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P-Bruin
Prospects
These up-and-comers will skate through Providence on their way to the NHL.
By Dan
Hickling
MinorLeagueNews.com
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - 03.06.03-
Only time will tell, of course, but if you are a fan of the Providence Bruins,
you probably have a lot to look forward to.
Not only
is this year's model primed and ready to make a strong run at
their second Calder Cup championship, it looks as though the P-Bruins
will be well-stocked with prime prospects for several years to come.
The Boston
Bruins brain trust has drafted very well over the past few years,
particularly in the lower rounds. Several of those choices, which could
have
been made by any of the NHL's other 29 clubs, now look like steals.
With
this season now into the homestretch, it's worth taking a look at the
next wave of Bruins who will hit Providence (if not Boston) sooner than
later, as seen through the eyes of Jeff Gorton, Bruins assistant General
Manager.
Perhaps
the brightest star on the horizon, said Gorton, is defenseman Milan
Jurcina (8th round, 2001 draft), of the Halifax Mooseheads (Quebec Junior
League). Jurcina had a strong training camp, and sparkled in two preseason
games before being sent back to Halifax.
"He's
really been doing (well)," Gorton said. "He's a really good prospect
for us. Because of his size and athletic ability, I'd put him in the Hal
Gill
category. He does it with positioning and reach."
Jurcina
has been hobbled of late by a thigh bruise, which caused him to
miss the recent World Juniors in Halifax. He has 12 goals (nine on the power
play) to go with eight assists.
"He plays a lot of power play and penalty kills and plays about every other shift," Gorton said. "In the end, he'll probably be a stay at home defenseman. He doesn't get fazed by things. He could step right into the NHL and it wouldn't bother him."
Jurcina's
junior eligibility will expire after this year's playoffs, which
means he could be wearing Providence "Black and Gold" by the time
the Bruins
begin their first Calder Cup round.
He may be joined by Darren McLachlan, left wing for the Seattle Thunderbirds (Western Hockey League). McLachlan, drafted in the 3rd round in 2001, is a strong, tough, forward with an attitude.
"He's
got pretty good numbers (14-22-36, 131 PIMs)," Gorton said. "He
was
pretty average at training camp, but he's had a good year. We're going to
key
on him to see what we want to do with him. His gift is, that he's tough,
and
that he's got a nice set of hands for somebody as big as he is."
Other names to remember include:
•Andrew Alberts, defenseman (6th round, 2001), Boston College.
"He's
done real well (this year)," said Gorton. "He's a big (6-4, 218),
competitive kid
who moves really well. (Just) a couple of strides and he's in and out of
the
zone. He's got to work on his puck handling, but we like him as a prospect.
He's probably ahead of our other college picks."
•Hannu Toivonen, goalie (1st round, 2002), HPK (Finland).
"He's
played really well and he's played a lot over there. We're happy with him.
He's got
the size. He's got the makeup. We just want him to stay over there and
develop. He's a butterfly goalie. He's smart with his positioning. He's
got
to work on handling the puck, but he's got a good head on his shoulders.
If
we bring him along the right way, he's got a good chance to be a No. 1
goalie."
•Lars Jonsson, defenseman (1st round, 2000), Leksand (Sweden).
"He's
an offensive guy. He has the record for goals by a defenseman in their junior
league. He had a really good camp. Unfortunately for him, he's been injured
a lot (knee). It may be that he's ready to come over here, where we can
control his playing time a little more. We'll discuss that at the end of
the
year, get him started at Providence and hopefully not have to rush him up
top."
•Sergei Zinovjev, center/wing (3rd round, 2000), Spartak (Russia).
"He's
a good two way center who can skate. He's got that great Russian lateral
mobility. He's like a Brian Rolston without as much speed."
•Vladislav Evseev, left wing (2nd round, 2002), Dynamo (Russia)
"He's a beautiful skater and a hardnosed kid. He's already (learned) English. He's driven to come over here. He's a guy to watch."
