What kind of impact can Jakub Lauko have on the Bruins next season?

The Bruins are going to need to be creative when they fill out the roster for the 2023-24 season.

With just shy of $5 million in cap space to play with – $4.9375 million, to be exact according to CapFriendly – Boston has some big decisions on the docket this summer. 

It's not enough cap space to re-sign Tyler Bertuzzi, who Boston is reportedly prioritizing, let alone any of their other pending unrestricted or restricted free agents. The constraints, coupled with Don Sweeney's comments at last month's end-of-season media availability, open up numerous avenues for the B's to shed cap space. 

"Roster changes are likely coming," Sweeney said at the time. "You know, we're not going to be the same team, but our mandate internally, collectively as a group, is we have a really strong core of guys that hopefully ... will continue to grow and will take leadership responsibility moving forward regardless of whether or not Patrice and David walk back through the door. Because they need to. Charlie [Jacobs] referenced the 100 years. Well, these guys are part of the next 100, and they should understand that the expectations don't change in that regard.”

Whether it's via, buyout, free agency or internal moves, Boston needs to successfully navigate the murky waters to ensure lack of depth won't undo what should be a strong remaining core next season, particularly on the wing and defense and regardless of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci's decisions. 

"That might mean we're instituting younger players, that might mean roster changes – which we would like to make – that might mean I might be able to sign one of those three players or other unrestricted players," Sweeney said. "We have to address the two RFAs in [Trent] Frederic and [Jeremy] Swayman, which we will do.

Another RFA they have to deal with is Jakub Lauko, headlining the list of potential graduates from the Baby B's in Providence, although he will not command the same sort of attention Swayman and Frederic will.

The 23-year-old spent much of the 2022-23 season in roster purgatory, bouncing between Providence and Boston after a solid preseason showing. When he was with the varsity club, Lauko frequently rode the elevators between ice level and the ninth floor of TD Garden, getting into just 23 games in the regular season and averaging a team-low 8:52 of time on ice per game (we won't count Jack Studnicka's one appearance with 8:01). 

But even with minimal ice time, Lauko was an impactful bottom-six player for Boston in the regular season.

In what was almost exclusively a fourth-line capacity with little special teams action, save for a nibble on the penalty kill, Lauko put up four goals and three assists for seven points in his 23 games. That's decent production, considering his role and his relative inexperience at the NHL level. 

For reference, his 0.30 points per game were higher than his peers in the same role: Tomas Nosek (0.27 in 66 games), Garnet Hathaway (0.24 in 25 games with Boston) and A.J. Greer (0.20 in 61 games). Granted, none of them are being asked to lead the Bruins in scoring, but it shows Lauko's impact in the limited sample. He beat out Craig Smith, who on the other hand, was being paid partially for his scoring in the middle-six. Smith had 0.24 points per game in 42 games before being shipped out to cut costs in the deal for Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov. 

Lauko did what he needed to do to earn a lineup spot, embracing his role as an energetic checker and agitator in the bottom six. He was impactful along the boards and below the goal line. The production was gravy. He winger drew 11 penalties in total during the regular season, leading the NHL in penalties drawn per 60 minutes (3.24), among players with at least 20 games played.

"I just want to come in and show the coaching staff and the management that guys can rely on me if I get a chance to play in the remainder of the season," he said in March.

With the 6-foot, 196-pound forward on the ice at 5-on-5 in what was largely a defense-first role, the Bruins outscored opponents, 10-8 (6-4, high-danger), per Natural Stat Trick. Boston skaters had a 13.51 shooting percentage and B's goaltenders had a .922 save percentage with Lauko on at 5-on-5 in the regular season. 

His effectiveness was on full display in March after a two-goal outburst against the Buffalo, Lauko followed up with a strong outing in Winnipeg in his next game, two full weeks after the showing against the Sabres. Against the Jets, he led Boston at 5-on-5 with five individual scoring chances and tied David Pastrnak with six shot attempts, in addition to drawing two penalties. It all came in a team-low 6:28 of ice time, which was all at 5-on-5. 

“He’s been very good for us in every game he’s been called up,” Jim Montgomery said in March. “I think it speaks to the season and the development by the coaches and everybody down below in Providence. They’re having a great year. It speaks to the depth throughout the organization.”

In the playoffs, Lauko didn't have the same sort of impact in his three games, failing to draw a penalty while taking some of his own. He was not as efficient at generating offense with only two shot attempts to go along with one assist. Still, it was the youngster's first foray into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  

AFP Analytics projects Lauko to sign a one-year deal worth $787,500 against the cap. Even if that projection is off, Lauko shouldn't 't be remotely breaking the bank for the Bruins, likely headed for a "prove it" deal with minimal term and lower money. He is not eligible or arbitration, so Boston should have most of the leverage in the negotiations as well. 

Take his production in the regular season and put it on an 82-game pace, and Lauko would have had 14 goals and 11 assists for the Bruins. Boston would have taken that and run if they got that output of a bottom-six player with a limited role. 

It is absolutely imperative that the Bruins integrate younger (and cheaper) players in the nooks and crannies of the roster. Lauko is the ripest crop of the bunch at the farm in Providence. 

With what he showed in 2022-23 in between his production and effectiveness as a bottom-six checker, Lauko should be in line to compete for and ideally graduate to a full-time NHL role. Depending on how things shake out with the salary cap and cost-cutting moves, like potentially having to part ways with Taylor Hall, the B's may have a vacancy at left wing on the third line. Lauko could be the man for the job if he builds on his strong sample.

Perhaps with a larger role, the Czech speedster would also see increased offensive production.