NHL Notebook: Ranking Top 15 Bruins prospects (5-1) - Usual suspects round out list

With the NHL Draft and Development Camp in the rearview mirror, it’s time to run through our annual review of Boston’s prospect pipeline and unveil our latest top 15 ranking.

The Bruins certainly can’t contend with teams like the Kings, Ducks and others in terms of farm systems, but Boston could have some high-end youngsters on the cusp of breakthrough campaigns this year - be it in college, junior or even in the pros.

So let’s take a look at our rankings of Boston’s top 15 prospects this week, finishing up with No. 5 - 1.

Here’s our previous rankings of 15-11.

And 10-6.

(Note: We’re setting the cut-off for what constitutes as a “prospect” at 40 or more NHL games, so guys like Trent Frederic and Jakub Zboril have graduated and won’t be included here.)

5. John Beecher, Center

Age: 20
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 209 pounds
2021 Stats (NCAA): 16 games played — 4 goals, 4 assists

Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong for Boston’s 2019 first-round pick last year. 

Looking to build off of a promising freshman campaign at Ann Arbor, Beecher suffered a lingering shoulder injury before his 2020-21 season even got off the ground — hampering his performance and eventually necessitating labral surgery that put him on the shelf for close to half a year. 

Add in the expected dip in production due to injury (eight points in 16 games) and a positive COVID test that prevented him from participating in the 2021 World Junior Tournament, and Beecher found himself mired in a lost season — a tough development for both the player and a Bruins organization that’s in desperate need of a new pipeline of talented, young pivots.

With a clean bill of health, Beecher should be in line for a bounce-back junior season — especially on a LOADED Wolverines team that’s also bringing back three top-5 2021 draft picks in Owen Power, Matt Beniers and Kent Johnson. 

But in terms of what exactly Beecher’s ceiling is in the pro game? Well, that might be a bit tougher to discern. 

From our Dev Camp notebook earlier this month: 

Of course, even if Beecher is poised for a bounce-back campaign in college with a clean bill of health and plenty of talent surrounding him, it remains to be seen what exactly a true "bounce-back" is for Beecher — given that we still don't have a clear picture of what the youngster's ceiling is and how he projects at the next level. 

When the Bruins selected him in the first round back in 2019, Beecher's offensive totals (43 points in 63 games with the U.S. NTDP U-18 team) may not have correlated with the usual production displayed by first rounders — but the argument could be made that Beecher was simply buried further down the lineup on a loaded U.S. U-18 squad that also features names like Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Trevor Zegras, Matt Boldy, Alex Turcotte, Cam York and others. 

But so far, Beecher's offensive totals in the NCAA ranks might have tempered expectations about his ideal role on a NHL club — racking up 24 points over 47 games at Michigan. Still, Boston does believe that Beecher still has untapped potential in the offensive zone, while the more tangible aspects of his profile when it comes to his speed, frame and physical play should give him an easy floor to map out when it comes to viability as an NHLer. 

So what exactly could Beecher be in the coming years? A two-way, second-line pivot? An effective middle-six stalwart? An elite fourth liner? As of right now, Bruins Director of Player Development Jamie Langenbrunner isn't going to pigeonhole Beecher into one set role. Because as once pesky fourth liners like Brad Marchand can show us, there's no set timeline when it comes to a player's offensive game rounding into form. 

"I think time will tell with him — his skating is obviously high-end," Langenbrunner said. "I mean, we were actually laughing about it out there today, (skating and skills coach Kim Brandvold) and I, that it almost looks like he's not skating at times. But when you're standing there, he actually is going really, really fast, because it's so effortless. So I think for him, whether he's going to end up as a second-line guy, or a third-line guy, or fourth-line guy will depend on how quickly he gets those details in, how his consistency is there night in and night out that's going to make a coach happy and give him opportunity. 

"His skating and his size are always going to be there. And he's learning how to do those pro habits and we're going to continue to work with him. It's gonna take a little bit of time and good on Johnny on how he's bought into that. If I knew the answer to your question — it would make life a lot easier. But we're going to continue to work with him and get him to the highest point he can and to make him as good a pro as as he can be."

