From now until the beginning of training camp, Bruins Insider Joe Haggerty is profiling players who will be on, or have a chance to be on, the 2015-16 Bruins. Today's player: Malcolm Subban.
Malcolm Subban experienced some pretty significant highs and lows last season along his development arc as a former first-round pick. The gifted goaltender made his NHL debut, and showed the full extent of his vast potential while standing on his head in the AHL playoffs for the Providence Bruins, where he stopped 46 shots in an epic-triple overtime win.
Of course, Subban also was chased from that first NHL experience after coughing up three goals on the first three shots he faced in the second period of a blowout loss to St. Louis.
Given those levels of extremes, there is still some development needed before Subban is truly ready to play in an NHL market like Boston. Still, the Bruins also have a vacancy at backup goaltender and Subban is among the group vying to be Tuukka Rask’s backup.
What Happened Last Year: Subban, 21, finished the AHL season with 16 wins and a .921 save percentage that represented slight improvements over the prior year, but the he was still inconsistent, compared to P-Bruins goaltending partner Jeremy Smith. The game-to-game performances had too many ups and downs. The feeling was Subban’s mental preparation and focus needed work before it is NHL ready. Subban was memorably brought up to the NHL for a trip through Western Canada in a critical point in the season. Niklas Svedberg was shipped to Providence after the B’s coaching staff started losing confidence in him and the Bruins desperately needed a backup that could give Rask a full night off. Initially, it was expected Subban would get a soft NHL opening against the lowly Edmonton Oilers, but that’s not what ended up happening. Instead, the Bruins waited and played the rookie against the powerhouse St. Louis Blues. That decision proved to be a poor one. Subban was yanked early in the second period after giving up three goals on three consecutive shots and Rask went through a long stretch of consecutive games played. Subban never played again in Boston after that tough debut, but did rebound adequately through the rest of the season at the AHL level in Providence.
Questions To Be Answered This Season: Is Subban developed enough as a goaltender to serve as Rask’s back-up right now? Clearly, there’s a chance to capture an NHL job if Subban puts together the best camp of his pro hockey career and displays advancement to his game that wasn’t always there last season. Most believe Subban would benefit from greater AHL seasoning, where he could share a bigger playing workload with Zane McIntyre, and perhaps even get pushed a little by the former University of North Dakota standout. Subban has all of the athletic skills, and shows explosive movement from post-to-post as well as any goalie out there. But his technique and his glove hand are still very much both works in progress. Subban isn’t going anywhere in the NHL until he has a confident, reliable glove hand. That was a big problem in the St. Louis game. I honestly still have my doubts at this point as to whether Subban can be a top-tier NHL goaltender, but he’ll be given every chance by an organization that drafted him in the first round. Most important, the potential is very much there for Subban if he truly wants it to happen.
In Their Words: “It was good to see [Subban] on the ice and in between periods that he was really into it. Sometimes Malcolm loses his focus, and that’s been our issue. Tonight it seemed like he was going to be there until the bitter end, and it was going to have to be a hell of a shot to beat him…just like [the Seth Griffith’s game-winning] shot.” –Providence Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, admitting some of the growth that still needs to happen after Subban’s 46-save gem during the AHL playoffs.
Boston Bruins
Overall Outlook: Subban is still one of Boston’s most valued prospects, given his first-round cachet and real need for affordable, young goaltending. The .921 save percentage from last season is certainly nothing to be ashamed of, but there seemed to be little growth in Subban's game last season. It’s about time for him to start dominating the AHL level, and prove his considerable athletic skills can translate into being a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL. Certainly the trade value is still there for a young goaltender with a world of potential. Perhaps it will all come together for Subban in September as the Bruins search for their backup among young camp hopefuls, such as McIntyre and Jeremy Smith. It may be a bit of the ultimate “be careful what you wish for” situation for the Bruins, however, with all the young goalies attempting to back up Rask. That is the exact scenario that blew up in Boston’s face when they tried it with Svedberg last season, and the young goalie couldn’t handle the sporadic playing time.