NHL Notebook: 10 observations from Bruins Development Camp

Between Jim Montgomery’s introductory press conference, the start of NHL free agency and bothPatrice Bergeron and David Krejci’s futures — it’s been a busy week for the Bruins.

Add in the fact that all of these offseason critical dates fell on the same week as Boston’s Development Camp, and it’s been tough at times to keep tabs on all of the happenings going on with this Original Six franchise — be it in the present or in regards to the next generation of talent that took to the frozen sheet at Warrior Ice Arena from Monday through Friday. 

But fear not. We were over at Warrior throughout the week, keeping tabs on the top performers throughout Dev Camp. So to cap off a hectic stretch of action for the B’s, here are our 10 observations from Boston’s week-long showcase of their top prospects.

1. Jellvik flashes skill in scrimmage game

With Fabian Lysell working with Team Sweden ahead of the 2022 World Junior Championships and Mason Lohrei held off the ice due to an offseason knee procedure, Boston’s Dev Camp might have been a bit short when it comes to established, blue-chip prospects.

But Jellvik, a 2021 fifth-round pick who elevated his stock last season over in Sweden’s junior league, was an under-the-radar talent who was near the top of my list when it came to appointment viewing on the ice this week — and he didn’t disappoint.

Jellvik may not boast the biggest frame (5-foot-11, 174 pounds), but the forward is a plus skater, has good hands and is very opportunistic and shifty in the offensive zone. Even without the physical tools of a John Beecher or perhaps the release of a Marc McLaughlin, Jellvik consistently put himself in the soft areas of the ice and caught goalies off-guard with his wristers.  

Jellvik was strong all week, but he was especially impressive in Friday’s camp-ending scrimmage — which ended in a 4-4 draw between Team White and Team Black. Jellvik lit the lamp twice in the scrimmage, with both tallies coming off of some high-end skill and a willingness to drive toward the net. 

Jellvik might have put himself on the radar of some B’s fans after posting 55 points in 41 games overseas last season, but he’ll be in the Bruins’ backyard moving forward — as he will play at Boston College this fall. 

He’s not on the tier of Lysell/Lohrei (not yet, at least), but Jellvik is already looking like a high-end talent who, at the very least, is offering very good returns for a fifth-round pick. 

“Just huge improvements,” Providence head coach Ryan Mougenel said of Jellvik. “I got a call from Paul Carey during the year, he played a couple of games with him. ... He was really impressed with the kid. And obviously, I kept an eye on him. And then obviously, in camp, I thought he's been outstanding. You can see a lot of the skill level on some of the players, especially some of the European players. I think it's a little bit of a common denominator and how skilled some of these kids are that are coming in from across the pond. So he's one guy, I think he's got a real bright future.”

2. John Beecher is going to be on a mission

Given both Beecher’s age (21), his extended reps in the collegiate ranks and the fact that this is far from his first rodeo at Dev Camp, it wasn't much of a surprise that the 2019 first-round pick looked like a man amongst boys during a variety of drills this week. 

At this point, Beecher’s skills and talents have been well-established. He’s a fantastic skater, is crisp in transition and has the frame (6-foot-3, 209 pounds) to throw his weight around and wreak havoc on the forecheck. 

With his tools, Beecher could be a pretty effective cog in Boston’s bottom-six corps — an opportunity that could present itself with a strong training camp or at least a few promising months down in Providence. 

Of course, the biggest issue with Beecher is the lack of tangible production to compliment his evident skillset. The University of Michigan product acknowledged that his top focus this summer was working on his shot and finishing ability, given that he only scored 19 goals over 81 games with the Wolverines.

A promising start last spring with the P-Bruins (three goals, five points in nine games) does offer some hope that Beecher’s game might translate better to the pro game — a scenario that Boston sure hopes comes to fruition. 

“I think you've seen a maturity growth,” Bruins Director of Player Development Jamie Langenbrunner said of Beecher. “There's just a different mindset he's had and he is really beginning to understand what's going to make him an effective player. He's building that consistency into his game that he's going to need to have it at this level and there's still some work to do, we think, in there.

"But he's taken the right steps and I think that the first few years in school were a little bit of a battle for him in finding that and the injuries didn't help. But a healthy year last year, really bought into the role that they needed him to do, which was being a third line, penalty-kill guy and more of a shutdown (player) and he did a very good job and scored some timely goals as well. And then he came to Providence and played really well for us, stepped right in and showed us his ability to skate and the attributes that are gonna give him a chance to be a good NHL player.”

3. ‘Captain’ Marc McLaughlin the hero in 3v3 tourney

McLaughlin, much like Beecher, is a prospect who didn’t really surprise anyone by putting together a strong showing during camp. The former BC captain has also been around the block already in his pro career, with the shot-first forward scoring three goals for the Bruins during his eight-game stint up in the NHL ranks this past season. 

The North Billerica native was strong all week, especially during Friday’s 3v3 tournament, where the Hockey East product showcased some impressive chemistry with Providence College forward Riley Duran. 

