Now that the recap is out of the way, let's meet this year's team. Up first is 22 year old forward Trevor Kuntar. Kuntar was playing for the Youngston Phantoms for three years before being drafted by the Bruins in the third round of the 2020 draft. He spent the next three years with Boston College and he's now with Providence. He put up 29 points in 34 games with BC his senior year so its time to see if he can take it to the next level.
Up next is 24 year old defenseman Reilly Walsh. Born in Framingham, he played two years in the United States Hockey League before playing three years with Harvard University. Walsh was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils and spent 2021 with their AHL affiliate Binghamton. Binghampton relocated to become the Utica Comets in 2022 and Walsh actually got called up to play a game with the New Jersey Devils in the NHL that season. He was traded to the Bruins in exchange for Shane Bowers over the summer and now he's one of their top defenseman. He already had one cup of coffee in the NHL so he's itching for another. Time will tell if injuries or stellar play leads to a callup.
Up next is 33 year old career journeyman Jayson Megna. He's been all over the NHL and AHL including getting his name engraved on the Stanley Cup for playing 20 games with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. This is the kind of veteran you want to show the ropes to the younger kids. He's a third or fourth line player in the NHL but can still contribute to an AHL team. He signed with the Bruins as a free agent after spending time with Utica and the Anaheim Ducks last year. Never know when injuries will be a factor.
Up next is 25 year old forward Joseph Abate who was signed as an undrafted free agent after he played 3 years at Nebraska-Omaha University. He spent 5 years in juniors between 2015 and 2019 and scored just 3 goals in 35 games last year. Why is that? He's the enforcer of the Providence Bruins getting in plenty of fights. The Bruins need grit like this so he's definitely valuable in that role.
Up next is 31 year old minor league veteran left winger Vincent Arseneau has spent the last 10 years in the minors bouncing around from various AHL and ECHL teams. A guy like that is valuable to the younger guys not used to travel or road life. His best year was in 2018 where he scored 18 goals and served 14 assists for the Allen Americans of the ECHL. He played 35 games for the Abbotsford Canucks last year so here he is in Providence this year. He's got no chance to make the NHL but hey, he's living the dream. Go Vincent!
Well traveled journeyman
Up next is 20 year old defenseman Frederic Brunet who was drafted in the 5th round back in 2022. He spent the last 4 years playing Juniors in Quebec and got in one game with Providence last year. He's definitely a young prospect so the Bruins need to take time in developing him. Maybe he'll break out this year, you never know. Hope he does well.
Welcome to Providence, Brunet
Up next is 24 year old goalie Michael DiPietro who was drafted in the third round back in 2017 by the Vancouver Canucks. He was playing for the Abbotsford Canucks when Vancouver traded him to the Bruins for Jack Studnicka last October. He was primarily the Maine Mariners goalie last season although he did play in one game for Providence. With Keith Kinkaid now in Colorado it opened the door for DiPietro to step in to battle Bussi for the starting goalie job. May the best man win.
Love those uniforms
Up next is 24 year old goalie Kyle Keyser. He went undrafted and signed with Providence in 2019. Since then he's been bouncing back and forth between the AHL and ECHL not playing very well wherever he goes. Last year he did go 13-6 as a backup to Bussi so maybe he' turned the corner. Otherwise, they're better off drafting a new goalie next year.
"Alright everybody scram!"
Next up is 20 year old defenseman Ryan Mast who was drafted in the 6th round back in 2021. Mast has spent the last 4 years (missed 2021) playing for the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. Last year he tallied 30 points in 51 games for the Sting so now he makes the jump to Providence. He's young so he'll have time to develop, it'll be interesting to see if he does.
Mast is ready to roll
Up next is 29 year old defenseman Daniel Renouf. He's another well traveled journeyman that's played in 24 games for the Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins combined. He's also been a mainstay in the AHL since 2016. The younger defenseman can learn a thing or two from a veteran that's traveled down these roads for years. Will he make the Bruins? We'll see, he has played a game for them.
"HARRIET THERE'S A CAR IN THE LIVING ROOM!!!!" - Renouf
Times running out for Steen
Welcome home Mike
Can he return to 2022 form?
