PROVIDENCE, RI – It’s hard to call last season a failure for the Providence Bruins, though they didn’t go as deep as they wanted in the playoffs they were able to squeak in. The Bruins were decimated by injuries and call-ups, which stalled them for a good portion of the season.
They fell just short of the second round, losing to the Hartford Wolf Pack in overtime in game five. The loss put an end to a very up and down season for the P- Bruins, who just like the big club struggled to stay consistent throughout the season. They should be proud of their effort and should be proud that many of their players got opportunities in the NHL for Boston. One person who deserves a good deal of praise is head coach Bruce Cassidy.
Cassidy and his staff did an outstanding job molding the young AHLers and ECHL call-ups.
Players like David Pasternak, Ryan Spooner, and Zach Trotman should all have locked in spots for Boston next season. Along with those three there will be many open spots on the big club roster; one of the biggest positions of interest will be the back-up goalie position.
Although Malcolm Subban had a rough debut for Boston last season many think he will bounce back and win the right to back-up Tuukka Rask. Subban will have to compete with fellow goalie Jeremy Smith who posted a 22-11 record in 39 games last season for Providence. Another player that will look to stick with Boston this season is Alexander Khokhachev, who last season led the baby Bruins in points with 43. With the Bruins in cap jail, they will have to rely heavily on their young core of players.
This could leave Providence weak with a lot of holes and will bring a unique challenge for coach Cassidy and his staff. Cassidy and his staff have already lost a leader this season in Bobby Robbins, who retired over the summer from professional hockey. While Robbins wasn’t an offensive presence, he was a Shawn Thornton-type of leader who led with physical play and would always stand up for his teammates.
Cassidy will have an interesting challenge without many of his key players from last year and will have to work overtime to make sure that projected P-Bruins like Matt Grzelcyk, Danton Heinen and Emil Johansson are ready to make a big impact this season. Out of the Bruins’ three first round picks this past season Jakub Zboril is the only one who has a chance to make the Providence Bruins. Although General Manager Don Sweeney said, “In all likelihood, unless he makes our team, he’s going to go back to juniors, and will have a lot of responsibility there”.
If Zboril can make the team or come in part way through the year and make any kind of impact for Providence, that would be a very positive sign that Bruins’ future talent could make an impact early.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Providence Bruins will adjust to losing some of their top players and who will step up and be a leader for this team in the future. No matter who is on the roster for opening night the goal will remain the same, get the young kids NHL ready and win the Calder Cup.
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