Today’s Globe:
Bruins see something in Edward
Even the most ardent Black and Gold follower might have missed the recent Bruins signing of OHL prospect Jackson Edward (defenseman, 6 feet 3 inches, 190 pounds) to his three-year, entry-level contract.
It’s hardly out of the ordinary for NHL clubs to secure deals with draft picks well ahead of their projected NHL arrival date (see: Matt Poitras). What made the signing of the 19-year-old Edward somewhat off-template, however, was the fact that he was selected so deep in the draft, Round 7, pick No. 200, in 2022.
For the most part, prospects chosen at No. 200 or later ultimately track to the NHL with the frequency of the Hale-Bopp comet swinging by our remote rink in the universe. Ergo, there’s usually no rush to sign them. If left unsigned come June, though, Edward would have been eligible for the 2024 draft.
Bruins fans of a certain age, and memory, will recall that Hal Gill, the 207th pick in the 1993 draft, fashioned himself an impressive 1,108-game career, one in which he picked up a Cup with the Penguins in 2009.
So, yes, the odds are long for prospects plucked from the deepest ocean, but the payoff can be extremely rewarding.
“He’s continued to grow and get better,” said former Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid, now the club’s player development coordinator, noting that the Bruins were drawn to untapped potential they saw in Edwards. “We still feel he’s got a lot of room for that. He’s a hard worker and he holds himself to a pretty high standard. We’re excited to see where he can get himself to.”
“He’s violent,” according to the website eliteprospects.com, “and he uses that violence to emphatically kill plays at the blue line and end the cycle.”
“He has had some pretty devastating hits, where he’s caught guys,” added McQuaid, a pretty good hitter in his NHL days. “He actually caught Matty Poitras last year with a good hit along the blue line, by the bench. But he’s not out there hurting guys, or running all over the place trying to kill people. He will close and be physical. I think that’s part of his game.”
“Oh, yeah, he laid me out, caught my pretty good,” recalled a smiling Poitras. “I was coming down the right side, dumped the puck in, didn’t expect anything, and he lit me up. Yeah, that didn’t feel good.”
How that might translate if Edward ever makes it to the Original 32 remains to be seen. For now, with a deal in his pocket, it’s clear he is viewed on Causeway Street as a tantalizing prospect, one with some old-time snarl. The Bruins have missed a big smack threat along the blue line since the retirement of Kevan Miller and the more recent UFA departure of Connor Clifton.
“It means I get three years to work with Eddie,” said McQuaid, sizing up the prospect’s three-year deal. “And I’m excited about that.”