Prospect Info: Bruins Prospects VII - Stay on Subject!

[Mick Riddleton]

He didn't have any Leafs in his top 50 prospects last month. That said, I'm not a fan of Pronman.

The Leafs shot their load in the last few years with the big 3 and picking up a few other teams prospects (Kapanen). So they are not as chock full anymore, the best are playing, other than Lilligren and Bracco. The Marlies are not that good this year. He is based in Toronto and is consumed by them and does not value other teams depth. He is all about a top 10 pick and that is it. Very generic, he does not delve in deep enough to be taken serious.

 

[GoBs]

I think it’s a lot more complicated than who the prospects are or are not more talented than on the roster.

Hell, Colby Cave was claimed by Edmonton and I don’t even think he was the best of the bunch of in Providence. Did other teams claim him? We’ll never know, but that’s at least one Providence guy that a team in the NHL wanted and is using.

The Bruins have Kuraly, Wagner, Acciari, Backes and Nordstrom in the bottom-six and Kuraly is the only one who’s not interchangeable this year, IMO. As well as the fourth-line has been playing, I think there are a few guys in Providence who could provide better services than Wagner and Acciari on some nights as they’ve been quite inconsistent this year. Blidh and Kuhlman come to mind, but it’s not as simple as how talented they are.

They have a coach who’s clearly established “his” guys, as coaches do, and he’s not going to sit or have Wagner/Acciari sent down. Kuraly is a high-energy center (or winger, either way). Backes can’t be sent down, either, so that’s four right there. Nordstrom is a good bottom-six player and I like what he brings, so there’s no reason to replace him.

As far as the people saying that some of these guys like Kuhlman could play right now on several other teams? Well, if you look at some of the bottom-six JAGs across the league, I don’t think that’s so out of touch honestly.

Kuhlman might very well prove to be a better option than Acciari, Wagner and Backes. We will have to wait and see if he draws into the line up.

Obviously I don’t think Kuhlman is going to be making an impact on 15 teams in the NHL, but he would definitely had been given a shot on several. As would have Blidh, IMO.

I don’t think they are looking for him to unseat any of fourth line guys. Maybe more to see if they can get the so called third line going in the rift direction

 

[neelynugs]

Pronman is a pro leafs guy and it sure looks like he gives every dig he can to the Bruins. His reports are basically for lining the bottom of a bird cage

i believe he is a scabs fan, but point remains.

 

[Saxon Eric]

Don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight knowing NHL scouts aren't excited with Boston's prospects,I feel someone should tell those other NHL scouts that have been living in Providence that it's over,nothing to see here,I wonder if they'll be as gutted as I am right now?

 

[Son of Donegal]

Don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight knowing NHL scouts aren't excited with Boston's prospects,I feel someone should tell those other NHL scouts that have been living in Providence that it's over,nothing to see here,I wonder if they'll be as gutted as I am right now?

Pronman values high skill above all things. He looks a Studnicka and he sees more Riley Nash than Patrice Bergeron. That’s fine. GM’s and scouting staff see things differently. Otherwise, Barzal would have gone in the top 8 as he was “supposed” to.

The way I see it, the Bruins have three A level prospects - Vaakanainen, Donato and Studnicka (yes, he is an A level prospect). They have a TON of solid B level prospects though.

However, while players like Lauzon, JFK, Zboril, Frederic and Bjork might have lower ceilings - they have already shown that they can play in the NHL right now.

So, they would be a lot more attractive to GM’s looking to retool on the fly.

Bruins are an ideal trade partner for a lot of teams due to their prospect depth!

 

[EvilDead]

Pronman values high skill above all things. He looks a Studnicka and he sees more Riley Nash than Patrice Bergeron. That’s fine. GM’s and scouting staff see things differently. Otherwise, Barzal would have gone in the top 8 as he was “supposed” to.

