NHL Notebook: When will next wave of Bruins' top prospects arrive? taken at TD Garden (Bruins)

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NHL Notebook: When will next wave of Bruins' top prospects arrive?

By Conor Ryan

Mar 3, 2019 • 11:21 am

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Don Sweeney and the Bruins didn’t stand idly by at the NHL Trade Deadline, pulling the trigger on a pair of deals that shored up vacancies at third-line center and second-line wing in the form of Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson.

The cost to bring aboard both players? Ryan Donato, a 2019 second-round pick, 2019 conditional fifth-round pick and a fourth rounder in 2020.

A good haul for Boston, given the chips spent — with Sweeney and his staff adding to the B”s current roster without cashing in with one of its top assets, whether it be another first-round selection or one of the organization's promising prospects further down in the pipeline.

The youth movement has carried over into the 2018-19 season for the Bruins, with seven players on the B’s roster currently aged 25 or under — while six other skaters have recorded their NHL debuts with Boston so far this year.

But, even with youngsters like Charlie McAvoy, Jake DeBrusk and Brandon Carlo rounding into form up in the NHL ranks — there’s another crop of players that are still waiting to break through, some potentially as soon as next season.

Given some of the potential brewing down in the AHL and juniors, you could certainly see why Sweeney was hesitant to part ways with some of his top trade capital — especially in terms of the two or three most promising prospects in Boston’s system.

“Very much so,” Sweeney said of discounting trade discussions that zeroed in on Boston’s prospects. "I know that people have indicted us for moving younger players. You have to give up good players to get players that could help you win. That’s the nature of the business. We have to continue to draft and develop and hit. We just do. Have we knocked every one out of the park? Absolutely not, but we’ve accumulated enough good, young talent. We’ve implemented a lot of good, young players.

“So, I know a number of people a number of years ago asked me whether or not you’d be moving David Pastrnak. I don’t know if anybody is in the room today who was asking those questions, but I’ve told you I’m not moving David Pastrnak. I would say the same thing about Jake DeBrusk or if you want to ask me about a different player.”

Sound logic — but are the next up-and-coming players for Boston really expected to jump in and make an impact right away, a la Pastrnak and DeBrusk?

Let’s revisit a few of Boston’s top prospects with their respective seasons starting to wind down — and take a quick glance as to when we could expect to see a few of these players up at the NHL level.

1. Urho Vaakanainen

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 187 lbs

Age: 20

Current organization: Providence Bruins (AHL)

2018-19 stats: 24 games, 9 assists with Providence

It’s been quite the eventful campaign for Vaakanainen — who by all accounts should be viewed as Boston’s top prospect. Already surpassing expectations after making the NHL roster out of camp, Vaakanainen found himself on the shelf in short order — missing two months of action after getting concussed by Ottawa’s  Mark Borowiecki on October 23.

Finally cleared to return in time for the 2019 U-20 World Junior Championships, Vaakanainen played a key role in Finland’s run to a gold medal — averaging 23:07 of ice time and leading his team in TOI in five of the tournament’s seven games. Along with leading a blue line that only surrendered seven goals all tournament, Vaakanainen added four assists for Finland.

Now back in the AHL for what should be the rest of the 2018-19 campaign (barring any injuries up at the NHL level), Vaakanainen has found himself in a bit of a rut as of late — notching just one assist and a minus-5 raring in his last 12 games — but the 20-year-old defenseman is still regarded as being ahead of schedule in his development.

Vaakanainen may not project as a franchise D-man up at the NHL level like McAvoy, but the 2017 first-round pick rarely looks out of place out on the ice — showing impressive poise with the puck and good skating ability. On a team with less depth on the blue line, Vaakanainen would have likely already logged 40-plus games in the NHL already this season. He may not be a franchise defenseman — but a pairing of Vaakanainen and say, Brandon Carlo, would be a pretty damn good duo for the foreseeable future.  

ETA: 2019-20

In a perfect world, Vaakanainen finally breaks through and receives a regular workload up in the NHL ranks next season — after all, he already cracked the team this year as a 19-year-old talent with Torey Krug sidelined due to injury.

The question is, where exactly does his slot in? Boston’s D corps is already packed to the brim, with a NHL regular in John Moore only playing in 11 out of a possible 23 games since the start of January when the rest of the B’s blue line was healthy. Still, given Torey Krug’s impending pay day and Zdeno Chara set to become a free agent once again this summer, look for a spot to potentially open up for Vaakanainen.

2. Jack Studnicka

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 179 lbs

Age: 20

Current organization: Niagara IceDogs (OHL)

2018-19 stats: 52 games, 30 goals, 68 points with Oshawa/Niagara

After tallying 72 points over 66 games in the Ontario Hockey League last season, Studnicka is well on his way toward another another standout campaign — with the dynamic center expected to play a key role in Niagara’s postseason push toward a Memorial Cup. A midseason trade to the IceDogs has done wonders for Studnicka, who is now up to 34 points over 22 games with his new club.

A great skater with fantastic puck control, Studnicka should also be a force up at the next level once he adds a bit of bulk to his 6-foot-2 frame. He still needs a bit more seasoning, but Studnicka projects as a potential top-six pivot down the road for Boston — a welcome sign for the organization considering the age of its regulars down the middle in Patrice Bergeron (33 years old) and David Krejci (32).

Studnicka already turned some heads this preseason by standing as the one of the final cuts for the third-line center competition — even though he only played in five AHL games up to that point — but when you look at the film, it’s clear that Studnicka has the potential to be an impact player up in the NHL ranks once he gets the green light.




