Bruce Cassidy helps BSJ break down the Bruins' rookie class at the break

PITTSBURGH – Whether it’s junior, collegiate or minor-league hockey, every organization evaluates its prospects differently. This season has been a bit different for the Bruins because the majority of their top young talent is already playing in the NHL.

Knowing that many of those prospects would be in the lineup for 2017-18, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy decided it would be best to break down the rookies’ season in 10-game segments. When he was coaching the P-Bruins, he would assess the players after each three-game weekend. It would either be a good weekend, or a bad weekend.

The idea is to judge the young players on a body of work and not on a game-by-game basis, because it’s only natural for first- or second-year players to experience the normal ebbs and flows. A 10-game block is almost the equivalent of a month, so it gives the organization a real sense of the players’ development.

After the Bruins dropped a 6-5 decision in overtime to the Pittsburgh Penguins in game No. 40 Sunday night at PPG Paints Arena, Boston enters the bye week and now has four 10-game segments to evaluate the young core.

“You do want to see growth from month 1, 2, 3 and I think the middle months there’s always a bit of a dip,” Cassidy told BostonSportsJournal.com. “Either guys get comfortable, or guys get physically, mentally tired but there usually is a dip and you’ve got to get out of that dip.”

The Bruins enter the bye week with an 11-1-3 in their last 15 games and have earned points in 11-straight with an 8-0-3 record. It’s also impressive that the Bruins lead the league in rookie scoring with 32 goals this season.

Since the Bruins have a solid scouting report on the rookie class, now is a good time to analyze those players in the four 10-game segments, with an assist from Cassidy.

Charlie McAvoy

From a statistical standpoint, the 20-year-old defenseman had one goal and seven assists in the first 10 games of the season. In the second 10, he had one goal and one assist. In the third segment, he had two goals and four assists. In the latest segment, he has one goal and four assists.

He’s averaging nearly 24 minutes per game and he’s been a key component on the top defensive pairing with Zdeno Chara. McAvoy has been a consistent on the team’s second power-play unit too. Even though he’s in consideration for the Calder Trophy, McAvoy’s not playing like a rookie.

“If you look at him, there’s a little different measuring stick because of the six games in the playoffs last season and how well he played and how he handled it,” Cassidy said. “We weren’t too worried about him being able to play at this level. It’s how well can he play? What could he handle? We knew he could play, but where does he fit?”

McAvoy began the season playing with Kevan Miller, but Cassidy quickly moved McAvoy up with Chara. For most young defensemen in the NHL, it’s how they’re playing around their 250^th game that gives an accurate evaluation. In McAvoy’s case, he’s ahead of that curve.

McAvoy “has passed all the tests,” Cassidy said. “I don’t think his game has dropped off. If it did, it’s one game and he gets it back. In his position, it’s impressive that you can bounce back. He’s just one of those guys ahead of the curve. He’s just a good player and his mental makeup (is beyond his years). Every time you challenge him a little bit, he’s got a lot of inner drive and pride. You give him just a little tweak and all of a sudden he wants to prove you wrong, so that’s good as long as you’re not hammering him all the time, which is unnecessary with him.”

McAvoy’s confidence is soaring and eventually, the offensive numbers will begin to climb too.



Jake DeBrusk

From a statistical standpoint, the 21-year-old forward had two goals and two assists in the first 10 games. He posted three goals and three assists in the second segment, while being a healthy scratch for the first time this season on Nov. 11. In the third segment, had posted one goal and three assists, but missed three games with a concussion. In this last segment, he has three goals and four assists.

Assuming the team is playing well, and David Krejci remains healthy, that line, along with Ryan Spooner, is finding chemistry. It’s a good situation for DeBrusk being on Krejci’s wing but there are certain expectations that have been inconsistent at times. When he’s heavy on the puck and going to the dirty areas he’s been successful. His shot is dangerous and he’s scored some impressive goals.

“For him it’s exciting,” Cassidy said. “He’s got guys that make plays (on his line). He likes to score. He goes to the net, so I would anticipate him having a good 10-game segment (after the break.)”

It’ll be interesting to see how he comes out of the break. Veterans understand how to balance the in-season breaks, and rookies could use it the wrong way, thinking they have four days off so they can go crazy instead of resting and recuperating for the second half. This is a crucial portion of the schedule coming up for DeBrusk.

When he was underperforming, Cassidy decided it would be best for DeBrusk to watch from press level. The message was sent and the rookie immediately responded exactly the way he should have, but there’s been some inconsistency again recently.



Danton Heinen

From a statistical standpoint, the 22-year-old forward began the season with the P-Bruins but he was recalled after the Bruins’ second game and has been a solid contributor ever since. In six games of that first segment, he had two goals and four assists. In the second, he had two goals and three assists. It was in the third segment when he started to find his game and producing at both ends of the ice. It’s also no coincidence that veteran David Backes returned to the lineup when Heinen really turned it on. He had three goals and four assists during that span. In the fourth segment, he had three goals and nine assists.

“He’s been a steady climb. He’s been very consistent,” said Cassidy. “He seems to have a down game, but he’ll bounce back. It’s not a ‘down’ game, it’s just now the expectations are higher, but he’s nowhere near where you’re going, ‘Geez, he needs a game off.’"

Since Dec. 1, Heinen leads all NHL rookies in scoring with six goals and 10 assists for 16 points in 15 games. His overall game is solid. He has an elite ability to win puck battles, especially along the walls and in the corners. Honing his skills in Providence last season has paid dividends because Heinen’s used in all situations for the Bruins.

