Bruins Young Stars Will Figure Into Equation

Tyler Seguin and Jordan Caron are both
opening some eyes this preseason for the B's.

With the Boston Bruins' season quickly approaching and a few big names still sidelined, there are some spots in the lineup that are still waiting to be filled. And just as you may have predicted back on draft day, there will be some exciting competitions for those spots involving some exciting young players.

Marc Savard and Marco Sturm are both expected to miss significant time to start the 2010-11 campaign. Sturm's absence was expected, but Savard was only ruled out within the past week. With the development, the Bruins have a void on their lineup sheet -- 3rd line center.

"Tyler Seguin needs to be looked at as a center," said Bruins coach Claude Julien when asked about the potential player to fill the slot. Seguin has been playing wing this preseason with Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi, and he's looked comfortable -- he's already notched a goal and an assist in two games. Still, Seguin is among the group of players that will need to be considered for that opening.

"I'd still like to see Blake Wheeler play center as well at some point and see if he can recapture his comfort zone that he had when he played that position when he was in school," Julien added. Wheeler has primarily been a winger ever since breaking onto the scene with Boston, but he is a natural center-man who might be capable of making that switch.

Ryan Spooner is a very flashy scorer
with loads and loads of upside.

Seguin and Wheeler are two of the potential suitors, but there are a few more young guns fighting for roster spots that Bruins management has acknowledged have legitimate shots at filling the role. Joe Colborne, Boston's 2008 first-round pick, as well as Ryan Spooner, their 2010 second-round pick, both have shown good stuff in camp and continue to develop their games. They are much different styles, though -- Colborne, at 6'5", is a lesser version of Joe Thornton to most analysts. Spooner, 5'10", is a flashy goal scorer with eye-popping quickness. I'd bet that either of these guys can fill the role. 2007 first-rounder Zach Hamill is also in the mix.

But let's go back to Seguin and Wheeler, who are currently occupying wing spots on different lines. If one of those two guys is the one who fills in that open center spot, it is clear that a wing spot will open up. The most intriguing young player that might step into that role is 2009 first-round pick Jordan Caron, who has been arguably the best rookie at camp this season for the Bruins. At just 19 years old, Caron is just another star in the making that Bruins fans have every reason to get excited about. Personally, this might be the best option that I'd like to see. Seguin and Caron should play together on the third line. Seguin at center and Caron at wing. Aside from the fact that they're both exceptional young stars, you could potentially start grooming a duo that can stick together for years to come.

Ultimately, though, this is the beauty of Boston's team these days. Any of these combinations would be fantastic options to go with. They can't go wrong. It's been the theme of this entire offseason. They couldn't go wrong with their draft choice. They can't go wrong by choosing any of these phenomenal young players. Everything is looking bright in Beantown right now -- from a hockey standpoint, anyway.