The 20-year-old defenseman is likely headed to Providence, where the left shot will continue to hone his game on the right side in hopes of a bright future in Boston.
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PHILADELPHIA — The road ahead for 20-year-old defenseman Jackson Edward, perhaps the hardest, surliest hitter among Bruins prospects, likely leads to AHL Providence in the next few days.
The Bruins are stacked on the blue line, jobs held by a forest of big men, both in size and experience. That career trajectory, however, didn’t keep coach Jim Montgomery from tamping down expectations, or anticipation, prior to the 6-foot-3-inch Edward making his preseason debut Saturday night against the Flyers. .
Edward didn’t factor in the scoring and failed to land a hit. But he logged a healthy 18 minutes, 55 seconds of ice time
in the 3-2 overtime loss, and made a solid impression on Montgomery.
“I liked him,” said the coach. “He’s a hockey player. He made plays . . . not afraid to sauce the puck, not afraid to hold onto the puck to bring a forechecker to him and then try to free up a forward. He’s got a lot to learn, but you expect that, he’s 20 years old.”
The highlight of Edward’s game is his ability to deliver opponents directly to Palookaville with jarring, bone-rattling hits. In his junior days with OHL London, that included one memorable pop on that flashy, pesky forward for Guelph . . . who was it? . . . Oh, right, Matt Poitras.
“Oh, man . . . yeah, big hit,” a smiling Poitras recalled one day early on when the two shared the same dressing room in Brighton as prospects. “Really got me good. That’s his game. You’re aware when he’s out there.”
Poitras is not on a short list of Edward road kill. He delivers his hits with, shall we say, indiscriminate gusto. He also likes to jabber while working, bringing an added irritant factor to his game, something that can trigger opponents into taking ill-advised retaliatory penalties. During the club’s recent rookie tourney in Buffalo, where he played in two of three games, Edward’s perpetual on-ice narrative ran nearly second-for-second with the game clock.
Providence coach Ryan Mougenel, who ran the Boston bench in Buffalo, noted it’s important for Edward to keep his hitting game under control, deliver his pops in context with the game, be ever aware of such basics as time and score. There can be a fine line between hitting with impact and purpose and getting tossed in the penalty box for any of a number of calls — charging, tripping, hits to the head, etc. — or hitting at the risk of taking oneself out of defending.
“It can take time . . . Connor Clifton needed time to figure it out,” said Mougenel, recalling how the defenseman, now with the Sabres, moderated his game to become a valued, effective hitter. “And when he did, good for him, he made a lot of money.”
A natural left shot, Edward spent last season playing on his right side, in large part because the Knights were stacked with left-side talent. His partner on the left was the more highly touted Sam Dickinson, 18, who went on to be the No. 11 pick in the June draft by San Jose.
“We had a lot of left defense,” recalled Edward, “so I kind of just put it out there, ‘I can try right, make it easier for you guys.’ I ended up really liking it, it kind of just stuck, so I am open to playing both. I am comfortable on the right, so they both work.”
Somewhat akin to switch-hitters in baseball, defensemen who play both left and right offer added value for coaches forever in need of covering all bases with personnel on hand. There are some nuances and technical issues, including the art of having to switch to the backhand when plucking pucks along the boards.
“Yeah, some of the little things are completely different,” noted Edward. “The stick tendencies and your body positioning are all just slightly different, but, I mean, I’ve had a year to adjust to it. If anything, I’d say I’m more comfortable on the right now.”
Edward, who had fellow prospect Frederic Brunet riding on his left, wore sweater No. 41. It’s the number he was handed upon arrival, he said, noting he would have worn whatever was offered.
Nonetheless, the number is special to him because his late maternal grandfather, Al Jackson, was born in 1941. Jackson died last year.
“If I could keep the number, I’d love that,” he said. “Complete coincidence, but an awesome coincidence.”