It was a snipe of a shot from McLaughlin that won the 3v3 tourney in overtime — with McLaughlin, Duran, Matthew Poitras, Dans Locmelis, Quinn Olson, Mason Langenbrunner, Michael Callahan and Philip Svedeback celebrating with a trophy at center ice.

In terms of a floor, McLaughlin — who was jokingly referred to as the Dev Camp roster’s “captain” at one point in the dressing room on Friday — should be a valuable leader in Providence for the foreseeable future. But that might selling his game a bit short, because McLaughlin’s heavy shot, solid two-way game and willingness to engage physically should allow him to earn some regular reps with Boston.

4. Riese Gaber is going to be a top commodity as a collegiate free agent 

McLaughlin might have been the hero in 3v3 hockey, but the most skilled forward during the mini-tournament (and arguably the entire week) was camp invitee Riese Gaber. 

(If we’re keeping track, I’d place Georgii Merkulov second and Jellvik third in terms of the most skilled participants at Dev Camp). 

Much like last year’s camp, where invitee Ben Meyers routinely stole the show, Gaber was a dynamo on the ice at Warrior — routinely putting skaters on their heels with his skating ability, crisp edge work and slippery style of play.

The tired narrative working against Gaber is his size (5-foot-8), but the 22-year-old is sturdy on his skates and rarely gets knocked off the puck, using his frame to his advantage when it comes to maneuvering past bodies on the ice. 

Gaber, who scored 37 points in 34 games for the University of North Dakota this past season, should be one of the top targets for NHL teams next spring when he closes out his junior season with the Fighting Hawks. 

Of course, just because Gaber attended Boston’s Dev Camp — that doesn’t automatically make them the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to getting him to eventually sign on the dotted line. But Boston will be hoping that a week spent at Warrior makes a good impression on the Manitoba native.

“Riese Gaber is a really good hockey player,” Langenbrunner said. “He's got what I believe you need if you're gonna play at that size. He's got a lot of courage, he's got a lot of willingness to get underneath guys. His motor is nonstop. Having (Jake Schmaltz) there at North Dakota, we saw him a lot this year between Adam (McQuaid) and I. He's a guy that we've liked from the college free agency pool for a couple years now. He's just a good hockey player. So a guy we'll definitely track and when he's ready, I'm sure we'll be there with an opportunity for him.”

5. Hockey East should be appointment viewing for B’s fans in 2022-23

We already noted Jellvik and his expected arrival at BC this fall. But if you’re a B’s fan trying to catch a glimpse of the next wave of Bruins’ talent, Jellvik won’t be the only prospect logging reps in Hockey East.

In particular, forward Riley Duran (Providence College) and defenseman Ty Gallagher (Boston University) put together very strong camps — with both skaters building off of strong freshman campaigns for their respective clubs.

Gallagher is looking like a tremendous value add for Boston in the 2021 NHL Draft, with Boston scooping him up from the U.S. National Team Development Program in the seventh round (No. 217 overall). 

At the time, the knock on Gallagher (despite his evident playmaking talents and heavy shot) was his skating, but the 19-year-old didn’t miss a step during his first year on Comm Ave, logging top-four minutes for the Terriers and recording 16 points over 31 games. During camp, Gallagher’s one-timers routinely caused havoc, with his blasts from the blue line often sailing through a mass of skaters down low and forcing goalies to scramble.

"Right away, he came in as a young guy,” Adam McQuaid said of Gallagher. “I think he was the youngest guy on their team, he was just confident. I always say about Ty that he's a gamer — like he just shows up to compete and battle and he works and he's a guy that wants to continue to get better. Takes the right approach. He asks questions. So I think that those are probably some of the things that they noticed (at BU). BU had a bit of a rough start last year, but they really turned it around and were a really good team the second half of the year and I think he was was part of that.” 

Duran, the Woburn native who was selected by Boston in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, was noticeable throughout camp — be it his relentless forechecking or muscling bigger bodies out of the way on battle drills.

Duran, who posted 19 points in 38 games during his freshman season with the Friars, looks like the latest in a long line of hard-working, scrappy forwards to come out of the PC program.

“I've been really impressed with him as a kid and a player,” Mougenel said of Duran. “I think he's in a great program at Providence College, and he's gonna grow that part of his game. But I think the one thing we had this week is the identity of the Bruins has been pretty evident with Quaider. We're looking for guys with ultra-competitive spirits and courage. And the one thing I think we've been very transparent with the fellows here is that it's a big part of being a Bruin. So hopefully, they all bring it.”

In total, there were six drafted players at Dev Camp who will play in Hockey East next season : Jellvik, Duran, Gallagher, Svedeback (PC), Andre Gasseau (BC) and Trevor Kuntar (BC). Add in Mason Langenbrunner’s expected arrival at Harvard, and you should have no shortage of B’s talent to watch in and around Boston this upcoming collegiate season. 

6. Brett Harrison finishes strong

As Boston continues to scour prospect pools for its next top-six pivot, Harrison might offer the highest upside within the system at the moment — at least when it comes to O-zone production.

Drafted in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Harrison played limited reps in Finland in 2020 after COVID wiped out the OHL season, but the young center rebounded with Oshawa in 2021-22 — ranking second on the Generals with 61 points (27 goals, 34 assists) over 65 games. 

