The Boston Bruins kicked off their seventh annual development camp yesterday, where twenty three young participants had the chance to showcase their skills and abilities whilst they partook in an NHL style training regime. The camp ends on the 13th July, so the players will only have a few days to show the Bruins staff that they have what it takes. There’s no doubt every player on the ice will be put through their paces to see who has a shot at making training camp in September.
One of the stand out players in this camp, is Goaltender Malcolm Subban, who is participating in the development camp for the second straight year. Despite being the only professional player on the ice, after completing his first season with the AHL‘s Providence Bruins, staff members believe that Subban could benefit greatly from working with Coaches as he looks to improve his game. Subban went 15-10-5, with a 2.31 GAA and a .920 save percentage, last season. Acceptable numbers for his first real gig.
Subban was in fact given a shot at the big time last season. Although it wasn’t regular season hockey, pre season in the National Hockey League is still a pretty big thing. Unfortunately, it was one to forget for young Malcolm. Eight Detroit Red Wing goals were put past the 20 year-old, after an abysmal team performance made his debut one to forget. However, to Subban’s credit, he portrayed a very professional attitude after the loss, showing great poise for someone so young. He was then put in against a his brother, P.K Subban, after coach Claude Julien pulled Chad Johnson in another preseason game versus the rival Montreal Canadiens. Malcolm played around a period and a half of shutout hockey. A much more promising time between the pipes.
With last years back up now with the New York Islanders, that leaves Tuukka Rask, Niklas Svedberg, recently signed Jeremy Smith and Malcolm Subban. The departure of Johnson has no doubt left quite a gap behind Rask, but it also creates the opportunity for other guys to make a name for themselves. The offseason and training camps will once again create a great contest between the goaltending core.
If Subban shows up well during both development and training camps, be sure to see him within touching distance of starting down in Providence. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if he got a chance to put on the spoked B and back up Tuukka Rask. The opportunity to play in the NHL is as big as it’ll get for Malcolm Subban, with Svedberg known to be perhaps a little susecptable at times, and with Smith being a bit of a mystery at the NHL level, it really opens the chance up for him, it all depends on whether he can capitalize on it.
One question mark that surrounds Subban, which shouldn’t, is whether or not he is wanted in Boston. Whether it’s a minority of idiotic ‘fans’, or even people who simply don’t think he has what it takes. The hatred over him because he is the brother of Habs D-man P.K Subban is quite frankly embarrassing, and should be put to bed forever.
People who overlook the fact that he might be a valuable asset to the team, because ‘oh, we don’t want a Subban playing for the Bruins’, need to realise that he’s most probably the future starting goaltender for the Boston Bruins, whenever Rask’s days are done.
It’s sad to think a great city is home to those kind of people. But either way, look for Malcolm Subban to get some game time this season, weather it’s one or two games, or half a season, every minute of NHL ice time is ever so important towards a young players progression.
