By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter @TCalauttis and Linktree
The New Year is upon us, and it’s time to reveal the best and brightest prospects in the Bruins system. I already released numbers 11-20 in a prior article, but now we get down to the cream of the crop, the best of the best, the truly elite players poised to contribute to the future of the Black and Gold. Here are the top ten prospects for your Boston Bruins:
10. Frederic Brunet
Age: 20
Position: Defenseman
League: AHL
Team: Providence Bruins
Stats: 20GP, 0G, 5A, 5Pts
Brunet has all the tools and abilities to develop into an effective puck mover at the NHL level. He has the vision and passing to jumpstart transition from his own zone and the speed and acceleration to join the rush and create plays from there. He moves smoothly along the blueline, able to stop and start with the puck on his stick and weave shots through traffic to get them on the net. He quarterbacks the powerplay with great poise and is an excellent distributor from the top of the zone. The only question mark in Brunet’s game is his ability to defend in his own end. If he can improve his defensive instincts and add a bit more snarl to his game, he could be a solid middle-four defenseman for the Bruins.
9. Oskar Jellvik
Age: 20
Position: Forward
League: NCAA
Team: Boston College Eagles
Stats: 17GP, 9G, 8A, 17Pts
Oskar Jellvik is one of my favorite Boston Bruins prospects to talk about. He’s a skilled winger who uses his excellent speed and agility to drive offense on the rush and dictate the pace in the offensive zone. He has some of the best vision in the prospect pool and the hands to pull off some awe-inspiring stickhandling feats. He’s worked on his shot this year and has shown time and time again that his wrist/snap shot combo can be effective all over the ice. The Bruins may have found an absolute steal in the draft with Jellvik.
8. Luke Toporowski
Age: 22
Position: Forward
League: AHL
Team: Providence Bruins
Stats: 33GP, 6G, 9A, 15Pts
Toporowski is another player Bruins fans would love if he makes it to the NHL. The undersized winger plays a North-South game, constantly looking to drive pucks to the net and get to the dirty areas by any means necessary. Despite his size, Toporowski relishes the front of the net and has no issues fighting off larger skaters for prime real estate. He loves to shoot the puck and has a great one-timer that he can fire off in tight areas. He’s on a bit of a cold streak right now, but he’s still getting grade-A chances and giving 100 percent every shift. He’s someone to watch as the AHL season continues because if he starts scoring, they’re a dangerous team.
7. Brett Harrison
Age: 20
Position: Forward
League: AHL
Team: Providence Bruins
Stats: 19GP, 3G, 3A, 6Pts
When it comes to Brett Harrison, the first thing you need to know is that he can absolutely wire the puck. Whether it be a wrist shot in transition, a flat-footed snapshot from the slot, or a one-timer on the powerplay, Harrison has an NHL-ready shot that makes him a threat all over the ice. In addition, the center/wing has an excellent combination of strength and hands, making him a problem for opponents in front of the net. He needs to work on his skating and too often fades into the background during games, but when he’s on, he has the skills to impact the game on the offensive end. Look for his ice time to become more consistent down the stretch in Providence and for his numbers to get better as well.
6. John Farinacci
Age: 22
Position: Forward
League: AHL
Team: Providence Bruins
Stats: 35GP, 8G, 16A, 24Pts
In my opinion, Farinacci has been one of the most promising developments in the entire Bruins prospect pool. The center from Harvard had a quiet training camp but has since burst onto the scene in his rookie season with the Providence Bruins. I love that Farinacci is always looking to make plays to the slot, whether he’s clearing out space on the powerplay, threading passes through multiple defenders, or muscling his way into scoring chances. His vision and passing are better than his stats show, and his willingness to find open teammates in tight spaces makes him one of the better playmakers in the system. He has a solid shot and enough strength/determination to clean up pucks around the net. He also prides himself on his defensive game, logging penalty kill time and being deployed as a defensive zone centerman. If he can continue his point pace, the Bruins may have found another diamond in the rough.
5. Johnny Beecher
Age: 22
Position: Forward
League: NHL
Team: Boston Bruins
Stats: 37GP, 5G, 2A, 7Pts
Beecher has the tools to be an NHL centerman for a long time. His unique blend of speed, size, and strength makes him a nightmare on the forecheck and for opposing skaters trying to find time and space in the defensive zone. He’s currently the best faceoff man on the Bruins and has shown flashes of offensive talent when given the opportunity. Beecher already projects to be a shutdown fourth-line center that can limit the other team’s top players and chip in offensively. The question for him will be whether he can elevate the skill side of his game and become more of an offensive threat.
4. Fabian Lysell
Age: 20
Position: Forward
League: AHL
Team: Providence Bruins
Stats: 31GP, 10G, 16A, 26Pts
Fabian Lysell is living proof that speed absolutely kills. He’s one of the most gifted skaters I’ve ever watched, able to stop and start on a dime, change direction quickly, and accelerate quicker than most anyone. He has an excellent shot and is a skilled passer, especially when transitioning or moving. He’s one of the rare skaters whose mind can move as fast as his legs. He has nine points in his last eight games and has taken Providence Head Coach Ryan Mougenel’s criticisms to heart, making better decisions and playing more consistent team hockey since being called out. If this play continues, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lysell gets a shot in Boston towards the end of the season.
3. Georgii Merkulov
Age: 23
Position: Forward
League: AHL
Team: Providence Bruins
Stats: 33GP, 14G, 19A, 33Pts
Georgii Merkulov is one of the most skilled prospects I’ve ever seen. He has the type of eyes-in-the-back-of-his-head vision that only elite NHL playmakers possess, and he uses it all over the ice surface. His one-timer is lethal, and his wrist shot can be released quickly and deceptively at any point in the offensive zone. He’s quick, he’s agile, and he’s skilled enough to weave in and out of opponents and create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. He’s improved his defensive game and developed into a complete 200-foot skater, and I believe Merkluov has an extremely bright future in Boston.
2. Mason Lohrei
Age: 22
Position: Defenseman
League: NHL/AHL
Team: Boston/Providence Bruins
AHL Stats: 10GP, 0G, 6A, 6Pts
NHL Stats: 23GP, 3G, 3A, 6Pts
Mason Lohrei has the potential to be an elite two-way defenseman for years to come. His offensive game is NHL-ready, with Lohrei able to find shooting lanes from the offensive blueline, hit teammates in stride on seam passes, and join the rush as both a scoring and a passing threat. His size makes it easy to protect the puck and create time and space for himself and others. He has an active stick in his own zone and is strong enough to hold his own against heavy forecheckers. He must improve his defensive reads and instincts before taking the next step. If he can learn to read forwards off the rush better and simplify his game in the defensive zone, I can see him being a Bruins stalwart for years.
1. Matt Poitras
Age: 19
Position: Forward
League: NHL
Team: Boston Bruins
Stats: 30GP, 5G, 10A, 15Pts
Was there ever any doubt about who would be number one? Matt Poitras forced himself into the Bruins zeitgeist after an impressive development camp and made even more noise once he earned a roster spot out of training camp. The hallmarks of Poitras’ game that make him so exciting are his vision and passing. Poitras is the best passer in Boston’s prospect pool and has been effective (at 19 years old) in creating scoring chances for his teammates at the NHL level. His most noticeable trait is his competitiveness and ability to win puck battles against much bigger and stronger skaters. As he develops and gets both bigger and stronger, it’s not difficult to envision him as a top-six center who could become a building block of this franchise for years to come.
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