Perhaps there’s still untapped potential with Beecher in terms of his offensive capabilities — and he could still develop into a top-six pivot down the road. Or perhaps he’s the next Charlie Coyle and thrives as a 3C that can extend O-zone possessions with his larger frame. Or with his frame, he can thrive as a bruising winger in a middle-six role. 

His ceiling may not be that of a true franchise center, but Beecher’s blend of size and speed should make him, at the very least, an effective player at the pro level. But the New York native can certainly do himself some favors and eliminate some of the doubt surrounding his game with a strong year at Michigan. 

4. Jack Studnicka, Center
Age: 22
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 171 pounds
2021 Stats (NHL): 20 games played — 1 goal, 2 assists

Studnicka’s stock has taken a bit of a hit after a very disappointing 2021 campaign, but Boston isn’t wavering in terms of its hopes that the young pivot can develop into an impact player at the NHL level.

As unforgiving as the B’s depth chart might look for Studnicka when it comes to carving out a regular role this season with Charlie Coyle at 2C and Erik Haula/Nick Foligno at 3C, all it might take is a strong camp for the 22-year-old forward to shift the narrative surrounding him and his ability to battle with the big boys up in the NHL.

Studnicka’s offensive ceiling regularly separates himself from the rest of the pack when it comes to other B’s prospects, but the Windsor, Ontario native was unable to capitalize on a prime chance to stick with the NHL club last season when Boston’s lineup was significantly less crowded than it is today — with the young forward’s efforts to drive the puck into Grade-A ice often negated when matched up against stronger opponents. 

Studnicka wasn’t aided by the fact that he logged extended reps last season on the wing. But even if he was out of his natural position, it was tough to justify his spot in the lineup when he only tallied one goal and three total points over 20 games. 

Studnicka sure seems to be making the most of last year’s setback, as he’s been working out like a madman down in Foxborough all summer and has noticeably bulked up a bit during the few times I’ve been able to spot him on the ice this offseason. 

Still, it’s going to be an uphill climb for Studnicka when it comes to regularly entrenching himself in the Bruins’ lineup. An opening could become available due to injuries or ineffectiveness from Coyle/Foligno/Haula, but the onus is going to be on Studnicka to force Boston’s hand when it comes to leapfrogging some veteran stalwarts this season. 

3. Fabian Lysell, Winger
Age: 18
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 172 pounds
2021 Stats (SHL): 26 games played — 2 goals, 1 assist

Lysell has logged approximately 0:00 of ice time in the Bruins’ organization. And yet, the 18-year-old winger still finds himself ahead of prospects that have cut their teeth in both the AHL and NHL ranks for years now. 

Why is that?

Because in a prospect pool filled with forwards with solid floors by somewhat limited ceilings in terms of offensive firepower, Lysell is a breath of fresh air when it comes to his top-six potential and game-breaking skill. 

Lysell fell right into Boston’s lap with the 21st overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft — with the Swede tabbed as the No. 14 overall prospect by TSN (Bob McKenzie) and as high as No. 3 overall by DobberProspects. 

And all it takes is a quick glimpse at Lysell’s highlight reel to see why the winger was locked in as a first-round selection. 

Compared by some scouts as a right-shot Nikolaj Ehlers, Lysell is a dynamic offensive force that can easily put defenders on their heels. Even though his numbers may not jump off the page last season, he primarily served in a fourth-line role in the SHL, matched up against players 5+ years older than him. 

Lysell, who already signed his ELC with Boston, will still need to fill out his frame and learn to adjust to the North America brand of hockey — but be it Providence or even in the WHL (if he needs more time), expect an awful lot of highlights to sprout up this season whenever the youngster digs into his bag of tricks in the O-zone. 

“I think we do identify with the skill and the game-breaking ability,” Don Sweeney said of Lysell. “He’s got speed, he can shoot the puck. We’ll go down and watch him live at the U18s. You saw the pockets of high-end ability. Again, now there’s details and things that all young players have to learn and assimilate with the North American style. But he has attributes that I think we identified the Boston Bruins need as much of as we possibly can. Scoring and skills are hard to find and Fabian has a lot of those attributes."  

