Bruins Rumors

Boston Bruins Promote Kevin Dean To NHL Assistant Coach

June 13, 2017 at 1:41 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The Boston Bruins have decided to promote from within to fill their NHL assistant coach role, hiring Kevin Dean to join Bruce Cassidy behind the bench next season. Dean had worked with Cassidy for several seasons in the American Hockey League, before taking over as head coach when Cassidy moved to the NHL last year.

Dean had a long career as a professional player, bouncing back and forth between the AHL and NHL for the New Jersey Devils for many years before bouncing around during his last few years. In 331 career NHL games, the defenseman recorded 55 points and 138 penalty minutes. A long-time AHL assistant, this will be his first opportunity behind an NHL bench. The Bruins’ GM Don Sweeney explains why they made the hire:

The Bruins are excited to be promoting from within our organization. Kevin’s experience, work ethic and commitment to winning and developing players qualify him as the best coach to compliment Bruce’s staff. Kevin’s professionalism and communication skills have always been strong attributes. His success as a Head Coach this past season only reinforced our opinion that Kevin is both ready and excited for the challenges of coaching at the NHL level.

There is no word on who will take over as head coach of the Providence Bruins, and try to follow up on the 43-23-10 season that Dean led them to this year. Boston on the other hand will try to get back to the playoffs with Cassidy who turned around a struggling squad when promoted to head coach partway through the season. The team removed the interim tag from his role earlier this spring and committed to him for the foreseeable future.

Expansion Primer: Boston Bruins

June 11, 2017 at 4:02 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

While the Boston Bruins have a legion of talented young players pushing for major roles, they are still a team that is defined by a veteran core: 2011 Stanley Cup winners Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, Zdeno Chara, and Tuukka Rask. Add young mainstays like David Pastrnak and Torey Krug and 2016 free agent acquisition David Backes to the mix and it may seem like the Bruins would be in a tough position with expansion like many other deep veteran teams.

However, the expansion process, while burdensome for some, gives the Bruins just enough space to protect all of their most valuable players including that entire core. They still face some tough decisions, but none that will drastically alter the franchise on June 21st.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards
David Krejci (NMC), Patrice Bergeron (NMC), Brad Marchand, David Backes (NMC), Matt Beleskey, Jimmy Hayes, Riley Nash, David Pastrnak, Ryan Spooner, Tim Schaller, Alexander Khokhlachev

Defense
Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara (NMC), Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller, Colin Miller, Joe Morrow

Goaltender
Tuukka Rask (NMC), Anton Khudobin, Malcolm Subban

Notable Exemptions

Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Frank Vatrano, Austin Czarnik, Zane McIntyre

Key Decisions

With Bergeron, Krejci, and Backes having No-Movement clauses and Marchand and Pastrnak two of 2016-17 top scorers, Boston is locked into a 7-3 protection scheme. Chara also has a No-Movement clause and Krug isn’t going anywhere so that’s five forward spots and two defensive spots locked up (Rask has a NMC as well if that was even a question). So which three Bruins get the final spots?

There have been many rumors this off-season, and even before the season ended, that perhaps Ryan Spooner’s time had run out in Boston. The 25-year-old center clashed with former coach Claude Julien and, after a brief rejuvenation, also lost play time under replacement Bruce Cassidy, including scratches in the playoffs. However, Spooner is still a top-end passer and a power play expert and the Bruins won’t just let him go for nothing. If Spooner hasn’t been traded before protection lists are due, he is guaranteed a slot. Whether or not he is still traded after the Expansion Draft remains an unknown.

For the final forward spot, the Bruins face a tough decision, but one with few negative repercussions. Jimmy Hayes has been a disaster in Boston and Tim Schaller is nothing more than fourth liner, so neither likely even gets consideration, nor would Vegas be interested unless otherwise incentivized, as has been rumored with Hayes. Alexander Khokhlachev left the organization last summer to play in the KHL, and little attention has been paid to his absence. The Golden Knights have drawn the interest of Russian players, but drafting Khokhlachev, who never proved his NHL viability in Thus, the decision comes down to Matt Beleskey and Riley Nash. Beleskey had a career year in Boston in 2015-16, the first of a five-year deal, and seemed to fit in well with the Bruins. After a brutal, injury-riddled 2016-17 campaign, that fit is in doubt and there have been rumors that the team might look to trade a pick to Vegas in order for them to take the remaining three years and $11.4MM off of their hands. However, a healthy Beleskey could be far more valuable than Nash, who struggled to produce in his first season with the Bruins. Yet, Nash is a versatile veteran forward and a key penalty killer who makes just $900K next year. Hayes, Beleskey, and Nash all fulfill the 40/70 qualification and two will be exposed, so the team won’t have to worry about that requirement.

