P-Bruins Coach Jay Leach Raves About Zach Senyshyn Ahead Of AHL Season

Zach Senyshyn still is waiting for his chance.

The Bruins’ 2015 first-round pick has gotten a little bit of NHL exposure, but much like teammate Anton Blidh, has yet to stick with Boston. He looked good in a brief call-up in 2019 that ended up getting shortened due to injury, and has not been recalled since.

With the AHL season still a day away from beginning, Senyshyn already has seen Blidh and Karson Kuhlman get called up and play. Not to be knocked off course though, Senyshyn’s AHL coach made clear that the 23-year-old is putting his head down and working.

“(His attitude has) been outstanding,” Jay Leach said Thursday over Zoom. “I think he had a really good offseason, he went to work. He changed up his group that he works out with up in Ottawa, I think he really put a focus and emphasis on getting stronger, wanting to finish around the net.

“And like any of us, he’s matured. He’s a bit older. I’m sure there’s frustration if other guys are up there in front of him, but I can’t say I’ve seen much of that here with Seny. I think all I’ve seen is a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of effort and I think his mindset — and again, I don’t want to speak for him — but my take is that he’s just waiting for his opportunity.

“He’s certainly come a long way, he’s always had that attitude with us. I think over time we’ve certainly really grown to appreciate Seny and his attitude and certainly are rooting for him. We’re excited for him to play tomorrow and get going and hopefully climb that ladder.”

Because he’s been around for a while, it’s easy to forget that Senyshyn still is young. Sometimes guys just take a little while to develop, and that’s been the case for Senyshyn.

As a restricted free agent this past offseason, the Bruins gave him a one-year deal, and he’ll be an RFA once more this offseason. This is an important year for him, Jack Studnicka is up in the NHL, and so, too, is Trent Frederic. That opens a lot of doors for him to stand out while he’s in the AHL — and maybe that’s what he needs to make the jump.