Zboril looks to make big jump on defense
With eight NHL defensemen in the fold, it seems like Jakub Zboril has little chance to be on the Bruins blue line this season.
The 2015 first-round draft pick watched last year as Jake DeBrusk made his NHL debut and became competitive seemingly overnight. Zboril has an important training camp ahead to try to make that same leap.
“I don’t feel like it’s impossible,” he said. “I know it’s going to be a lot of work and I feel like I can put in that work. When I saw Jake playing in Providence, his first year pro, then all of a sudden he just jumped to this NHL guy. Now I see him going in, and as a pro he was up here, then in the NHL, he was much higher. It’s real nice to see and I would say I want to do the same thing.”
In his first full season as a pro, Zboril posted 19 points with Providence, but the bigger learning curve was finding a physical game.
“I thought it would be like, you go in the corner, throw a hit, knock off a guy and take the puck and skate away,” he said. “But I realized when I turned pro, it’s not really possible anymore for me. Even though I’d throw a hit, the guys are stronger now so he’d stand up and skate away. Now I just do what I can being light on my skates and being more positional.”
The left-handed shooter is at the top of the depth chart for defensive prospects. With the brick wall of NHL defensemen with the Bruins, Zboril is just one of the most experienced players in rookie camp.
“It’s kind of a weird feeling to be one of those guys on the ice right now,” he said. “It’s a great experience for me, being one of the older guys. I always leaned on the older guys when they were leading me, so it’s a good experience.”
Providence coach Jay Leach saw the full 68-game development Zboril undertook a year ago. There’s a lot Zboril can bring if he continues to work at it.
“He just needs to feel comfortable and confident,” said Leach. “He has a lot to his game that will translate. He can skate, he’s hard when he wants to be. He can shoot, he has a good shot, and he’s smart.”
Along with forward Zach Senyshyn, the last of the trio in the 2015 first-round frenzy, Zboril is facing an important camp for his status with the organization.
As far as when that chance will come, sometimes it’s a matter of being ready at the right time, and with the way the roster is shaping up, that chance might be sudden.
“They’re much closer, for sure,” said Leach. “Sometimes you don’t know until you throw them in there. (Matt Grzelcyk) came to us last year and he was fine, but he came here and he was really good. So, sometimes it’s getting in there. As far as where they’re at and where they can go, they’re much closer.”
The 21-year-old Zboril’s hallmark is his physicality, but his offensive skill also shone through in the form of 15 assists a year ago.
He feels that as his skating has developed so have the results.
“Last year I didn’t really need to be the heavy guy because I was so young,” said Zboril. “I didn’t really need to throw bigger hits or anything, I just need to be the guy in shape and move the puck. I need to be stronger still, but I still need to be more of a skater. This year, I came in 12 pounds lighter than last year and it’s been good for me.”