Boston Bruins Prospects: Georgii Merkulov Is Untouchable

The Boston Bruins have once again traded a slew of draft picks to acquire players that can help the team win now. Don Sweeney, whose seat is now ice cold, parted with another first rounder in order to land Capitals’ defenseman Dmitri Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway.

Boston’s pool of prospects is anything but deep, however one player seems to have taken off over the past month. When the Bruins signed forward Georgii Merkulov to an entry-level contract in April of 2022 there weren’t many people talking about him as a significant part of the team’s future.

Merkulov played his college hockey at Ohio State and recorded 34 points in 36 games with the Buckeyes during the 2021-22 season. The Russian’s transition from the collegiate game to the professional one did get off to a good start, but there were still areas of his game that were lacking.

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Merkulov played eight games for the Providence Bruins towards the end of the 2022 regular season. In those eight games, Merkulov scored one goal and recorded four assists, but finished as a minus-one. The Bruins’ desire for Merkulov to play a more complete game has certainly helped him during his first full pro season.

The 22-year-old is leading the P-Bruins with 39 points through 46 games. His 39 points are also tied for third among rookies in the AHL. He is tied for the team-lead with 16 goals, six of which have been scored on the power play, and is a solid plus-eight on the year.

More important is how Merkulov has been playing over the past month. As the season begins to enter the dog days, and the grind of minor league hockey begins to take its toll, Merkulov is rising to the occasion. His speed, skill and unbelievably quick release are truly being unleashed.

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Picture this…David Pastrnak running the left half-wall on the top power play unit with Merkulov on the right half-wall for the second unit for the next decade. The Boston Bruins might have found the gem they’ve been looking for.