Talent evaluation seems to be rather hit or miss for the Bruins, even when it comes to drafting. It's not as bad when Chiarelli was the GM and we were picking guys like Zach Hamill instead of Logan Couture or Kevin Shattenkirk levels of bad *shudders*, but it still feels a little spotty. And that spotty drafting has hurt them in the kind of moves they are able to make and how they are able to build.

The way I see it, the Bruins have three A level prospects - Vaakanainen, Donato and Studnicka (yes, he is an A level prospect). They have a TON of solid B level prospects though.

However, while players like Lauzon, JFK, Zboril, Frederic and Bjork might have lower ceilings - they have already shown that they can play in the NHL right now.

So, they would be a lot more attractive to GM’s looking to retool on the fly.

That may be so, but what can you get with that? The Bruins obviously aren't in a position where they can give all these prospects enough NHL ice time to showcase them to a potential buyer, especially if it may potentially cost them games in this playoff push. And because they have prospects that are considered as having a lower ceiling and the incompetence of Don Sweeney as a GM when making big decision trades (just my personal opinion), what kind of return can they get? Can they get a decent piece from a struggling team that can bolster their scoring depth like Nyquist in Detroit or Stone in Ottawa?

Bruins are an ideal trade partner for a lot of teams due to their prospect depth!

Being an ideal trade partner may not be good if it means the Bruins could end up getting fleeced. If the Rick Nash, Lee Stempniak, and John Michael Liles trades are any sort of benchmark, it could be a warning sign that the NHL sees Sweeney as being Chiarelli 2.0 sitting on a mound of riches that they could easily take from. I am glad the Bruins have made progress so far rebuilding from the mess Chiarelli left the team in and restocked the farm system, but if they don't make the right moves they could end up back at square one.

 

[bob27]

However, while players like Lauzon, JFK, Zboril, Frederic and Bjork might have lower ceilings - they have already shown that they can play in the NHL right now.

So, they would be a lot more attractive to GM’s looking to retool on the fly.

Bruins are an ideal trade partner for a lot of teams due to their prospect depth!

If I was a GM doing a rebuild, I'd have little interest in other team's low ceiling B prospects. Either give me bluechippers or just straight up draft picks. I'd rather use my own 3rd-7th round picks to draft those bottom of the roster guys and then swing for the fences with good draft picks to build a Stanley Cup winning core.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

fyi, folks, unless Boston extends or renews in Cobb County, the deal with Atlanta expires at the end of the current season.... there could be a New England affiliate just like the 2 NY teams have with Worcester/Portland....

Manchester could be in play....

 

[Son of Donegal]

Talent evaluation seems to be rather hit or miss for the Bruins, even when it comes to drafting. It's not as bad when Chiarelli was the GM and we were picking guys like Zach Hamill instead of Logan Couture or Kevin Shattenkirk levels of bad *shudders*, but it still feels a little spotty. And that spotty drafting has hurt them in the kind of moves they are able to make and how they are able to build.



That may be so, but what can you get with that? The Bruins obviously aren't in a position where they can give all these prospects enough NHL ice time to showcase them to a potential buyer, especially if it may potentially cost them games in this playoff push. And because they have prospects that are considered as having a lower ceiling and the incompetence of Don Sweeney as a GM when making big decision trades (just my personal opinion), what kind of return can they get? Can they get a decent piece from a struggling team that can bolster their scoring depth like Nyquist in Detroit or Stone in Ottawa?



Being an ideal trade partner may not be good if it means the Bruins could end up getting fleeced. If the Rick Nash, Lee Stempniak, and John Michael Liles trades are any sort of benchmark, it could be a warning sign that the NHL sees Sweeney as being Chiarelli 2.0 sitting on a mound of riches that they could easily take from. I am glad the Bruins have made progress so far rebuilding from the mess Chiarelli left the team in and restocked the farm system, but if they don't make the right moves they could end up back at square one.

