By: Brandon Murdock | Follow me on Twitter/X @Brandonmurdoc11
When you think of Boston Bruins prospects, the last two first-round draft picks typically come to mind, in the form of James Hagens from last year’s draft and Dean Letourneau from the 2024 draft. The average person would also think about the top prospects obtained from last season’s trade deadline fire-sale in the form of Will Zellers from the Colorado Avalanche and Fraser Minten from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
However, the prospect nobody seems to be talking about, but should be getting the fan base excited, is 2024 fourth-round draft pick Elliott Groenewold. A prospect that could be representing the spoked B, sooner, rather than later.
Groenewold, a native of Springfield, Vermont, is a sophomore defenseman from Quinnipiac University who has taken a major leap this season as the program’s top blueliner. He currently sits ninth on the team in total points with 19 (six goals and 13 assists), and recently secured two points this past Saturday night against Princeton University to help secure a 4-1 Bobcats victory. He has seven more points than last season, with six fewer games played.
While Groenewold has shown that he can get it done on the offensive end, he has also thrived on the defensive side of the puck. He currently sits at 6’2 and 215 pounds, and he uses that size to his advantage. Constantly being in a good position and using a long stick to force opposing threats to the outside. This has allowed him to raise his plus/minus to a staggering 40. Leading the team and putting himself 15 points higher than second.
He is also fearless, currently leading the Bobcats in blocked shots for the second straight season, with 35 so far. These qualities are something that will fit nicely with the Bruins’ typical defense-first mindset.
If this doesn’t excite the fanbase, then his discipline will. Groenewold has accumulated just nine penalties so far this season. This would be a welcome sight to a Bruins team that has ranked in the top five for most penalty minutes since the 2020-21 season.
Ranking second in that category this season, the shocking number of times Bruins players have been sent to the box has handcuffed a special teams unit that has typically been a strength of the team. While many people have blamed one thing or another, the faltering penalty kill is mainly due to overuse, something that has cost the Bruins several games this season.
A potential lack of competition in the ECAC is nothing to worry about either, as over the last season-and-a-half, Groenewold has gone up against some big names. Some of those names include: Hagens and Letourneau from Boston College and Cole Eiserman from Boston University, just to name a few.
Despite being picked 110th overall, 85 selections after Letourneau was the first name called by the Bruins, there is plenty to be excited about with this prospect. So, whether it is at the conclusion of this college season or the next, when Groenewold decides to make the move to the NHL, the Bruins fanbase should be ready.
Leave a Reply