On defense, the decision holds some more weight. If Boston is unable to entice the Knights into selecting Hayes or Beleskey, it seems most likely that a defenseman will be chosen. The team must choose whether they want to protect long-time Bruin Adam McQuaid, exciting young player Colin Miller, or perhaps the most complete player of the group, Kevan Miller. Joe Morrow was once a top prospect, but his time to reach those lofty expectations in Boston has come and gone and the Bruins would be happy if Vegas chose to take him instead of one of the other two. Assuming that doesn’t happen, this becomes a big decision. Colin Miller is just 24 years old and an offensively-minded puck-mover, whereas Kevan Miller and McQuaid are very similar stay-at-home types. Colin Miller was also a major piece of the Milan Lucic trade from just two years ago. However, his development has had its fair share of bumps and Kevan Miller has definitely established himself as a more complete player. McQuaid also is in the mix and could be the beneficiary of club loyalty and a desire to have a seasoned vet behind young centerpieces Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo on the right side of the blue line. All three players meet the 40/70 qualification and have term on their contracts, so again meeting that one-player quota won’t be a concern.

Projected Protection List

Scheme: 7F/3D/1G

Forwards

David Krejci (NMC)
Patrice Bergeron (NMC)
David Backes (NMC)
Brad Marchand
David Pastrnak
Ryan Spooner
Riley Nash

Defensemen

Zdeno Chara (NMC)
Torey Krug
Colin Miller

Goalie

Tuukka Rask (NMC)

The general rule of expansion (and just common sense) is that if you’re allegedly willing to trade a draft pick to move a player, like Matt Beleskey, you’re probably happy with taking the risk of leaving him unprotected as well. Riley Nash played his best hockey toward the end of the season and that effort level next season at only $900K is tough to pass up. Still, the Bruins are unlikely to lose a forward, unless they do make a trade, because of the superiority of the players that they could potentially expose on defense. Kevan Miller is likely the best defenseman of the three, but Colin Miller brings a unique skill set from he and Adam McQuaid and has youth and potential on his side. Vegas would likely jump on the chance to take a young, offensive defenseman like Colin Miller, while there may be several defenseman of similar caliber to Kevan Miller and McQuaid available. Protecting Colin Miller may in fact be the Bruins’ best chance of retaining all three. If Vegas does pass up on a defenseman, it will be to take a goalie. No, not Anton Khudobin. Khudobin finished the season with a stretch of some of his best play since his last stint in Boston, but Vegas has more than enough options for backups that Khudobin won’t be of interest. Instead, young keeper Malcolm Subban could be the pick. Subban has been passed up by Zane McIntyre on Boston’s organizational depth chart and simply doesn’t appear destined to be an NHL regular with the Bruins at any point. Vegas GM George McPhee has stated that the team will likely draft many goalies and a minor leaguer with some promise would not be a wasted pick. Subban would also be the most harmless pick the Bruins could endure.

Offseason Keys: Boston Bruins

June 10, 2017 at 2:58 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Boston Bruins.

It was a bit of an up-and-down year for the Bruins. They found themselves scuffling midseason which resulted in long-time coach Claude Julien being let go with Bruce Cassidy taking over. That seemed to give them a lift as they worked their way into a playoff spot although they were ousted by Ottawa in the opening round. One key decision has already been made by GM Don Sweeney when he lifted the interim tag off of Cassidy shortly after being eliminated. What else will Boston be looking to accomplish this offseason?