ETA: Mid 2019-20


Given the strides he’s made already this season and what should be another summer of training, Studnicka will likely be one of the favorites to crack a spot on Boston’s roster at the start of the 2019-20 season.


But where exactly would the center slot in? Obviously, Bergeron and Krejci have their top-six spots locked up, while
Charlie Coyle
is signed through the 2019-20 season and will likely have the keys to the third line.
Noel Acciari
will be a free agent this summer, but would a dynamic prospect like Studnicka really be a fit on a line with grinders like
Chris Wagner
and
Sean Kuraly?


With his wheels and offensive ceiling, there’s always a chance that Studnicka makes the cut as a winger, especially with a top-six role still likely up for grabs during training camp — with
Marcus Johansson
set for a pay raise and another youngster like
Anders Bjork
set for a summer of rehab due to his second shoulder surgery in as many offseasons.


Switching positions could alter the timetable of Studnicka’s arrival in the NHL, but it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if the addition of Coyle gives Boston the luxury of allowing Studnicka to continue to round out his game by opening the season down in Providence. Still, don’t be shocked if you see him contributing up in Boston at some point next season.


3. Jakub Lauko


Height:
6-foot-1


Weight:
179 lbs


Age:
18


Current organization:
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)


2018-19 stats:
42 games, 21 goals, 16 assists with Rouyn-Noranda


While some prospects that have already earned stints up in the NHL like
Trent Frederic
and
Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson
might be rated a bit higher as far as rankings go, Boston likely could have fetched a nice return if it put a promising offensive talent like Lauko on the market during trade discussions.


Much like Studnicka, Lauko is continuing to see his stock rise after a promising season in the Canadian Juniors, with the 18-year-old skater now up to 21 goals in his first season of hockey in North America. After hitting a bit of a wall in January (three points in 10 games), the forward seems to have found his second wind on a loaded Rouyn-Noranda team — lighting the lamp six times over six games in February, including a hat trick back on Feb. 7.


With a heavy shot and elite speed, Lauko has the potential to be a dynamic top-six winger at the next level, and is well on his way to validating his claim last summer that he could be the




ETA: 2020-21 season


There’s plenty to like about Lauko’s game, but it’s a bit early to declare the Czech winger as a potential Pastrnak in waiting. Still just 18 years old, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if Lauko does earn a promotion and lands in the AHL next season, but he could hit a few roadblocks along the way against tougher competition. Still just 170 pounds, Lauko will need to fill out his frame a bit more if he wants to make it up to the NHL, while his impressive offensive numbers for a QMJHL rookie can be a bit deceiving. Don’t forget,
Zach Senyshyn
was a 40-plus goal scorer in each of his last two seasons in juniors before getting promoted up to Providence — where he only lit the lamp 12 times in his first AHL campaign.


Still, Lauko has exceeded expectations at just about every step of his development so far during his tenure with the Bruins — but I still expect him to spend another year working on his craft before he comes a viable NHL option. 


OTHER PROSPECT NOTES:


After missing over a month of game action after sustaining a concussion,
Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson
returned to the lineup for Providence on Saturday, recording an assist in the Baby B’s 4-2 loss to Springfield. It’s been an eventful season for JFK, who will hopefully be able to end his year on a strong note after dealing with injuries and spending a significant chunk of time up at the NHL level.


Bruins goalie prospect
Jeremy Swayman
appears to be hitting his stride at the right time for the Maine Black Bears, with the sophomore netminder winning Hockey East Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors on February 25 after stopping 67 shots in a pair of wins over Boston College. This is Swayman’s fourth c
onference award of the 2018-19 season, as he was named Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 19, Dec. 3 and Jan. 28. The 20-year-old closed out February with a 5-2-1 record, with six of those eight contests ending with 30-plus save efforts from the goalie.


Should we start paying attention to
Oskar Steen
? Boston’s sixth-round selection (165th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft has been ripping it up lately in the SHL — the highest division within the Swedish ice hockey system. Over his last eight games, the 20-year-old forward has notched 11 points, and is now up to 33 points over 42 games played. He very well could get a look in the AHL next season.




As for
Former
Bruins prospects, well…




Resting Up


The 2018-19 regular season might be winding down, but the docket doesn’t get any lighter for the Bruins down the stretch, with the club still set to play 17 games — including 10 on the road — over 35 days. Keeping players fresh down the stretch will be crucial for the Bruins, but with Boston still just three points ahead of the Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division,
Bruce Cassidy
doesn’t have the luxury of sitting his stars out of games — and even if he could, they likely wouldn’t welcome the offer.


So what can Boston’s bench boss due to keep his guys fresh? Working in extra maintenance days is the current plan for some of Boston’s veterans, with Bergeron earning a pair of days off the ice last week.


"We talked to
(David Krejci)
today,
(Brad Marchand
),
(Zdeno Chara
). Weeks like this, we'd rather them not skate day of game," Cassidy said. "So if they go out today and do like a pregame skate for 15 minutes, sometimes the night  after a game, as long as you get your sleep, it's easier than going twice the day of a game. We're just trying to manage it. Might come a time where they get the whole day off and the morning skate. But that kind of depends on the schedule going forward and how they feel with the fatigue level. This has worked for us so far, so we’ll see how it goes going forward.”








Close shave for Boychuk


John Tavares’
on Thursday might have been the main focus from a matchup between the Islanders and Maple Leafs, but former Bruin Johnny Boychuk had quite the scare in the contest.


Late in the second period, Boychuk knocked Leafs winger
Mitch Marner
into the boards, but Marner’s skate blade swung up and clipped the defenseman in the neck. Grabbing his throat, Boychuk hurried off the ice and went down the tunnel, but eventually returned for the third period.






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