Anders Bjork has finally decided to leave Notre Dame, and sign with the Boston Bruins. Bjork’s signing has been anticipated since Notre Dame’s season came to an end in April. The 20 year old Bjork just finished his junior year at the school. It was also his first season as one of Notre Dame’s assistant captains.
Boston Bruins Sign Anders Bjork to Entry Level Deal
Ideally, Bjork would’ve joined the Bruins immediately following Notre Dame’s elimination. He would’ve been a big boost or Boston’s playoff push. Boston general manager, Don Sweeney, acknowledged the difficulty of the choice, and said he respected Bjork’s decision to wait. “It was a difficult decision for Anders and his family for him to leave Notre Dame and we respected his time table to make the best decision for himself.”
Bjork was a fifth round pick in 2014, before he even played for Notre Dame. At the time, he was apart of the U.S. National U18 Team, and committed to Notre Dame. It was his second year with the U.S. team, and he recorded 21 points in 26 USHL games that season. He also played 61 games outside of the USHL, that year, and had 41 points.
He’s recently gained steam, and it’s looking like Boston may have gotten a steal in Bjork. During his three years playing for Notre Dame, he totaled 116 games played. He showed his worth in those games, by putting up a total of 109 points. Just about half of those points came last season alone, when he had 52 points in only 39 games.
Anders also joined the United States during this year’s IIHF World Championship. The Wisconsin native went pointless in five games, but it’s still impressive that he was able to join the team.
How Bjork Could Help Boston
Many Boston fans think Bjork could be the fix they needed. Sweeney thinks he is NHL ready. He said, “Anders certainly possesses the attributes needed to play in today’s NHL. He has speed, skill, terrific hockey sense and outstanding character.” If this is true, the Bruins could have another contender for the second line wing, a spot that a handful of prospects are currently fighting for.
Others are saying Bjork may not stay with the Bruins long. With his value significantly climbing after his success with ND, he would be a good addition to a trade. If he was dealt, it’s likely the return would be a left handed defenseman to help stabilize the Bruins defense.
Whether he makes his NHL debut with Boston or not, Bjork will be interesting to watch. If he’s able to compete at the NHL level, like Sweeney claims, he could be yet another highly skilled winger entering the league.
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