2023 Entry Draft in Review - Boston Bruins
Jul 8, 2023 19:58:28 GMT -5
Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames, and 2 more like this
Post by Boston Bruins on Jul 8, 2023 19:58:28 GMT -5
Welcome to the Boston Bruins 2023 VHL Entry Draft Review
Good evening. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the league officials for all their hard work year in and year out to make this league as enjoyable as it is. Second, I have to thank all the managers here. Not only is this about the competition but the comradery that has me enjoying my time here. With that said, let’s dive in and take a look at what the 2023 Entry Draft has brought to Boston.
Round 1 – Pick 13 – Colby Barlow – Owen Sound Attack.
With the 13th Overall Pick, Boston chose to go for a winger with size, above average speed, and a great goal scoring touch. The 6’1”, 187 lbs Barlow has scored 76 goals over the past 2 seasons with Owen Sound and very well could have hit 50 if he hadn’t missed a handful of games. Some even say he’s a pure sniper. While that may seem like the case, and Barlow certainly likes to shoot, there is more than meets the eye. The reason for Barlow’s goal-scoring is more of a testament to his incredibly high IQ and willingness to battle at net-front. With his big frame, he wins a lot of tips and races to rebounds. With that being said, Colby isn’t without his faults. Barlow is not the greatest skater. His speed is above average, and he doesn’t possess that extra gear to truly burn past defenders with the puck or recover quickly away from the puck when play changes directions. However, he isn’t slow, either. He can more than keep up with the play. Additionally, he does have some power in his first few strides, which allows him to reach his top speed quickly. Not only that, his stride mechanics are really strong, which will be something the VHL skating coaches should be happy to work with. All in all, we here at Bruins HQ are very please to have Colby in the fold and look forward to all his success.
Round 2 – Pick 13 (45 Overall) – Tray Augustine – U.S.N.D.T.
When looking for a goaltender, big tends to be better. At 6’1”, Trey takes up a lot of the net. I first noticed Mr. Augustine when he was playing in the World Juniors and helping back stopping the U.S. to a bronze medal win. Jumping right back in with the development team, he finished his season going 30-1-2 with a 2.13 GAA and a .926 save percentage. Can’t knock those stats. While the fact he lost just once in regulation and three times total is impressive enough, Augustine’s 30 wins rank fourth all-time at the NTDP and his GAA and save percentage rank fourth and second respectively. I have no doubt that he will continue to grow as a keeper and be great in the VHL.
Round 3 – Pick 1 (65 Overall) – Carson Bjarnason – Brandon Wheat Kings.
What is it they say? Two is always better than one! On a struggling Wheat Kings’ team, Bjarnason often was the lone bright light for the WHL team. Despite posting a measly .900 save percentage and 3.08 GAA over the 47 games played, the poor stats are hard to blame the Canadian netminder for. The Wheat Kings were a significantly better team with him in the net. Without Bjarnason, they only managed to win five games during the season. Their seasonal record was 26-33-9, yet Bjarnason managed to have a 0.500% when he was in the net. In many ways, Bjarnason is the perfect example of not judging a goalie on save percentage or GAA. It’s often team-based stats and doesn’t always reflect the ability of the netminder. Something like that could really help the Bruins if they can’t quite find their scoring touch. Welcome aboard Carson.
Round 3 – Pick 4 (68 Overall) – Maxim Strbak – Sioux Falls Stampede
The 6’2” and 198 pound right-shot defender, Maxim performed fairly well. Across 46 games, he managed to produce five goals and 13 assists for 18 points. He also played seven U18 World Junior Championship games (six points) and five U20 World Juniors games (three points) for Slovakia this year. He is committed to play at Michigan State University next season. With the solid international production and first season on the smaller ice surfaces in North America, Strbak made a name for himself this year. With that, he has seen himself be ranked between 33rd and 78th by various sites and experts. Nabbing him at 68 is a steal we couldn’t overlook here in Boston.
