Team: 2021-22 Boston Bruins

Initial Creation Date: Feb. 28, 2022

Published: Feb. 28, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

These are in the same order that I wrote them last time, with new updates at the end.

Fabian Lysell: Last update, Lysell had posted 32 points in 28 games. Since then, Lysell has been electric, now with 41 points, including 18 goals, in 35 games. Lysell has been on a lot of trades on this site as of late, and I think it is clear that the Bruins should not and WILL NOT trade Lysell at the deadline this year, barring a major steal of a deal, and even still it would have to be ridiculously in Boston's favor to even consider it. Lysell looks NHL ready, if you ask me. His offensive output is incredibly impressive, especially seeing as his team moved his linemate earlier this season, just a few weeks ago, as pointed out to me by a fellow Bruins fan on this site. Lysell has taken the offense into his hands, and has been easily the best player on the Giants, and maybe in the WHL, in the past few weeks.

Brett Harrison: Last update, Harrison has put up 37 points in 37 games. Since then, he's been incredibly consistent, now with 45 points, 21 goals, in 46 games. As has been the case all year, Harrison has been a consistent presence on the scoresheet for the Generals, which is not an easy thing to do this late in the season. Even on his worst nights, his effort and determination continue to find him success. These are qualities of a solid NHL player, even if he never becomes a top six player in Boston. I'm very impressed by how he's played this season, and he should be watched closely by Bruins fans as the OHL season draws to a close.

Jake Schmaltz: Last update, Schmaltz had put up 15 points in 27 games. Since then, he's actually been solid offensively, now with 19 points, still with 6 goals, in 33 games. 4 assists in 6 games is pretty solid, and is an effect of more opportunities coming Schmaltz's way. He won't ever be a player that can drive a line, but he performs quite well as a complimentary piece on a line. That being said, and even with the success he's had, this will be my last update with Schmaltz in it. Like Oskar Jellvik and Trevor Kuntar, I just don't have much else to say about these prospects.

Quinn Olson: Last update, Olson had put up 18 points in 26 games. Since then, Olson has been ok, now with 24 points, 6 goals, in 34 games. Like Schmaltz, this will be my last installment of these ongoing updates with Olson in it, as there's nothing new to say about him. Olson has the tools to be a successful offensive player both in the NCAA and, in the future, the NHL. But, his lack of speed kills him and his value as a prospect. IF he can work on his lower body strength and gain some explosiveness in his game, Olson immediately jumps into the top 5 Bruins prospect not in the AHL. But it's more of a wait-and-see game with him for now, so it's time to say goodbye to Quinn Olson for the season.

Ty Gallagher: Last update, Gallagher had posted 13 points in 26 games. Since then, The offense has certainly slowed down a little, as he now has 15 points, still 4 goals, in 31 games. It's hard to believe that Gallagher is only a freshman when you watch him play for Boston University. He's an incredibly poised and smart defender that plays well in every situation. I think that he is a dark horse among both Bruins prospects and NHL prospects as a whole, as while his offensive numbers won't jump out at you, he's just an incredibly smart player that appears to be able to transition into tougher competition smoothly, as evidenced by his jump from the USNTDP to the NCAA, and the immediate success he's found this season. This is because he's a reliable, fundamentals-type prospect that doesn't over-rely on his skills to make plays, but rather sound positioning and a solid work ethic. He's quickly become one of my favorite prospects in the Bruins system, and he should be on your radar for next yea, as the NCAA season is pretty much done except for playoffs.

Mason Lohrei: Last update, Lohrei had put up 29 points in 30 games. Since then, he's only played in 1 game as the Buckeyes await their conference championship against Penn State, where he didn't register a point, bringing his final season totals up to 29 points, 4 goals, in 31 games, as a freshman defender. In my eyes, Lohrei is close with Luke Hughes for NCAA rookie of the year, as he finished the regular season 6th among all NCAA defenders in points (Hughes 1st among defenders) and 56th overall in the NCAA AS A FRESHMAN DEFENSEMAN (Hughes 36th). Why I think it's such a close race, however, is how much better Lohrei is in all three zones. He's a prospect that not enough people are considering a top prospect in the NHL right now, but that's what he is. Top 50 prospect in the NHL doesn't seem too crazy if you ask me.

