Bruins Players To Watch At Development Camp

Bruins Players To Watch At Development Camp

welcome back to Boston has entered the chatter let’s talk some Bruins and their off seasonason the next step for the Bees as they want to get back to being in the postseason development camp i know not as exciting as everyone was thinking but that’s the first step is obviously the NHL draft going on at the end of the month but development camp for the Bruins with the guys they know they have now some drafted some prospects starts next Monday through Thursday this is a camp that’s important for a team that wants to reset their development system their farm system their prospects where we will see guys like a Will Zeers like a Dean Lerno like an Alban Boya skate for the bees this is an important part of Yes the Bruins want to get back to the playoffs they had to get younger and they had to get better at developing prospects so I’m really watching with this with a keen eye of what do they get out of this and who’s going to be attending casey absolutely and you said the most important thing there you can’t steer away from the development you can’t do these long tracks anymore because the NHL is changing we had north of 123 NHL debuts injuries considered but still that’s a lot of guys that were tapped with the responsibility of stepping up and making an impact for their team on certain lines getting top six playing minutes so you have to give more ability and more focus and more confidence to these younger guys and on that note we got our new assistant coach for the Boston Bruins Steve Spot and we know that he’s more of a special teams uh specialist if one would say but outside of that it was really cool sophia and I got to interview him on the hockey hub yesterday and a few things that stood out to me was the fact that him and Marco Sturm very synergistic in their approach and what their goals and what the identity is potentially going to look like for this Bruins team both guys talked about the emphasis of communication and Steve Spot has an education background he’s an education major when he played hockey at Colgate and what I love about his trajectory and his resume he played college hockey but he also was a head coach in the OHL and we’re seeing how these two worlds are about to collide coming up here shortly which just puts a point of emphasis on making sure that young players are ready and confident and developed and he even spoke to that because of everything that’s going on because of how the league is changing you want to make sure that you are he said that his teaching background helps him pull the best out of students and that translates to pulling the best out of players what’s big with Spot too is his experience spent three seasons with the Knights then three seasons with the Dallas Stars before he was hired by the Bruins leading a power play that over his last three years was seventh best in the NHL power play for the Bruins this past season was anemic was non-existent they didn’t have anyone that could quarterback it and it just was not generating points again when it comes to the hockey we could talk about all what will be the style on the ice what will be the approach by a Marco Sturm what will be the overall scheme we’ll see and any changes at all and who’s going to make up the top nine we also need to see this power play return so for Steve Spot to have that be his calling card but also as an assistant coach to be a guy that’s you know spearheading the development camp as well that’s something that it’s one step before the next okay who’s an NHL player who are the guys we have drafted dean Latero there’s Andre Gassau both those guys out of BC there’s a guy like Will Zeers who was a part of their trade deadline acquisitions who scored a ton of goals in the USL in his age 18 season okay can those guys also be ones that we develop when they’re down with Providence or up at the at the Boston level or in college wherever can they start contributing on the power play i think that’s what I’m looking forward to for Steve’s spot as well and something maybe we read coming out of this camp too oh 100% and and so kind of tracking back because you mentioned system when we’re talking about everything moving forward and him coming from the Vegas Golden Knights the time frame that he was there that has to be looked at a a little tighter honestly because you’re talking about a team that got the identity and the reputation of being misfits you were working with a blended roster you were working with you weren’t sure what you were working with honestly you had some big names going for you but other names you had to find their best skill set you kind of had to manifest the best out of them and it worked out in favor so he knows how to work with a blended roster i asked him about that yesterday on the hockey hub and that’s exactly what this Bruins team is about to be you’ve got a few leaders on here you got a little bit of the core still intact but there’s still a lot of other questionable pieces that they have to now make work so that we can potentially see a postseason again something else that him and Marco Stur are kind of locked step too is what this system is going to look like the the term hybrid came up from Steve’s spot yesterday i am a big fan of that because that means you can adapt as the games go along you can adapt as the matchups present themselves and you can adapt in game as