Post by Bruins GM on Sept 8, 2012 2:11:56 GMT -5
The Bruins 2012 Draft yielded a mix of defensemen and forwards who, apart from Conacher, all project to be 4 to 5 years away minimum from making the BRHL. There are some compelling prospects who may prove to be excellent Pro players. The Bruins are especially pleased to have Conacher's raw talent aboard but they acknowledge that his pro career is outstanding at the AHL level. It remains to be seen if he can translate his success there into a long NHL career.
Stuart Percy (D) Hockey Futures, Grade 7.0C
Drafted 1st Round, 30th overall
Few players have had to deal with the severity of injuries that Stuart Percy went through this season in the OHL. The 19-year-old had suffered two concussions at various points in the season, and also dealt with an early season knee injury in October. When he did play, Percy did well scoring five goals and 20 assists in 34 games. He also performed very well in a late-season stint with the Marlies for a player who missed the majority of his season with serious injuries.
For Percy, the focus will be on getting a full-season under his belt. He missed a bit of development time due to his injuries, but also had the benefit of joining and playing in the Marlies playoff run. He's still a work in progress physically, but thinks' the game at a very high level which was evident in his Marlies stint.
Lucas Lessio (LW), HF 7.0C
Drafted 2nd Round, 61st overall
One of the few offensively-gifted forwards in the Phoenix organization, Lessio is a young player who continues to develop towards his potential of being a scoring-line winger in the NHL. The club’s second-round pick in 2011, the 19-year-old has used his big, athletic frame and strong skating to become one of the OHL’s top left wingers in his two seasons with the Oshawa Generals. On top of his good size and speed, Lessio is a smart player in the attacking zone, supports the puck on the cycle, and gets in the right spot to receive passes or pick up rebounds.
The Maple, Ontario native played for Canada in the recent Canada-Russia Challenge where he played well and displayed good chemistry with high-profile linemates Ryan Strome (NYI) and Jonathan Huberdeau (FLA). Should he continue his fine play with Oshawa, he will again have a chance to wear the Canadian sweater at the World Junior Championship.
Cory Conacher (LW), HF 7.5D
Drafted 3rd Round, 91st overall
Despite going undrafted in the NHL, it may be tough to label Cory Conacher as late-bloomer. In his one year of Junior A hockey, he posted over a point-per-game, and immediately took to college hockey, posting 17 points in 20 games as a freshman for Canisius College. The offense has always been there for Conacher, but at just 5'8 and 175lbs, size has always been a factor. Regardless, his collegiate career was so impressive that he was offered an AHL tryout contract in 2010-11 with the Rochester Americans, and then by the Milwaukee Admirals. He didn't play much, but did show flashes of talent in those few games, enough to earn a one-year deal with Norfolk last season, and it was there, with consistent ice-time, that he showed what he's capable of.
Conacher was by far the team's top offensive player, leading the Admirals in goal-scoring and points, with 39 and 80 respectively. He also finished second on the team in playoff scoring, with 15 in 18 games. His performance was enough to finally earn himself an NHL contract from the Lightning, while in the process becoming one of the team's top offensively-skilled prospects. Martin St. Louis' success in Tampa Bay proved that, if skilled enough, smaller players can succeed at the NHL level, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Conacher don a Lightning jersey at some point next season.
Colin Jacobs (C), HF Unrated
Drafted 4th Round, 122nd overall
Jacobs is a playmaking centerman who is capable of providing a power forward-like effort. In terms of size, he is certainly NHL-ready. As he matures and builds confidence, it is likely he will become even more polished around the opposition goal as he has a nose for the net and a decent pair of hands.
Jacobs needs continue to progress statistically as he has done in each of his three years in the WHL. He has prototypical power forward size and better than average hands which could translate in to a future third line roll at the NHL level. Jacobs is only 18 so he still has two more years of junior eligibility, meaning he won’t really have a shot at making the team until the 2013-14 season.
Nick Seeler (D), HF Unrated
Drafted 5th Round, 152nd overall
Seeler is coming out of one of Minnesota's top prep programs. He is a defenseman who can contribute points regularly from the blueline.
Currently playing in the USHL, committed to playing at Nebraska-Omaha, likely in 2014-15.
