After ranking the top 100 NHL prospects for 2015-16, and ranking each team by organizational depth, ESPN Insider Corey Pronman ranks the top 10 prospects for each NHL team. Here is his entry for the Boston Bruins. Extended write-ups on prospects ranked in the top 100 can be accessed here.
The Bruins' system is extremely deep, with many quality names at every position. I debated more than 20 players for their top 10. However, the system lacks a foundational piece following the graduation of David Pastrnak, as the pipeline is littered with many "above-average" prospects but not many great ones.
Jake DeBrusk is a good skater, generates a dangerous top gear and has solid power in his lower body. His work ethic is strong, and that helps him cover a lot of ice. He is a very skilled playmaker who can make the soft-touch plays to his teammates, as well as create chances for himself. He's a little undersized, but he fights through checks, gets back on defense and is a solid penalty killer.
Jakub Zboril is a very good skater, with an easy stride and the power to get up in the rush. He doesn't have standout puck skills, but he's a very calm and efficient passer who makes plays when under pressure. He uses his frame well to win battles and box out forwards, and still has room to fill out. Defensively, he shows solid value. His positioning and reads aren't perfectly tweaked yet, as I've seen him get beat a little too much, but he makes stops and can kill penalties at a fine level.
Linus Arnesson played a lot of minutes in Sweden before coming over. He's mobile, plays the body and is very solid in his own end. Offense will be a question for him, as he's neither the smoothest nor most confident puck mover, although he improved in that area versus during the past 12 months.
Brandon Carlo is a big defenseman who plays a tough brand of hockey. He has solid enough hockey sense to anticipate some of the faster plays, and he knows how to transition the puck. His skating isn't fantastic, as his stride can be a little short, but overall, he moves well for a big guy and has the puck skills to get up into the attack. He projects as a defensive defenseman, with a chance at bringing some offense.
Colin Miller was acquired in the Milan Lucic trade after he had a fantastic season in the AHL. He's a very good offensive defenseman with impressive speed and skill on top of a booming shot. NHL scouts point to the fact he has a lot of risk in his decisions, and he needs to tighten up his defensive play. Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson is top-end defensively, is great at faceoffs, gets in lanes pretty well and exhibits great work ethic. He will at times show the offensive ability to be a real creator, but projects more as a tough-minutes, middle-six type of player. He has fine skating and skill, but won't be a difference-maker in those regards at the pro level.
Joe Morrow, a former first-round pick, is a tough guy to read. He got a brief NHL stint this season where he wasn't great. His skating and skill level are great, but his physical and defensive play remain major question marks. Matt Grzelcyk is a very good skater who can be dynamic offensively at times. He's very small for a defender, but has always shows decent play in his own end due to his high level of hockey sense. I've been an Austin Czarnik (11th) fan for years, and going back to his draft-eligible years I thought he was worth a pick. He's skilled, smart, feisty and makes plays in every zone. Czarnik is small, but he's played well at every level despite that.
The organizational depth goes on and on with Zane McIntye in goal, as well as Anders Bjork, Peter Cehlarik, Ryan Donato and Ryan Fitzergald up front.
Noteworthy prospect
Danton Heinen (winger, 12th) was a big riser this season, coming from relative obscurity as a prospect to being one of the top freshmen in the country, playing at the University of Denver. He's not the bulkiest guy, but he's skilled, has great hockey sense and vision, and has some defensive value, too. Heinen will need to gain an extra burst in his first few steps to be dangerous in the NHL. But he's on the radar now.
2015-16 Impact
Alexander Khokhlachev's done as much as he can in the AHL, and if he's ever going to break through with the Bruins, this is the season. Morrow could end up eventually pushing for time, and Brian Ferlin could slot in for a depth role. Malcolm Subban's got a shot to play if the depth chart allows for it, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him play another full campaign in the AHL.