Providence Bruins General Discussion thread XIV

[EvilDead]

The next “replacement” for Grzelcyk should be about 6’3” 200+ lbs.

And can preferably use his size to just bully guys around on the size and bring physicality.

 

[Saxon Eric]

Vaakanainen is that bad eh?

I'm not a fan, beautiful skater though

 

[EvilDead]

I'm not a fan, beautiful skater though

Eh, who knows. He may have a future on the Finnish figure skating team.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

End of year grades
Goalies A , Didn't matter who was in net they all performed well, sure a soft goal now and again but that doesn't effect their overall grade, they were solid, Boston is in excellent shape at this position
Andrew Peski C+ Played 6 games and was a +2, didn't stand out in any particular area but also wasn't a determent, contract is up and might be worth keeping him around for depth
Curtis Hall C+ All things considered (long layoff, injury, full class load at Yale)wasn't that bad, struggled to find a role till the last few games, big boy with soft hands, decent vision, skating needs work as does fitness and engagement but I think there's a lot there and we have to be patient
Nick Wolff B- I think we can all agree we over rated him a bit coming into the season, for positives he's huge and as the season wore on he was more comfortable throwing his weight around, an excellent PKer and showed surprising offensive instincts for such a big dude, for negatives he's still very stiff and decision making is a bit slow, would obviously like more sandpaper, contract is up ,I'd like to see him in a full year and go from there
Joel Messner C He's been in/out of the organization for years now, he's a strong ECHL player and a mediocre AHL one, he's been good in a pinch but you can't count on him long term, I wish him good fortune in the wars to come
Urho Vaakanainen D waste of talent, bad attitude, bad pick, time to move on
Ian McKinnon B+ favorite of the Neanderthal wing of our fan base ,the kid can actually play a bit of hockey though, would love to see him rewarded with a contract extension, very entertaining player, he has an interesting hockey resume
Pavel Shen C- there didn't seem to be much development in his game, still takes bad penalties and doesn't chip in nearly enough to stay in the lineup, occasionally he teases you but it never last, 1 more year left to make an impression
Eduards Tralmaks B lots to like, big and feisty, skates well, drives to the net, responsible, looks like you can use him anywhere, they did well getting him
Matt Filipe B hard worker who grew into his role, started slow, became more aggressive showed above average pace and decent skill, suffered an undisclosed injury and missed last few games, keep an eye on him in the future
Joona Koppanen C- he fell off the map, started well then ?.... I assume we've seen the last of him
Jack Studnicka C 11 games 7 assist no goals -4 not very Captain Jack like, I didn't like his pouty body language and it wasn't till last few games he played to standards, while I'm concerned with the Providence player, Boston Coaching staff disconnect Jack has to do a better job pushing through it
Cooper Zech B would have been a B+ if his play didn't fall off after missing a few games to injury, development wise he's been hitting his marks and meeting expectations, able to play both sides of D and is a PP weapon when given the room to operate, his 5v5 play has improved and he's been able to gain a bit of muscle, points wise a little disappointing but he's also rounded out his overall game, contract is up and would love to see him back
Alex Olivier Voyer B+ I'll admit, I was skeptical but he's won me over, plays every shift hard, chips in offensively protects his teammates, seems like a coach's dream, if he can clean up his skating we might have something, happy he volunteered to continue playing in Jacksonville, good on Sweeney bringing in him, Tralmaks and Filipe, big dudes that are hard to play against
Jack Ahcan A- legit talent that in a normal year probably isn't rushed to the NHL like he was this season, runs the PP like a Boss, so competitive, yes seize is an issue, a big issue.. the kid's a winner though, lets see how this plays out
Oskar Steen B- Will the real Oskar Steen stand up? There are times when he should be in our top 10 prospect discussions and then there are times you forget he's on the ice, NHL release, plus skater, combative at times, need more consistency! hoping for a big season next year, we'll see
Zach Senyshyn B+ dude was a machine down here but his call ups were a bit disappointing, at this point I think you have to let him go, a very likeable kid who just didn't get there in time, I don't know what else to say
Paul Carey B- The Captain has been a warrior and has a lot of hard miles on him but it's obvious to me he's in decline, would like to wish him the best where ever he ends up
Brady Lyle A outstanding free agent signing that now has an NHL contract, nice combination of seize, skill, grit, cannon of a shot, went from a curiosity to a mainstay in rather quick time, he's going to need more seasoning so keep expectations within reason, skating isn't poor but it isn't great either, interested to see if he dropes off playing 70+ games next year, be happy though, so far so good
Robert Lantosi B in a way he disappointed me but I clearly over rated him, started slow but picked up his offensive play to where he was last year, I didn't see growth in the other parts of his game though, rumored to be heading to the KHL and wasn't a Black Ace so writing is on the wall, I'd like to give him a lower grade but he did deliver some timely goals , was worth the experiment and I bet he finds success elsewhere
Samuel Asselin A- just a solid hockey player, started on the 4th line ended up on the 1st, can play PP and PK ,hard to play against, really good player, improved at every level he's played at, should be resigned and will drive the vets crazy at training camp, energizer bunny, fun player to watch
Jakub Lauko A- only question I had for him was did he have the hands to play top 6 in the NHL and I'm happy to say he does, another player that's relentless and brings it every shift, loved watching him blossom offensively ,fearless that oozes machismo on the ice, needs to stay healthy though, he's very close to NHL ready, strange he didn't play Monday
Cam Hughes A+ Saved the best for last, does everything for the team, should be offered a one way deal and should be the next Captain, hopefully he sticks around another few years

