The stakes had never been higher for Jakub Zboril when he entered the Bruins' accelerated training camp ahead of the 2021 season.
And he couldn't be more thankful for such circumstances.
Despite some strong showings during previous camps and preseason outings, the 2015 first-round pick always appeared to be on the outside looking in at a solidified starting role up in the NHL ranks — with Zboril appearing in just two games with Boston prior to this current COVID-impacted campaign.
Granted, most of those limited reps had more to do with the state of Boston's D corps than an overall indictment on Zboril's viability as an NHLer — as the left side of the B's blue line (anchored by Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug and the emergence of Matt Grzelcyk) left little room for new blood from Providence to push for a defined spot in Bruce Cassidy's rotation.
"You got two guys that leave that play left D, so you're naturally — you should be excited, because there's opportunity right away," Cassidy said of the state of Boston's defense entering camp. "Sometimes you come into camp, you do everything necessary — just no room. And that was a bit of the case on the left side here with Zee and Krug and then Grizz kind of pushed his way in the door. So it got tough for those young guys, Lauzon included, Vaak. So now there's some light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, for those guys."
Given the new vacancies present on Boston's roster — coupled with the added security that came with entering 2021 on a new deal — the odds finally seemed to be stacked in Zboril's favor when it came to earning his shot up with the big club, even if such opportunity brought with it heaps of added pressure.
"He gets a one-way contract, so he knows he's going to probably be here," Cassidy said. "Doesn't guarantee it, but a better chance. So there's progression there, right? So there's two things right away — he feels 'Okay, I'm part of this. They believe in me. Now it's up to me to seize the opportunity.' Which is entirely on him."
Fair to say, the 23-year-old defenseman has made the most of it.
After years of development, growing pains and seasons spent trudging along in the AHL — whilst saddled with the unfair expectations bestowed by that fateful draft — Zboril is finally a regular cog on Boston's D corps.
And, at long last, it certainly looks like he belongs.
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January 26, 2021 at 09:57PM
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Jakub Zboril's emergence serving as a 'really nice surprise' for revamped B's blue line - bostonsportsjournal.com
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