From the hated Habs to the Providence B's
From New York to Providence
76 games, 1 goal
Let's see if he can make it to Boston
Played almost every game for NJ last year
The Bus is back for 2023-24
Mac is Back for 2023-24
This trade better be worth it
One of the heroes of the 2021 Gold Medal team
Crucial year for Lohrei
Time to step up Brett
Needs to improve this year
From Russia With Goals
Sky is the limit for Lysell
Mougenel back behind the bench
Up next is 25 year old forward Oskar Steen. Steen was once considered to be a top prospect when he was drafted in the 6th round back in 2016 as a Swedish teenager. He's bounced between Providence and Boston ever since never really putting up eye opening numbers in either league. He had less points in 2023 for the Baby B's than he did in 2022. He better turn it around quick or he's out of here with the next crop of rookies coming.
Up next is Franklin, MA's own 24 year old defenseman Mike Callahan. Mike spent three years playing juniors before spending four years on the Providence College defensive corps. He was drafted in the 5th round back in 2018 by the Arizona Coyotes but the Bruins traded a 7th round pick in the upcoming draf
t to Arizona to get his rights this past summer. He's no stranger to Providence and the thinking coming home may help his career rather than waste it in the desert out west.
t to Arizona to get his rights this past summer. He's no stranger to Providence and the thinking coming home may help his career rather than waste it in the desert out west.
Up next is 22 year old left winger Luke Toporowski from Bettendorf, Iowa. He played 3 years with the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL before bouncing between Spokane and the Sioux Falls Stampede in 2021. 2022 was his best year as he put up 35 goals and 28 assists between Spokane and the Kamloops Blazers. Unfortunately with Providence last year he had only 29 points in 47 games, not bad but not eye opening either. Hopefully this year will be more like his 2022 season and has a breakout campaign.
Up next is 26 year old center Anthony Richard who was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2015 draft by the Nashville Predators. He bounced around the AHL for years getting in two games with the Predators but really broke out last year for his hometown Montreal Canadiens. He scored 30 goals and added 37 assists for the Laval Rocket before playing 13 games with the Habs, scoring 3 goals. For whatever reason Montreal didn't re-sign him and Providence scooped him up. It'll be interesting if last year was an aberration or if he really has turned the corner. Either way we'll get our answer soon.
Up next is 26 year old defenseman Parker Wotherspoon who was also drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 draft 12 slots after Richard by the New York Islanders. He was with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers from 2017-23 but did manage to get in 13 games with the Islanders last year tallying an assist. If he can keep the puck out of the net, he may be a good depth piece for this squad.
Up next is someone we all know for better or for worse, 26 year old defenseman Jakub Zboril. He was infamously taken by the Bruins 13th overall in 2015 ahead of all-stars such as Winnipeg's Kyle Connor, New York's Matt Barzal and Ottawa's Thomas Chabot. Unfortunately he's been a complete bust since they drafted him coming up on 9 years ago. He only has one goal in 76 career games in Boston and Bruins brass has so much faith in him that he's in Providence again to start the season. No disrespect to Jakub the person, but this is looking like one of the all time gaffes in NHL history with Connor on his way to superstardom along with Barzal & Chabot becoming centerpieces of their respective teams. He'll be in Boston this year for sure, but will he be good?
Up next is 25 year old right winger Justin Brazeau. Brazaeu absolutely lit up the Ontario Hockey League in 2019 for 61 goals and 52 assists which earned him a trip to the Newfoundland Growlers where he put up 27 goals and 28 assists during the Covid shortened 2020 season. The Toronto Marlies signed him but only put up 4 goals in 21 games in 2021. Signed by the Bruins, he put up 25 goals and 26 assists between Providence and the Maine Mariners of the East Coast Hockey League in 2022. Last year he had 45 points in 67 games in Providence. Its a shame that his numbers went down as the competition increased but that's the way it goes sometimes. It would be interesting to see what he does if he makes it to the NHL but time will tell.
Up next is soon to be 25 year old center Jesper Boqvist who was drafted in the second round back in 2017 by the New Jersey Devils. Unlike the rest of these guys, Boqvist was a regular in the NHL after coming over from Sweden. He played in 70 games with the Devils last year tallying 10 goals and 11 assists last season. He was signed by the Bruins as a depth piece after David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron retired. He might be called up, he might not. Either way its nice to have someone with 186 games of NHL experience ready to go if needed.
