The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Die By The Blade community. It was a combination of six staff writers and over 500 readers that ranked players under the age of 25 by September 1st, 2019. Each participant used their own metric of current ability and production to rank each player.
New to the top 25 rankings this year is defenseman Jacob Bryson of London, Ontario. This past spring, the 21-year-old made an impression during the Frozen Four and served as one of Providence College’s captains during the 2018-2019 season. Despite his seemingly small stature, Bryson may be one to watch as far as speed when he begins his professional career in Rochester come fall.
During his three years of playing at Providence, he earned a total of 73 points in 121 games with an average of +11. It is worth mentioning, too, that each year his point total surpassed the previous year.
With experience in three Sabres development camps, Bryson will also look to be somewhat of a veteran among newly drafted Dylan Cozens and the like. He has made it clear to the press this summer that he will be working hard at camp and in the gym to earn a roster spot.
One of the biggest issues for the Sabres over the last decade has arguably been the lack of strong defensemen. With rumors of a Rasmus Ristolainen trade and various surgeries this off-season (Lawrence Pilut’s shoulder and Zach Bogosian’s hip), Bryson might get the call for his first NHL game sooner than anticipated. We will just have to wait and see if his hard work this summer pays off in the next few months.