Jared Knight is one of the most intriguing forward prospects in the Bruins organization. All scouting reports before and after he was drafted had me excited to see him (and his buddy Ryan Spooner) in a Boston uniform some day.
Spooner has progressed nicely, yet Knight has stalled. Injury ruined his first pro season in Providence and I hoped to see him break out this year and be an impact player in Providence, showing the organization that he could contribute to parent club soon.
Knight's second year in Providence hasn't turned out well to date (even though he is apparently healthy), to the point where Coach Cassidy called him out in a very direct fashion. Here's what he had to say in this Mark Divver article.
Winger Jared Knight is in a deep slump, with no goals in his last 22 games and one in his last 32.
“He’s offensively challenged right now. He’s been up in the lineup, he’s been down in the lineup. He’s been on the power play. He’s been off the power play,†said Cassidy.
“At some point, you have to work your way out of those situations and find a way to produce or bring something else. The only thing I worry about, when guys that rely on offense stop producing, you can’t let the rest of your game suffer. And that’s been the message. (Saturday) he had a lot of energy physically on the forecheck. But other nights it’s not there,†Cassidy said.
“I’ve seen players in the past come through, young guys, their offense dries up and their game dries up. You have to find a way to contribute to the cause.â€
Knight, who turns 22 next week, was the 32nd overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. He missed all but 10 games as a rookie last season because of injuries.
http://www.providencejournal.com/sp...eder-system-working-splendidly-for-bruins.ece