Sean Kuraly (C), HF 7.0C
Drafted 5th Round, 153rd overall
Kuraly really improved his offensive game as a playmaker and became more of a two-way player this past season in the USHL. He excels at penalty-killing because he can read the play quickly and react to possible scoring chances. The big, speedy centerman started to show his offensive finish and put all the pieces together in his game.
Kuraly really jumped up on the Top 20 list after a stellar performance at the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp, where the 19-year-old scored four goals along with two assists in three games and was among the best Americans on the ice at times. He has four years of development in the NCAA at Miami University and it will be very interesting to watch how well the big centerman progresses over those years.
Reece Scarlett (D), HF 7.0C
Drafted 6th Round, 183rd overall
At this time last year, Scarlett had just been drafted into the Devils organization and had a lot to prove after slipping to the sixth round of the 2011 NHL draft. Now, he stands as the sixth best prospect in the entire system after a scintillating breakout season in his third year of junior with the WHL's Swift Current Broncos. He finished a career best 49 points, doubling his output from the previous year. The key to Scarlett's breakthrough was him trusting his skating and mobility so as to be able to force things more offensively and still be able to get back and be in the right position to defend.
After one full-season in the Devils organization, the team has to be thrilled with the early returns Scarlett has shown as a prospect thus far. He already played a relatively safe-and-steady game in his own end and now that he's found his groove as an offensive defeseman, he is starting to develop into a good two-way rearguard. His frame is still a little under-developed and could be a concern moving forward as he has a naturally thin body-type, but he should get strong enough to withstand the rigors of the pro game. If he keeps on the development curve that he's on, there is potential second-pairing upside here.
Pathrik Westerholm (RW), HF 6.5D
Drafted 7th Round, 213th overall
Westerholm split the 2010-2011 season between Malmo’s AllSvenskan and U20 squads. In 34 AllSvenskan games he scored 8 goals with 13 assists and was +18 with 8 PMs (Ponthus Westerholm played 24 games with the AllSvenskan team). The Westerholm brothers combined for 112 points in finishing 1-2 in scoring with the U20 team. Pathrik Westholm scored 32 goals with 25 assists and 8 PMs in 26 SuperElit U20 games. Ranked 37th amongst European skaters in Central Scouting’s final rankings, Westerholm was selected by Vancouver in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft.
Stuart Percy (D) Hockey Futures, Grade 7.0C
Drafted 1st Round, 30th overall
Few players have had to deal with the severity of injuries that Stuart Percy went through this season in the OHL. The 19-year-old had suffered two concussions at various points in the season, and also dealt with an early season knee injury in October. When he did play, Percy did well scoring five goals and 20 assists in 34 games. He also performed very well in a late-season stint with the Marlies for a player who missed the majority of his season with serious injuries.
For Percy, the focus will be on getting a full-season under his belt. He missed a bit of development time due to his injuries, but also had the benefit of joining and playing in the Marlies playoff run. He's still a work in progress physically, but thinks' the game at a very high level which was evident in his Marlies stint.
Lucas Lessio (LW), HF 7.0C
Drafted 2nd Round, 61st overall
One of the few offensively-gifted forwards in the Phoenix organization, Lessio is a young player who continues to develop towards his potential of being a scoring-line winger in the NHL. The club’s second-round pick in 2011, the 19-year-old has used his big, athletic frame and strong skating to become one of the OHL’s top left wingers in his two seasons with the Oshawa Generals. On top of his good size and speed, Lessio is a smart player in the attacking zone, supports the puck on the cycle, and gets in the right spot to receive passes or pick up rebounds.
The Maple, Ontario native played for Canada in the recent Canada-Russia Challenge where he played well and displayed good chemistry with high-profile linemates Ryan Strome (NYI) and Jonathan Huberdeau (FLA). Should he continue his fine play with Oshawa, he will again have a chance to wear the Canadian sweater at the World Junior Championship.
