As the Bruins enter 2018 and approach mid-season it’s time to take a look at how the Bruins’ rookies have fared so far this season.
The Bruins have four rookies on the roster who have made a significant contribution to the team and look set to improve as the season enters its second half.
All four have found a way to help the team, but they have not seen the same degree of success or consistency.
Anders Bjork
Grade: C
The Notre Dame superstar has come through big on a couple of occasions but has yet to find his footing.
He has 12 points and a positive plus-minus, but he hasn’t been able to put together consistent offensive production.
Bjork started the season on the team’s first line alongside Marchand, but it didn’t work out like head coach Bruce Cassidy had hoped. Since returning from an injury in November, he has three points in 12 games.
Cassidy has opted to make him a healthy scratch recently but an injury to David Krejci may lead to more playing time for the rookie.
Jake Debrusk
Grade: B-
Jake Debrusk flew under the radar at the beginning of the season due to the larger media attention given to Anders Bjork and Charlie McAvoy, but he’s found some solid playing time this year as well.
Debrusk has had a season very similar to Bjork except with a bit more offensive production. He has seven more points than the Bjork although that’s mostly due to more playing time.
The 21-year-old is in a bit of a cold streak at the moment with only one point in his last five games.
Danton Heinen
Grade: B+
Going into the year, everyone was talking about the Bruins’ “big three” rookies of Bjork, McAvoy, and Debrusk. Heinen completely flew under the radar but has arguably become the Bruins best offensive rookie.
He played eight games for the Bruins back in the spring but didn’t score and was quickly sent back to Providence.
In the first half of his 2017-2018 campaign, he has recorded nine goals and 17 assists and looks like he is ready to make an even bigger impact.
The Bruins were in need of players outside the first line making an impact, and Heinen is one of those who has stepped up in the month of December.
Charlie McAvoy
Grade: A-
The most hyped up of the Bruins four rookies has not disappointed. McAvoy has lived up to the hype and then some.
Fans were hoping he could eventually make the jump to the Bruins second defensive pairing, but he’s arguably been the team’s best defenseman and is starting alongside Zdeno Chara.
He is +9 on the ice and has even managed to contribute to the Bruins’ offense with 20 points.
His game still isn’t perfect, but the 22-year-old has gone from sudden playoff appearance to starter in an eight-month span and is holding his own against the league’s top forwards.
Overall: B
Overall, McAvoy and Heinen are as good as their stats suggest and while Bjork and Debrusk still have a lot of room for improvement, they are showing promising signs.
The Bruins youth movement is in full swing and showing signs of a very promising future.
