Everyone knows that top prospects are tomorrow's NHL talent and you need to keep an eye on them. Everyone knows about the Boston Red Sox prospects and how important the Red Sox franchise thinks they are.
The Bruins are equally excited about their young talent, so let's get to know them.
The following prospects list was complied mainly from, 'Hockeysfuture.com,' with some names added by yours truly. The list will not include players who are projected to make the big club in 2009-2010. (Pictures of Boston's last three first round draft picks, Colborne (2008), Hamill (2007), Caron (2009)
Bruins Top 25 Prospect List
1) Joe Colborne, C 
Has the size that every team dreams of but is still learning how to use it to his full advantage. Decent skater but best asset apart from his size is his on ice vision and playmaking skills. He can finish and does possess an above average shot but he is a self-admitted pass-first player. Loves to control the puck on along the boards on the power play and find his teammates for gift goals. Played the wing in Camrose but took most of the faceoffs and then would shift to the wing after the play had started. Some scouts have wondered if he might make a better center with his size and passing skills. (Bruins project him as a center) The knock on Colborne is his lack of physical grit; he's not a banger and he doesn't really drive to the net very often both of which he could do easily if he tried.
2) Brad Marchand, C
Marchand is a little spitfire who doesn't know the meaning of the word quit. An agitator in the corners, he likes to get his nose dirty and battles for the puck. He has some solid moves in the offensive zone, but occasionally gets himself into trouble by trying to get too fancy when a safe and simple play would do. A quick skater, he'll have to continue to overcome his slight stature for the rest of his career.
3) Zach Hamill, C
With a smooth stride and powerful acceleration, Hamill is able to create space for himself and his teammates. Considered undersized early in his junior career, he has developed into a solid physical player.
4) Kevin Regan, G
An average sized netminder, the native of South Boston has succeeded in large part thanks to great mental toughness. He is fiercely competitive and a dedicated, hard worker. An athletic goaltender that relies on his reflexes, Regan is technically sound and rarely caught out of position. He appears confident in the net and has good awareness. Regan is also advanced both in his ability to play the puck and control rebounds
5) Adam McQuaid, D
A stay-at-home defender with good size, McQuaid is still growing into his big frame. Even at his height, he is quite mobile, and can play in any situation. A hard worker, he has become more physical as he has gotten stronger. McQuaid generally makes good decisions on the ice and reads plays well. He is strong in his own end, particularly around the net and along the boards. Not afraid to play a rough, physical style.
6) Andrew Bodnarchuk, D
A puck moving defenseman, Bodnarchuk is a very good skater and sees the ice well. He has a hard point shot and distributes the puck smoothly. He sometimes has problems handling physical pressure and needs to fill out and add some strength, but he does not mind getting in the face of the opposition from time to time in his own end. He also needs further polishing in his own zone, and needs to remedy his occasional discipline problems that saw him take a few inopportune penalties last season.
7) Yuri Alexandrov, D
A dependable defenseman…shoots left…doesn’t have many weak spots…main area of improvement is his body mass and strength– he is very light…good top speed… skates well backwards …a technically sound skater…a strong leader (1988 born national team’s captain)...aggressive – likes to hit, likes the physical aspect of the game…a capable power play quarterback…dangerous as both a shooter and a passer…shot – not bad, good strong shot…solid first pass out of the zone…controls the puck well, modern two way defenseman…gets ice time in Cherepovets – not much, but consistently gets ice time.
8) Carl Soderberg, C
Söderberg is a very explosive player. He is a good skater and has a powerful stride. With his quick feet he very easily gets around the opponents. He has an accurate shot, has a fine scoring touch and is a good playmaker as well. His hockey sense is top-notch and the way he handles the puck in full flight is very impressive. A strong player with great size combined with good technical skills. Earlier his defense was somewhat questionable but he has become a much better player without the puck.
9) Brock Bradford, C
Bradford is a focused and dedicated athlete who sees the rink well and has excellent hockey sense. He generally makes good decisions both with and without the puck. He has natural talent as both a goal scorer and a playmaker; Bradford also possesses excellent stick and puck carrying skills and is difficult to knock from the puck. He’s a quick skater, and his first two or three steps getting to various areas of the ice are one of his greatest strengths. Not an overly physical player, but will not avoid contact- he tends to be smart about when to get involved physically and also plays a very disciplined game. Overall, he's a player that doesn’t have many weaknesses, however he will need to continue to grow and mature physically.
10) Tommy Cross, D
Cross is a big defenseman who is not only strong on his skates but can turn on the jets when necessary. Overall he sees the ice well and has considerable hockey sense. Uses his size and strength, along with good stickhandling ability to effectively shut down opponents around his net and along the boards. Will play physical, and while he has been called a defensive-defenseman in the past, he also has a strong shot and some offensive capability that could be developed further.