well you give your guys options if A’s not working go to B hybrid also maybe like a car doesn’t mean gas or electric shoot go option C if it runs off pure food grease I don’t care whatever works i love hearing that well I was a big fan of hearing it because of everything you just said but also previously on Boston the chat I told Bruins fans keep an eye out for if this defensive system changes hybrid defenses have been known to take teams to championships and then both of these guys Sturrum and Spot not only have been paying close attention to the Florida Panthers but Spot specifically has a really close relationship with Paul Maurice he has been advised by Paul Maurice throughout his career so you’re talking about two guys that are very open to the modernization of the NHL so that should make you hopeful for a number of things and then you already touched on it him kind of spearheading development camp he’s going to try to pick promising prospects to come in and make an impact on this roster and there’s a handful of guys that I think can do just that yeah you look at Dean he caught a lot of heat we talked to James Murray about that he said “Don’t read too much into it.” He thinks that Dean still has a lot to offer in the NHL i mean you got a lot of body that you got to work on and maneuver to be um as as special and skillful as one is hoping that you would be but more importantly the hybrid opportunities the communication the special teams ramping up spot even talked about getting this power play back to being a top 10 power play already talking with Charlie Makavoy so it’s just a lot of things that shows you that they’re starting to solidify what this identity needs to be but they’re doing it with moving into a new era this is also and it’s cool to bring up I think spot as someone that’s mentored by Paul Maurice where the Panthers have found a way to be really deep really good really consistent the last three seasons because it’s three straight Stanley Cup appearances and of course back-to-back Stanley Cup championships as well but doing so with the Sergey Babski who’s an older goalie but that’s taking up 11.5 million of the payroll per year and if you figure out how to bring out the most while paying your goalie a ton but knowing how to play in front of him defensively and what puts him in a position to succeed that’s what the Bruins need when Jeremy Swayman’s getting just over 8 million a year so whatever spot can pull from Paul Maurice whatever the Bruins can pull from the Florida Panthers and I know Bees fans would hate to hear that but it’s winning hockey and you know what if you’re back in the postseason making deep runs and hoisting a cup I don’t care who you stole it from as long as you know how to apply it and succeed i think that’s important and yes there we’ll hear about and people were wanting to hear how is Dean Lerno looking what is he doing because they know all the attention he gets this was also a guy that was a freshman at Boston College this past season but had to leave where he was playing junior hockey early and come to BC because they had more departures than they expected being Greg Brown and his staff they had more guys leave for the NHL than they expected so they needed him to be that bottom center on that fourth line for them and this is a kid that’s still growing still developing still picking up his skills it’s really hard to do that in one of the toughest conferences to play developmental hockey in a way junior hockey away from college or you know if it’s a WHL HL whatever it may be the Hockey East is very competitive you also you mentioned you spoke to James Murray he’s a college hockey expert we have a part of your combo with him check it out right here here’s James Murray from his combo on Hockey Hub with Sophia and Casey yeah no Zeer’s hell of a player anytime you can score 44 goals and in my opinion the best development league in the world in the USAHL it’s it’s stands stands alone like he’s he was I think he got like 15 more goals than anyone else in the USL or up there I mean he uh really showed his his his stride and h how good he can be and we’ll see what he does here at North Dakota this upcoming season I mean his playmaking ability is unbelievable so great shot speed and hands I think uh if I’m a defender I’m scared he’s going to attack you so you got to have your head on a swivel for that kid and he he’s shown what he can do at Green Bay this past season USHL and I think North Dakota he’s going to get tested you know at an NCHC very tough conference as well so he’ll have some talent in there i know North Dakota fans should be really excited they will be excited to see him and watch him every Friday and Saturday in NODAK so yeah uh this the sky’s is the limit for this guy and uh very high ceiling i think Bruins fans should be really excited um about this kid awesome conversation from James Murray check out the full combo that was on Hockey Hub with Casey and Sophia so he’s talking about Will Zeers currently 19 years old we hear about the goals he was scoring what he’s alluding to 44 goals in 52 games in the USHL this past season this is also a kid that was playing for Shadic St mary since he was 16 scoring 69 goals at the age of 16 as Shadic St mary’s which is a branch off the US National Development Team branch right it’s a branch off of what Canada does as well that’s the reason Shadic St aries was created out in Minnesota this is a