What Should the Bruins Do With Jakub Zboril?

By: Nathan Anderson | Follow me on Twitter @nathandrsn

I did not want to dig into this bag again, but I think it’s time to revisit another pick from the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The Bruins infamously had three consecutive first-round picks and used them to select Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk, and Zachary Senyshyn, in that order. But, as I’m sure we all know by now, that draft has aged like whole milk for Bruins GM Don Sweeney.

Senyshyn was traded away last spring after struggling to break into the Bruins’ lineup. It looked like a similar fate awaited DeBrusk before he turned everything around when he got bumped up to the first line. Now though, the Bruins are faced with a difficult decision.

Many fans, including myself, were hoping this season would be a breakout year for Zboril. The Bruins were missing key defensemen coming into the season, which we thought would allow Zboril to step into an increased role and find his footing under a new head coach. As the season started, we saw Jim Montgomery’s style allow players more offensive freedom. Theoretically, the odds had never been better for Zboril to produce more than he has ever been able to.

Unfortunately, it has not played out that way. So far, Zboril has played 13 games this season and recorded only one point, which was his first career goal. With the Bruins rolling as a team, there hasn’t been anywhere for Zboril to slide into the lineup. So with that in mind, where do the Bruins go from here?

Option 1: Keep Him As Insurance

This is probably not going to be a popular choice among Bruins fans. Zboril is the seventh defenseman on the team, and it’s not unheard of for a team to need seven defensemen in a long playoff run. Of course, they have other options, so it’s not imperative that the Bruins keep him, but it certainly wouldn’t be the worst idea.

Keeping Zboril would also protect the Bruins from missing out on any late potential he may have. At just 25 years old, there is still time to develop his game and for his game to fully reach its potential. Holding on to him would allow the Bruins to give him a chance again next year or later this year.

Option 2: Trade Him ASAP

If I had to guess blindly, I’d think this is the option most fans would choose. What are the benefits of this option? If the Bruins don’t intend to keep him, this option allows them to get something in return. They probably wouldn’t be able to get a first-round pick in return, but they could get a pick or two that would help them rebuild their prospect pool.

The disadvantage to this option is the opposite of the advantage to option one. Trading him removes any possibility that he’ll ever become the player the Bruins thought he would, at least for the Bruins. It might be the right choice, but if the Bruins have any hope that he still may develop, this is not the way to go.

What the Bruins do depends on what their hopes are for Zboril. If they still feel le has potential, it may be worth letting him play out the rest of his contract and see where it goes. However, if they have confidence in someone else to be ready should there be a time that they need the seventh defenseman, then trading Zboril to replenish the farm system is probably their best option.