Ryan Spooner Remains Atop Bruins Prospect Rankings While Jamie Arniel Cracks Top 10

It was a light week for Boston’s prospects, as the club’s top affiliate in Providence played just one game.

The Bruins at least made it worthwhile with a 4-3 win in overtime at Worcester on Saturday, but the sample size for judging the club’s talent was a bit small, at least at the American Hockey League level.

There was more action down in the junior and college ranks, but not enough to shake up the prospect rankings too much.

Even with Saturday’s win, Providence is off to a slow start with a 2-3-0-1 record through six games. The Baby B’s are sixth in the seven-team Atlantic Division and have been outscored 23-14.

With just 14 goals in six games, it’s obvious the club’s prospects aren’t exactly filling up the scoresheets. But there is plenty of talent in the system, and with three games on tap for this weekend as Providence hosts Albany and plays a home-and-home series with Worcester, things can change quickly in the AHL standings — and in the Bruins’ prospect rankings.

• 1
  Last week: No. 1
  Current Team: Peterborough (OHL)
  Ryan Spooner, C
  Spooner stays atop the rankings after picking up two more assists in three games this week. He did come up on the short end of a showdown with fellow Bruins prospect Jared Knight, as Spooner didn’t have a point as his Petes fell to London 6-3 on Saturday. Spooner does still have 7-8-15 totals through nine games this year.

• 2
  Last week: No. 2
  Current Team: Providence (AHL)
  Joe Colborne, C
  Colborne had an assist in Providence’s lone game this week, his second point of the season. He stands at 0-2-2 and a minus-1 with four penalty minutes and 10 shots through six games in his first pro season.

• 3
  Last week: No. 3
  Current Team: London (OHL)
  Jared Knight, C/RW
  Knight continues to score at a point-a-game pace this season in London. He had a relatively quiet week with just two assists in three games as the Knights lost to Oshawa and Kitchener and beat Spooner’s Peterborough club. Both assists came against the Petes, and Knight now has 4-7-11 totals in 11 games.

• 4
  Last week: No. 4
  Current Team: Providence (AHL)
  Matt Bartkowski, D
  Bartkowski didn’t have a point in Providence’s win over Worcester, but was a plus-1. He remains at 0-1-1 with a minus-2 rating and 10 shots through four games. With Johnny Boychuk injured n Boston, Bartkowski could be in line for a call-up if the Bruins opt to carry an extra blueliner with the big club.

• 5
  Last week: No. 5
  Current Team: Providence (AHL)
  Steve Kampfer, D
  Kampfer also had an assist in the 4-3 win over Worcester, and now leads Providence in both assists and points with 1-4-5 totals through six games. He is also a plus-3 with 12 shots. Kampfer was sent down before Bartkowski, but he could get the first call up if Boston seeks blue-line reinforcements while Boychuk is out.

• 6
  Last week: No. 6
  Current Team: Providence (AHL)
  Max Sauve, C/LW
  Sauve did not play this week as he is currently sidelined with a wrist injury that is expected to keep him out about three weeks. He remains at 3-1-4 and a plus-1 in four games, and Providence will definitely miss his offensive production up front while he is out.

• 7
  Last week: No. 7
  Current Team: Prince Albert (WHL)
  Ryan Button, D
  The struggles continued for Prince Albert, as the Raiders fell 9-2 to Medicine Hat and dropped a pair of heartbreakers, 2-1 to Lethbridge and 5-4 to Moose Jaw. Button suffered some collateral damage as he was a minus-3 on the week with no points. He sits at 0-4-4 with 13 PIMs and a plus-2 through 15 games.

• 8
  Last week: No. 8
  Current Team: Providence (AHL)
  Yury Alexandrov, D
  Alexandrov had a quiet week with no points against Worcester. The Russian defenseman continues to adapt to the North American game, and has an even plus/minus rating with 1-1-2 totals and nine shots through six games.

• 9
  Last week: Unranked
  Current Team: Providence (AHL)
  Jamie Arniel, C
  After a one-week absence, Arniel makes it back into the top 10 as he scored a pair of goals, including the winner in overtime, against Worcester. Arniel leads the Baby B’s with three goals and 23 shots, and has also chipped in an assist through six games. That’s enough to drop Boston University defenseman David Warsofsky out of the top 10. Warsofsky has gone three games without a point after putting up 2-3-5 totals in his first two games.

• 10
  Last week: No. 9
  Current Team: Providence (AHL)
  Zach Hamill, C
  Hamill didn’t snap out of his early-season scoring funk with another point-less outing against Worcester. The 2007 first-rounder now has no goals and just one assist through six games. He is even in the plus/minus department and has 12 shots, but he needs to start finding the back of the net with a few of them to hold on to his spot in the top 10.