New Deal For Pastrnak

After not taking a big step forward in his sophomore campaign, David Pastrnak changed that this past season in a big way. He more than doubled his point production and finished second in the team in goals and points behind only Brad Marchand. From a contractual standpoint, the breakout couldn’t have come at a better time as he’s slated to become a restricted free agent at the beginning of July.

Fortunately for Boston fans, progress is already being made on a new deal as Sweeney noted last week that talks were “moving in the right direction”. Both sides are believed to be interested in foregoing the short-term bridge contract and are focusing on a lengthy agreement.

Given the type of season he just had, the 21 year old is going to land a massive raise from the $925K he has earned each of the last three seasons. Based on some of the comparable contracts signed last summer (such as Calgary’s Sean Monahan, Nashville’s Filip Forsberg, and Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele), there’s a strong case to be made that Pastrnak could see his cap hit around the $6MM mark for next year and beyond.

Decide On Spooner’s Future

After a strong 2015-16 season, expectations were high for Ryan Spooner. Unfortunately for the Bruins, he didn’t live up to those expectations as his numbers took a dip across the board while seeing his ice time drop and his position changing from center to the wing most nights. He also found himself a healthy scratch at one point in the playoffs.

As the year progressed, Spooner found himself mentioned in trade talk on quite a few occasions, something that has carried over into the early goings of the offseason as well. It’s not surprising that there is interest around the league either as he’s just a year removed from a 49 point season and is still just 25 years old. His time in Boston appears to be at a crossroads though.

Sweeney needs to decide whether or not Spooner is part of the plans long-term. If so, then they’ll need to work out a new contract as the forward is heading for restricted free agency with arbitration eligibility. If not, there’s a good chance that he’ll be on the move between now and the NHL Entry Draft later this month and couple be dangled to fill a hole on their back end.

Add A Top Four Left Shot Blueliner

At the age of 40, captain Zdeno Chara has shown that he could stand to benefit from a reduced workload as he enters the final year of his contract. However, their depth on the left side isn’t particularly strong with only Torey Krug having proven himself as a top four defender. There is cause for optimism on the opposite side with youngsters Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy so the Bruins can focus on trying to add on the left side of the ice.

The free agent market isn’t particularly deep on the back end and while there are players who could slot into a second line role, most are only shorter-term solutions. Sweeney has already suggested the team isn’t likely to be too active in free agency which means they’ll likely turn to the trade market. Reports have Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin as a target although the Wild don’t appear to be ready to make a trade at the moment.

Boston has a lot going for them when it comes to seeking out a fit via trades. For starters, they have a fair bit of cap space to work with as they have roughly $62.5MM committed to 18 players via CapFriendly with Pastrnak and Spooner as their most prominent players to re-sign. They also have put together a strong prospect pool and could conceivably flip a couple for the right player. Sweeney didn’t cash in some of his prospect chips last summer but that could certainly change this time around.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Focus: Boston Bruins

June 10, 2017 at 10:18 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

The free agent period is now less than one month away from opening up and there are several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of Boston’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F David Pastrnak – Pastrnak is coming off a breakout season that saw him finish second in team scoring while setting career highs across the board. The Bruins will be penciling him in as a top line winger for the foreseeable future but they’ll have to reach an agreement on a new deal first. Both sides are believed to be interested in skipping a short-term deal in the hopes of reaching a long-term contract. That could delay things a little bit (and Pastrnak is not arbitration eligible) but all indications are that talks are going well so far.

F Ryan Spooner – It wasn’t a great year for Spooner who saw his role diminish towards the end of the season, hardly the way to head into restricted free agency. His name is out there in trade talks while he is eligible for arbitration. Despite ending his season on a sour note, Spooner is still poised to land a sizable raise from the $1.1MM in salary he earned in 2016-17 (which also represents his qualifying offer). At this stage, the question is whether or not Boston will be the one signing him to that next contract.

Other RFAs: F Noel Acciari, F Austin Czarnik, F Colton Hargrove, G Zane McIntyre, D Joe Morrow, F Tim Schaller, G Malcolm Subban

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Drew Stafford – After a tough season in Winnipeg, Stafford looks reenergized as a member of the Bruins, providing some key secondary scoring after joining the team as he collected eight points in just 18 games. He’s going to be faced with taking a pay cut from the $4.35MM he earned in each of the last two seasons but if Stafford decides to look for a short-term deal to restore some value, re-upping with Boston would make some sense. While the team has several youngsters on the cusp of making an NHL impact, bringing Stafford back shouldn’t affect things too much and would provide them with some extra scoring depth on the wing.

