With only a smattering of tournaments, the AHL playoffs and Memorial Cup still going outside of the NHL, now is as good a time as any to take a look back at the season from a prospect standpoint, beginning with the Atlantic Division.
The Atlantic has some of the more intriguing teams in the midst or on the front end of rebuilding situations. There should be a plethora of top prospects within this division making their way to NHL rosters as early as next season.
Note: “A” prospects have a higher potential of being impact NHL players, while “B” prospects are more likely to be everyday players and contributors on NHL rosters, based on what I’ve seen to date.
A prospects: None
B prospects: Jack Studnicka, Urho Vaakanainen, Connor Clifton and Trent Frederic
The Bruins don’t have a lot of very high-end prospects, although Studnicka and Vaakanainen in particular have good upside. Studnicka really popped this season with 83 points in the OHL and is trending up as speedy middle-six option for down the road.
The Bruins have a lot of AHL options who can be called up or fill holes quickly. Frederic is looking like he could be a low-lineup contributor as early as next season, while Clifton has already taken on a depth defenseman role in the postseason for Boston. The team also has a number of intriguing goaltending prospects, with Kyle Keyser and Jeremy Swayman looking to have the most potential.
Breakout prospect: Jack Studnicka
