The Boston Bruins announced that they have signed a player to an entry-level deal while loaning another prospect overseas. The Detroit Red Wings announced that they have loaned one of their prospects to Europe and we take a look at a player who had a solid season in the WHL for our Prospect of the Day.
Bruins Loan Czech Prospect Lauko Overseas
The Bruins announced that they have loaned prospect Jakub Lauko to HC Energie Karlovy Vary of the Czech Extraliga. He was originally drafted by the Bruins in the third round, 77th overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Lauko spent this past season playing for the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) where he managed to score 5 goals and added 4 assists for 9 points in 22 games. He also represented his country internationally where he managed to score 1 goal and added 2 assists for 3 points in 6 games.
Lauko is an intriguing prospect for the Bruins. He played really well for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies en route to winning the Memorial Cup in 2018-19 and proved that he could be an impact player when his team needed him the most. Although the Bruins are top-heavy, they lack some depth in the bottom six, and a player like Lauko would only help them become a better team in the long run.
Red Wings Loan Lindstrom to Sweden
There is a rumour that the Red Wings have loaned prospect Gustav Lindstrom to Almtuna IS of the Allsvenskan for the start of the 2020-21 season. He was originally drafted by the Red Wings in the second round, 38th overall, in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Lindstrom spent this past season playing for the Red Wings, the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) and Frolunda HC of the SHL. In 16 games with the Wings, he managed to collect 1 assist to go along with 14 penalty minutes and in 45 games with the Griffins, he managed to collect 5 assists. Lastly, he scored 3 goals and added 3 assists in 40 games for the Frolunda Indians.
Lindstrom will most likely have a spot on the Red Wings blue line come next season. He has proven that he deserves a spot in the NHL and given the current situation with the Red Wings, now is the perfect time for them to let some of their prospects gain some valuable NHL experience.
Bruins Sign Filipe to Entry-Level Contract
The Bruins announced that they have signed Matt Filipe to a two-year, entry-level deal on Sunday. He was originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round, 67th overall, in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Filipe spent this past season playing for Northeastern University in the NCAA where he managed to score 9 goals and added 13 assists for 22 points in 30 games. Over the course of his four-year collegiate career, he managed to score 31 goals and added 44 assists for 75 points in 136 games.
Filipe could provide some value for the Bruins as soon as next season. Standing at 6-foot-2, he has great size to go into the corners and battle for the puck. He is great at screening the goalie in front and battles hard for loose pucks. He would be a solid bottom-six option for the Bruins.
Prospect of the Day – Michal Gut
For our Prospect of the Day, we take a look at Czech prospect Michal Gut who had a solid rookie season playing with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Currently ranked 176th amongst North American skaters, Gut has the chance to hear his name called on draft day.
Gut played 51 games during his rookie season and scored 13 goals and added 23 assists for 36 points to go along with 38 penalty minutes. He also represented his country internationally where he managed to score 4 goals and added 3 assists for 7 points in 7 games.
Our own Eugene Helfrick thinks Gut is a major boom or bust prospect.
“Gut is, in many ways, the poster child of a boom or bust prospect. If everything hits perfectly, he could be skating in the top-six of the franchise that selects him in three years, scoring at a steady clip. If he struggles with injury or is unable to improve his skating in meaningful ways, then Gut could just as likely never get past the AHL, or only get starting NHL time in a limited fashion as a call-up.”
Time will tell whether or not Gut will develop into a solid player, but there is no denying the fact that he has really solid skills to work with.