The Boston Bruins 2019-2020 season came to an end in disappointing fashion. They suffered an early playoff exit after an impressive regular season. There were, however, some positives, such as the play of prospects Jack Studnicka and Jeremy Lauzon. While Studnicka only appeared in two regular-season games, Lauzon was a crucial piece down the stretch. Entering next season, he will be looking to build on his success as the Bruins will be relying on their youth with the departure of Torey Krug.
During the 2019-2020 season, Lauzon appeared in 19 games for Boston and recorded two points. It was his second stint in the NHL after appearing in 16 games the year before. Although Lauzon didn’t make much of an impact offensively, his play in other areas improved as he became more comfortable at the NHL level.
Jeremy Lauzon with the final save of the night. What an ending. pic.twitter.com/SV2xX2xsul
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) November 18, 2018
In 293 minutes of ice time, Lauzon landed 32 hits, which doubled his total from the season before. The former second-round pick also blocked 23 shots while averaging 15:25 of ice time. Lauzon did manage to land 20 shots on net and shot the puck five percent of the time. The 23-year-old was also not afraid to back down from any challenge and stepped up when needed the most.
What to Expect in 2021
As Lauzon prepares for the 2021 season, he will have to improve his discipline. In his second NHL stint, the penalty minutes increased from two to 29. He was also suspended for two games in February for an illegal hit to the head of Arizona Coyotes forward Derek Stepan. While that will change with experience, the Bruins will need Lauzon to spend less time in the box leaving them shorthanded.
🚨GOAL🚨
Jeremy Lauzon scores a rocket in his first game back with the Bruins #NHLBruins– 1#VegasBorn– 1 pic.twitter.com/mTBXJYfj7z
— Boston Bruins on CLNS (@BruinsCLNS) January 22, 2020
Regardless of his struggles, Lauzon’s play was rewarded with a two-year extension in February. The extension came with an annual cap hit of 850,000 as he was set to become a restricted free agent this offseason. When the 2021 season finally begins, he is expected to be on the Bruins third defensive pairing. He will, however, have competition in the form of prospects Jakub Zboril and Urho Vaakanainen.
Entering next season, Lauzon will be highly motivated after a disappointing playoff performance. The former second-round pick lost his job to Connor Clifton in the first round and finished with a plus/minus rating of minus-three. Penalties also continued to be an issue; in six games, the young defenseman had 18 penalty minutes. When the Bruins return to the ice, it will be a crucial season for the Quebec native.
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