Cory Conacher (LW), HF 7.5D
Drafted 3rd Round, 91st overall
Despite going undrafted in the NHL, it may be tough to label Cory Conacher as late-bloomer. In his one year of Junior A hockey, he posted over a point-per-game, and immediately took to college hockey, posting 17 points in 20 games as a freshman for Canisius College. The offense has always been there for Conacher, but at just 5'8 and 175lbs, size has always been a factor. Regardless, his collegiate career was so impressive that he was offered an AHL tryout contract in 2010-11 with the Rochester Americans, and then by the Milwaukee Admirals. He didn't play much, but did show flashes of talent in those few games, enough to earn a one-year deal with Norfolk last season, and it was there, with consistent ice-time, that he showed what he's capable of.
Conacher was by far the team's top offensive player, leading the Admirals in goal-scoring and points, with 39 and 80 respectively. He also finished second on the team in playoff scoring, with 15 in 18 games. His performance was enough to finally earn himself an NHL contract from the Lightning, while in the process becoming one of the team's top offensively-skilled prospects. Martin St. Louis' success in Tampa Bay proved that, if skilled enough, smaller players can succeed at the NHL level, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Conacher don a Lightning jersey at some point next season.
Colin Jacobs (C), HF Unrated
Drafted 4th Round, 122nd overall
Jacobs is a playmaking centerman who is capable of providing a power forward-like effort. In terms of size, he is certainly NHL-ready. As he matures and builds confidence, it is likely he will become even more polished around the opposition goal as he has a nose for the net and a decent pair of hands.
Jacobs needs continue to progress statistically as he has done in each of his three years in the WHL. He has prototypical power forward size and better than average hands which could translate in to a future third line roll at the NHL level. Jacobs is only 18 so he still has two more years of junior eligibility, meaning he won’t really have a shot at making the team until the 2013-14 season.
Nick Seeler (D), HF Unrated
Drafted 5th Round, 152nd overall
Seeler is coming out of one of Minnesota's top prep programs. He is a defenseman who can contribute points regularly from the blueline.
Currently playing in the USHL, committed to playing at Nebraska-Omaha, likely in 2014-15.
Sean Kuraly (C), HF 7.0C
Drafted 5th Round, 153rd overall
Kuraly really improved his offensive game as a playmaker and became more of a two-way player this past season in the USHL. He excels at penalty-killing because he can read the play quickly and react to possible scoring chances. The big, speedy centerman started to show his offensive finish and put all the pieces together in his game.
Kuraly really jumped up on the Top 20 list after a stellar performance at the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp, where the 19-year-old scored four goals along with two assists in three games and was among the best Americans on the ice at times. He has four years of development in the NCAA at Miami University and it will be very interesting to watch how well the big centerman progresses over those years.
Reece Scarlett (D), HF 7.0C
Drafted 6th Round, 183rd overall
At this time last year, Scarlett had just been drafted into the Devils organization and had a lot to prove after slipping to the sixth round of the 2011 NHL draft. Now, he stands as the sixth best prospect in the entire system after a scintillating breakout season in his third year of junior with the WHL's Swift Current Broncos. He finished a career best 49 points, doubling his output from the previous year. The key to Scarlett's breakthrough was him trusting his skating and mobility so as to be able to force things more offensively and still be able to get back and be in the right position to defend.
After one full-season in the Devils organization, the team has to be thrilled with the early returns Scarlett has shown as a prospect thus far. He already played a relatively safe-and-steady game in his own end and now that he's found his groove as an offensive defeseman, he is starting to develop into a good two-way rearguard. His frame is still a little under-developed and could be a concern moving forward as he has a naturally thin body-type, but he should get strong enough to withstand the rigors of the pro game. If he keeps on the development curve that he's on, there is potential second-pairing upside here.
Pathrik Westerholm (RW), HF 6.5D
Drafted 7th Round, 213th overall
Westerholm split the 2010-2011 season between Malmo’s AllSvenskan and U20 squads. In 34 AllSvenskan games he scored 8 goals with 13 assists and was +18 with 8 PMs (Ponthus Westerholm played 24 games with the AllSvenskan team). The Westerholm brothers combined for 112 points in finishing 1-2 in scoring with the U20 team. Pathrik Westholm scored 32 goals with 25 assists and 8 PMs in 26 SuperElit U20 games. Ranked 37th amongst European skaters in Central Scouting’s final rankings, Westerholm was selected by Vancouver in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft.