By: Ryan Duffy | Follow Me On Twitter @Rduffy26
On Monday morning, the Boston Bruins and General Manager Don Sweeney announced that they’ve officially signed defenseman Jakub Zboril to a two-year extension following their first-round exit to the Carolina Hurricanes. Zboril’s two-year contract extension comes at a reasonable annual cap hit of $1,137,500 through the 2024 NHL season.
The 25-year-old defenseman has played 54 NHL regular-season games and has 12 assists through that span. Standing at 6’1”, 191 pounds, Zboril was selected in the notorious 2015 NHL Entry Draft 13th overall. The Bruins received the 13th pick in 2015 along with Martin Jones and Colin Miller as a part of the Milan Lucic trade to the Los Angeles Kings.
Before he was selected in the first round, Zboril played for the St John Sea Dogs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he started to earn a reputation as a two-way defenseman with potential. He spent three seasons in the QMJHL with the Sea Dogs and recorded 94 points in 144 games.
From Brno, Czech Republic, Zboril began his professional hockey career in the AHL with the Providence Bruins. He spent two seasons with Providence (124 GP, 38 points) before getting his first taste of the NHL in the 2018-19 season. While he only played two NHL games that season, it was a valuable learning experience for Zboril, and he has shown growth in his game since then. Zboril would spend one last season in the AHL in the 2019-20 season, then made the full-time jump to the NHL in 2020-21.
Unfortunately, Zboril’s NHL career so far has been hindered by injuries. Most recently, Zboril tore his ACL back in December against the Nashville Predators. Zboril underwent successful surgery and started to make good progress late in the season as he returned to the ice in April. Hopefully, next season for Zboril will be his coming-out party with roster spots opening up.
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