As we close out the dog days of summer, NHL training camps are right around the corner. Before camp begins, the annual Prospects Challenge will happen with teams gathering in different cities to have some of their younger players showcase what they can do ahead of camps.
The Boston Bruins prospects are not going to open a lot of eyes are ranked well into the bottom third of the NHL, but there might be some light at the end of the tunnel for general manager Don Sweeney and his scouts. With that said, let's begin our Boston Bruins prospects rankings with 20-15.
Boston Bruins prospects ranking: 20-15
20. Dalton Bancroft, Forward
In terms of age, Dalton Bancroft is a relatively "older" prospect at 24 years old, having signed an undrafted free agent contract back in April after his college career ended at Cornell. During his time in the ECAC, he potted 36 goals and dished out 43 assists.
A physical player who plays a very heavy game, the 6-foot-3 Bancroft is someone who provides the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) with some toughness and occasional offense. We'll see how his game translates to the AHL and whether or not it'll help him get to Boston.
19. Vashek Blanar, Defenseman
When the Bruins drafted Vaskek Blanar in the fourth round in this past June's draft, it was more of a response of "Who"? among fans. However, Blanar is a 6-foot-4 blueliner who pushes around his opponents and had a good showing at the Bruins Development Camp last month. There is still a lot of unknown about him, and he will likely play overseas another year in the Swedish junior league before coming over and signing with the Black and Gold.
18. Ryan Walsh, Forward
Selected in the sixth round of the 2023 Entry Draft, forward Ryan Walsh had a breakout sophomore season at Cornell in leading them to the NCAA Tournament. Walsh tallied 17 goals, which was the most by a Cornell player since the 2010-11 season. He also had 14 points for a team-high 31 points.
As a freshman, Walsh scored 12 goals and had 22 points for the Big Red. He missed the Bruins Development Camp in July because of shoulder surgery, but Boston is hoping he continues to take the next step in his development at Cornell in 2025-26.
17. Elliott Groenewold, Defenseman
The Bruins like mobile defenseman like Mason Lohrei, and I'm not saying Elliott Groenewold is going to be the same player as Lohrei, but he plays a lot of minutes and is one of the better puck-moving defenseman. He logged some serious minutes at Quinnipiac and had four goals and eight assists. He takes the body well and can make a difference in all three zones. He is someone Bruins fans should keep an eye on.
16. Riley Duran, Forward
Another offseason of the Bruins' front office signing multiple bottom-six depth veterans is another potential block for some of their younger players. One of those players who played two games in Boston last season and is an intriguing player is Riley Duran.
The 6-foot-1 center who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 Entry Draft, Duran logged 12:44 a game in his short NHL stint and finished with 12 goals and four assists with Providence. Where is his future in the organization? That remains to be seen, but he will work hard and make it difficult in training camp for some of the veterans expected in the bottom six.