The most obvious attribute for which the Bruins were looking in the offseason was size and they got it, mostly in the free agent market. But in the last a couple of years, they’ve also been trying to grow some of the valued hard-to-play against quality in some of their home-grown players.
Size is good, but so are snarl and swagger, no matter how big or small the package is.
Playing this weekend with the B’s at the Prospects Challenge are a pair of players who relish making the opposition uncomfortable. Both forward Trevor Kuntar (6-foot, 205 pounds) and defenseman Jackson Edward (6-foot-3, 191 pounds) may have a long road ahead of them to get to Boston, but they certainly fit the mold of what a Boston Bruin should be.
Asked if he likes to get under other players’ skin, former Boston College player and Buffalo, N.Y., native Kuntar let out a big laugh.
“I just like to play hard and win my battles and sometimes it makes people mad. It’s fun,” said Kuntar.
The 23-year-old Kuntar played 70 games for the Providence Bruins last season, notching 10-10-20 totals (and 113 penalty minutes) after three seasons at the Heights. If he’s to make it to the NHL some day, he’d most likely project as a fourth-liner.
P-Bruins coach Ryan Mougenel said Kuntar needs to build in a little more of a scoring touch into his game as well as hone his penalty killing. But as far as the attitude goes, that just comes naturally.
“You don’t have to tell Kuntar twice that you have to play harder, that’s for sure. It’s built into him,” Mougenel told reporters in Buffalo.
“He’s easy to sell to (Jim Montgomery). This is what he is, this is what he does. He plays hard every shift. There’s a market for that. There’s not a lot of guys like that around. He recognizes that, he’s a smart kid. He’s another kid you root for.”
What Kuntar can bring may not be dazzling, but he knows his skill set is one that could take him to the next level.
“It’s definitely unique and I think it’s definitely in the Bruins’ identity,” said Kuntar before heading to Buffalo. “I’m excited to just kind of add that and continue to play the way I know how to play. Hopefully I can continue to do my role and hopefully eventually do it in Boston. But I think just having that unique playing style and playing hard every night and competing is definitely really important.”
The 20-year-old Edward got his first taste of pro hockey on Friday in the B’s 6-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins prospects. His London Knights won the Ontario Hockey League and went to the Memorial Cup final (losing to Saginaw), so he didn’t have the opportunity to get in a few games at the end of the season with Providence. While he did give up one scoring chance in the middle of the ice, Edward made his presence felt with a couple of hard hits as well as some verbal jousting.
In Saturday’s game, Edward earned a roughing penalty when he grabbed a Blue Jacket in a headlock in a scrum then, after stepping out of the box, drilled a Jacket with a good hard hit. He also picked up an assist on Lucas Romeo’s second-period goal but was on the ice for Columbus’ overtime winner.
Physicality is Edward’s calling card.
“I think I like it,” said the mustachioed Edward with a hint of a smile. “That’s why I got into hockey. I like contact.”
At times in his junior career, he liked it a little too much, earning a couple of suspensions. Edward credited his coach, Dale Hunter, known to straddle the line of legality in his playing days (and he hurdled over a few times), for helping him locate that line.
“He did a great job of showing me when to use it and when not to use it,” said Edward. “He was one of the best in that area in his game. It was fine-tuning when to lean into aggression and when not to and stay away from the box.”
Now we’ll see how that physicality and aggression translates to pro hockey and against grown men.
“Playing against big strong guys is the next step and I’m ready to take that,” said Edward.
In Saturday’s game, the Bruins erased an early 2-0 deficit but Luca Del Bel Belluz scored late in overtime to lift the Blue Jackets over the B’s, 4-3. Brett Harrison, the B’s third-round pick in 2021, scored his second goal of the tournament to start the comeback.
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