Top 10 Bruins prospects: A successful first season in North America has Oskar Steen on the rise

Player: Oskar Steen

Ranking: #6

Last Season: Providence Bruins

Last Stats: 60GP, 7G, 16A, 23PTS

Acquired: 2016 Draft, 6th Round, 165th overall

After spending three seasons in Sweden’s professional leagues since being drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2016 and going through four Bruins development camps, Oskar Steen made his North American debut this past season with the Providence Bruins.

The forward came off a strong year with the Swedish Hockey League’s Farjestad BK before joining Providence last fall. The 2018-19 season was his best showing out of the four seasons he spent with Farjestad BK, as he accumulated 37 points in 46 games.

The right-handed shooter first showed flashes of his NHL potential in a pair of 2019-20 preseason games last September. In his first preseason game with the Bruins, Steen netted a goal against the New Jersey Devils. Ten days later, he added an assist, also against the Devils.

Although Steen showed potential, Providence was the obvious choice to get the young forward acquainted to a smaller North American ice surface and a different game.

In Providence, the Karlstad, Sweden, native racked up 23 points in 60 games during his rookie campaign. He finished third among rookies for points during the shortened season.

There were definitely some growing pains in his adjustment from the SHL and in terms of finding consistency in his game.

He got a little streaky at times, and not in a good way: he had one six-game pointless streak and another 11-game drought. But when he was hot for a game, he was hot, producing multiple points on four separate nights that made up nine of his 23 points.

Nevertheless, Steen added depth for Providence, with much needed scoring. He finished 8^th on the team in scoring this past season.

He added 81 shots and has a quick release, as shown below.

Then there are moments like this that offer a glimpse in the type of player he can become. Just a smart heads up player to find his open teammate.

It’s not going to be an easy road to the Bruins’ NHL roster, as the Bruins are quite deep at center.

However, Steen does add versatility, as he can be used on the wing and that could open a quicker route for the young Swede at the big club. Time will also tell how his size will come into effect (he’s listed at 5’ 9” and a shade under 190 pounds), but he has been known to play with an edge and that may fit in with the Bruins’ style.

The fact that a 6th-round pick from just a few years ago is already making an AHL impact is a good sign, and is part of what has him ranked so high on this list.

Steen will enter the second year of his three-year, entry-level contract with the Bruins in the fall.

He definitely needs more development at the AHL level, and will likely spend nearly the entirety of next season lacing up the skates in Providence.

However, it wouldn’t be a shock if he gets a call-up to fill in on the wing sometime next season, and we’ll all be excited to see where he goes from there.

Projection for next year: Providence, with a shot at a call-up.