31 Teams in 31 Days - Boston Bruins

Third last team to go!

1. Jack Studnicka - Niagara IceDogs
You'd be hard pressed to find a more complete player in the OHL than Jack Studnicka. This guy really can do it all. In terms of ice time, he might have among the highest of any forward in the league. He's out there on the first powerplay unit. He's out there on the first penalty killing unit. If you need a goal or are protecting a lead late, he's on the ice. If you need a big faceoff win, he's on the ice. I mean, there really isn't anything that this guy can't do. His hockey sense is just so high. He understands how to play without the puck and rarely makes a bad play. His skating has come a long way over the course of his OHL career too, to the point where he can now be an asset in transition, bringing the puck across the blueline on the attack and pushing the pace. He won't be an elite skater in the NHL, but I don't see it holding him back. So what type of NHL future does Studnicka have and how soon can he reach it? I see Studnicka as a quality middle six center who can provide your team with extreme versatility. Think of the recently retired Matt Cullen. And I don't think he's going to need long at the AHL level either. He's a very pro ready prospect IMO. I could see him spending the first half of the year in the AHL, performing well and being one of Boston's first injury call-ups. In the NHL, I see him as a 0.25ppg kind of guy, but in the AHL, I think he's around the 0.75 mark.

2. Kyle Keyser - Oshawa Generals
Really good performance from Keyser this year, which was to be expected after a nice step forward the year prior. Keyser was also terrific in the playoffs, even if Oshawa was no match for Ottawa (and Keyser's statline wasn't the prettiest against the 67's). Keyser's athleticism in the crease is top notch. He moves so well post to post and it allows him to be aggressive in challenging shooters. He makes a lot of highlight reel saves and he's really never down and out of a play. In particular, Keyser does a great job of taking away the lower part of the net with his quick pads and has really improved his rebound control over his time in the OHL. Where Keyser will need to adjust at the pro level next year will be in his positioning and ability to take up the upper part of the net. At times, I think he gets himself out of position and relies on his athleticism too much. And as we've seen, it can take these types of netminders time to really adjust at the pro level. Where his journey begins remains to be seen. One would have to think that veteran Max Lagace has one of the AHL spots locked him, meaning that Keyser will have to battle Dan Vladar for the other spot. Given that this will be Vladar's third pro season and Boston will need to make a decision about qualifying him moving forward, I would expect they have Keyser start in the ECHL, where many a quality netminders have begun their pro experience. If he can keep his save percentage above .900 split between the AHL and ECHL, I think that would be a great start for him.