Forward Tyler Seguin may have been the No. 2 pick in this year's draft, but he's No. 1 in Boston's prospect hierarchy as he is the most highly regarded prospect to enter the system since Joe Thornton was drafted first overall in 1997.
Position: Center/Wing
Age: 18
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 186 pounds
Shoots: Right
Acquired: 2010 draft, first round (2nd overall)
2009-10 stats: Plymouth (OHL) — 63 games, 48-48-106, plus-17, 54 PIMs; Playoffs: Plymouth (OHL) — 9 games, 5-5-10, minus-5, 8 PIMs
Analysis
Seguin has all the makings of a franchise cornerstone. He's an exceptional skater, possessing both breakaway speed and quickness to make plays in tight quarters. He has great vision and hockey sense, and he's able to elevate the play of the players around him. An excellent passer and playmaker, Seguin is also more than capable of finishing chances himself.
He's a natural center but does have some experience on the wing. That could come in handy, as the Bruins' depth at center is likely to push him to the wing, at least for this now, if he makes the NHL club this season as expected. If he does make the big club out of camp, Seguin might be a one-and-done entry on this prospect list as he would graduate quickly from prospect status.
Notable
Although Taylor Hall, who went first to Edmonton after plenty of intrigue leading up to the draft, was widely considered the top sniper available and Seguin more of a playmaker, Seguin actually had eight more goals than Hall last season in the OHL. … Seguin took advantage of his power-play time, scoring 13 goals on the man advantage last year, plus three more in the playoffs. … For his OHL career, Seguin had 69-104-173 totals in just 124 games over two seasons, plus 10-16-26 totals in 20 postseason games. … Also edged Hall, as well as Toronto 2009 first-rounder Nazem Kadri to win the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL's most outstanding player last year, though Hall had the last laugh as his Windsor club eliminated Plymouth in the OHL playoffs en route to its second straight Memorial Cup. … Seguin and Hall tied for the OHL scoring lead, with Seguin the first Plymouth player to lead the league in points. …
Seguin didn't make the cut for Team Canada in last year's World Juniors, but did win gold at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Tournament in the Czech Republic, collecting 4-6-10 totals in four games, and also won gold with Team Ontario at the World Under-17 Challenge with 3-8-11 totals in six games. … He did attend this year's World Juniors evaluation camp, but might be a little too busy in Boston to play in that tournament. … Seguin's father, Paul, played hockey at the University of Vermont, where he roomed with future NHLer John LeClair. … Seguin was a standout at the Bruins' development camp in July, excelling in the skating drills and showing his skill in the scrimmages, where he skated on a line with 2009 first-rounder Jordan Caron and 2010 second-round pick Jared Knight.
Quotable
"I think right now it's about just making the team," said Seguin at this summer's development camp. "There's no talk about where I'd actually be playing. It's a tough club to crack. I'm confident in my skills. I'm going to have a good offseason and come in here and try to earn my spot. My rookie year [in the OHL] I played wing. This past year I played center, so I'm comfortable and confident in either spot."
"I think when I look at pressure, I try to turn a negative into a positive and look at it as it's fun to be in the media spotlight sometimes," said Seguin at his introductory press conference at the Garden. "With the draft, it's been a heck of a ride. Obviously, going to a team like Boston, if I made the team as a rookie, already being on a contender for a Stanley Cup team, I think that would be awesome."
"My philosophy all year has been to do my own thing and stay focused," said Seguin. "My expectations for myself are that I am going to get an opportunity this summer and right now with the camps coming up ahead. I'm going to work my hardest right now and hopefully earn a spot on this club next year."
"He'll be a tough player to play against," said Bruins assistant GM Don Sweeney at development camp. "Time and space, for him, he can create in an instant. He gets up to speed and does things at full speed. That's going to create a lot of anxiety for defenseman. He's really ahead of the game in terms of seeing it but also being able to utilize the speed and ability that he has. He can play in behind you, chip it to an area, but I think he's pretty comfortable with the puck as well."
"Nothing really has changed," said Bruin GM Peter Chiarelli after signing Seguin to an entry-level deal. "My position remains the same. I'd like to see how he does in camp. He's a terrific young player. I think he's going to open some eyes at camp, but we'll see how he does.
"Right now I'd say he'd be on the wing," added Chiarelli. "But you never know, things can change."
2010-11 outlook
It's always dangerous to expect too much from a kid who only turned 18 in January, but there's no escaping the fact that Seguin is expected to make the leap directly to the NHL and contribute right away.
He'll likely have to shift to wing to start because of the presence of established centers Marc Savard, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Playing on the wing could help ease Seguin into NHL action, as he'll have less defensive responsibilities to handle in that position. His transition could be further helped if he's teamed with veterans like Bergeron and Mark Recchi, or he could be freed up for more of an offensive role alongside the likes of Krejci and Blake Wheeler in more of a young guns line.
Whoever he plays with, Seguin should make an immediate impact. Don't expect a 100-point rookie campaign like a Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin, but he should show flashes of his potential in his first season and even a more modest 40-50 point rookie year would be a huge addition to a Bruins team that finished dead last in the NHL in scoring last year. And if everything goes according to plan, those point totals should increase considerably as his NHL career progresses.
NESN.com has been counting down our preseason Top 10 Bruins Prospects with one profiled each day.
Friday, Sept. 10: The No. 2 prospect, forward Joe Colborne
