After ranking the pro forward prospects in the Boston Bruins organization previously, the series continues with a closer look at the young defensemen and goaltenders under NHL contract.
Listing criteria is that the player must be signed with Boston on an NHL contract and eligible for the 2015-21 NHL Entry Drafts, with fewer than 50 career NHL games played (20 for goalies). They are ranked subjectively based on long-term NHL potential, not how close they are to reaching that level.
One of Boston’s top prospects at any position is goaltender Jeremy Swayman. Though he played 10 NHL games with the B’s at the end of his rookie pro season in 2020-21, he still fits the criteria to be ranked with his younger peers. He is on the verge of graduating from prospect status as the current backup to Linus Ullmark entering the 2021-22 campaign.
On defense, there are several players with the chance to play NHL games this season and eventually make a run at sticking on the Boston roster. There isn’t a lot of room on the big club at present, but the depth is relatively thin, and if injuries impact the blue line as was the case a year ago, Jack Ahcan and Urho Vaakanainen are the likely candidates to go up.
This is how we rank and project the pro/AHL defensemen and goaltenders in Boston’s system.
Defensemen
1. Jack Ahcan, LD; 5/18/97 shoots left, 5-8/187
Although undrafted, the Minnesotan showed he has the skating, two-way skill and moxie as a rookie pro, getting called up to Boston and playing three NHL games last spring. Undersized for the position, he plays bigger and excels at getting pucks out of his zone and up the ice. His vision is above average and he has a deft touch on the puck to be a power-play distributor who can hit the seam passes needed to generate quality scoring chances.
2021-22 team: Providence (AHL)
Projection: While it was a bit of a steep learning curve for him at first, Matt Grzelcyk’s success with the B’s has opened the door for Ahcan to eventually take on a similar role as a top-2 pair defender at the NHL level. Given the current situation on the left side, the team can afford to be patient. The time in Providence can be used to refine his defensive play and gain pro experience without being forced into a situation he’s not ready for.
2. Brady Lyle, RD; 6/1/99, shoots right, 6-2/212
After playing in Providence last season on an AHL contract, Lyle signed with Boston for two years in April. That was likely a nod to his significant progress as a rookie and improved offseason strength and conditioning. He showed a lot of poise, confidence and ferocious shot at the B’s development camp.
2021-22 team: Providence (AHL); With Boston's right side defensive depth looking thin, don't be surprised if he gets a look sooner rather than later.
Projection: Lyle has the tools to develop into a solid NHL role player, and there is sneaky upside here because of his offensive element. It will take time and there is no need to rush to failure. It seems crazy to have an undrafted prospect ahead of a first-round pick, yet that's where we are. It's a results-oriented business.
3. Urho Vaakanainen, LD; 1/1/99, shoots left, 6-1/190
Boston’s first-round pick in 2017 has been slower to develop, hampered by a head hit from Mark Borowiecki in 2018-19 as a rookie pro. When at his best, Vaakanainen is a mobile and steady defender who can retrieve pucks and skate them out of danger himself or make a good first pass. He has a long reach and contains outside speed well. While not all that physical, he does hold his gaps, employing an effective poke check.
2021-22 team: Providence (AHL); will likely get first crack at a Boston recall because of his pro experience and status
Projection: Vaakanainen has not turned out the way everyone hoped he would as the 18th overall selection four years ago. He may not ever develop into a classic first- or second-pairing type of ‘D’ but can provide solid depth and secondary contributions. That’s not welcome news when giving out draft grades, but the reality is that the B’s should have elevated him within the organization by now. Only 22, he still has time to establish himself in Boston, but expectations have fallen short.
4. Victor Berglund, RD; 8/2/99, shoots right, 6-0/175
Always a top-skating defenseman with raw skills, Berglund has gotten taller and stronger in the years since the B’s selected him late in the 2017 draft. He had a productive year in Sweden’s second pro league but is more of a take the puck and go type of player, so the continued development of his positional skills will be a top priority. He will be an interesting project for new head coach Ryan Mougenel and his staff.
2021-22 team: Providence (AHL)
Projection: With Berglund, he might be on the outside looking in, as he has the talent to play in the NHL, but might not be the best fit for the B’s. We won’t count him out, but with just four games in the AHL a few years ago, it will be an adjustment in his first North American season.
Goaltenders
1. Jeremy Swayman; 11/24/98, catches left, 6-2/190
What more can you say about the rookie who came to Boston late in the season when Tuukka Rask was injured and looked like a seasoned pro? In 10 games, he opened so many eyes for his calm and poise in net, ability to track pucks and his superb quickness and competitive drive.
2021-22 team: Boston (NHL)
Projection: Future No. 1 netminder and NHL star. Yes, those are high expectations, but Swayman is used to performing under pressure and looks well-positioned to keep the trend going at the highest level. Given Rask’s current status, he gets the chance to be Ullmark’s backup for the first few months, and we’ll see what happens when the veteran is able to return from offseason surgery. Even if Swayman ends up going back down to Providence, his future is bright in Boston.
2. Kyle Keyser; 3/8/99, catches left, 6-2/185
The undrafted prospect has had a tough time in pro hockey battling concussions and injuries but looks poised and confident. He has a similar build to Swayman, and while not as skilled, played at a top-level in the OHL. Keyser was solid in B’s development camp and appears to be healthy and more comfortable entering his third pro campaign.
2021-22 team: Providence (AHL)
Projection: Boston has a crowded crease, so Keyser has an uphill climb. He hasn’t played enough hockey to confidently predict what he could be at the highest level, but a prolonged and productive run in the AHL this year would be an excellent state.
3. Callum Booth; 5/21/97, catches left, 6-3/200
A former fourth-round pick by Carolina in 2015 has good size and was a solid junior player in the Quebec League. He has yet to establish himself in the AHL.
2021-22 team: Maine (ECHL)
Projection: He provides emergency depth and will be a good starter for the Mariners with the ability to go up to Providence if needed.
Overall assessment
The defensemen as a group are capable and will provide the B's with options if the big club is hit with injuries.
None of them are considered top prospects, but they bring the kind of positive attributes that will allow them to be successful in the AHL and several will likely become solid, serviceable NHL defenders in time. Ahcan in particular could become more than the sum of his parts, while Lyle has the look of a player who should have been drafted but somehow slipped through the cracks.
In net, Swayman sets the Bruins up with the best long-term ceiling of any goaltender they've had since Rask arrived in 2007. He has excellent fundamentals and the poise/mental toughness to develop into a worthy successor to No. 40.
Keyser and Booth have a longer, harder slog ahead, with the latter brought back out of necessity for the expansion draft.
