Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins' front office have a growing affinity for the NCAA, and the college ranks will be the place to be for all things prospects again this season. While there are some European prospects to watch, as well as a couple of players in the CHL, the NCAA will feature 13 prospects from the Bruins' system.
Some teams will get more attention than others, as the 13 prospects are spread across eight teams, with Boston College (4), Quinnipiac (2), and North Dakota (2) being the programs Bruins fans will most want to watch.
Boston College Eagles
The Eagles are the home for Bruins prospects again this season. Despite losing James Hagens, Boston College features four prospects: Dean Letourneau, Will Moore, Kristian Kostadinski, and goaltender Roberto Henriquez.
Letourneau will get all the attention, as he will likely follow in Hagens' footsteps by signing his entry-level deal at the end of this season. He could step into the lineup instantly with his already NHL-ready size.
Moore isn't making as much noise as Letourneau, but the sophomore hopes to get a bigger role with Boston College and increase his stock exponentially this season as Letourneau did last season.
Kostadinski and Henriquez are more fringe prospects for this season, as the defenseman is a good candidate to spend his full college eligibilty raising his stock as players like Oskar Jellvik and Andre Gasseau did before him, while the goaltender will be backing up this season.
Qunnipiac Bobcats
Quinnipiac features one of the more intriguing prospects in the Bruins' organization, solely based on how well his style of play fits the team. Chris Pelosi had a great sophomore season, which included a trip to the Spengler Cup, and already has two goals in his first game of this season.
Elliott Groenewold is also hoping to raise his stock this season on the blueline, and could be a good depth prospect for the Bruins in upcoming years. He similarly had a great start to the Bobcats' season, tallying two assists in the first game.
North Dakota Fighting Hawks
Will Zellers is the other prospect, along with Letourneau, that Bruins fans will be most intrigued by. The acquisition in the Charlie Coyle trade had a stellar first full season in the organization's prospect pool, starring with Team USA at the World Juniors and making a trip to the Frozen Four with the Fighting Hawks. It'll be interesting to see if he also turns pro after this season and if he can build on last year's success.
Last year's USHL breakout star joins Zellers at UND this season, as Cooper Simpson hopes to follow a similar path to his new teammate. After 74 points in 61 USHL games last season, Simpson figures to be a sneaky contributor for his new team.
The remaining NCAA prospects to watch for the Bruins are Jonathan Morello (Boston University), Casper Nassen (Lake Superior State), Ryan Walsh (Cornell), Beckett Hendrickson (Minnesota), and Cole Spicer (Western Michigan).
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