Bruce Cassidy on Anders Bjork: 'I believe he's ready'

Dripping with sweat, rookie Anders Bjork finished packing his Notre Dame hockey bag with his Boston Bruins equipment when he was swarmed by a media horde.

The 21-year-old forward is gaining a lot of attention these days as he’s on the verge of making the Bruins’ regular-season roster. He’s not only ready for the NHL; he’ll be playing on the same line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.



When asked if Bjork looks like he belongs in the NHL alongside Bergeron and Marchand, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said: “Yes. He sure does to me. Again, competition will stiffen for him and we’ll keep evaluating that. He’s got skill, speed and he’s got courage. He gets to the dirty areas. He’s hard to play against. There’s second effort on pucks; it’s not one and done with him.

“For a young kid, that’s special to be able to hang in there and battle for those turnovers. That’s usually the part of the game you’ve got to continue to grind on (younger players) but he’s got that.”

Cassidy believes a lot of that comes from playing with Bergeron and Marchand, two players who never quit.

"They’re going to be a hard line to play against if they are that dogged on the puck every shift," Cassidy said.

At this point, fans understand how good Bjork is with the puck. His playmaking ability has the potential to reach the elite level. However, there were things Cassidy wanted the rookie to focus on.

Bjork’s shift length was too long and it’s tough to be an impact player in the NHL if you don’t have the legs for the entire game. His play away from the puck needs to be better. The coach talked to Bjork about taking better angles and it was obvious during Monday night's 4-2 preseason victory over the Blackhawks that the rookie listened.

There was a play in the first period when Bergeron and Marchand were on the forecheck. The Blackhawks had possession of the puck and Bjork was circling around the neutral zone. When Chicago attempted a cross-ice breakout pass, Bjork quickly closed in and intercepted the pass and broke into the offensive zone.

While Cassidy described the play as instinctive, Bjork admitted he was focused on that aspect of his game on Monday.

“That’s something that I need to focus on because that’s one of the major step-ups from college,” said Bjork, who had the Bruins' third goal of the first period against Chicago and has two in the preseason. “You need to be a complete player. It’s important to be rock solid defensively in all three areas. The offensive zone is where you can be creative, but all the other areas you need to be rock solid.”

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Speaking of creativity, late in the third period, Bjork had a one-on-one and tried a toe-drag through his legs to beat the defender. But, he lost the puck. Was it too cute or creative?

“Probably a bit of both,” Cassidy said. “Guys in this league will send a message to him that to be careful with it, but you’ve seen David (Pastrnak) do it and it’s part of their DNA. Marchy will try some stuff, so (Bjork) will have to figure out what he can get away with and what he can’t.”

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Forget for a moment the numbers Bjork is capable of putting up. There’s one extremely important statistic that may go unnoticed to fans, but it’s important for the team’s success when Bjork is not on the ice.

Not on the ice?

Yes. The Bruins measure a player’s recovery time and how long it takes him to be ready for the next shift. Bergeron leads the team in this category and it takes him about 90 seconds to be fully recharged before he jumps over the boards.

If Cassidy keeps this line together, Bjork is going to get a ton of ice time. Bergeron believes the rookie is ready.

“There’s nothing that can simulate a game, and the more ice time you get, the more accustom you are to it, but that being said, he’s got the jump, he’s got the legs and he’s a young guy so it seems like he wants that ice time,” Bergeron said. “I’m sure he was used to it (at Notre Dame) so I don’t see that as an issue at all with him. He has the legs and he’s really fast, so it’s good.”

Bjork doesn’t know what his recovery time was during the off-ice testing but he knows it’s nowhere close to Bergeron’s but it’ll have to be soon because if this line remains intact then Bjork will be getting a ton of ice time.

“It was nothing like Bergeron’s,” Bjork said with a smile. “It’s one of my goals to get there. It’s definitely something I want to focus on and we’re all working on it. The strengths coaches here have done a fantastic job making us aware of that and helping us focus on that.”

Bjork has been good. He’s an exciting player to watch, but not let’s not put the kid in the Hall of Fame just yet. He’s humble and that’s a good sign.

“I’m definitely excited, but I’m trying to be focused and stay calm and level, so I can play a poised game and do the best I can to help the team win,” Bjork said. “I’m definitely trying to play simple. My focus is to make simple plays, the right plays, especially playing with some of the best players in the world on my line. If I play simple, hard and fast good things will happen.”

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You’ll hear young players use the phrase “being a sponge” and that’s why the Bruins put Bjork’s locker next to Bergeron’s.

“It’s been going well in practices, but obviously you want that to translate into games and make sure you feel good on the ice in better competition,” Bergeron said. “It’s going to be a good test for us and hopefully we can build something right away.”

It was evident when the organization gave his sweater No. 10 after he signed his three-year, entry-level deal last May. It was the number he’s worn his entire career and that includes his team with the Irish. His father, Kirt, was an All-American hockey player at Notre Dame and also wore No. 10.

“It’s a family number and I’ve worn it since I was young, so it’s always been my favorite number,” Bjork said. “It was a surprise, which is cool. I didn’t even know the Bruins didn’t have a No. 10 already, so that was pretty neat, pretty lucky. It was a nice gesture by them.”

There are two preseason games remaining and Bjork will play in one of them, according to Cassidy. There’s nothing more Bjork needs to show the organization to make it realize he’s ready for the NHL.

“I do believe he’s ready if he continues to be able to play like this, but we won’t get ahead of ourselves,” Cassidy said.

Let’s just say he’ll Notre Dame bag will soon be retired to the trophy case and he’ll be packing his equipment in a black bag with the spoked-B logo on it.