After looking at the professional prospects signed to NHL contracts with the Boston Bruins, it is time to turn our attention on the amateur/unsigned futures. The next in our review of the organization’s future hopefuls focuses on the forwards.
Listing criteria is any player drafted between the 2018-21 NHL Entry Drafts, only. They are ranked subjectively based on long-term NHL potential.
Major junior players can sign their NHL contracts at any time and not have their eligibility to play in their respective leagues impacted. Those in the NCAA cannot sign without surrendering their remaining eligibility.
Fabian Lysell was ranked in the previous pro forwards piece because he was signed by Boston, but he is eligible to play major junior hockey with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. The team has options for him, and that decision will be made after rookie and main preseason camps. Should he be optioned to the WHL, Lysell will move to No. 1 on the B's amateur prospects ranking.
2021 first-round selection Brett Harrison is currently ranked at the top of the amateur forwards list. What follows is the analysis of his game and NHL potential, along with the others in the system.
1. Brett Harrison, C; 6/7/03, shoots left, 6-2/188
Positional need and best player available intersected late in the third round in 2021, with the B’s coming away with this shoot-first pivot with size and skill. Last year’s canceled season in the OHL likely caused Harrison’s drop, but as a 16-year-old rookie in 2019-20, he scored 21 goals for Oshawa. He has a wicked release and does a nice job of finding quiet ice to maximize his time/space. Watching him at development camp in Aug., he looked the part of an early-round selection, though he took some time to adjust to his first event with the Bruins organization. Going forward, he will need to address his east-west skating/agility and continue to add mass to his tall frame.
2021-22 team: Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Projection: While not the pure skater Beecher is, Harrison brings similar size and has a higher skill level with the offensive instincts to produce consistent next level offense. He’s raw and is going to need the full two more years in the OHL, followed by AHL seasoning, but watch for Harrison to see time in Providence this spring if his junior club doesn’t make a deep playoff run. He has top-two line NHL upside but is capable enough to carve out a niche for himself on the B’s because of his versatility.
2. John Beecher, C; 4/5/01, shoots left, 6-3/210
Boston’s top selection in 2019 (30th overall), Beecher had winter shoulder surgery and even though he’s expected to be cleared for the start of the 2021-22 season, it will take him a while to work his way back to full effectiveness. An elite skater with ideal NHL size, production at the NCAA level has eluded the Elmira, N.Y. native in his first two seasons. While not overly skilled or creative, he’s an effective three-zone forward who should be a top college penalty killer this season.
2021-22 team: University of Michigan (NCAA)
Projection: With a loaded Michigan squad that is returning all its top NHL picks from the 2020-21 drafts, Beecher is not likely to see much of a role on the top lines or power play. He said as much at development camp when he talked of playing a shutdown role in his junior year. Beecher has the talent to play up and down on the roster, and he will be a solid pro eventually. Best case for Boston would be for him to one day crack the second line with his ability to play fast and use his size to get to the net. More realistically, he’ll be a lower-line fixture and complementary player. Beecher is a safer bet to play in the NHL for a long time than Harrison is, but we don't see top-six forward upside.
3. Trevor Kuntar, LW; 6/20/01, shoots left, 6-0/200
The 2020 third-rounder showed flashes in his freshman college season with his ability to play with pace, force turnovers and generate scoring in a secondary role. The Western N.Y. native is the son of former pro goalie Les Kuntar, and plays a well-rounded game, with high compete and energy. He can skate and score, but also provides strong puck support and is a disruptive forechecking presence. He doesn’t have top tier puck skills but is smart and diligent enough to provide timely offense while playing an impact game that earns trust from his coaches.
2021-22 team: Boston College (NCAA)
Projection: With key departures from Boston College, Kuntar will be a more consistent contributor as a sophomore. He scored six goals and 10 points in 23 games, so with a healthy full season, look for him to double his production and continue to make forward progress. He has the look of a quality middle-roster forward in pro hockey. His versatility and 200-foot game will be integral to him establishing himself in the NHL one day.
4. Quinn Olson, LW; 5/9/01, shoots left, 5-11/180
The former Alberta Junior Hockey League standout with the Okotoks Oilers looked like a sneaky-good third-round selection in 2019 after his freshman campaign in Duluth, but had a tougher time in 2020-21. With average size, he skates well and can fire pucks on net, but consistency is something to address, as he can go long stretches without impacting the game. He was middle of the pack at development camp, a missed opportunity to establish himself among the other B’s forward prospects.
