By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter @TCalauttis
For years now, the Boston Bruins have been criticized as an organization with a bare cupboard and no promising prospects. Tuesday night provided two reasons why fans should have hope that that will be the case moving forward.
For game 82 of the 2024-25 season, the Bruins decided to call up two of their most productive prospects: forward John Farinacci and defenseman Frederic Brunet. The duo has taken major strides in their game throughout the season and earned an opportunity to showcase their development at the NHL level.
Farinacci joined the organization as an NCAA free agent in the summer of 2023, signing a two-year entry-level contract (ELC) following four years at Harvard. The 24 year old center (originally a 2019 third-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes) put up an impressive rookie campaign in Providence with 12-26-38 in 71 games.
There were questions about whether or not Farinacci would be able to elevate his game and bring more to the table offensively, and he put those questions to bed during his most recent campaign. After a slow start (3-3-6 through his first 18 contests), Farinacci broke out to the tune of 9-28-37 over the course of his 57 AHL games. That includes a stretch where he posted 5-22-27 over the 32 matches before his call-up.
Brunet was drafted by Boston in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL draft (132nd overall). The 6’3“ puck-moving defenseman played his junior hockey in the QMJHL and joined Providence last season at the age of 20. This year, Brunet has doubled his point totals (5-19-24 in 68 games) and developed into one of Providence’s best two-way defenders. He went on a streak of his own, posting 2-6-8 over the 14 games prior to his call-up.
Both players took the ice Tuesday night when the Bruins took on the playoff-bound New Jersey Devils for the final game of their season. Farinacci skated on the fourth line alongside Fraser Minten and Jakub Lauko and scored a momentum-swinging goal, which cut New Jersey’s lead to 4-3. He finished the evening with 10:58 of ice time, three hits, and an impressive 75 percent success rate in the face-off dot.
“Farinacci did a good job on some face-offs,” said interim head coach Joe Sacco after the game. “He won some big draws for us on that right side, and he stuck with it on a rebound goal.”
Brunet was partnered with Parker Wotherspoon on the team’s third defense pairing. He ended up skating 14:23 with two shots on goal, five blocked shots, a hit, and a takeaway. The most impressive part of Brunet’s game was his ability to transition the puck from his own zone through the neutral zone. Whether using his keen passing or crisp skating, Brunet was able to move the puck up the ice efficiently throughout the night.
“There’s some qualities in his game there,” said Sacco of the young defenseman. “First game you could tell he has some offensive ability. He sees the ice pretty well, he moves the puck, he can skate.”
The debut for these two players is important because they aren’t highly-touted, blue-chip prospects. If the Boston Bruins want to re-tool on the fly in the way Don Sweeney and CEO Charlie Jacobs have mentioned, they’re going to need some of these lesser-known skaters to hit.
There is reason to be optimistic about the ongoing development of both players. Farinacci has continued to refine his ability as a playmaker without sacrificing the defensive tools and characteristics the Bruins so enthusiastically covet. Brunet has been able to increase his offensive output while becoming a more complete and sturdy defender.
These are two types of individuals Boston’s player development staff needs to progress in order for the team to evolve. Their cameo in the NHL may have been short-lived, but it could be a signal that the future is coming, and it may be more promising than previously expected.
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