The 2022 Prospects Challenge hosted by the Buffalo Sabres gets underway in a couple of weeks, and the Boston Bruins will participate again this year in the six-team tournament. After inviting goal-scorer James Hardie to their prospects’ roster recently, the Bruins have added Western Hockey League standout Brayden Schuurman to the team.
Schuurman has played for the Victoria Royals for the last three seasons and scored 29 goals in 68 games last season. The right-shot center will not turn 19 years old until February. Known for his dangerous shot, the Abbotsford, British Columbia native followed his breakout season with an invite to Edmonton Oilers prospect camp in July. Schuurman was draft eligible as the 58th-ranked North American skater but was overlooked in the 2022 NHL Draft as he is undersized at five-foot-nine, and his skating needs improvement.
Schuurman also played for the U-18 Canada team in the World Junior Championships with a talented group that includes the consensus number-one pick in the 2023 Draft, Connor Bedard. In that tournament, Schuurman scored two goals in four games.
The Bruins are looking for young centers as Patrice Bergeron, and David Krejci prepare for what could be their last seasons with Boston. The prospect pool for the Bruins also needs rebuilding as most analysts have the Bruins organization among the last teams in prospect talent. The Prospects Challenge in Buffalo should provide a glimpse for Bruins fans as to just how much talent is available in the coming years. Brayden Schuurman might just have an opportunity beyond the tournament with the Bruins’ organization.
