Halfway through Bruins development camp, what I’ve seen from certain players, and more
Prospects will take batting practice at Fenway Thursday as well
As we hit the halfway point through the Bruins development camp, I decided it would be a good time to share my thoughts so far. Many forwards have shown some skills I didn’t think they have, some defensemen have exceeded expectations, and more. So with that, let’s dive in.
Andre Gasseau remains a project, and so does his skating, but his shot, Hockey IQ, and hands are legit. A report from Mark Divver stated that he weighed about 215 lbs with 5.5% body fat. He is also a big guy on the ice and likes to be somewhat physical, but I believe he needs to be more physical.
Gasseau’s development has been very smooth. If his linemate is once again Cutter Gauthier, then expect him to be a menace out there this season. Oh, and the assets of Smith, Leonard, and Perreault? The power play will be in good hands for the Eagles.
Oskar Jellvik has potential. He needs to shoot more, as he was absolutely ripping the puck on Wednesday like it was no problem. However, he did have a lot of shots on goal last year, it seems he is so quick to shoot the puck when it gets on his stick, no matter where he is. Jellvik doesn’t take shots from the inner slot (high danger/high xG) too often, which might be the issue on why his scoring was down last season.
Riley Duran is a menace out there and will be a great pro. Many have asked if his scoring will translate, but we know his physicality will.
The shot of Brett Harrison is lethal, but will it be used on Providence’s power play? I hope so, as it is too strong to not be used, as Georgii Merkulov’s one-timer is likely to be used in Boston, and Vinni Lettieri’s will be used in Iowa/Minnesota.
Beckett Hendrickson hasn’t made me go “Wow” but that’s ok, as that is the type of player he is. Wins puck battles, makes a TON of slot passes, and skates just fine. He’ll play at USHL Sioux Falls next year and then to the Golden Gophers of Minnesota he’ll go.
PSU’s Ryan Kirwin has been a fun addition to this camp, loves to shoot, and is just your typical type of player from the B1G. Couldn't ask for a better invite, as I hope he has a killer year at Penn State next year.
A player that loves to drive the net and take a ton of shots is Trevor Kuntar. It was good to see him walking around Warrior, as he is recovering from surgery. He is signed, so expect him to take his talents to Providence next season when he is ready.
A player to for sure watch this season is Dans Locmelis. He is absolutely flying around the ice during drills. His skating is good, his shot is lethal, and his hands are fun to watch. Locmelis has worked very hard so far this week and I expect him to score a ton of goals for UMass next season.
The lone player in a red, non-contact sweater during drills is Fabian Lysell. The Bruins top prospect is recovering from a concussion that he suffered during the Providence Bruins playoff run. His hands and skating are still elite, I’m not too worried about his progression back.
Lysell will push for a roster spot. The Bruins will also try and accommodate him if they feel he is ready and if they have a spot available. When Jake DeBrusk played for Providence, he had a similar point-per-game production in Providence. He made the team the following year. Now I am not saying Lysell will make it because of that, but it is something to consider, as Lysell had great production in the first half of the season with the P-Bruins. Just a thought.
One of a few players that I don’t know what to make of is Casper Nässén. Skating is iffy, and still not sure where he’ll play next year.
Again, a player I am not sure what to think of is Quinn Olson. Plays defensively, so it’s hard to make out what kind of pro he will be at a development camp.
One of the few AHL signings that were invited to camp is Owen Pederson. I like Pederson’s game so far, has a good shot and good hands. The hope is he can secure a roster spot in Providence instead of being assigned to ECHL Maine.
The Bruins recent top pick Chris Pelosi has a really intriguing game. He reminds me of a Brock Nelson type of player. Taller center that skates well, and has a strong shot. Not a huge playmaker but when he wants to make a strong play, he will attempt to do so.
Do you want a gamer of a player? Well, it sounds like Matthew Poitras is the right fit. He has been flying during battle drills, defending others hard, and driving the net like it’s no problem. He is likely heading back to Guelph this upcoming season, but seeing Poitras in some preseason action would be pretty fun. I think he could impress.
I have no idea what type of player Jake Schmaltz is. Needs to step his game up to pop out to me.
Someone who has had a sneaky good development camp is Cole Spicer. He does well on most drills and works hard. Great athlete, and I truly think he’ll put up more points for UMD this coming season.
A player who skated around quite better than expected is Ryan Walsh. Noticed his edges are a lot different than when I watched his film back at Cedar Rapids. Now maybe it’s because I am now watching in person, but anything is possible. I think he has an underrated shot that needs to be used more as well.
A few standouts so far to me have been defensemen. Frederic Brunet is one, as on Tuesday he was defending players during battle drills like it was nothing tomorrow. Brunet’s offense is there, and he has stated before that he needs to work on defense. I truly think he has put in the work to be able to get his defense ready for the pro game this coming season.
Violence is Jackson Edward’s middle name. He has been the most physical player at development camp, up there with Kristian Kostandinski.
Speaking of Kostandinski, he is going to be a very long-term project. His skating is pretty iffy, but the defense is definitely there. He’ll gently tap an oncoming forward and they’ll go flying. I truly think he was the definition of a 7th round pick.
Ty Gallagher continues to do what I remembered him doing, defending strong, and having a flash on offense here and there.
If someone like Mason Langenbrunner wants to make the NHL, (or pros) then his offense is going to need to take a step up. It’s been very hard to analyze what type of game he plays at development camp.
The other standout so far during this camp is Mason Lohrei. He is dangling around everyone and making very smart plays. He makes it look so easy that it looks like he’s been an NHL regular. It’s only development camp, but if he keeps up this type of game through training camp he will have a very strong case to make the NHL roster if a spot is available, and he might be forced to give him one.
Lohrei’s skating has improved drastically. Back when he returned from surgery, his skating was off for a little while. But it’s back to normal for sure, as he has been recovering very smoothly from that operation.
Someone who is first-year AHL eligible this season is Ryan Mast. His puck handling will need to improve to transition into the pro game. I honestly think the defending is there, but offense remains a big question for the former sixth-rounder.
Jonathan Myrenberg will be heading to the SHL next season, which is a slight jump from where he was last season in the HockeyAllsvenskan. So far in development camp he has somewhat stood out, but nothing too crazy. His skating is very good, however. With Linköping, the hope is he has a bigger role next season.
Another AHL signing invite to camp is Ethan Ritchie. I have really enjoyed what I have seen from Ritchie so far. He has exceeded expectations as an AHL invite, and I like what I have seen. Has a really good shot, and his vision is an underrated part of his game. Also heard he had a strong showing on the bike during training. The hope is that he has a strong P-Bruins camp and makes the team out of camp.
I don’t know too much about Blake Smith, but his defense is definitely his strong suit. Loves to break up plays.
On Thursday, the whole camp group will take batting practice at Fenway, head back to the rink for development camp, and then head right back to Fenway to attend the Red Sox vs. Rangers game. I think they deserve to attend a game after all the work they’ve put in.
If I had to pick one player out of this camp to enter the NHL right now, it would be Mason Lohrei, he has had an unreal week so far. He’ll just keep pushing and I could write about him all day.
Great job