The Bruins have depth at every position in the organization. While the 2015 draft was a polarizing event, to say the least, they still drew a handful of legit NHL players that year. 2014 was one of the best draft years of any team in league history. So...drafting has not been an area of weakness.

If anything Sweeney needs to make a positive statement on the trade front and avoid making boneheaded FA signings in the off season.

The point of my post is that Sweeney has several tools (picks, a wide arrray of prospects and even a roster player or two) plus a bit of cap space to work with. That can’t be said for a lot of contenders in the trade market.

 

[tremha]

Pronman down on the Bruins prospect pool, what else is new? I don't think he does it on purpose but they guy perennially underrates Bruins prospects. I don't think this is all that damning, but Urho and Jack have both raised their profiles this year. He's not wrong about the rest.

maybe its also a combination that this board overrates them as well?

 

[LouJersey]

Sellers' guide to NHL trade deadline: Which prospects are...

Pronman dogging the Bruins prospects, Studnicka as a bottom 6 forward.

"If the Bruins want to deal from their prospect pool this deadline, I don’t see them in a position of strength. It’s hard to pick out a Bruins prospect who has really helped his stock this season and NHL scouts are truly excited about. Urho Vaakanainen is a good prospect with a high hockey IQ but has been injured for a good stretch of the season. Jack Studnicka is a player whom scouts feel could be a bottom-six center. Center Trent Frederic has played well of late, including a brief NHL appearance. He also has bottom-six center potential.

Younger players like winger Jakub Lauko and defenseman Axel Andersson are intriguing, but neither is an NHL lock. The B’s could rationalize losing one of Studnicka or Frederic, as both project into similar roles, and most scouts prefer Studnicka at this point due to a higher skill level.

I’m not typically a big advocate of the ‘change of scenery’ argument, but I could see merit to a formerly highly touted player like Jakub Zboril moving on, especially given the PR nightmare that’s been the 2015 draft for the Bruins."

Don’t like Pronman but the article sounds pretty accurate

 

[burstnbloom]

maybe its also a combination that this board overrates them as well?

I don't really care what the board thinks of them. Pronman is consistently lower on B's prospects than the rest of the prospects community. He was cold on McAvoy until he did awesome at the WJC and he had no choice. He wasn't big on Pasta. Cmon.

 

[HellFish89]

I don't really care what the board thinks of them. Pronman is consistently lower on B's prospects than the rest of the prospects community. He was cold on McAvoy until he did awesome at the WJC and he had no choice. He wasn't big on Pasta. Cmon.

I don't like the inferiority complex about the good old "he/they don't like us". Pronman doesn't write his paper thinking about how he can say bad things about something Bruins.

Like everyone else in the buisness, Pronman have some right and some wrong. Back in the day he was pretty hign on Koko (top 15 in the whole league if I remember). He has nothing against us or others.

 

[BiGBear8]

Pronman values high skill above all things. He looks a Studnicka and he sees more Riley Nash than Patrice Bergeron. That’s fine. GM’s and scouting staff see things differently. Otherwise, Barzal would have gone in the top 8 as he was “supposed” to.

The way I see it, the Bruins have three A level prospects - Vaakanainen, Donato and Studnicka (yes, he is an A level prospect). They have a TON of solid B level prospects though.

However, while players like Lauzon, JFK, Zboril, Frederic and Bjork might have lower ceilings - they have already shown that they can play in the NHL right now.

So, they would be a lot more attractive to GM’s looking to retool on the fly.

Bruins are an ideal trade partner for a lot of teams due to their prospect depth!

yes 3 players you mentioned think near end of the year we will see maybe..Studnicka

 

[BiGBear8]

also Senyshyn...has been setting up Kuhlman last few games,thought by now he get a shot...I know they brought kuhlman up play center.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

Bruins youth depth in Providence takes down the marlies again

 

[HellFish89]

Bruins youth depth in Providence takes down the marlies again

Bruins youth depth on the back of veteran Kampfer and Stempniak ... nice to beat them, but it's not because of our youth, the team as most of his success from it's AHL veteran.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

Bruins youth depth on the back of veteran Kampfer and Stempniak ... nice to beat them, but it's not because of our youth, the team as most of his success from it's AHL veteran.

