With only a smattering of tournaments, the AHL playoffs and Memorial Cup still going outside of the NHL, now is as good a time as any to take a look back at the season from a prospect standpoint, beginning with the Atlantic Division.
The Atlantic has some of the more intriguing teams in the midst or on the front end of rebuilding situations. There should be a plethora of top prospects within this division making their way to NHL rosters as early as next season.
Note: "A" prospects have a higher potential of being impact NHL players, while "B" prospects are more likely to be everyday players and contributors on NHL rosters, based on what I've seen to date.
Boston Bruins
A prospects: None
B prospects: Jack Studnicka, Urho Vaakanainen, Connor Clifton and Trent Frederic
The Bruins don't have a lot of very high-end prospects, although Studnicka and Vaakanainen in particular have good upside. Studnicka really popped this season with 83 points in the OHL and is trending up as speedy middle-six option for down the road.
The Bruins have a lot of AHL options who can be called up or fill holes quickly. Frederic is looking like he could be a low-lineup contributor as early as next season, while Clifton has already taken on a depth defenseman role in the postseason for Boston. The team also has a number of intriguing goaltending prospects, with Kyle Keyser and Jeremy Swayman looking to have the most potential.
Breakout prospect: Jack Studnicka
