has just two NHL games to his name. Being one of the three first-round picks by the Black and Gold in 2015, it has taken him a bit longer than most have hoped for Zboril to find his way to the NHL.

But with a spot open on the left side of the B’s defense, Zboril could finally break the roster and lineup consistently in 2021. But he’ll have to battle the previously mentioned Miller and Vaakanainen in training camp to win the spot.

Although he hasn’t shown it during his time in the AHL, Zboril has some offensive potential. Over the course of his 144 games in the QMJHL, Zboril registered 28 goals and 66 assists for 94 points — a 0.65 points per game pace.

In the AHL, Zboril has seemed more concerned with his defensive game as he has taken far fewer penalties and has a higher +/- while scoring 37 fewer points in 38 more games.

Zboril actually has a lower points per game than Vaakanainen does in the AHL. However, if Zboril can find the offensive touch that he had in juniors, he could be a much more effective defenseman than Vaakanainen.

Because of the upside that Zboril possesses in the O-zone, I think he has a slight edge over Vaakanainen to make the opening night roster.

2. Trent Frederic will need an impressive training camp to make the Boston Bruins’ 2021 opening night roster.

Center Trent Frederic was drafted by the Bruins 29th overall in 2016. Now at 22 years old, will be fighting for a spot on Boston’s roster in training camp. However, the odds are he won’t be playing center at first.

The fact is, the B’s just have too much center depth for Frederic to play his natural position. Right now, Boston centers are Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Charlie Coyle, and Sean Kuraly. Then after that, they also have guys on the wing who can also fill in at center, like Chris Wagner. Not to mention, that Frederic isn’t even the top center prospect in the system.

So, if Frederic wants to make the roster, he’ll most likely have to move over to left wing. But, even then, the B’s are loaded with Brad Marchand, Jake DeBrusk, Anders Bjork, Nick Ritchie, Par Lindholm, Anton Blidh, and Greg McKegg.

With the Bruins having so much depth at center and left wing, Frederic will really have to give an incredible showing in training camp. If he doesn’t, it’ll be yet another season in the AHL for him.

1. Jack Studnicka will need an impressive training camp to make the Boston Bruins’ opening night roster.

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Boston’s 2017 second-round (53rd overall) pick, center Jack Studnicka, is ready to have a full-time role in the NHL. However, like Frederic, there just isn’t a spot for him at his natural position at center.

Right now, the only possible chance Studnicka has at playing in the NHL consistently is at right wing, and with David Pastrnak out for at least a month of the 2021 season, he has a far greater chance of making the roster than Frederic.

But, I don’t think Bruins’ management wants their top center prospect playing at wing full-time. Unless there’s an absolute need for Studnicka in the NHL — this would mean Ondrej Kase and/or Craig Smith have also gone down with injuries while Pasta is still out — I think Studnicka plays another season in the AHL and veterans fill out the bottom-six right wing roles.

However, I’m not Boston’s management and could be wrong. If Studnicka shows to be too good for the AHL in training camp we may see if start off at the Black and Gold’s third line right wing to start the season and then be moved to the taxi squad when Pasta returns.