With that, we’re done with our 2023 VHL Entry Draft. With another great crop of youngsters bringing their talents to Boston, the future is definitely looking bright.
Michael Healy
GM of the Boston Bruins
Good evening. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the league officials for all their hard work year in and year out to make this league as enjoyable as it is. Second, I have to thank all the managers here. Not only is this about the competition but the comradery that has me enjoying my time here. With that said, let’s dive in and take a look at what the 2023 Entry Draft has brought to Boston.
Round 1 – Pick 13 – Colby Barlow – Owen Sound Attack.
With the 13th Overall Pick, Boston chose to go for a winger with size, above average speed, and a great goal scoring touch. The 6’1”, 187 lbs Barlow has scored 76 goals over the past 2 seasons with Owen Sound and very well could have hit 50 if he hadn’t missed a handful of games. Some even say he’s a pure sniper. While that may seem like the case, and Barlow certainly likes to shoot, there is more than meets the eye. The reason for Barlow’s goal-scoring is more of a testament to his incredibly high IQ and willingness to battle at net-front. With his big frame, he wins a lot of tips and races to rebounds. With that being said, Colby isn’t without his faults. Barlow is not the greatest skater. His speed is above average, and he doesn’t possess that extra gear to truly burn past defenders with the puck or recover quickly away from the puck when play changes directions. However, he isn’t slow, either. He can more than keep up with the play. Additionally, he does have some power in his first few strides, which allows him to reach his top speed quickly. Not only that, his stride mechanics are really strong, which will be something the VHL skating coaches should be happy to work with. All in all, we here at Bruins HQ are very please to have Colby in the fold and look forward to all his success.
Round 2 – Pick 13 (45 Overall) – Tray Augustine – U.S.N.D.T.
When looking for a goaltender, big tends to be better. At 6’1”, Trey takes up a lot of the net. I first noticed Mr. Augustine when he was playing in the World Juniors and helping back stopping the U.S. to a bronze medal win. Jumping right back in with the development team, he finished his season going 30-1-2 with a 2.13 GAA and a .926 save percentage. Can’t knock those stats. While the fact he lost just once in regulation and three times total is impressive enough, Augustine’s 30 wins rank fourth all-time at the NTDP and his GAA and save percentage rank fourth and second respectively. I have no doubt that he will continue to grow as a keeper and be great in the VHL.
Round 3 – Pick 1 (65 Overall) – Carson Bjarnason – Brandon Wheat Kings.
What is it they say? Two is always better than one! On a struggling Wheat Kings’ team, Bjarnason often was the lone bright light for the WHL team. Despite posting a measly .900 save percentage and 3.08 GAA over the 47 games played, the poor stats are hard to blame the Canadian netminder for. The Wheat Kings were a significantly better team with him in the net. Without Bjarnason, they only managed to win five games during the season. Their seasonal record was 26-33-9, yet Bjarnason managed to have a 0.500% when he was in the net. In many ways, Bjarnason is the perfect example of not judging a goalie on save percentage or GAA. It’s often team-based stats and doesn’t always reflect the ability of the netminder. Something like that could really help the Bruins if they can’t quite find their scoring touch. Welcome aboard Carson.
Round 3 – Pick 4 (68 Overall) – Maxim Strbak – Sioux Falls Stampede
The 6’2” and 198 pound right-shot defender, Maxim performed fairly well. Across 46 games, he managed to produce five goals and 13 assists for 18 points. He also played seven U18 World Junior Championship games (six points) and five U20 World Juniors games (three points) for Slovakia this year. He is committed to play at Michigan State University next season. With the solid international production and first season on the smaller ice surfaces in North America, Strbak made a name for himself this year. With that, he has seen himself be ranked between 33rd and 78th by various sites and experts. Nabbing him at 68 is a steal we couldn’t overlook here in Boston.
With that, we’re done with our 2023 VHL Entry Draft. With another great crop of youngsters bringing their talents to Boston, the future is definitely looking bright.
Michael Healy
GM of the Boston Bruins