kid that was a third round pick in 2024 just 19 you want to go to a college team to develop north Dakota State provides that and as a center 5’11 180 he mentioned it the speed the skill he has it’s also his vision and IQ that jumps off the ice and many evaluators that is all stuff that the Bruins offense was missing so this is someone I’m excited to watch for like my eyes are on a Will Zellers i want to see him flourish and stand out amongst everyone else on the ice well yeah because for starters you want the trade to make sense we got him during the Colorado acquisition and then more importantly highlight and bold what you said about vision and IQ some of the top things reported on Will Zeers is the fact that he has the ability to create space now I know that I was really high up on a player by the name of Braden Point because he works very well in tight spaces and can create space and you’re talking about somebody that can help you hold on to the puck a little bit longer as you get things sorted and situated so as he develops that’s great then add to it defender should be scared of this kid i loved hearing that he puts him in conflict he makes them their eyes get wide and then freeze up on the ice that’s what you need yep big time and then just to add to all of that and then kind of circling back to the spot conversation spot has a big emphasis on individual skill set and he was on a podcast for Coach’s Corner talking about the keys to skating so I have a friend whose husband plays in the NHL and she’s mentioned to me that like in certain countries you don’t touch a stick until you’re a teenager you skate skate skate skate skate so when you become a prominent promising skater it’s just going to help the rest of the things fall in line so for Spot to have that kind of development approach for him to be spearheading development camp to have a guy like Will Zellers who IQ vision and all these kids that they’re going to try to make more promising skaters on top of that that’s just going to kind of level up when we can see them make an impact on a Bruins roster for what we saw the Bruins do at the trade deadline because Will Zeers was part of the package with sent Charlie Coyle to the ABS they got Casey Middlestat in return and Will Zellers Middlestat if he sticks whether he’s a center or a wing at 26 years old is a good NHL player if Zeers can tap into his potential and let’s hit 80% of his ceiling that’s a good to great NHL player that’s what I look for because when that trade goes down I go that makes amazing sense that makes so much sense it’s what they need that’s what Zeers brings to the ice so that’s someone I’m excited to watch and all that and then you see the names again when we talk to development camp what the Bruins have done even getting a look at a guy like Alvin Buoya who played really well for the main Black Bears they made a run making it to the national tournament was one of the best college hockey goalies in the entire nation again if you can get something from him the Swedish goalie between the pipes and someone again you think you could tap into and develop and someone that was in their backyard give them a look and see what you could do there it’s it’s you look at the roster i know it’s just a development camp and we want to watch the draft we want to see in a free agency but the Bruins are making the right steps here yeah and it’s and it’s not just development camp because it depends on when these guys are going to be called upon to help out you know cuz some of these kids are probably going to be closer to being ready than others um and when you look at the trade I’m glad that you brought up Casey Middlestat because a little bit of a theme here for a number of these guys that will be in development camp coming out of Minnesota Casey Middlestat training in Minnesota right now will Zeer is training in Minnesota right now from Minnesota um and then just uh I think Beckett Hendrickson is another name in development camp he’s University of Minnesota so you’re also looking at guys that have kind of the systematic uh similarities and where the development lines in which just kind of bridges the gap on chemistry if the opportunity presents itself that they are playing with each other at any point for the Bruins so you’re finding a couple more connections that can help play out favorably as well another BC guy Gasso to Yeah Andre Gauo former seventh round pick yeah I know what Spot’s gonna be looking at from this kid onetime what is his shot release going to be because when he talked about the individualization and skill sets on the power play in an interview with me and Sophia he talked about kind of making sure that he’s bringing the best out of each guy so if they can be consistent and reliable when it comes to that one-timer then they’re going to want to press on from that so you’re looking at a number of guys that have specific roles that each coach is going to be like “All right let’s see where this can

The Bruins have announced their roster for the 2025 Boston Bruins Development Camp. The Bruins are in the midst of a retool after trading franchise captain Brad Marchand as well as other team leaders like Charlie Coyle & Brandon Carlo. The Bruins are in desperate need of young talent so George Balekji & Kasey Hudson break down the players to watch out for heading into 2025 Boston Bruins Development Camp.

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