F Dominic Moore – The veteran center has been a hockey nomad in recent years (since 2007-08, he has played for nine different teams) but brought some stability to Boston’s fourth line while chipping in some unexpected offense. A shift towards speedier bottom six players has worked in his favor and Moore will be in line to reprise that role next season whether it’s with the Bruins or elsewhere.

Other UFAs: D Chris Casto, D Tommy Cross, F Brian Ferlin, D Alex Grant, D John-Michael Liles, F Tyler Randell, F Zac Rinaldo

Projected Cap Space: The Bruins currently have $62.5MM committed to 18 players for next season per CapFriendly which would slot them about $10.5MM below the 2016-17 upper limit. A significant chunk of that will be eaten up with new deals for Pastrnak (and if he’s still around, Spooner) which makes it unlikely that GM Don Sweeney will be active on the open market aside from adding or re-signing some depth players. There will be several teams to watch for in free agency but as things stand, Boston won’t be one of them.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Boston Bruins In Pursuit Of Jonas Brodin

June 8, 2017 at 4:33 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

Though the biggest task for the Minnesota Wild this summer is new deals for Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund, the more pressing decision will be what to do with their glut of defenders prior to the expansion draft. Recently, our own Brian La Rose brought up the problem in his Offseason Keys piece for the Wild, indicating that losing either Jonas Brodin or Mathew Dumba for free in the draft would be a mistake. Enter the Boston Bruins, who today were reported by Joe Haggerty of CSNNE to be in discussions with the Wild over Brodin, an interest that goes all the way back to the trade deadline.

While it’s been clear since the season ended that the Bruins needed help on defense, Haggerty notes that it is on the left side in particular that they could use a top-4 player to pair with Charlie McAvoy next season. With news that Sami Vatanen has teams “lining up” for him recently, the Bruins likely won’t be one due to his handedness. Instead, the 23-year old Brodin is a perfect candidate if they can find a package that interests the Wild. On paper, the potential match of Ryan Spooner and a first-round pick suggested by Haggerty makes some sense, acquiring another player who needs protection seems out of the question for the Wild. It’s not only their defensive group who they’ll have trouble protecting, but up front as well since they have three no-movement clauses to deal with.

It will be interesting to see how the negotiations shake out, and if the Bruins give up their first-round pick in the process. As we examined recently, the Bruins are open to moving their top pick given that they’ve selected five times in the first round over the past two seasons, and have added a number of talented players—like Brandon Carlo, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Anders Bjork—in the middle rounds as well. This may be the perfect time to dangle the 18th-overall pick in a deal to acquire some defensive help, and try to go after the Stanley Cup once again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Side Deal Dilemma: Beleskey vs. Hayes

June 6, 2017 at 7:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

On Sunday, the Boston Herald’s Steve Conroy suggested that the Bruins attempt to sway the Vegas Golden Knights into selecting Matt Beleskey in the Expansion Draft by offering up a third or even second-round pick. Conroy lists Boston’s depth in young left wingers – Frank Vatrano, Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, Danton Heinen, and Anders Bjork to name a few, Beleskey’s drop-off in production and injury problems in 2016-17, and simply the three years and $11.4MM remaining on his contract as reasons why the Bruins should push to have the veteran power forward leave town.

Yet, ask most Bruins fans and they would say that the player they would most like to see selected in the Expansion Draft is Jimmy Hayes. The “Pride of Dorchester” has not been very successful during his home town tenure. After Boston swapped Reilly Smith for Hayes with the Florida Panthers in 2015, his scoring fell off from 35 points in his final season with the Panthers to 29 points in his first season with the Bruins and then to a miserable five points in 58 games in 2016-17. At the price of $2.3MM for one more year, Hayes too is a drain on cap space that many would be willing to give up a pick to move.

