Finn starts to show skills
BRUINS NOTEBOOK
The Bruins this year will add to their stock of potential top-four, left-handed defensemen when Urho Vaakanainen, their firstround draft pick last year (18th overall), moves to North America on a more permanent basis.
The smooth-skating Finn signed with the B’s earlier this month and will most likely get his feet wet in Providence, though he’ll get a long look in camp while much of the varsity is on a 10-day excursion to China. The B’s are excited about the capabilities of the 6-foot-1, 185-pound blueliner.
“He’s playing in the Elite league in Finland and he’s playing 20-something minutes a night. He’s a minute-crunching defenseman,” said Bruins director of player development Jamie Langenbrunner. “The thing with him that I find impressive is his energy level stays the same all the way through. He’s a smooth skater. Obviously we’re trying to push a little bit his level of urgency in closing plays off and when you are that good a skater you can take advantage of that. That’s part of growing. We’ll continue to push that. We’ll have a few more days here, then rookie camp in Buffalo in September. And with half the roster going to China, a lot of those kids will get into a lot of games. Until you do it in a game, it’s tough sometimes for them to believe what you’re telling them.”
Langenbrunner got to know Vaakanainen well last year. Because the development camp was scheduled later in July, Vaakanainen went from the draft in Chicago to Langenbrunner’s home in Minnesota where he stayed for eight or nine days. That gave Langenbrunner a rare chance to interact with one of his charges away from the rink.
This year, he sees a much more comfortable Vaakanainen. Maybe a little too comfortable.
“He’s one I’d want to give just a little bit of kick to just to get going a little bit,” said Langenbrunner. “He’s kind of feeling his way through this a little bit. But I think his confidence level, he doesn’t look nervous like he did last year. Last year there was a lot going on. He was stuck around here after the draft, he was waiting a long time. It’s a much more comfortable feeling for him this time. He knows a lot of the people and he’s comfortable. Now for him, it’s about getting that urgency up and building toward September.”
Vaakanainen expects there to be an adjustment period to the smaller ice surface and just living in North America in general, but wants to put his best foot forward.
“It’s a big opportunity and a big chance to show how good I am. It’s great to see where I’m at right now,” said Vaakanainen.
He had four goals and seven assists for SaiPa, but said that doesn’t indicate how much he tried to stretch his game.
“I tried to be a little more offensive,” he said. “I had a lot of playing time in Finland. I tried to get the pucks to the net and get my shots off better. I didn’t really have a lot of points. But sometimes points don’t tell everything. I think I improved on my offense.”
Backup plan
In search of a backup goalie, the B’s contacted UMass-Lowell product Carter Hutton’s camp but it sounds like the 32-yearold’s focus is on nailing down the No. 1 spot somewhere.
The B’s have also been linked to Jonathan Bernier, who had a decent year in Colorado.
Lauko shows skills
Jakub Lauko, the B’s thirdround pick last week, flashed his skill when he slipped a puck past the goalie Peter Forsbergstyle on a rush drill . . . .
With Dallas and Tampa Bay meeting with John Tavares yesterday, it is now up to the top unrestricted free agent on the market to make his decision. Tavares cannot officially sign with a team (unless it’s the own Islanders) until Sunday . . . .
The young Bruins hopefuls are back on the ice today at 10:30 a.m.