While most prospects didn’t come away with strong impressions, or fully formed opinions, from their NHL scouting combine interviews with the Bruins, 18-year-old Mathew Barzal admitted his meeting with Don Sweeney and the B’s was “intense.” That’s really not surprising given the kind of laser focus Sweeney consistently exhibits on the job with the Bruins whether his working title was general manager, assistant general manager or director of player personnel.
It was something Barzal recognized quickly, and allowed the pivot prospect to answer questions with an honest diligence.
“It was a good interview,” said Barzal, the 6-foot, 181-pound native of Vancouver. “[The Bruins] were really good. They were intense, but it was a good interview. They were really firm with their questions, and you could tell they wanted a solid answer. But I thought it went well.
“I’m a pretty relaxed guy. I had a lot of fun meeting new people and getting to know different personalities [during the team interviews]. I thought they all went well, and I handled it well.”
It also wasn’t a bad thing in the mind of Barzal, who should be selected somewhere around Boston’s 14th overall pick in the first round after a solid junior season with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Barzal is the classic playmaking, right-handed center that posted 12 goals and 57 points in 44 games last season, and combines slick passing, good hockey IQ and a willingness to work at both ends of the ice.
He finished 11th on the NHL’s final Central Scouting list of prospects, and has some pretty talented role models that he’s shooting for with his playing style.
“I like Claude Giroux. I like his style and I like how competitive he is on the ice. I think he’s one of the toughest competitors in the NHL, so I try to watch him pretty closely and model myself after him,” said Barzal. “I’ve been waiting all year [for the draft], so I’m really excited. My whole family is coming and I’ve got a pretty good group going. I’m just excited to get it going.”
Boston Bruins
Barzal is projected to go anywhere from the sixth choice overall all the way to Boston’s pick at No. 14, so it would be a stroke of good hockey luck if the gifted offense forward is still available when the Bruins hit the podium a couple of weeks from now at the BB&T Center in Florida.