So which is the greater of two evils? The fact often forgotten when referencing Beleskey is that in 2015-16, his first season in Boston, Beleskey recorded a career-best 37 points. It wasn’t quite the same per-game production as his final season with the Anaheim Ducks, but Beleskey was still a valuable contributor up front. Beleskey’s hit and blocked shot totals also skyrocketed last season, as he played the integral role of replacing the toughness lost when Milan Lucic departed. Beleskey has acknowledged that he struggled with injuries in 2016-17, which was the main reason he registered just eight points in the regular season and was only active for three of the Bruins’ six playoff games. Those numbers are bound to improve in 2017-18, as Conroy himself noted. If Beleskey can get healthy and return to 40-point scoring range and to his dominant physical game, those final three years may be well worth it. However, that is a big if. Hayes has performed much worse in the same two seasons as Beleskey and doesn’t have the injury excuse to fall back on. What he does have is just one year remaining. If the Bruins were to give up a draft pick to persuade George McPhee and the Knights to take one of the two players, it would be a better investment to remove three years and over $11MM if they are unsure about Beleskey than for just one more year of a little over $2MM for Hayes, especially if that investment is a high pick. Boston has prospect depth on the right side as well as the left, as top forward prospect Zach Senyshyn will surely push for a job in camp, but Hayes’ contract doesn’t block development the way Beleskey’s could. The Bruins may be better off simply buying Hayes’ final year out if they really wanted to, but the same can’t be said for what would amount to a six-year hit to cut Beleskey.

It seems unfair to jump to conclusions about Beleskey based on one injury-riddled season and if the question was who is more likely to be the better player moving forward between he and Hayes, Beleskey is the easy pick. The Bruins have even stated that a top-six winger is an off-season priority for the team and Beleskey may be their best in-house solution and certainly better than Hayes. However, the question of who the Bruins should try to pawn off on Vegas, should they go that route, should also be Beleskey, as his contract situation and concerns about his long-term durability outweigh the short-term burden Hayes adds. Conroy may be on track with his predictions, though many fans may be disappointed by losing both Beleskey and a draft pick for nothing, but with so many questions surrounding the Expansion Draft for not just Boston, but all 30 teams, this scenario is far from certain.

Bruins Notes: Draft Picks, Pastrnak, Bjork

June 2, 2017 at 3:02 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney met with the media today and spoke about many upcoming topics in the NHL offseason, including where he stands on the NHL Entry Draft. According to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, Sweeney is open to trading his team’s first-round pick in the right deal. The Bruins currently hold the 18th pick, but after selecting five times in the past two first rounds could move it for help next season.

As Boston looks to get back to the playoffs, they’ll be looking for defensemen to help young Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo on the back end. Their top pick in combination with perhaps Ryan Spooner could make an attractive offer for someone looking to move a surplus defenseman. With both apparently available for the right deal, expect to hear more from Boston in the coming weeks.

Boston fans can breathe again after Sweeney reported that talks are “moving in the right direction” with David Pastrnak on a long-term deal. The Bruins GM seems confident that the two sides will reach a deal before next season. Pastrnak broke out this year with 34 goals and 70 points and is a restricted free agent this summer. Just 21, Pastrnak has already completed three NHL seasons and would be giving up four free agent years if he were to sign the maximum eight-year deal.
Sweeney also spoke about Anders Bjork, who they signed this week to his entry-level deal. Bjork had the option of going back to Notre Dame for another year, but instead chose to start his pro career early and join the Bruins organization. Sweeney claimed the “opportunity would be there” for Bjork, who will come to camp to compete for an NHL job right away. The 20-year old forward is coming off an outstanding year in the NCAA where he scored 52 points in 39 games but could need some seasoning in the AHL first.
Also, Sweeney confirmed what was reported yesterday in regards to Linus Arnesson. He has left the Bruins to sign in Sweden, but the team will extend a qualifying offer in order to retain his rights should he want to return to the NHL after his multi-year contract expires.

Linus Arnesson Leaves Bruins, Signs Contract In Sweden

June 1, 2017 at 4:58 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

According to multiple reports including Ty Anderson of WEEI.com, Bruins prospect Linus Arnesson has signed a multi-year contract with Orebro of the SHL. Arnesson was a restricted free agent this summer, after spending parts of three seasons with the Providence Bruins.

