Bruins announce 2021 training camp roster
The offseason is officially over and the return of Bruins hockey is on the horizon.
Following the weekend-long prospects challenge n Buffalo, the Bruins will begin their 2021 training camp with off-ice testing Wednesday, and then the team’s first on-ice sessions on Thursday.
But what’s a camp without a roster?
Well, the Bruins fixed that on Tuesday night with the reveal of their camp roster.
Forwards
ShareSamuel Asselin: The 23-year-old Asselin has recorded eight goals and 19 points, along with a plus-10 rating, in 30 games with the P-Bruins over the last two seasons. The 5-foot-10 forward has done the bulk of his pro career damage down in the ECHL, with 26 goals and 52 points in 53 game for the Atlanta Gladiators in 2019-20.
Patrice Bergeron: The B's captain is entering the final year of his contract and has made no plans for the future beyond this season. He's also coming off a 2021 season that included 23 goals and 48 points in 54 games last year.
Anton Blidh: A 6-foot, 201-pound winger, the 26-year-old Blidh appeared in 10 games with the Big B’s last year, and compiled one goal on 10 shots and 25 hits while averaging 10:48 of time on ice per night. Overall, Blidh has appeared in 38 NHL games with Boston over the last five years, with two goals and an assist to go with 95 hits and 14 blocked shots.
Charlie Coyle: Healthy after a knee injury (or injuries?) limited him this past season, Coyle is considered the early favorite for the B's open second-line center spot. And after producing at the worst rate of his career with six goals and 16 points in 51 games played, Coyle is ready for the fresh start and to prove his worth in that spot.
Jake DeBrusk: The Bruins seem determined to move Jake DeBrusk back to his natural left wing spot (and likely on the B's third line), and are hoping for a bounce-back season from the streaky wing, who scored just five goals in 41 games last season.
Matt Filipe: The Lynnfield, Mass. native put up two goals and five points in 17 games with the P-Bruins last year. Drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes with the 67th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Filipe scored 31 goals and 75 points in 136 games with Northeastern prior to signing with the Bruins in 2020.
Nick Foligno: The 33-year-old Foligno is coming to Boston after scoring seven goals and 20 points in 49 games between the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs this past season, and with the opportunity to provide some extra leadership to a room that can certainly use it with the offseason losses of David Krejci and Kevan Miller.
Steven Fogarty: Fogarty appeared in nine games with the Sabres this past season, with one goal and three points, along with 10 blocks and wins in seven of his 12 faceoffs, to his name. Listed at 6-foot-3, Fogarty has appeared in 27 NHL games over the last four seasons between the Rangers and Sabres, and has 57 goals and 140 points in 268 AHL games.
Trent Frederic: Inked to a two-year, $2.1 million contract ($1.05 million cap hit) this past offseason, Frederic totaled four goals and five points in 42 games last season, and was tops among all Bruins with 65 minutes in penalties. The Bruins have discussed moving Frederic back to his natural center spot, while Frederic has talked about upping his skating and confidence.
Jesper Froden: A 26-year-old winger signed to an NHL contract this past summer, Froden dominated as an over-ager at the 2021 Prospects Challenge in Buffalo. Prior to that, Froden skated in 52 games with Skellefteå AIK of the SHL in 2020-21, and scored a team-high 22 goals, and his 40 points were the third-most on the team. Froden’s 22 goals were also tied for the third-most among all SHL skaters.
Curtis Hall: Boston's fourth-round pick from the 2018 NHL Draft, Hall signed his entry-level deal back in March, and scored one goal on 17 shots over a 13-game run with the P-Bruins to close out the 2021 season. Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-4 Hall scored 22 goals and 38 points in a 52-game collegiate career with Yale University.
Taylor Hall: After a strong run with the Bruins with eight goals and 14 points in 16 games, Hall has found a long-term fit with the Bruins, and is ready to help build something with the Black and Gold.