I meant this game and the last game in late December, they beat them easily 5-0 Senyshyn scored twice and Bjork once. The older guys just joined the team tonight and bare nothing to their overall success this year. They added some guys over the year like Carey and Smith but mostly it has been the drafted or signed young guys getting experience and leading the team.

The top scorers are littered with the young guys other than Szwarz. Hughes, Senyshyn and Kuhlman are 3 in the top 4 for goal scoring. Senyshyn was leading the team before he ran into injuries and Cehlarik and Frederic would have been up there too, if they did not get called up. Same with Fitz, injuries slowed down his stats, he was picked for the All Star game because of his play.

 

[remer]

Not sure I would say our youth has been that great so far in the NHL.
Donato 34 games-9 points
JFK 20 games- 9 points
Cehlarik 12 games - 5 points
( These have likely been the best so far)
Cave 20 games - 5 points ( waiver pick-up)
Bjork 20 games- 3 points
Frederick 8 games- 0 points
Defence:
Lauzon 15 games- 1 point
Clifton 10 games- 0 points
Vaak/Zboril combined 4 games-0 points
Senyshyn/ Fitzgerald/Hughes - yet to see an NHL game
We can only hope.

 

[Son of Donegal]

Not sure I would say our youth has been that great so far in the NHL.
Donato 34 games-9 points
JFK 20 games- 9 points
Cehlarik 12 games - 5 points
( These have likely been the best so far)
Cave 20 games - 5 points ( waiver pick-up)
Bjork 20 games- 3 points
Frederick 8 games- 0 points
Defence:
Lauzon 15 games- 1 point
Clifton 10 games- 0 points
Vaak/Zboril combined 4 games-0 points
Senyshyn/ Fitzgerald/Hughes - yet to see an NHL game
We can only hope.

Wouldn’t you say DeBrusk, McAvoy, Heinen, Carlo, Grzelcyk, etc...are all part of the Bruins’ youth? Let’s be fair.

 

[Oates2Neely]

Edit*

 

[Saxon Eric]

Bruins youth depth on the back of veteran Kampfer and Stempniak ... nice to beat them, but it's not because of our youth, the team as most of his success from it's AHL veteran.

Good to know

 

[Fenian24]

The Bruins have depth up front, some of which I really question but depth. Frederic, Studnicka, Senyshyn all should at worst become solid 3rd/4th liners. Donato nd Cehlarik I am not sure about, dont care for JFK.

I do think it is fair to say none of them are sure thing or high chance top 6 prospects. This being the most expensive and difficult position to fill through free agency I would put all of them in play for a young top 6 forward.

They need to do a better job of identifying and drafting impact forwards, the depth on D is great but they need to start looking to fill top 6 spots up front. Pastrnak aside

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Don’t like Pronman but the article sounds pretty accurate

All I see is 'who vs whom' and his editor got it wrong.

 

[duffy]

The Bruins have depth up front, some of which I really question but depth. Frederic, Studnicka, Senyshyn all should at worst become solid 3rd/4th liners. Donato nd Cehlarik I am not sure about, dont care for JFK.

I do think it is fair to say none of them are sure thing or high chance top 6 prospects. This being the most expensive and difficult position to fill through free agency I would put all of them in play for a young top 6 forward.

They need to do a better job of identifying and drafting impact forwards, the depth on D is great but they need to start looking to fill top 6 spots up front. Pastrnak aside

Not sure about the future of the forward yutes but it seems that Frederick and Cehlarik are the only ones with the size and puck protection ability to play for the B's now! As for the drafting it seems the B's brass like all around players when they need some shooters! You can pass all you like but someone has to shoot it.