Still, the 19-year-old Harrison has a lot of room to grow, be it his D-zone details or the need to put more weight onto his 6-foot-2 frame. Harrison had a few quiet days to open camp, but had a strong showing during Friday’s scrimmage — lighting the lamp for Team Black before setting up a tally for teammate Jamie Engelbert on the next shift. 

"Yeah. I feel like I'm competing with all the players here and I'm just trying to mostly focus on myself right now and try to develop my game,” Harrison said. “I'm just trying to do battle with the guys out there on the ice and trying to impress the management — but also try to keep developing my game for myself. 

7. 2022 draft class makes good first impression

When it comes to setting expectations for a recently-drafted crop of players, it’s often wise to keep an open mind regarding a group of 18-year-old kids who are likely walking into camp wide-eyed and a bit nervous. 

But all things considered, Boston’s latest class of drafted talent more than held their own, especially second-round pick Matthew Poitras — who stood out to Boston’s talent evaluators due to his skating and willingness to fight inside to Grade-A ice. 

“I just said to (associate director of amateur scouting) Ryan Nadeau how smart he is, right off the hop,” Mougenel said of Poitras. “I'm not gonna lie. I follow the OHL quite closely just because I've got a lot of friends that coach in the league. A lot of my buddies' kids play in the league. So I've been following him. 

“They did a real good job with that pick. He's gonna be a good player. And they've got a new coach going in there in Guelph, Scotty Walker (yes, THAT Scott Walker), who will help grow his offensive game. He's going to be awesome for him. Scotty is a fantastic guy. So I'm excited.”

As for the rest of the draft class, Cole Spicer has a pretty effective one-timer down pat, while Dans Locmelis scored during Friday’s scrimmage and had a few smooth sequences while operating behind the net during drills.

Jackson Edward was as advertised when it came to his willingness to hit anything within a 10-foot radius — nearly putting fellow draft-mate Frederic Brunet into the benches with a heavy check on Tuesday. 

8. As for the goalies?

It’s often a pretty fruitless venture to evaluate young goalies in development camps, be it the need for more technical development or the number of 2-on-1 drills and other offensive-minded sequences that often put netminders in rough spots. 

All things considered, Philip Svedeback was the best of the pack this week — with the 2021 fourth-round pick denying Gaber and Joseph Abate on point-blank chances during Friday’s scrimmage. 

With Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark entrenched on the NHL depth chart, the Bruins have the luxury of letting their goalie prospects marinate and develop on their own timeline — with Svedebeck expected to earn a good amount of reps between the pipes next season at Providence College.

9. Greenway will be an interesting project down in Providence 

If the Bruins are looking to add more heft to their prospect pool, they might have found it in J.D. Greenway — the younger brother of Wild power forward Jordan Greenway.

J.D. Greenway, who signed a two-year AHL contract with the Bruins last August, has been a defenseman for most of his career — but Boston is hoping that University of Maine product can utilize his 6-foot-5 frame in a forechecking role. 

He’ll need to improve his skating to make that adjustment, but Greenway did lay the boom on a couple of players during camp — including a check on former PC captain Michael Callahan that had him reeling on the bench during Friday’s scrimmage. 

“The one thing with J.D. is that he’s super athletic,” Mougenel said of Greenway. “I think for him it’s going to be an adjustment for sure. There’s things in his game that he does really well, and there’s things we gotta work on. That’s what the American [Hockey] League is about: Building that identity, building that consistency. He’s a guy that’s gonna have to have a lot of reps to get acclimated to playing forward. But we’re committed to the time with J.D., and he’s committed to putting in the time as well.  “He’s a physical specimen. He’s intimidating in that way. That’s another thing that some of our guys gotta grow into and be a little uncomfortable doing it. He’s kind of gotten over that a little bit and he understands that he’s a big, physical guy, and he needs to play like that all the time.”

10. As for Lysell...

Langenbrunner stated the obvious when it came to Lysell's absence — which was a direct result of the 2022 World Juniors getting pushed to August after its usual December-January iteration was canned due to COVID issues.

"He was disappointed, quite honestly," Langenbrunner said of Lysell, who is currently training with Team Sweden. "He wanted to be here — it's an opportunity for him to meet everybody and be around. But after talking through with him and stuff it just makes more sense — for him to bounce back and forth, it would mess up his summer way too much. He's gonna come in after the World Junior, so he'll have a good almost month until camp to spend around here then. So yeah, disappointing — but we're kind of just going with the flow with a lot of these things."

Lysell wasn't able to rub elbows with his fellow B's prospects or Boston's development staff this week, but the Bruins sure aren't fretting over the Swede's game and his overall progression since making the jump over to North America. 

"We're very happy with the way he progressed as the year went on," Langenbrunner said of Lysell. "Definitely an adjustment the first half of the year, mostly off the ice, to be honest with you. Living, being away from home, new culture, all that. But he grew and grew and then during his playoff run — the most important time of the year — he was playing his best hockey and really put that team on his back. He's a great kid. He's gonna be a good player."