Boston Bruins: The Top 10 Prospects in Their System

The Boston Bruins have a very good amount of talent at the minor league and junior hockey level. They have a number of quality prospects to use at the NHL level when replacements are needed, or they can use some of the talent to trade for proven NHL stars.

When the Bruins traded Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs two summers ago, they received two top 10 picks as a result. 

Boston selected Tyler Seguin No. 2 overall in the 2010 Draft and Dougie Hamilton with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2011 Draft.

With Seguin at the NHL level for good, he won't make this list, but where does Hamilton rank?

Let's look at the top 10 prospects the Bruins have.

For updates on all NHL/Bruins news throughout the season, follow Nick Goss on Twitter. Follow @NicholasGoss35

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.

10. Ryan Button

Ryan Button is a good defenseman with an excellent two-way game. He's a crisp passer and is not afraid to join the attack, especially on the power play.

He also has good size at 6'1" and skates very fluidly for a defenseman.

He will have a shot to fight for an NHL role in just a few seasons, but for now he is with the Providence Bruins.

9. David Warsofsky

David Warsofsky played three seasons at Boston University and is now part of the Boston Bruins' organization.

He is a defenseman who plays with a lot of intensity and has the physical edge needed to be a successful part of the Bruins blueline.

At 5'8", he is not the biggest guy, but his good defensive skills make up for his lack of size.

He passes the puck very well and has very good awareness on the ice during the power play.

8. Tommy Cross

Tommy Cross was selected in the second round of the 2007 NHL Draft and is a quality defenseman with good size at 6'3".

He will remain at Boston College this season to help the Eagles win another NCAA championship as the captain for Jerry York's team.

He's a defensive defenseman who has not yet polished his offensive skills, but there is certainly time to improve on that.

He won't be part of the NHL club for a few seasons, but he has the potential to be a solid stay-at-home defenseman.

7. Jamie Arniel

Jamie Arniel won't blow you away with any amazing skills, but he's a reliable two-way forward who can score goals often and play solid defense.

He led the Providence Bruins last season with 23 goals and also racked up 27 assists.

Arniel plays the game hard and battles for pucks. He will have a tough time getting into the Bruins' NHL roster, but he certainly has the work ethic to get there.

6. Maxim Sauve

Maxim Sauve has a ton of speed and is a versatile forward who can play both center and wing.

Sauve was third on the Providence Bruins last season with 38 points, including 21 goals.

He's had some injury concerns the past few seasons, but he has the skating ability and speed to crack the Bruins' NHL roster if injuries open up a spot.

5. Jordan Caron

Jordan Caron scored seven points in 23 games for the Boston Bruins last season and is currently on the roster right now.

Caron is a good winger who has a great opportunity to win a spot at wing on the Bruins' third line this season. He will likely battle new summer signing Benoit Pouliot for the position.

Caron has good size and plays well defensively. It is very likely he will see a lot of time at the NHL level this season and has a chance to never return to Providence if he does well.

4. Ryan Spooner

Ryan Spooner was drafted in the second round of the 2010 Draft by the Bruins and has a good skating game. He also shows tremendous awareness on the ice and has good patience.

His shooting talent is very good, and he has the ability to be an NHL sniper with his accurate touch.

He doesn't have a ton of size and won't be a high-intensity physical presence, but his time with the NHL club will come.

3. Alex Khokhlachev

Alex Khokhlachev is a Russian forward with an amazing amount of offensive talent, and the Bruins were lucky he was there to select in the second round of June's draft.

The problem here is he doesn't have the defensive skills that a head coach like Claude Julien would require to be on the NHL roster, but Khokhlachev is a very good skater with the ability to score lots of goals.

He is certainly a prospect to watch this season.

2. Jared Knight

Jared Knight was the 32nd overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft and has very good speed with an accurate shot.

He has pro-level offensive talent and plays the game with a physical tone. He will see time with the Bruins very soon—maybe even this season.

Knight can give the Bruins some versatility at the center and wing positions and is dependable in his own zone.

The goal for Knight is to become a 25-40 goal scorer in Providence, then bring that talent to the NHL level.

1. Dougie Hamilton

Dougie Hamilton was selected ninth overall in the 2011 Draft by the Bruins and completed the Phil Kessel trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2009.

Hamilton has amazing size at 6'5" and uses that to his advantage, much like Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. He has the making of an elite NHL defenseman and fits the mold of physical Bruins defensemen.

His offensive talents are underrated, and his shot is very powerful. He is also a good skater and has decent speed for someone of his height. He has the ability to be a very good two-way defenseman.

Hamilton will be in the NHL soon and his arrival will greatly help the Bruins' defensive corps. He could easily turn out to be the top defenseman of this past year's draft.

For updates on all NHL/Bruins news throughout the season, follow Nick Goss on Twitter. Follow @NicholasGoss35