Finally thanks to Providence for pulling this off, wasn't always pretty but they got 25 games in plus tons of practice time in
October 15 is right around the corner!

I missed this before now. Really great post, thanks for the insight.

I gotta say, it's really discouraging how few standouts we seem to have. And on top of that, several of the guys we need to be standouts were mediocre while some of the guys who were standouts are unlikely to be NHL regulars. Then you have a guy like Ahcan who has an NHL ceiling but we're already saturated with undersized D.

I don't think you were trying to paint a negative picture at all, but when I digest all this together it makes the prospect situation seem pretty dire for Boston. Obviously guys like Lohrei and Beecher aren't included here and certainly help the overall talent pool, but man this team needs a couple more high end prospects in a bad way.

 

[arider1990]

I missed this before now. Really great post, thanks for the insight.

I gotta say, it's really discouraging how few standouts we seem to have. And on top of that, several of the guys we need to be standouts were mediocre while some of the guys who were standouts are unlikely to be NHL regulars. Then you have a guy like Ahcan who has an NHL ceiling but we're already saturated with undersized D.

I don't think you were trying to paint a negative picture at all, but when I digest all this together it makes the prospect situation seem pretty dire for Boston. Obviously guys like Lohrei and Beecher aren't included here and certainly help the overall talent pool, but man this team needs a couple more high end prospects in a bad way.

I never did get around to posting my end of season grades (which I should do this weekend). But I will say this, the 4 players that stood out this year were Swayman, Senyshyn, Lauko, and Hughes. I loved Zech's start but he faded after injury while I was up and down on the rest of the D men. I will also add that this team was so good because they were getting scoring from all over the place along with some excellent goaltending.

 

[roflstomper]

Coming in with the hot takes.....Lauko is a smaller worse version of Max Sauve. I'm putting my pristine reputation on the line with this one.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Coming in with the hot takes.....Lauko is a smaller worse version of Max Sauve. I'm putting my pristine reputation on the line with this one.

“How can I bitch and complain about the team I am supposedly a fan of today?”

See post above.

 

[Saxon Eric]

Coming in with the hot takes.....Lauko is a smaller worse version of Max Sauve. I'm putting my pristine reputation on the line with this one.

I look forward to mocking you in the years to come lol

 

[Dr Hook]

Blidh is another small player who skate as fast as he can and throw some hits but cannot do something with the puck

He’s 6’ 200- how is that small?

 

[BruinsJoe]

He’s 6’ 200- how is that small?

small for a 4th liner

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

small for a 4th liner

I can’t tell you how many guys around the league make this take look wretched.

 

[Montecristo]

Coming in with the hot takes.....Lauko is a smaller worse version of Max Sauve. I'm putting my pristine reputation on the line with this one.

well if it wasnt for injuries sauve would be our top line center so ill take it!

 

[rocketdan9]

small for a 4th liner

Clutterbuck is 5'11. Komarov is closer to 5'11.

Noel Acciari is not a tall dude

 

[yazmybaby]

Like Cooper ... he could be a replacement for Grizz.

Makes no sense to keep both Ahcan and Zech.
From what I saw when Ahcan played for us, he is still far away from being a regular. His skating needs work, big time and strength on the puck needs to improve.
He looked liked he was overmatched physically in the dee zone.

 

[yazmybaby]

Vaakanainen is that bad eh?

Vaak can play in the NHL, his skating is what gets him by.
He needs to add a bit more strength and get to 195-200 lbs and he will be fine.
I hope he is a regular next year.