While it’s very unrealistic (and unfair to the player) to compare Lysell’s trajectory to another uber-skilled B's winger than played overseas in Sweden before thriving immediately in North America, Bruins fans can and should be excited about what a player like Lysell can bring to this organization in the coming years. 

2. Mason Lohrei, Defenseman
Age: 20
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 205 pounds
2021 Stats (USHL): 48 games played — 19 goals, 40 assists

When the Bruins selected Mason Lohrei with the 58th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, there were plenty of scouts, draft analysts, reporters and fans left scratching their heads. While the forward-turned-defenseman offered some intrigue, the USHL over-ager sure seemed like a project that was going to be available further down on the draft board — with the blueliner ranked as the 132nd North American skater by Central Scouting that season. 

But more than a year later, it sure seems like the Bruins are having the last laugh — because Lohrei is making good on Boston’s second-round gamble and showing plenty of promise with his unique blend of size and playmaking ability.

While his impressive stat line last season with Green Bay (19 goals, 59 points in 48 games) needs to be taken into context a bit in that he was routinely capitalizing against younger competition that he frankly should be dominating at this stage of his career, the 20-year-old sure didn’t look like a tweener or a defensive liability during his time at Boston’s Development Camp. 

While his puck-moving talents were regularly on display, Lohrei was also very strong in battle drills and other sequences set in the D-zone, using his still-growing frame to separate players from the puck, win battles along the boards and seal off Grade-A ice. 

Lohrei is still raw in some areas of his game, and his status as a true, top-flight prospect will be validated if he adjusts in short order to tougher competition this season as a freshman at Ohio State.

He might still be a few years away, but Lohrei is the type of prospect that can reverse the fortunes of an organization's pipeline if he reaches his full potential. 

“I’d like to give our scouts all the accolades in terms of recognizing he had a longer path of development,” Don Sweeney said of Lohrei. “He was obviously growing. He hadn’t played the position. There’s a bunch of things that you put into context of where he is today, and how much room he still has. We’re excited. There’s a long way to go for Mason. It’ll be a nice challenge for him to go to Ohio State and play against bigger, stronger players, faster. 

“But he has attributes: patience with the puck, offensive blue line confidence, running a power play. A long stick and the ability to defend — he took that to heart. Our coaches were trying to get him to understand how much harder it is, how much more competitive you have to be on pucks in the defensive zone, but without taking away his creativity moving pucks and getting into the offensive flow.”

1. Jeremy Swayman, Goaltender

Age: 22
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 187 pounds
2021 Stats: 10 games played, .933 save percentage, 1.89 goals against average 

No surprise here. 

When it comes to grading past performances, charting out potential and predicting a youngster’s expected role up with the NHL club — it’s hard to not place Swayman top among all Bruins’ prospects in terms of his ceiling and value to this team, both in 2021 and the coming years. 

While Swayman has raised his profile time and time again over the years thanks to a few dominant seasons at Maine, the Alaska native’s absurd run last season after getting pressed into service with Boston has elevated him to another tier — with Boston hoping that he develops into the B’s long-term successor to Tuukka Rask.

And even though it was a small sample size, Swayman sure looked the part of a future franchise netminder last season. 

A technically sound goalie that tracks pucks well and rarely seemed rattled in net, Swayman helped keep Boston afloat during the dog days of the winter when their goalie corps was decimated, posting a .945 save percentage over 10 games and an .895 save percentage on high-danger shots, tops among the 66 goalies last season with at least 600 minutes of ice time.

Even though fans should try to temper unrealistic and lofty expectations placed on Swayman next year in what will be his first legit season of NHL reps, it sure seems like the Bruins are going to give him every opportunity to stake his claim as Boston's next No. 1 option between the pipes. 