John Beecher: Last update, Beecher had put up 8 points in 21 games. Since then, the offense has been consistent, if unspectacular, now with 10 points, still just 4 goals, in 27 games. Last update, someone linked a really interesting graphic of various offensive metrics that showed that Beecher was, despite the lack of points, a very productive part of the Wolverines offense via winning puck battles, creating chances, etc. I thought that it was very interesting, and it kind of echoed what I had written about him last update: he isn't playing bad, it's just that the points aren't showing up for him, which is frustrating. Still, his combo of effort, size, and speed makes me continue to believe in this kid and his ability tome the Bruins in the near future, even if I don't think he'll become a top six guy in the NHL.

Ryan Mast: Last Update: Mast had put up 16 points in 30 games. Since then the offense has dried up a little, but I'm not overly surprised based on how Mast plays. He now has 18 points, including 7 goals, in 36 games. Which isn't a bad pace for a defender, especially one who cares way more about his defensive reliability than he does about his offensive output. I think that Mast's ceiling is a little lower than one would hope for a 6 foot 4, 212 pound teenager, but his ceiling is also quite high. And as a right-shot defender, he could be the future Connor Clifton replacement (well, him or Ty Gallagher).

Riley Duran: Last update, Duran has posted 17 points in 31 games. Since then, the offense has been hard to come by, now with 18 points (9 goals) in 36 games. Like Gallagher, I think that Riley Duran is a dark horse prospect among the Bruins system, as he isn't talked about nearly enough, and his skills, at least to me, could translate into something impressive once he's given the opportunity. Alas, this will also be the last update for Duran, as the NCAA season is pretty much over and there isn't much else to say about Duran this year. I look forward to seeing what he can do next year with more ice time, though.

Michael Callahan: We've got a new prospect to talk about! Last week, the Bruins traded their 2024 7th round pick for the rights to 22 year-old defender Michael Callahan. I think that the Bruins won the trade, as I really like Callahan as a prospect. Now, what most people have said about Callahan since the trade is that he's been on a downward spiral since the 2019-20 season, and if you only look at his point totals, it would seem to be the case. However, it is clear that they knew nothing about Michael Callahan as a prospect prior to that year, and haven't watched him play since then, if at all. In all honesty, I'm a bit surprised that he had that good of a season two years ago, as offense just really isn't the forefront of his game. Callahan is smart two-way defender that relies heavily on smart positioning and his high hockey-IQ to make plays. He isn't going to make flashy plays, as his skating and offensive toolkit are average for the NCAA level, but he rarely makes mistakes and is a reliable player on the penalty kill for the Friars, where he has been the captain for the past three seasons. He will most likely sign an ELC following the NCAA playoffs this year, and will report to the P-Bruins. I think that Callahan is an incredibly low-risk-decent-reward (I won't say high-reward, as I don't think he's got sky-high, potential, but he's definitely an NHL-calibur prospect) player for the Bruins to pick up with a largely worthless pick.

Dropped Out: Oskar Jellvik (Nothing new to say)

As I have been doing, every three prospect updates, I rank my top 5 non-AHL Prospects (and where I ranked them at update #6)

1) Fabian Lysell (1)
2) Mason Lohrei (2)
3) John Beecher (HM)
4) Brett Harrison (3)
5) Ty Gallagher (4)

Honorable Mentions:
Riley Duran (N/A)
Michael Callahan (N/A)
Oskar Jellvik (N/A)

Dropped Out: Trevor Kuntar (5), Ryan Mast (HM)