11) Maxime Sauve, C
A two-way forward, Sauve comes from an NHL quality lineage. Skilled with the puck and an aggressive forechecker, Sauve uses his quick feet to get back and help out in his own zone and just as fast, turn around and lead the rush back up the ice. Hardworking, he has the desire but not the strength to play a physical game.
12) Michael Hutchinson, G
Hutchinson is a good sized goaltender with a strong mental game. Poised and confident in the net, one of his greatest strengths is the ability to read and anticipate plays. He is sound positionally with good overall mechanics. Somewhat unorthadox in style, he is a quick-moving, athletic goaltender.
13) Jordan Knackstedt, RW
Knackstedt is a blend of character, skill and grit; a good sized power forward who can put up points, but isn't afraid to drop the gloves.
14) Mikko Lehtonen, RW
Lehtonen is big, fast and skilled. Unfortunately he is mostly just that. He has been spotted on ice as a dangerous sniper, brilliant passer and a disciplined checker. Based on a sample of games, one would say that he is far less perfect than that. Lehtonen is still trying to put it all together, neither quite conforming to offensive tactics nor playing two-way hockey more than one way at a time. He is making steady progress, though - and he should, as he is known to work hard in practice. Following Lehtonen's development to his final form will be intriguing to say the least.
15) Jamie Arniel, C
Arniel is a goal scorer and excellent face-off man who gives a solid effort every game. Sees the ice well.
16) Alain Goulet, D
Goulet is a tall, smooth-skating offensive defenseman. He is very mobile, has good speed and skates with nice, long strides. He is very poised with the puck and moves quite well with it. He has outstanding offensive abilities and will jump up and join the play when the opportunity presents itself. He utilizes his size, mobility and long reach quite effectively in playing his position. Goulet’s great hands and ability to get shots on net also makes him dangerous on the power play. He also sees the ice exceedingly well.
17) Mark Goggin, C
Goggin is a tough competitor who leads by example. He has excellent hockey intelligence and strong puck skills.
18) Jordan Caron, C
Caron is an aggressive player unafraid to go where angels won't tread. A battler on the ice, Caron excels at driving to the net either with the puck in hand or to knock in rebounds and deflections. However, that willingness to get his nose dirty has come at a price and not a year has gone by without Caron missing time with injury.19) Ryan Button, LW
Button is said to be one of the most underrated players in his draft class. The mobile defender was one of the few standouts on Prince Albert's backend and added another dimension to the Raiders' power play. His skating enables him to jump into the play and get back in time if needed. While his frame is acceptable for the NHL, he may have to add some bulk in order to stand the pounding of bigger, faster bodies in the NHL.
20) Nicholas Tremblay, C
Tremblay is a speedy forward with a powerful stride. He's got good offensive instincts. He will need continued work on the defensive aspect of his game.
21) Levi Nelson, C
Nelson is a talented and feisty playmaking center who demonstrates excellent puck control and good skating ability. His dedication to the game and tremendous work ethic make him an invaluable teammate.
22) Matt Marquardt, LW
A mammoth of a player, Marquardt already has NHL size. He's a relentless and punishing hitter with the ability to change the momentum of the game with his checks. However he also possesses surprising soft hands and an accurate shot. As can be expected, his skating requires plenty of work, although with his work ethic that should not be a problem in a few years.
23) Jeff LoVecchio, LW
LoVecchio is a two-way forward with size. As good as he is offensively, he is equally, if not better, defensively. LoVecchio was one of the Broncos top penalty killers and saw significant time on the power play as well. He is an excellent skater, combining speed with power in his strides. He possesses good acceleration and transitions quite well. LoVecchio utilizes his size, speed and long reach very well. He can often be found helping out his defensemen in defensive zone plays and in turnover situations. LoVecchio is also an outstanding shot blocker. While he’s not an overly physical player, he won’t shy away from playing the body when necessary. LoVecchio possesses great on-ice vision and his anticipation is quite good, particularly in defensive situations.
24) Adam Courchaine, G
A butterfly style goaltender, Courchaine stays square with the shooter and is quick to react. He has the ability to remain calm and focused during tough games, even when he is bombarded with shots. More often than not, he will come up with the big save.
25) Jeff Penner, D
Penner plays a simple defensive game and follows plays well. However, he’ll need to work on bettering his defensive positioning and containment, particularly against bigger opposing forwards to be successful at the pro level. Adding strength to his 5’10 frame will also help.
BruinSpace note: Players from 18-25 were added by myself to the list. Players 18-25 are players who did not make the Hockey's Future rankings, but are players that have some upside and who's names you have heard. Jordan Caron and Ryan Button were the top two players drafted by the Bruins in this years draft.
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