Anders Bjork

If there was any doubt how the 21-year-old forward would handle his recent assignment to the AHL, he answered this weekend with two goals and two assists for four points with Providence.

He earned a spot on Boston’s roster out of training camp and was riding the wave adrenaline to start the season. He provided three goals and four assists in the first 10 games, but the game started to catch up with him in the second segment and he collected only two assists. His missed four games in the second frame with a concussion he suffered after being on the receiving end of a massive open-ice hit by the Maple Leafs’ Matt Martin on Nov. 11.

That carried into the third segment and he missed another three games (seven total) before returning on Dec. 2. He registered one goal but was a healthy scratch in the 10^th game of that third segment.

Similar to DeBrusk, Bjork responded accordingly and posted two assists in the fourth segment before he returned to press level as a healthy scratch on Dec. 30 and Jan. 2. He was then assigned to Providence.

“It’ll be interesting to see how he handles it,” Cassidy said. “This is the first time, probably in a long time in his career, where he may look at it as, I hate to use the word ‘fail’ but didn’t succeed as much as he would like to. So how do you handle that? It’s adversity. I’m sure he’s tight with Jake and Danton and they’re still here and he’s not, so how is he going to handle that? Is he going to go down and do the right things to get back here as quick as he can? Or will it be a, ‘Woe is me,’ type of thing? You never know how guys are going to handle it."

The competition in Providence will also help Bjork remain focused. The P-Bruins are playing well and those players understand the Bruins reward players for their commitment to success. Peter Cehlarik wants to come back. Kenny Agostino wants to come back. Austin Czarnik wants to come back. Zach Senyshyn and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson want their chance.

“If (Bjork) thinks, ‘I don’t deserve this,’ then guys will go right by him,” Cassidy said. “I don’t think he’ll do that. He’s a good kid that will play. He may not like it, or agree with it, but he’s going to go play. That’s his mentality. He’s an enthusiastic kid and wants to play.”

Early indications are he’s handling it well.



Matt Grzelcyk

The 24-year-old rookie defenseman is the epitome of a player taking full advantage of the opportunity he’s given. The former Boston University standout and Charlestown native was in the lineup for opening night while veteran defenseman Torey Krug was sidelined with a jaw injury. He returned for the second game of the season and Grzelcyk was sent back to the P-Bruins. He returned on Nov. 22, again when Krug was out with an injury, but this time Grzelcyk has become a mainstay in the lineup.

In the 21 games he’s played since his return, he’s played well at both ends of the ice and has helped the power play too. Grzelcyk has been playing with Kevan Miller and they’ve found solid chemistry as the Bruins’ third pairing. Grzelcyk has one goal and four assists, but his ability to move the puck has been his biggest asset.

It also helps that he’s older than the other rookies because he played four seasons for the Terriers.

“He’s been steady,” Cassidy said. “He’s an older guy and mature. I don’t want to say he’s more mature by nature, but being a college guy has helped.”



Sean Kuraly

Similar to Grzelcyk, Kuraly played four years of college hockey at Miami of Ohio and the 24-year old forward has a better understanding what it takes to succeed in the NHL. His four playoff games for the Bruins last spring helped his development and it’s showing this season. He’s been a physical force and has been a consistent presence in the bottom six.

From a statistical standpoint, he had two assists in the first 10 games, two goals and one assist in the second 10, one goal in the third segment and two assists in the fourth. Given his ability and role, Kuraly’s not expected to produce a ton of points.

Earlier in his pro career, he would get pushed off pucks but that’s not happening on a consistent basis this season.

“Sean’s not going to lose many of those,” Cassidy said. “For him, it’s about keeping the motor up and understanding what it takes to be a good player.”

He was benched earlier in the season because he was having issues with untimely penalties, but he’s corrected that and his line with Noel Acciari and Tim Schaller has been making significant contributions of late.

It’s a little bit different in terms of how far along Kuraly is in his development. In his role, he doesn’t have to go home and judge himself on whether he scores or not (DeBrusk and Bjork do get judged on those statistics because they play in the top six). Kuraly is evaluated more on the production and effectiveness of his line.

Peter Cehlarik

Unfortunately, an offseason shoulder injury affected his training camp, and when he was cleared, he was sent to Providence to get his game going. He was recalled on Nov. 15 and five games with one goal and one assist before he suffered a knee injury. He’s been playing for the P-Bruins and showing signs of finding his game once again and pushing to be recalled.

Second half looms

There's a reason why the Bruins' rookie class leads the NHL in scoring with 32 goals. A major reason is that there's so many of them on the roster. In fact, all seven of them scored their first NHL regular-season goal this season. Another reason for their success is the coaching staff has put them in a position to succeed and they've all taken advantage of that opportunity because of the internal competition and depth in the organization.

Cassidy understands that it won't all be perfect in the second half because of the arduous NHL schedule and the rookies getting used to the rigors at this level. However, so far so good and the next four blocks should give the Bruins a better indication of their future.

When the Bruins return from the break, they have a strong possibility of continuing this success as long as they can remain healthy.

“I’ve liked the way we’ve developed as a team,” said Patrice Bergeron. “We’ve gotten better after we faced some adversity early on and that has made us stronger mentally, meaning it doesn’t matter who’s in the lineup. The young guys are developing nicely.”