There’s plenty of growing pains that await young hockey players first navigating the pro game in the AHL.
So far, no ice bags have been needed for 21-year-old Dans Locmelis.
When the Bruins’ 2022 fourth-round pick opted to sign an entry-level contract with Boston in March, the Latvian-born forward was projected as a steady middle-six center whose value at the next level would be rooted in a steady, two-way approach on the frozen sheet.
It’s the type of profile that the Bruins have long valued in their prospect pipeline, which has been hindered following years spent trading draft capital and targeting high-floor, low-ceiling talents.