( Photo Credit: Green Bay Gamblers ) The end of the College Hockey season annually brings roster turnover for every team in the country, with players either running out of eligibility, leaving early to sign pro contracts, or entering the transfer portal to play elsewhere. Of the Boston Bruins' 13
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Will Zellers (C/LW) – North Dakota – Acquired from Colorado in the Charlie Coyle trade this past deadline, Zellers was a third-round draft pick from last June and is headed to NoDak this fall.
He just wrapped up his junior season, where he lit up the USHL as a member of the Green Bay Gamblers, to the tune of 44-27-71 in 52 games. Zellers will be a name Bruins fans will want to keep a keen eye on, as he should have plenty of opportunity to impress with North Dakota’s forward attrition both via the transfer portal and pro signings.
Dean Letourneau (C) – Boston College – Letourneau’s box score stats and advanced analytics tell very different stories of his freshman season with the Eagles. The underlying numbers suggest he was a serviceable contributor defensively and in puck possession. However,
a 0-3-3 stat line in 34 games and dwindling ice time down the stretch imply he would’ve benefited from a year in the USHL before arriving on campus. A whole offseason of development at the college level can only benefit Letourneau, who will have plenty of eyes on his performance.
Chris Pelosi (C) – Quinnipiac –
Pelosi’s second-half tear (11-8-19 in 23 games) was vital for Quinnipiac’s run to secure the ECAC regular season title, and NCAA tournament qualification, and will set the tone going into his sophomore season with the Bobcats. The departures of graduate seniors Travis Treloar and Jack Ricketts will leave a void in scoring production and at the faceoff dot for Quinnipiac to fill, and Pelosi should be more than up to the task.
Elliott Groenewold (D) – Quinnipiac –
Groenewold hit the ground running with Quinnipiac as an 18-year-old defenseman, made significant strides as the season progressed, and should continue to develop heading into his sophomore season. Groenewold only played fewer than 17:30 in a game five times in 38 games and recorded 4-8-12 in scoring. The Bobcats have already experienced heavy turnover on defense, particularly on Groenewold’s left side, with three departing seniors. He will be expected to play heavier minutes next season.
Ryan Walsh (C) – Cornell – Walsh took a big jump in his sophomore season, eclipsing his freshman year totals for every significant statistic
(17-14-31 in 36 games) and being a central cog in Cornell’s run from the sixth-seed in the ECAC conference tournament to coming within a goal of the Frozen Four.
Already the top-line center for the Big Red, Walsh will have significantly more responsibility to carry the offense heading into his junior season following the departures of both linemates Dalton Bancroft and Sullivan Mack, among other significant losses on defense and in goal.
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