Brett Harrison: Selected by the Bruins with the No. 85 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Harrison put up 21 goals and 37 points in 56 games for the Oshawa Generals as a 16-year-old in 2019-20, making him one of just four rookies to hit the 20-goal mark that season. Harrison has also cited Bergeron as one of his playing idols, so it'll be nice to get him in the same locker room as the Boston captain, even if it's only for a few days and sessions together.
Erik Haula: Signed to a two-year, $4.75 million contract this past summer, Haula is coming to the Bruins in search of career stability after playing with three different teams over the last two seasons. Haula's 2021 season with Nashville saw him pot nine goals and 21 points in 51 games, along with one goal and four points in six playoff games.
Cam Hughes: The 24-year-old Hughes is coming off a 2021 AHL campaign that included five goals and 21 points in 25 games.
Joona Koppanen: A 6-foot-6 forward, Koppanen has scored 16 goals and totaled 28 points in 119 games with Providence since the start of the 2017-18 season.
Karson Kuhlman: The Minnesota product scored two goals in 20 games this season, and has compiled six goals and 13 points in 56 career NHL games. One of a few players on the roster bubble this camp, Kuhlman is signed at $725,000 for 2021-22 and will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent at the end of that deal.
Jakub Lauko: One of the more exciting prospects in the B's pool, Lauko totaled five goals and 19 points in 23 games with the P-Bruins in 2021, and has 10 goals and 28 points in 45 AHL games over the last two seasons. Drafted by the Bruins with the No. 77 overall pick in 2018, the Lauko hype train has pulled back into North Station ahead of training camp.
Curtis Lazar: Acquired in the Taylor Hall trade, Lazar is back for another round after a post-deadline Bruins run that saw him score two goals and four points, and rack up 35 hits, in 17 games as the Black and Gold’s fourth-line pivot.
Fabian Lysell: It sounds like the Bruins have already figured out where Fabian Lysell, the No. 21 overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft, will play in 2021-22, but he'll get some work with the NHL club before the Bruins make that official.
Brad Marchand: Marchand’s 256 points over the last three seasons are the fifth-most in hockey. Only Nathan MacKinnon (257), Patrick Kane (260), Leon Draisaitl (299), and Connor McDavid (318) have been better. Not bad.
Ian McKinnon: The 23-year-old McKinnon had one goal and three points, along with 81 minutes in penalties, in 10 games with Providence last season.
Tomas Nosek: Another free agency addition, the Czech-born Nosek joins the Bruins after scoring a career-high eight goals and 18 points in 38 games for the Golden Knights last season. It'll be interesting to see how the Bruins utilize Nosek, as he centered a Vegas fourth line that was utilized in the complete opposite fashion of Boston's fourth line a year ago.
David Pastrnak: A healthy David Pastrnak is ready to make his push for his second Rocket Richard Trophy in three years.
Zach Senyshyn: The 2015 first-round pick, signed to a one-year, two-way contract earlier this week, has recorded one goal and three points in 14 NHL games over the last three seasons.
Craig Smith: After a slow start to his Bruins career with six goals and 14 points in his first 31 games, Smith found his fit on the second line and finished with seven goals and 18 points over his final 23 games of the season.
Oskar Steen: The 5-foot-9 Steen put up five goals and 11 points in 23 games with the P-Bruins last year, and even had a three-game cup of coffee for the Big B’s. The 2016 sixth-rounder has put up 12 goals and 34 points in 83 AHL games since 2019.
Jack Studnicka: Another contender for the B's vacant second-line center gig, Studnicka tallied seven assists in 11 games with the P-Bruins last year, and has one goal and four points in 22 NHL games over the last two seasons. The Bruins are hoping the 15 pounds Studnicka added over the offseason will help him stick in the NHL.
Eduards Tralmaks: The Latvian wing scored two goals and four points in eight games with Providence to close out the 2021 season. Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-3 Tralmaks put forth a solid college career with the University of Maine, with 39 goals and 82 points in 119 games over four seasons.
Alex-Olivier Voyer: Listed at 6-foot-2, AOV scored five goals and eight points in 22 games with Providence last season. Voyer also recorded five helpers in 16 games with the ECHL's Jacksonville IceMen in 2020-21.