2021-22 team: University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)
Projection: Olson has shown scoring ability in flashes, and he plays for one of the top college hockey programs in the country. At the same time, he has yet to demonstrate the kind of single carry tool that would elevate him in a relatively shallow pool of forwards who bring similar traits and attributes. This is an important year for the rising junior, who will be given every opportunity to establish himself as a key contributor on the Bulldogs.
5. Oskar Jellvik, LW; 2/8/03, shoots left, 5-11/180
Swedish pro was a passion pick for the B’s European scouts in the 2021 draft’s fifth round. While not a household name, he’s another pass-first forward who has some deft hands and slippery moves. Already playing in his country’s top league, don’t expect a big role from him as a rookie, but like Oskar Steen, he could be primed for more of an offensive breakout in the next couple of years with his vision, speed and ability to find the open man.
2021-22 team: Djurgardens IF (SweHL)
Projection: It’s too early to say right now, as viewing opportunities of Jellvik have been limited. He was not a household name and was taken earlier than projected based on his 102nd ranking among European skaters by the NHL’s Central Scouting Service. He has intangibles- he captained his junior teams and international competition squad.
6. Riley Duran, C; 1/25/02, shoots right, 6-2/195
Former Lawrence Academy star and Woburn, Mass. native was a late pick in 2020 and had an up-and-down year in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms. He’s a big center and rangy skater who plays a north-south style and can get to the net. He has some skill but is at his best when playing with an edge to make body contact and create separation/space for himself and linemates.
2021-22 team: Providence College (NCAA)
Projection: He’s raw and will need time and patience to develop as a two-way center in college and then in the minor leagues. It will be a gradual process for him and don’t expect front line scoring from him at every level, but with his size and power game, he’s got a high floor at the next level.
7. Mattias Mantykivi, C; 6/21/01; shoots left, 5-11/175
The 185th overall pick in 2019 by Boston didn’t see prime minutes for SaiPa a year ago as a rookie pro in his native Finland. More quick than fast, he sees the ice and darts in and out of skating lanes, looking to advance pucks. He’s more of a passer/playmaker than a shooter but works and competes despite his average size and lack of strength. There’s some nifty creativity in his game, and that should translate into more of a role and better numbers with his new club.
2021-22 team: Ilves Tampere (Finland SM-Liiga)
Projection: Mantykivi has shown promise in spurts, but has yet to put together the kind of full season that would lead many to believe he can evolve into a regular at the NHL level. As a sixth-rounder two years ago, he’s a project and longshot but there hasn’t been a great deal of significant forward progress at the pro level. He has the attributes to earn a contract and play in the AHL, but this season will be a major indicator in which way he’s headed.
8. Andre Gasseau; C; 7/3/03, shoots left, 6-4/205
The power forward is a Southern California native who has rapidly developed in three years since going from midget AAA with the LA Jr. Kings to Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. to the U.S. National Team. He’s a powerful skater who takes some time to get up to speed, but when he drives through the middle of the ice and goes hard to the net is a load to contain. Gasseau can rip the puck and is capable of scoring goals in the dirty areas. He’s a puck possession asset.
2021-22 team: Fargo Force (USHL)
Projection: The B’s got nice value from the future Boston College center in the seventh round. Another raw prospect who won’t be an NHL option for quite some time, he is the quintessential heavy player who can grind it out and wear defenses down on the cycle. He’ll play a second year in the USHL before heading to BC, and he could eventually develop into a capable fourth-liner in the show.
9. Jake Schmaltz, LW/; 4/24/01, shoots left, 6-2/185
Tall, lanky Wisconsin product was Boston’s final selection (192nd) in 2019 and just completed his third full USHL campaign with a career-best 19 goals and 53 points (51 games) with Green Bay. A smart utility forward who can do a little bit of everything, he’s similar to Olson in that he doesn’t have any one exceptional standout skill. He has NHL bloodlines as a cousin of Nick and Jordan Schmaltz.
2021-22 team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Projection: Entering North Dakota, he may have to break in on the wing with the Fighting Hawks. His most immediate challenge will be in building the strength necessary to compete effectively in the rugged NCHC, and we’re not sure how much playing time he’ll carve out on a deep, experienced college squad.
