After weeks of uncertainty, nearly every professional sport has announced a plan to return to play. The NHL is hoping to return to play in late June or early July and head straight to the playoffs.

The Boston Bruins will be one of the top seeds as they prepare to embark on their playoff run. The President Trophy winners are expected to receive some reinforcements from Providence in the form of Jack Studnicka, Trent Frederic, and others. As the Bruins will get a preview of what the future will hold, one of its brightest players is prospect Johnny Beecher.

The Bruins selected Beecher in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft with the 30th-overall pick. After being drafted, Beecher impressed people in developmental camp due to his size and strength combined with his skating ability. The young center showed that he had the potential to become a top-six player just months after joining the organization.

Although Beecher is still a couple of years away from the NHL, he followed up his impressive camp with a solid freshman season. In 31 games for the University of Michigan, Beecher recorded nine goals and seven assists. He finished the season with a plus/minus rating of plus-seven.

While playing for the US developmental team during the 2018-2019 season Beecher stood out due to his elite speed and his aggressive playing style in the offensive zone. Due to his size and forechecking ability, he was able to excel on the penalty kill. In 63 games for the US Beecher totaled 15 goals and 28 assists.

As the Bruins look to the future, the development of Beecher will be key. David Krejci only has one year left on his deal and Patrice Bergeron is 34 years old. Even with Jack Studnicka waiting in Providence, the Bruins are hoping Beecher can eventually claim a top-six spot and be a part of the Bruins next championship core.

Despite Beecher’s bright future, there are still areas of his game that need to improve. When Beecher begins his sophomore season, he will be looking to improve his stickhandling. His success will depend on how his shot, strength, and size translate to the NHL.

Regardless of how this season plays out, Beecher’s name is one that Bruins fans should pay close attention too for the foreseeable future.

Over the years, Anders Bjork has become a well-known name to Bruins fans. The young forward has had high expectations since entering the Bruins system but been held back by injuries. Last season the Notre Dame product had three points in 20 games before a shoulder injury ended his season. During the 2019-2020 campaign, however, Bjork has started to live up to expectations.

Before the season began, Bjork had only appeared in 50 games throughout his first two years in the NHL. His best year was his rookie season when he had four goals and eight assists. While those are not All-Star numbers, Bjork was off to a promising start before his season ended early due to injury.

Through 58 games this season, Bjork has managed to stay on the ice. Before the 2019-2020 season was put on pause, Bjork had nine goals and 10 assists. He also had one power-play goal after failing to record one the year before. The former fifth-round pick had landed 66 shots on net, which is a career-high by far.

While Bjork showed improvements offensively, he also improved his two-way play. So far the season Bjork has landed a career-high 43 hits and blocked 21 shots. He was averaging a career-best ice time of 12:56 and attempted 134 total shots. As a result, head coach Bruce Cassidy has shown more trust in Bjork and even used him on the penalty kill at times.

Although Bjork’s play has taken a step forward, he appeared in just one of the Bruins’ most recent five games. While Bjork’s demotion was disappointing, it gave Boston the chance to see where Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie fit in the lineup. With the playoffs quickly approaching at the time, head coach Bruce Cassidy was trying to send a message to his young forward.

If the season does resume, Bjork will be more motivated than ever to prove his critics wrong. His decrease in play might light a spark for the young forward as the Bruins look to return to the Stanley Cup Final.

Regardless of how this season plays out, Bjork will be a restricted free agent this summer. There is a good chance he will return to Boston, as Bjork and Charlie Coyle have shown to be an effective combination at times. He will be looking to take his game to the next level and earn a permanent spot in the lineup.

When the MLB season does begin, the Boston Red Sox will have a new opening day starter for the first time since 2017. Over the past two years, that honor has fallen to Chris Sale, however, he will miss all of the 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery. Due to Sale’s absence, Eduardo Rodriguez will most likely be named the opening day starter. The former top prospect is coming off a career year and will now have even higher expectations.

Potential Realized

Before last season Rodriguez had been plagued by injuries. He had never made more than 24 starts in a season or pitched more than 137 innings in a season. Despite his talent, the left-hander struggled mostly due to command issues. Last season, however, Rodriguez finally fulfilled his lofty expectations.

Although the 2019 season was one of the Red Sox most disappointing in recent years, Rodriguez had a breakout campaign. The Venezuelan native led the majors in starts with 34 and Red Sox in wins with 19. Although Rodriguez allowed a league-high 75 walks, he struck out 213 batters.

Additionally, for the first time in Rodriguez’s career, he passed the 200 innings mark. He also ended the season with a 3.81 ERA, which is the lowest total of his career. The young left-hander’s superb season put him in elite status as Rodriguez finished sixth in the AL Cy Young Race.