Chris Wagner: The Walpole, Mass. native has 20 goals, 34 points, and 514 hits in 184 games with the Bruins since 2018.Defensemen
ShareJack Ahcan: A crafty skater, the 5-foot-8 Ahcan scored one goal and 10 points in 19 games in the AHL last year. Ahcan also appeared in three games with the Big B's, and totaled five shots, five blocked shots, and two hits over that brief NHL run.
Victor Berglund (injured): Boston’s seventh-round pick from the 2017 NHL Draft, and a right-shot defender (a rarity in the pro ranks these days), Berglund scored four goals and 21 points in 50 games with Lulea HF this past season. Berglund appeared in four games with Providence in 2018-19, with one goal and an assist.
Brandon Carlo: Entering the first year of a six-year extension worth $24.6 million, Brandon Carlo once again enters the season as the team's right-side rock on the second pairing. One thing Carlo has made clear entering this season: He wants to play with a puck-moving defenseman to his left.
Connor Clifton: The 5-foot-11 Clifton is a right-shot defenseman who can play both sides and put up a career-high seven points and plus-10 rating in 2021. He’s also signed for another two seasons at $1 million per year, and projects as the Black and Gold's third-pairing right-side defenseman to begin the 2021-22 season.
Josiah Didier (injured): The 6-foot-3, 218-pound Didier has put up three goals and 18 points, along with a plus-36 rating, in 73 games with Providence over the last two seasons.
Noah Dorey: Listed at 5-foot-11 and 168 pounds, the 18-year-old Dorey reports to B’s rookie camp with one goal and three points in 23 WHL games with the Kelowna Rockets over the last three seasons.
Jack Dougherty: With Boston on a pro tryout, Dougherty has plenty of AHL experience to his name, with 285 AHL games to his name since 2015. Most recently, Dougherty skated with the Belleville Senators, with five assists in 29 games in 2021.
Derek Forbort: Boston's big offseason addition on the backend, the 6-foot-4 Forbort comes to Boston after a 2021 that saw him tally two goals and 12 points, along with a 20:44 nightly workload, in 56 appearances for the Winnipeg Jets. Forbort also finished with 115 blocks in 2021, which was tops among the Jets and fifth among all NHLers, trailing only Alec Martinez (168), Adam Larsson (128), Connor Murphy (123), and Alexander Edler (118).
J.D. Greenway (injured): The younger brother of the Wild's Jordan Greenway, the 6-foot-5 defender is coming off a 2020-21 with two goals and five points in 14 games for the University of Maine, and totaled six goals and 25 points in 94 total games between Wisconsin and Maine since the start of the 2016-17 season. Greenway was injured in the 2021 prospects challenge.
Matt Grzelcyk: It'll be interesting to see how the Bruins utilize Grzelcyk in 2021. The 5-foot-9 defender spent the majority of last season next to Charlie McAvoy on Boston's top pairing, and the duo certainly excelled by almost all measurements. But the Bruins have talked about switching it up, and using Grzelcyk as more of a matchup-based defender.
Tyler Lewington: Lewington spent the 2021 season on the Predators' taxi squad, and finished with an assist and a plus-4 rating in a two-game run with Nashville. A 6-foot-2 , right-shot defender, Lewington has recorded one goal, thee points, 18 hits, and 12 blocked shots in 10 NHL games between Washington and Nashville since 2018-19. Lewington has also proven to be a willing combatant when necessary, with four fights over that 10-game NHL sample.
Brady Lyle: Originally on an AHL-only deal, Lyle put up seven goals and 14 points in 25 games with Providence last year, and continues to put up a fascinating career arc that's made him the newest wild card in the B's system.
Ryan Mast: A stay-at-home defenseman drafted with a sixth-round pick this past summer, Mast played just 10 games in 2020-21 after the OHL’s season cancellation (they were all a showcase series in Erie), and noted that he’s added another five pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame. Mast is expected to return to the Sarnia Sting for the 2021-22 season.
