Prospects Aplenty in Providence
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*Edited by: @mustang_sallie
PROVIDENCE - With the departures of Kenny Agostino, Mark Fayne, Tommy Cross, and Austin Czarnik, the Providence Bruins will look a little different this season.
The lines through preseason and the first game have been fairly consistent.
Fitzgerald-Szwarz-Cehlarik Hughes-JFK-McNeill Senyshyn-Frederic-Kuhlman Blidh-Koppanen/Pond-Fyten
Breen-Zboril Sherman-Clifton Lauzon-Johansson
The P-Bruins opened the season on the road Friday against the Hartford Wolfpack. They fell to the Wolfpack 4-2, and didn’t have a very good game overall.The Bruins went 6-5-0 against the Wolfpack during the 2017-18 campaign.
The Bruins goals were scored by Mark McNeill and Austin Fyten. Zane McIntyre had a rough start, being pulled after allowing three goals in the first period. His save percentage was terrible, .700.
Colby Cave did not play Friday, but was in the lineup for Saturday night's home opener - a 3-2 loss to the Laval Rocket. David Broll has started the season on a 25-game professional tryout, but is currently injured. Both Cody Goloubef and Jesse Gabrielle have sustained upper body injuries and also were not in the lineup Friday.
The standout guys to watch this season will be Urho Vaakanainen, Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Trent Frederic, Zach Senyshyn, Jeremy Lauzon, and Jakub Zboril. These are some of the top prospects within the Bruins organization right now, and their development is most crucial. All of them besides Vaakanainen have previous AHL experience.
Vaakanainen impressed the Bruins coaching staff at training camp and earned himself a spot on the team until Torey Krug returned from injury. He showed off his improved offensive game while also excelling defensively. The 19-year-old is a great shot blocker, plays shutdown defense, makes intelligent decisions and can move the puck very well. He will compete for a regular NHL roster spot during the 2019-2020 season, and could be a potential mid-season call-up should the Bruins need him throughout this season. For now, his return to Providence will regularly push either Breen or Johansson out of the lineup.
Forsbacka-Karlsson had some injury issues last season but managed to tally 32 points (15G, 17A) in 58 games, which was impressive for his first season of professional hockey. Zach Senyshyn spent more time developing his two-way game last season, so his offensive numbers weren’t as impressive as they could have been. He recorded 26 points (12G, 14A) in 66 games. Senyshyn did improve his two-way game tremendously while also becoming stronger on the puck. He is in a position to have a very good year in Providence this season.
Lauzon and Zboril go together like peanut butter and jelly. Both were drafted in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft - Zboril in the first round (13th overall) and Lauzon in the second round (52nd overall). The 21-year-old defensemen both played well in Providence last season. Lauzon recorded seven points (1G, 6A) in 52 games and Zboril had 19 points (4G, 15A) in 68 games.
Zboril clearly had the better season between the two, but both need to improve their games this season. Zboril is a talented all-around defenseman. He struggled somewhat with his transition to the pro game, but that is expected of a young player.
Lauzon is often overlooked by fans because he doesn’t put up a high point total, but is very reliable in the defensive zone and has high potential if he continues to develop.
Last year, Frederic only played in 13 games after signing an entry-level deal with the Bruins at the end of his college hockey season. In that small sample size, though, Frederic recorded eight points (5G, 3A) in the regular season and added an assist through three playoff games. The young centerman stood out during Bruins training camp last month, but ultimately there was no room for him on the roster.
Other players that have not received much attention but will play a crucial role in Providence’s success this season are Dan Vladar, Peter Cehlarik and Ryan Fitzgerald.
Vladar stood out during Bruins preseason play this year. He was consistent and was able to make key saves when needed. He needs to push Zane McIntyre to his limits this season in order to take the next step and get better as a goaltender. Vladar should get as many starts as possible in the AHL, as he might be the future of Bruins goaltending.
Cehlarik is a play-making winger who can set up his teammates and can finish plays himself. The 23-year-old often gets overlooked because of guys like Senyshyn, Frederic, and Forsbacka-Karlsson. During his past two seasons in Providence, Cehlarik has been highly impressive. In 84 combined regular season games, he’s tallied 61 points (31G, 30A) while also adding three points (2G, 1A) in five playoff appearances. In 17 games with the Boston Bruins over the course of the past two years, he has added four points (1G, 3A).
Fitzgerald played much better than expected last year in Providence. He tallied 37 points (21G, 16A) in 65 regular season games and added two goals in three playoff appearances. He was strong on the puck, made great plays, and was always near the net looking to score a goal. He was certainly a surprise standout after being drafted by the Bruins in the fourth round in 2013. He will only get better this season.
Overall, we’re looking at another potential winning season for the Baby B’s. The combination of talented offensive and defensive players sets them up for a strong run for the Calder Cup this year. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins will be the toughest divisional matchups. Overall, though, fans should be excited for another year of winning hockey in Providence.
