Bruins rookie camp is right around the corner, and the defense side of the prospect pool already comes with a few clear storylines.
The Boston Bruins are entering this stretch with a defense pipeline that looks different than it did a year ago. More of the club’s prospects are now in NCAA hockey, others have already moved on to Providence or Maine, and several of the names that made noise last fall are no longer in the organization. That makes the upcoming Prospect Showcase tougher to project than usual, especially with Boston also dealing with a numbers crunch on the blue line.
Even figuring out who will actually be there is part of the challenge. With the Bruins announcing the roster late, the picture for rookie camp stays murky until the final moment. Add in the NCAA availability issue, and plenty of the most interesting defense prospects may not be in the mix at all.
Still, there are a few names worth watching closely when camp opens.
Dylan MacKinnon is one of them. He stood out at development camp and now gets another chance to climb the depth chart.
Loke Johansson is in a different spot, with the chance to push for a more permanent role in Providence. Ty Gallagher remains in the conversation thanks to solid AHL production.
And Jacob Vandeven is still a fascinating project after recently switching over to defense.
That group may not include an obvious future NHL star just yet, but rookie camp should help clarify who is making real progress inside the organization. For Johansson and MacKinnon, that means trying to move up a level in the Bruins system.
For Gallagher, it’s about showing he is getting closer to NHL consideration. For Vandeven, it’s another step in learning a position he only recently began playing.
And there will probably be a few surprises mixed in as well.
Next week, the focus shifts to the forwards as the Bruins prospect preview rolls on.
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