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Bruins Future Stars: Vladimir Sobotka

Vladimir Sobotka has been on the Bruins depth chart for the past couple of years and has certainly made his mark on the team. Blake Wheeler recently noted how tough Sobotka is on the ice, and that really helps when the best hitter on the team in Milan Lucic is out for the next couple of weeks with a broken right index finger. Sobotka was selected by the Bruins in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft with the 106th overall pick from HC Slavia Praha of the Czech Extraliga.

In his first season with the Bruins he spent most of his time with Boston (48 games) rather than with Providence (18 games) and played well for both teams. For Providence the 22-year-old had 10 goals and 10 assists in the 18 games in the 2007-08 season. With Boston he had one goal and six assists throughout his 48 game tenure but also added two goals in six playoff games for Boston.

Last year the Czech also split time between Boston (25 games) and Providence (44 games). He played very well with Providence as he was able to score 20 goals and add 24 assists with 83 penalty minutes. While in Boston, Sobotka had one goal with four assists and 10 penalty minutes. This season he has performed well, as he has played in 15 games with one goal and two assists.

While Marc Savard was out with a broken foot, Sobotka picked up a lot more playing time, and he should continue to improve this year. So far in his career, he has been given a lot of chances with Boston and now it’s up to him to take the opportunity.

Tags: Bruins, Vladimir Sobotka