Up next is 25 year old goalie Brandon Bussi. The Bus has been a scrapper his entire career after going undrafted out of high school. He bounced around juniors and Western Michigan University before being signed by the Bruins at the end of the 2022 season. Last year he bounced back and forth between the Maine Mariners and Providence and started in goal all 4 games of the AHL playoffs last year. This year he looks to be the starting goalie for Providence and will be ready to go in case something happens to Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman. Tim Thomas started his career eerily similar so you never know.
Up next is 24 year old local hero Marc McLaughlin. Grew up in North Billerica then spent four years at Boston College before being signed at the end of the 2022 season by the Bruins. He played in 11 games with Boston and scored two goals before getting a cup of coffee last year for two games. Just like Boqvist, he's a depth center and may be used sooner rather than later. He could be the next Charlie Coyle, who knows?
Up next is 23 year old defenseman Ale Regula who was drafted in the 3rd round back in 2018 by the Detroit Red Wings. He lit up the OHL in 2020 for the London Knights then got traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Brendan Perlini. He played in 22 games for the Blackhawks between 2021-23 before being traded to the Bruins with Ian Mitchell for Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno in an obvious salary dump. The problem is Regula can't stay healthy as he's only played an average of 55 games between the NHL and AHL the last three years. Hopefully this year he can turn it around, after all....he was traded for Taylor Hall.
Up next is 22 year old center John Farinacci who was drafted in the third round back in 2019 by the Arizona Coyotes. He stayed in school to play for Harvard University and Arizona decided to cut him at the end of the 2023 season. The Bruins scooped him right up, most notably for his performance at the World Junior Championships back in 2021. If he can turn into a good player, Arizona will once again have egg on their face for letting someone go too soon.
Up next is 22 year old defenseman Mason Lohrei who was drafted in the second round by the Bruins back in 2020. Unlike a lot of these guys that are experienced veterans just looking to crack a roster again, this is a legitimate drafted and developed prospect. Lohrei lit up the Green Bay Gamblers in 2021 with 59 points a defenseman before playing two years at Ohio State University. He got in 5 games for Providence last year and looks to be a top d-man this season. He's shown offensive prowess between Green Bay and Ohio State so hopefully that translates to Providence and beyond. The Bruins could use the next Torey Krug and hopefully Lohrei is it.
Up next is 20 year old center Brett Harrison who was drafted in the third round back in 2021 by the Bruins. Harrison spent 2023 shuffling between the OHL and one game for Providence as a 20 year old so now we'll see what he's made of with a full year of Providence to come. He looked good in the OHL but that's to weed out those that can't play. He'll have plenty of time to develop but it would be nice if he becomes one of their leading scorers. We'll see what happens.
Up next is 23 year old winger Curtis Hall who was drafted in the fourth round back in 2018. Hall spent last year between Providence and Maine and his stats aren't overly impressive. He might not sniff Boston but hey, you never know what the year will bring.
Up next is 23 year old Russian center Georgii Merkulov who went undrafted. He spent two years with the Youngstown Phantoms before a year at Ohio State University in 2022 before being signed by the Bruins. Last year he totaled 55 points in 67 games for Providence so hopefully he can take the next step this year. He along with Fabian Lysell, Harrison and Lohrei are the future. Hopefully at least one of them will pan out, maybe it'll be Merkulov.
Last but certainly not least is the team's number one ranked prospect. 20 year old Swedish center Fabian Lysell was drafted in the first round back in 2021 and up until World Junior's last year he looked to be on the fast track to the NHL. He dominated the Western Hockey League in 2022 but last year hit a brick wall with a miserable performance at the WJC and didn't really recover in Providence after that. But, this year is a new year and he's still just 20 years old. He'll have every chance to crack a roster not just now but years from now. If Jakub Zboril can hang around for 9 years I'm sure Lysell will get a shot eventually.
This year's team is coached by Ryan Mougenel who was known mostly for penalty minutes more than stats in his career in the minors. He did coach the Las Vegas Wranglers to the Kelly Cup Finals in 2012 and he's been the Providence coach going back to 2021. Looks like the team is in good hands as they look primed to go on a Calder Cup run this year.
Other players are going to come and go this season but all eyes are going to be on Lysell this year. He's the future and with the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, he'll have to step up eventually. Here's to another season in Providence...god help us.
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