Goalie Daniel Vladar assigned to Providence, but he could be the future

Bruins backup goaltender Anton Khudobin missed practice Wednesday due to a minor lower-body injury, according to coach Bruce Cassidy. The Bruins had Tuukka Rask, Malcolm Subban and Daniel Vladar on the ice as the team prepares for the final two preseason games.

The organizational depth chart for forwards and defensemen is solid, but watching Wednesday’s practice, it made one wonder what the future is between the pipes for the Bruins.

The Bruins felt Subban could be the next in the pipeline and that’s why he was drafted in the first round (No. 24 overall) in 2012. The 23-year-old has yet to develop into a NHL-ready goalie. In fact, some believe he won’t.

The Bruins selected McIntyre in the sixth round (No. 165 overall) in the 2010 draft. The 25-year-old shows glimpses of being ready, but not on a consistent basis. Khudobin will start the regular season as the backup and needs to provide success out of the gate or the Bruins will look elsewhere for that role.

That leaves the Bruins with Vladar.

“He’s a big, big kid,” Rask said as he walked by after Wednesday’s practice.

The Bruins’ starter wasn’t kidding. Vladar is massive with a 6-foot-5, 185-pound frame. After offseason surgeries on both wrists due to a training accident, he was cleared and participated in his first Bruins practice on Wednesday. He admitted there were some previous issues with his wrist before the injury so it was a good time to fix them.

“He’s the next wave,” Cassidy said. “He’ll have to establish himself in Providence first and go from there.”

After Wednesday's practice Vladar was assigned to Providence, but it's likely he'll return to the East Coast League to continue his development.

The Bruins selected him in the third round (No. 75 overall) in the 2015 draft. After playing 30 games for the Chicago Steel of the USHL in 2015-16, Vladar could have returned to the USHL last season, but the Bruins signed him and wanted him to begin his pro development in the East Coast League.

He played in the World Junior Championship for the Czech Republic last season and didn’t play in as many pro games as the organization hoped. Because the Gladiators weren’t a defensive-minded team, Vladar saw a ton of shots, which was good for his development.

In 18 games for the Atlanta Gladiators last season he posted a 5-9-1 record, along with a 3.89 goals-against average and a .877 save percentage. He was called up to Providence and went 4-0-1 in eight games with a 2.62 GAA and a .921 SP.

He’s known for his work ethic and it’s evident he’s a confident goalie both on and off the ice.

“I hate losing, that’s my biggest strength,” Vladar said. “I’m always positive and that’s why I’m a winner because I hate losing. I’m doing everything for the win.”

Cassidy did receive positive reports from Vladar’s time in Providence last season, but with the exception of development camp, Wednesday was the first time Cassidy saw the rookie goalie play.

“You see a big, kind of lanky but very athletic kid,” Cassidy said. “He battles. He’s a very good competitor. He comes to the rink with a smile on his face every day. This injury was unfortunate for him, but hopefully it’s not a big setback.

“No one saw him coming in here and earning the backup job. His biggest challenge will be finding the net in Providence because there will be two pretty good goaltenders down there with him.”

The goaltending position will be wide open in Providence and Vladar has an opportunity to prove his worth.

“It was fun to get out there,” Vladar said. “I’m feeling pretty good, so it was great and I just want to build on it for the season. It was a tough summer for me, but I’m happy I’m back right now and I’m coming back even stronger than I was before, so it’s good.

The scouting report on Vladar: Big guy. Battles hard. Guys play hard in front of him. Raw. Needs to play.

Cassidy announced that Rask is starting against the Flyers at Philadelphia on Thursday. Khudobin is playing in the preseason finale on Saturday against the Blackhawks in Chicago. There’s no scenario that Vladar will be given an opportunity to play in a preseason game (last year he stopped 7-of-8 shots in relief vs. Detroit in the preseason), especially since he’s returning from offseason surgery and rehab.

While he’s in Bruins camp – albeit brief – he’ll learn as much as he can, especially from Rask.

“He’s a great NHL goalie, so I’m happy for every time I can be on the ice with him and I’m learning a lot,” Vladar said. “He’s a great guy. He’s talking to me and trying to help me out too.”

If Vladar develops into the type of player that Bruins project, he could be the future.

“This is a question I’m not sure I can answer,” Vladar said with a smile. “I’m just trying to do my best and I’ll see what’s going to happen this season or the season after. I’m just trying to work hard every day and just stay positive. That’s all I can control right now.”

There are already a few Czech goalies that have enjoyed some success in the NHL, including the Red Wings’ Petr Mrazek, the Flyers’ Michal Neuvirth and the Jets’ Ondrej Pavelec. Vladar could be next on the list.

“I’m still young so I still make mistakes,” admitted Vladar. “There are a lot of things I can still improve. I have to get used to pro hockey a little bit more. I need to play bigger and be more patient in the goal and let the puck hit me and not trying to catch every puck.”

The Bruins have developed a next-man-up mentality when it comes to giving players an opportunity to help the team win. They’re still trying to figure out the answer to that question when it comes to goaltending.

It’s still early on the learning curve for Vladar, but he’s certainly on course to be in the Bruins’ plans in the near future.