February was not a great month for the Bruins. Even though they are currently sitting in second place in the Atlantic Division (trailing the Florida Panthers), there is some cause for concern with their recent inability to win in regulation and the trend of giving up leads in the third period. With their cap situation, lack of a first-round pick this year, and a prospect pool that many consider weaker, it’ll be hard for Don Sweeney and the front office to pull off a big trade deadline move to bring in assistance. This means help will have to come from within the organization.
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Already, the Bruins are seeing guys step up to the plate. One of the few bright spots from this past month has been the excellent NHL debut of Justin Brazeau. In five games, he has a goal and an assist and has found comfort on the fourth line with linemates Jakub Lauko and Jesper Boqvist.
On top of some good play on the ice, Brazeau has a great story, and in a month where there wasn’t a lot to get excited about for the Bruins, he was a fun guy to see get a debut and stick around for more than just a game.
The Hockey Journey
Brazeau was born in New Liskeard, Ontario on Feb. 2, 1998. Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 220 pounds, he is certainly a big body on the ice. He didn’t find a ton of success or notoriety at the start of his junior career. Playing for the North Bay Battalion, he debuted in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) during the 2015-16 season.
Brazeau had a slow and steady growth in his game. He played four seasons in the OHL, seeing an increase in his point totals in each of those seasons. What began as six goals and 13 points in 65 games that first season turned into 61 goals and 113 points in 68 games during his final season in 2018-19. He also served as captain of the team, and had multiple accolades. He was named to the OHL First All-Star Team, had the most goals in the OHL, won the OHL Overage Player of the Year award, and the OHL Top Scoring Right Winger Award.
Brazeau went undrafted because he hit his stride later in his Juniors career. At the time, he was noted for having the body to be a physical player but often lacking the confidence to actually play physical on the ice. At the time, his skills were thought to be too raw to take with a draft pick. But as mentioned above, he drastically improved from his early OHL days, honing his skills on the ice.
Brazeau made his professional debut after signing a two-year, AHL-Only deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization but primarily played with the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL. He had 27 goals and 55 points in 57 games with the team and made his American Hockey League (AHL) debut with the Toronto Marlies.
He only appeared in 21 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season due to injury and only had four goals and five points in that time. It was the worst season of his career, and as a free agent that summer, he ultimately decided to go elsewhere to bounce back. Brazeau signed another AHL-Only deal with the Bruins Organization.
Joining the Bruins Organization
Brazeau began his Bruins tenure in the 2021-22 season. He again played in the ECHL for the Bruins’ affiliate, the Maine Mariners. He appeared in 18 games for the team that season but primarily spent time in the AHL with the Providence Bruins. In 51 games, he had 15 goals and 31 points.
His breakout season in the AHL came in 2022-23, with 16 goals and 45 points in 67 games. It was obviously a great performance, but it wasn’t until it continued into this season that he was rewarded with his first NHL deal. In only 49 games with Providence this season, he has surpassed his single-season AHL career high in goals with 18. It was clear that he’d earned an NHL contract, signing a two-year, two-way contract with a cap hit of $775,000 per year.
Brazeau made his NHL debut on Feb. 19 against the Dallas Stars in Boston and scored a goal during the team’s shootout victory. Leading up to that game, the Bruins had dropped four in a row. Him not only making his debut, but scoring a goal and contributing to the team finally getting a victory, was one of the best moments from the month.
Brazeau was the seventh former ECHL player to make their NHL debut this season, joining a list that includes Matthew Vallata, a goaltender for the Arizona Coyotes, and Marc Johnstone for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Since his debut, three more former ECHL players have debuted in the NHL, bringing the total for the season up to 10.
What Brazeau Brings to the Bruins
Brazeau seems to be sticking around, at least for a little while. Like Parker Wotherspoon on defense, he seems to be rotating into the lineup on the fourth line as the Bruins seek to find the right combinations to get back to winning. While he played with Lauko in the last game, the two seemed to be swapping in and out for each other for a stretch as one brings a more offensive approach (Brazeau) while the other is the more physical style of player (Lauko). It is not necessarily a bad thing to have both on a line together, particularly if they are able to gel their two styles. I think if the chemistry continues to build between the two and Boqvist, the team may have a formidable fourth line on their hands.
Scoring from the fourth line has not been as prevalent as head coach Jim Montgomery or anyone around the team would like in 2023-24. With his goal-scoring history, it’s obvious that the team is hoping for him to bring that scoring touch to the fourth line. Two points in five games is a pretty solid start, especially considering he’s only playing a little under 11 minutes a night.
He’s not necessarily the fastest of skaters, but he is smart, always seeming to find the right spots to be on the ice. While he’s big, he’s still not necessarily an incredibly physical player in terms of hits and blocks. But in Providence, he’s found the most luck with his size as a net-front presence on the power play. With the success of James van Riemsdyk in that role this season, he hasn’t had much of an opportunity to demonstrate that in Boston yet.
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With only five games under his belt, there is still a lot of unknown with Brazeau, especially what his ceiling is. While he’ll probably stick to the fourth line this season, barring any injuries, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets more of a shot in 2024-25, particularly if van Riemsdyk is gone. He has shown that the more time he gets in a team/league/etc, the better he gets. He has consistently found ways to be a contributor on offense throughout his career, and there is no reason to believe yet that he can’t adjust to the NHL game and become a greater and more consistent offensive threat.