Charlie McAvoy: The Bruins and Charlie McAvoy have yet to come to terms on a new contract extension. It almost seems unlikely to happen before the season starts, too, based on what both sides have said.
John Moore: Signed to a five-year deal worth almost $14 million back in 2018, Moore has appeared in just 90 games with the Bruins since signing that deal, and underwent season-ending hip surgery after playing in just five games this past season. The Bruins do expect Moore to be a full participant in training camp.
Aaron Ness: The 31-year-old Ness originally agreed to a pro tryout with the Seattle Kraken, but decided to ditch that for the same opportunity with the Bruins. Ness, a 5-foot-10 left shot defenseman, has appeared in over 70 NHL games in his career. Ness has also played the 149th most games in AHL history, with 536 games since the start of the 2010 season.
Andrew Peski: Peski appeared in six games with Providence last season, and totaled two goals and five points in 23 games with the ECHL's Jacksonville Icemen in 2020-21. An Ottawa, Ont. native, Peski played four years with the University of North Dakota before turning pro in 2020.
Mike Reilly: 2021 was a career-year for Reilly, with 27 points (all assists) in 55 games between the Sens and Bruins. Reilly certainly seemed to enjoy his fit with the Bruins, too, as he signed a three-year, $9 million deal to stay with Boston.
Urho Vaakanainen: The 2017 first rounder put up two assists in nine NHL games last season.
Nick Wolff: The 6-foot-4 Wolff had two assists in 24 games with the P-Bruins in 2021.
Jakub Zboril: The 24-year-old Zboril had nine assists (two of which came on the man advantage) and averaged 17:03 per night in his 42-game sample for the Bruins last season. Zboril, the No. 13 overall pick from the 2015 NHL Draft, is signed at $725,000 for 2021-22 and will be an arbitration-eligible free agent at the end of that deal.Goaltenders
ShareCallum Booth: The B's taxi squad goaltender for the majority of the 2021 season, Booth appeared in one game this past season, and stopped 36-of-38 shots in that contest, a Mar. 15 P-Bruins win over Bridgeport.
Jeremy Brodeur: Signed to the Bruins' ECHL affiliate Maine Mariners for the 2021-22 season, the New Jersey-born Brodeur comes to the organization after spending the majority of his professional career with the ECHL and SPHL. Brodeur did break on through to the AHL in 2021, with an 0-2-1 record and 922 save percentage in three games with the Binghamton Devils. (And, yes, he is the son of Devils legend Marty Brodeur, in case you're curious.)
Troy Grosenick: In action for two games for the Los Angeles Kings this past season, the 31-year-old Wisconsin native posted a 1-1-0 record with a .922 save percentage, and has a 2-2-0 record with a .933 save percentage in four career NHL games between the Kings and San Jose Sharks. Grosenick, who played his college hockey at Union College, has an extensive AHL resume, with a 133-85-26 record, along with 16 career shutouts and a .911 save percentage, in 258 AHL games between Worcester (later relocated to San Jose), Milwaukee, and Ontario since the start of the 2013-14 season.
Kyle Keyser: One of the more tenured prospects in the Black and Gold organization, Keyser posted a 3-1-1 record and .913 save percentage in five games with Providence last year, but got the majority of his 2020-21 work in with the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL, with nine wins and a .917 save percentage in 22 games.
Jeremy Swayman: Swayman is certainly ahead of schedule if you ask the Bruins. The Alaska native will begin the year as the B’s 1B after he went 7-3-0 with a .945 save percentage last season.
Linus Ullmark: The Bruins are hoping for big things from Linus Ullmark. Rightfully so, too, after they signed the ex-Sabres netminder to a $20 million contract this past offseason. The Bruins believe that they can fix Ullmark's injury woes by placing him in a more structured system, and that his work with B's goalie coaches Bob Essensa and Mike Dunham can help shore up any weaknesses in his game. Ullmark had a career-best .917 save percentage for Buffalo in 2021.
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