Bruins Notebook: B’s keeping tabs on 60-goal scorer in OHL, reinforcements ready for Tampa?

NEWARK — With the CHL postseason set to begin, the Bruins will have plenty of prospects to keep tabs on during the run to the Memorial Cup — headlined by names such as Jack Studnicka (Niagara), Jakub Lauko (Rouyn-Noranda), Cedric Pare (Rimouski) and Daniel Bukac (Niagara).

But Boston, like many other teams, will also likely be keeping a close eye on the OHL’s North Bay Battalion — and their star forward in Justin Brazeau. While this time of year usually finds clubs either inking collegiate prospects to entry-level contracts once their respective seasons are over, Brazeau could offer a higher ceiling out of the junior-hockey route.

Still just 21 years old (albeit in his final season of the CHL), Brazeau was passed over during his draft-eligible seasons — with the winger only tallying a combined 28 goals during his first two seasons in the OHL.

This season? The 6-foot-6, 225-pound winger has been a monster in the offensive zone for North Bay, tallying 61 goals (first in OHL) and 113 total points (second in OHL) — and is free to sign with any NHL team once the Battalion’s season has come to an end.

Let’s see ... high-scoring winger? Check. Power forward? Check. 40 penalty minutes? Well, they can work on that. … But Brazeau seems like a perfect addition to a Bruins’ prospect pipeline looking for some more offensive pop.



And sure enough, it looks as though the Bruins are keeping a close watch on the winger, as TSN's Darren Dreger noted Boston has been interested in Brazeau, while the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vegas Golden Knights are also invested in a potential sweepstakes for the dynamic forward. In total, 10 NHL teams are expected to in attendance for Thursday’s series opener between North Bay and Niagara.



Of course, one can expect a player like Brazeau to make an immediate impact but if signed by Boston, the power forward could earn some reps down in Providence before the 2018-19 season wraps up.

There are a few concerns when it comes to a late bloomer like Brazeau, with skating usually brought up as the biggest area that he will need to work on if he wants to crack a spot on an NHL roster down the road.

In his 31 Thoughts column, Elliotte Friedman remarked in a conversation with North Bay head coach and GM Stan Butler that Brazeau — growing up about six hours northwest of Ottawa — didn’t work on power skating or have a skills coach while growing up in a town of just under 5,000 in New Liskeard, Ontario.

And for every undrafted free agent like Mark Giordano, there are plenty of others who don’t quite pan out at the NHL level — or even down in the AHL.

We’ve seen bigger wingers hit roadblocks once they make that jump into pro hockey — with Zach Senyshyn going from 87 combined goals in his last two OHL seasons to just 26 over 123 games down in Providence.

But given Brazeau’s already NHL-ready frame and scoring potential, he would be a great addition to a wave of B’s prospects who could be threatening for roster spots come this fall.

Reinforcements on the way

David Pastrnak made his return from a 16-game absence on Tuesday against the Islanders, and the rest of Boston’s banged-up skaters may not be too far behind him.

While an expected return date is not quite set in stone, Bruce Cassidy did note that the remaining four B’s players currently on the shelf — Torey Krug, Marcus Johansson, Matt Grzelcyk and Kevan Miller — will all practice with the team down in Florida.

Krug, who has missed the last three games due to a concussion, traveled with the club to New York and New Jersey during this two-game swing — while the other three will likely skate on Friday down in Sunrise.

While a return against the Panthers on Saturday might not be in the cards, Cassidy said that it’s certainly possible for players like Grzelcyk and Johansson to slot back in for Monday’s anticipated matchup against the Lightning.

With Johansson — sidelined since March 5 due to a lung contusion — back in the fold, Boston will have its full complement of forwards for Cassidy to tinker with, potentially setting up a reshuffling that could find Johansson teaming up with Charlie Coyle on the third line. There are plenty of options for Cassidy to parse through.

“The guys are coming to skate with us,” Cassidy said. “I believe all three. Miller, Grzelcyk, Johansson.  From there, I don’t know who’d be available. Like I said, I don’t Kevan will, but I think he’s going to try to integrate with the team and get skating. After that, I guess day to day would be the accurate way to put it, once they start skating with the group. … Saturday, if they skate with us Friday or Saturday, then there’s always an opportunity. I don’t think that we’ll see them Saturday, personally. But we’ll see.”

Fingers crossed

Getting injured players back up to speed will be paramount for Cassidy and his staff ahead of the postseason — as will be making sure the other regulars in the lineup avoid the injury bug over the final nine games of the season.

One name in particular that Cassidy will be crossing his fingers for? Brandon Carlo — who has missed his first two trips to the postseason after sustaining season-ending injuries over the final weeks of both the 2017 and 2018 campaign.

Carlo, who averages 20:51 TOI and 2:47 of shorthanded TOI this season, has been one of the B’s most dependable players all season long — and has rebounded after fighting through a bit of a sophomore slump in 2017-18. Carlo will be counted on to help neutralize some imposing offenses such as Toronto and Tampa Bay come April and May, but Cassidy believes that the 22-year-old blue liner will be up for the challenge, even if it will be his first real taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Well, if it’s for the physical grind, he should be better prepared,” Cassidy said. “He’s two years stronger, you can see that on the ice every day in the regular season. So that part should carry over into the playoffs. What he won’t have is experience, so there’s nerves for him, I’d assume. But hopefully those are gone in a hurry, because he does have 200 something games under his belt. It’s not like he’s brand new to it. He has veteran guys around him. I assume that will be the one area that we’ll have to get him through in a hurry. And I guess the elevation of the player. Until you’ve played it, guys tend to be a little more determined finishing their checks. Guys that don’t finish their checks while at least skate through you. There's just a little less room to operate."