Drafted in the second round (60th overall) in 2013, Arnesson is a mobile defensive defenseman who this year missed most of the season after Achilles surgery in December. Only suiting up for 20 games, his chance at cracking the NHL roster this year disappeared when his ankle went under the knife. He’ll now head back to Sweden where he found much success before coming to North America, including a full season with Djurgardens in 2014-15.

His contract, reported as 2+1 years likely contains an option for the third season. The defenseman will look to get his career back on track after injury has stifled his development and he wasn’t able to advance past the AHL.

Boston Bruins Sign Anders Bjork To Three-Year Deal

May 30, 2017 at 10:02 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

The Boston Bruins continue to convince their top NCAA prospects to leave school early, this time signing Anders Bjork to a three-year entry-level deal. Already the team has signed Charlie McAvoy and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson away from school this spring, and now have added one of the top players in the country before he turns 21. Bjork had previously been undecided on whether to return to Notre Dame for his senior season, in which he would have been an early favorite for the Hobey Baker award.

Bjork, just a fifth-round pick of the Bruins in 2014, has turned into an incredible scoring threat for the Fighting Irish, posting 52 points in 39 games. That number put him in the top-10 in the country in scoring and had him as a finalist for the Hobey Baker—the trophy would eventually go to Will Butcher. One of the more impressive things about Bjork’s run was his age, as he is several years younger than many of his contemporaries after entering college just after turning 18.

Though there is no guarantee he can step right into the NHL, Bjork did just complete a tour with Team USA at the World Championships where he was surrounded by other professional players (including McAvoy) and got into five games with the squad. Held pointless and without much ice-time to show for it, Bjork was invited in a similar fashion to Jordan Greenway and Cal Petersen to get experience for future tournaments. Make no mistake, Bjork has the skill set to be very successful in the NHL one day should he stay as committed to his craft as he was for Notre Dame. Getting him to leave school early is a big move for the Bruins in what has been a successful spring.

AHL Updates: West Finals, Gulls, Subban

May 14, 2017 at 1:18 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 1 Comment

With a win over the San Diego Gulls, the San Jose Barracuda move on to face the Grand Rapids Griffins in the Western final of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Right wingers Ryan Carpenter (25) and Barclay Goodrow (23) have led the Barricuda in scoring, while the Griffins have relied upon Tyler Bertuzzi (22) and rookie Evgeny Svechnikov (19). In the East, the Providence Bruins are tied with the Hershey Bears, and the Syracuse Crunch lead the Toronto Marlies 3-2. This is the first time a San Jose affiliate has gone to the conference finals since 1998, and is a sign of good things to come for their organization. The other teams have consistently been in the mix the last half decade, as they have been supported well by their parent clubs. The Griffins’ success in particular is inspiring for a Detroit Red Wings team that missed the playoffs for the first time in 25 years.

San Diego Gulls players Sam Carrick and Nic Kerdiles both have assumed roles as black aces for the Anaheim Ducks. Either could easily see time in the event of further injuries. Carrick is a 4th-line energy player who would do best in limited minutes, while Kerdiles has shown flashes of being a future 3rd-line shutdown player. Kerdiles has already played two games in the playoffs for Anaheim, posting no points but not committing any grievous mistakes. He could be a part of their bottom six for years to come, and this playoff experience will only do him well. The former 2nd-rounder is already 23, but has shown positive improvement and growth.
Malcolm Subban of the Providence Bruins is hoping to prove himself for the Boston franchise, according to the Boston Globe. The highly touted younger brother of P.K. Subban, the first-round goaltender has struggled mightily since hitting the pros. He has only played parts of two games for the NHL affiliate, being pulled in both. At 23 years of age, however, he has lots of time to cement himself and refine his game in net. Goaltenders are generally given more time to work through issues and it takes a while for one to truly be considered a bust. Subban was a rock in junior for the Belleville Bulls, posting a .934 save percentage in his final season there. His .917 save percentage this season in Providence, however, is not likely to catch many eyes in the organization. He also remains backup to Zane McIntyre in the P-Bruins current run, and McIntyre’s 2.02 GAA and .929 playoff save percentage is good enough to keep him in the starting role.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Headlines