Starting off Right

While Spring Training was cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Rodriguez was seemingly building on his career year. In 11 innings of work, the 27-year-old had 20 strikeouts. He had only allowed two earned runs and one home run. In three starts, Rodriguez had an ERA of 1.64 and only walked one batter.

In 2020 the Red Sox rotation will look dramatically different with no Chris Sale and the departures of David Price and Rick Porcello. Other than Rodriguez the Red Sox rotation is expected to include Nathan Eovaldi, who battled injuries in 2019 and free-agent acquisition Martin Perez.

The New Ace

The Red Sox offense is again expected to be a strength, but their pitching is full of question marks. The Red Sox do not have a lot of room for failure as their minor system was ranked as the 25th best in baseball.

When the MLB season does begin, the Boston Red Sox will have a new opening day starter for the first time since 2017. Over the past two years, that honor has fallen to Chris Sale, however, he will miss all of the 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery. Due to Sale’s absence, Eduardo Rodriguez will most likely be named the opening day starter. The former top prospect is coming off a career year and will now have even higher expectations.

Potential Realized

Before last season Rodriguez had been plagued by injuries. He had never made more than 24 starts in a season or pitched more than 137 innings in a season. Despite his talent, the left-hander struggled mostly due to command issues. Last season, however, Rodriguez finally fulfilled his lofty expectations.

Although the 2019 season was one of the Red Sox most disappointing in recent years, Rodriguez had a breakout campaign. The Venezuelan native led the majors in starts with 34 and Red Sox in wins with 19. Although Rodriguez allowed a league-high 75 walks, he struck out 213 batters.

Additionally, for the first time in Rodriguez’s career, he passed the 200 innings mark. He also ended the season with a 3.81 ERA, which is the lowest total of his career. The young left-hander’s superb season put him in elite status as Rodriguez finished sixth in the AL Cy Young Race.

Starting off Right

While Spring Training was cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Rodriguez was seemingly building on his career year. In 11 innings of work, the 27-year-old had 20 strikeouts. He had only allowed two earned runs and one home run. In three starts, Rodriguez had an ERA of 1.64 and only walked one batter.

In 2020 the Red Sox rotation will look dramatically different with no Chris Sale and the departures of David Price and Rick Porcello. Other than Rodriguez the Red Sox rotation is expected to include Nathan Eovaldi, who battled injuries in 2019 and free-agent acquisition Martin Perez.

The New Ace

The Red Sox offense is again expected to be a strength, but their pitching is full of question marks. The Red Sox do not have a lot of room for failure as their minor system was ranked as the 25th best in baseball.

When the MLB season does begin, the Boston Red Sox will have a new opening day starter for the first time since 2017. Over the past two years, that honor has fallen to Chris Sale, however, he will miss all of the 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery. Due to Sale’s absence, Eduardo Rodriguez will most likely be named the opening day starter. The former top prospect is coming off a career year and will now have even higher expectations.

Potential Realized

Before last season Rodriguez had been plagued by injuries. He had never made more than 24 starts in a season or pitched more than 137 innings in a season. Despite his talent, the left-hander struggled mostly due to command issues. Last season, however, Rodriguez finally fulfilled his lofty expectations.

Although the 2019 season was one of the Red Sox most disappointing in recent years, Rodriguez had a breakout campaign. The Venezuelan native led the majors in starts with 34 and Red Sox in wins with 19. Although Rodriguez allowed a league-high 75 walks, he struck out 213 batters.

Additionally, for the first time in Rodriguez’s career, he passed the 200 innings mark. He also ended the season with a 3.81 ERA, which is the lowest total of his career. The young left-hander’s superb season put him in elite status as Rodriguez finished sixth in the AL Cy Young Race.

Starting off Right

While Spring Training was cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Rodriguez was seemingly building on his career year. In 11 innings of work, the 27-year-old had 20 strikeouts. He had only allowed two earned runs and one home run. In three starts, Rodriguez had an ERA of 1.64 and only walked one batter.

In 2020 the Red Sox rotation will look dramatically different with no Chris Sale and the departures of David Price and Rick Porcello. Other than Rodriguez the Red Sox rotation is expected to include Nathan Eovaldi, who battled injuries in 2019 and free-agent acquisition Martin Perez.

The New Ace

The Red Sox offense is again expected to be a strength, but their pitching is full of question marks. The Red Sox do not have a lot of room for failure as their minor system was ranked as the 25th best in baseball.

As the Red Sox look to rebound from last season, Rodriguez will play a big part in how successful this team is. He will not only set the tone but also be relied on to eat up innings, so the Red Sox bullpen is not overused. Coming off of a career year, however, Rodriguez is ready for his new role.