 

[BruinsJoe]

So what I understand from my readings in this tread is that Lauko, Asselin, Huges, Vakaneinen, Seneshyn, Zech, Steen could or should all be in the NHL next year? Suddenly we have a legit NHL pool prospects?

 

[Saxon Eric]

So what I understand from my readings in this tread is that Lauko, Asselin, Huges, Vakaneinen, Seneshyn, Zech, Steen could or should all be in the NHL next year? Suddenly we have a legit NHL pool prospects?

If that's your takeaway you might want to read it again

 

[arider1990]

So what I understand from my readings in this tread is that Lauko, Asselin, Huges, Vakaneinen, Seneshyn, Zech, Steen could or should all be in the NHL next year? Suddenly we have a legit NHL pool prospects?

If they were on a team like Detroit or Ottawa then they would get time in the NHL. Now with the Bruins they won't. I think Hughes, Vaakanainen, and Senyshyn will get long looks in Boston next year while Steen and Lauko will get a couple of games here and there. Asselin and Zech will most likely not unless things go to shit. You can also add Hall, Filipe, Lyle, and Ahcan to that list.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

The next “replacement” for Grzelcyk should be about 6’3” 200+ lbs.

Brady Lyle maybe after another year in the AHL. He is the closest thing we have to that in the AHL. Big, good instincts for offense and has something no dee on the parent team has - a bomb of a shot.

I wish they could hold onto Jay Leach for another year. He may well replace Cassidy, that may be a good thing going forward with the turnover in the core coming soon.

 

[arider1990]

Brady Lyle maybe after another year in the AHL. He is the closest thing we have to that in the AHL. Big, good instincts for offense and has something no dee on the parent team has - a bomb of a shot.

I wish they could hold onto Jay Leach for another year. He may well replace Cassidy, that may be a good thing going forward with the turnover in the core coming soon.

I would say Carlo has a bomb of a shot. Another thing to remember is that he doesn't really use his size to throw big hits. He is similar to Carlo in that fashion.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

I would say Carlo has a bomb of a shot. Another thing to remember is that he doesn't really use his size to throw big hits. He is similar to Carlo in that fashion.

Carlo is a guy that almost accidentally scores, averaging 3 goals a year. I was thinking of a guy with size and offensive instincts that shots to score. Kyle got 7 in this his 1st year as a pro in 25 games. Just by comparing the last 2 years of junior between them Carlo had 27 pts and Lyle had 65.

Even though those guys are not big hitters at least they have size. That helps not getting over powered like small dee tend too. The teams still playing do not have small dee and they do not really have big hitters but sound, keep it simple mobile big guys.

 

[arider1990]

Carlo is a guy that almost accidentally scores, averaging 3 goals a year. I was thinking of a guy with size and offensive instincts that shots to score. Kyle got 7 in this his 1st year as a pro in 25 games. Just by comparing the last 2 years of junior between them Carlo had 27 pts and Lyle had 65.

Even though those guys are not big hitters at least they have size. That helps not getting over powered like small dee tend too. The teams still playing do not have small dee and they do not really have big hitters but sound, keep it simple mobile big guys.

I do agree that Carlo doesn't shoot enough. Also those points are a little misleading. Carlo's last season was as a 18-19 year old while Lyle's was as a 20 year old. I would more look at the prior season as a gauge which he had 41 points in 68 games while Carlo had 27 in 52. So they bother were fairly close in the PPG category.

 

[Mick Riddleton]

I do agree that Carlo doesn't shoot enough. Also those points are a little misleading. Carlo's last season was as a 18-19 year old while Lyle's was as a 20 year old. I would more look at the prior season as a gauge which he had 41 points in 68 games while Carlo had 27 in 52. So they bother were fairly close in the PPG category.

Carlo was, is and will never be an offensive deeman. The discussion I originally responded to is they need to find a guy that is bigger than Grizz and can contribute offensively. Carlo has demonstrated he is the complete opposite of that. Shooting hard means nothing if you hit the middle of the keepers chest or send it wide. I am not saying Lyle will be the answer but inhouse till Lohrei arrives he is one option.

 

[KlausJopling]

Maine is gonna be the new echl affiliate.

 

[Ratty]

Lyle had an awesome offensive year, his last in the OHL before turning pro, 22-43-65. He put up 7-7-14 in 25 Providence games this season. With Miller's future in doubt and Clifton a possible Kraken, Sweeney will be looking for a RHD this offseason.