“He’s going to have to get his reps,” Bruce Cassidy said of Swayman on Tuesday. "I think once you go through the league a little bit, shooters start to figure you out. There’s a little bit of that. We saw that with Carter Hart in Philadelphia. He had an off year. I don’t know that player that well, but Swayman is a young guy, had a lot of success early. What I do know about Jeremy is he’s a hard-working guy. Takes a lot of pride in his work, so I know if there’s some issues, he’ll work on them. 

"Obviously every young goalie is going to have to get better in certain areas, but it’s the mental part of the game that you can never tell. How’s he going to handle being a No. 1? How’s he going to handle the expectations of being a No.1  goalie in this Boston market? It’s tough as the years go on. So he has to be able to handle some of those things. … Small sample size. But very, very good numbers in that small sample size."

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David Krejci plans on playing full season in Czech Republic

Bruins fans still holding out hope for a mid-season return for David Krejci are likely going to be disappointed by the veteran center’s comments during his introductory press conference with his new club, HC Olomouc, on Monday. 

When asked about potentially heading back to Boston before the Czech Extraliga season ends, Krejci reiterated that he plans on seeing this year through back in his home country. 

“I will stay in Olomouc all season, I signed a one-year contract,” Krejci said in a team release (translated by Google). "I'm not dealing with what's next at all at the moment, but returning to Boston in the spring is definitely not in the (plan). "

Krejci added: "I had many offers, but everything turned out the way I wanted. We were in daily contact with (Olomouc’s) management, which I am happy for. I'm going back to Olomouc and I really appreciate that.

"It was all up to me whether I wanted to continue in the NHL or not. I decided to come back. As they say, good everywhere, best at home. For family reasons, it (would) not be worth playing in Prague or elsewhere in Europe, for example. It wouldn't make sense. In Olomouc, I know everything. … Of course, during the season, I knew that my contract was ending in Boston. I wondered what I would do next. At the end of the year, I decided to return home. "

As unlikely as it already was that Krejci was going to just pack up his bags and leave Olomouc in the middle of their season, Krejci’s comments should finally put an end to any talk about his return this year. Even if Krejci wanted to return to Boston once Olomouc’s season wraps up in March or April, a player needs to sign with an NHL club before the trade deadline in order to be playoff eligible.

While a situation could develop in which Krejci eventually returns to Boston next year once he hits free agency again, 2021-22 sure seems out of the question. 

Torey Krug offers heartfelt memories of Jimmy Hayes

A common theme in most tales surrounding Jimmy Hayes and the legacy he left behind in wake of his tragic passing often had little to do with on-ice accomplishments or championships. Rather, they more had to do with how he carried himself in all aspects of his life, be it in the locker room or away from the game of hockey entirely. 

Torey Krug, calling into the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon on Wednesday, echoed those same sentiments — noting that the Dorchester native was always the first volunteer when it came to visiting pediatric hospitals as part of the Bruins' community events. 

“Jimmy was just a special guy," Krug said. "Literally every single room he walked into, he lit it up with a smile, with a joke. Lots of laughs. It’s just hard to put into words, what he meant, not only to his teammates, but his family. They have such a strong family, it’s tough to see this happen. … You don’t hear people talk about the championships or all the goals he scored, there were plenty of those. He won a couple of championships at Boston College. But you hear them talking about his character and how much fun he was to be around and that smile. It’s a very tough few days.”

“I remember doing multiple hospital trips with Jim. It was so easy to go in with him. With what these patients are going through and everything every single day, it’s tough. That was just another one of his god-given abilities — he walked into a room and lit it up and made people laugh. No matter what they were going through, it was easy to go in a room like that with Jim."

Bunch of Jerks 

Just a tremendous troll job from the Carolina Hurricanes after the team announced that it had tendered an offer sheet to Habs pivot Jesperi Kotkaniemi. 

The one-year contract, which Kotkaniemi has signed, pays a salary of $6,100,015 for the 2021-22 season — along with a $20 signing bonus. Hmmmm.

The Montreal Canadiens have seven days to match the offer. If the Canadiens do not match the offer, they will receive a first-round pick and a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft as compensation from the Hurricanes.

 At long last, some offer-sheet drama to soak in this summer.