Boston Bruins: Names to know at Development Camp

The Boston Bruins development camp is set to kick off this week, running from August 2-6.

It’s an opportunity for the Bruins to see where their prospects are, and bring in some invitees to see if they would be someone of interest for the Bruins to keep an eye on.

In total, there are 28 players heading to the Warrior Ice Arena. There will be 15 forwards, 10 defensemen, and three goaltenders. Out of those 28,15 come as draft picks of Boston, while the other 13 are invitees.

Here is the full list of those participating at the camp.

Forwards:
Johnny Beecher, Riley Duran, Parker Ford*, Andre Gasseau, Tyler Gratton*, Curtis Hall, Brett Harrison, Matthew Kopperud*, Trevor Kuntar, Reed Lebster*, Marc McLaughlin*, Benjamin Myers*, Quinn Olson, Jake Schmaltz, and Alex-Olivier Voyer*.

Defensemen:
Ty Gallagher, JD Greenway*, Mason Langenbrunner, Mason Lohrei, Brady Lyle, Anton Malmstrom*, Ryan Mast, Dustyn McFaul, Travis Mitchell*, and Brandon Scanlin*.

Goaltenders:
Kyle Keyser, Zachary Stejskal*, and Keith Petruzzelli*

*Indicates attendance to Development Camp is on an invite basis.

With seven open roster spots, there is an opportunity for some of the participants to earn themselves a professional contract. For others, it’s a chance for the Bruins’ organization to see them in full action.

With that, here are a few names to watch out for at development camp for the Bruins.

Top defensemen to watch at Bruins Development Camp.

There are three intriguing names to watch out of the blueliners. I’ll start with Mason Lohrei. He is Boston’s top pick from 2020. He’s a big, 6-foot-4 defenseman who played for the Green Bay Gamblers last season in the USHL. He was the team’s top scorer, with 59 points in 48 games and was named USHL’s Defenseman of the Year. He’s an excellent puck mover with good vision on the ice. Lohrei will start this fall at Ohio State.

Another is Brady Lyle, who played this past season with Providence. Starting on an AHL-only deal, he turned it into a two-year, entry-level contract in April. He now might be regarded as one of the Bruins’ top prospects among defensemen.

Lyle had seven goals and 14 points in 25 games with Providence. He has excellent hands for a defenseman and moves well along the blue line. He’ll return to Providence this fall as one of the top Bruins on the blue line.

The other name that stands out is J.D. Greenway. He’s the brother of former Boston University Terrier and current Minnesota Wild Jordan Greenway. The Bruins acquired the rights to him from the Toronto Maple Leafs last week. He was a 2016 third-round pick for the Leafs, but with the Leafs unlikely to sign him, he was shipped to Boston, who must have some interest.

After spending two seasons at Wisconsin, J.D. transferred to Maine, where he spent the last two seasons. The 6-foot-5 defenseman had 15 points in 48 games for the Black Bears. Penalties were a bit of a problem for Greenway, who, like his brother, doesn’t stray away from physical play and racked up 89 PIMs in his career in Orono. If his showing is strong enough, he could sign with the Bruins out of camp, otherwise, he’ll be a free agent.

Top goaltenders to watch at Bruins Development Camp.

Kyle Keyser is a familiar name to see. He’s been with the organization since he signed his ELC in 2017. Most of his time has been spent in the ECHL, but he’s seen 11 games in the AHL the last two seasons. Expect Keyser to be in the AHL for most of this season.

But Zachary Stejskal and Keith Petruzzelli both come as invites from the NCAA. Petruzzelli, a native of Wilbraham, Mass., was a third-round pick in 2017 by the Detroit Red Wings. He was considered their top goalie prospect, but recently told the team he did not plan on signing with them, instead electing to hit free agency.

After a rocky first two years at Quinnipiac, Petruzzelli was excellent his last two seasons as the starter. He was 21-10-2 in his junior year, with a 2.01 goals-against average (GAA) and .920 save percentage (SV%). He followed that up this past season, improving to a 1.89 GAA, .929 SV% with a 17-8-4 record. He has the size in net too, standing at 6-foot-5. The Bobcats’ goalie received considerable award nominations, as well.

Stejskal was a freshman at Minnesota-Duluth, playing in the backup role to Ryan Fanti. However, in nine starts, he succeeded with a 1.83 GAA and .929 SV%. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Stejskal was thrown into the spotlight this past spring during the Frozen Four.

In the regional finals against North Dakota, Fanti was forced to leave the game in the first period due to cramping. Stejskal came in and played over 120 minutes, making 57 saves in the Bulldogs’ 5-OT thrilling win over North Dakota. He then tended the keep in the Frozen Four semifinals game in the OT loss against UMass. He has a chance to raise his stock with a solid performance at development camp before heading back to UMD.

Philip Svedebäck, a fourth-round pick from the 2021 draft, also will not be able to attend due to COVID restrictions.