Two for The Show in '09-10?

So which farm boys, if any, will play the part in 2009-10? Based on previous performance and expected vacancies in Boston, Sobotka and Tuukka Rask have the best chances of earning NHL salaries come October.

"Yeah. I'm ready," Rask said. "Everybody keeps asking me the same question. 'Are you ready? Are you ready?' I've played some games there and I showed I can play there. I played at a good level in the AHL. I felt ready two years ago."

With the early flameouts of Hannu Toivonen and Andrew Raycroft serving notice of how fickle goaltender development can be, the Bruins have kept their foot on the brake pedal with Rask since he entered the organization on June 24, 2006. In 2007-08, when Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez were sidelined with injuries, Rask was called up to Boston and appeared in four games.

This past season, Rask was the best goaltender in training camp but was sent to Providence to start 2008-09. During the year, Rask was recalled three times and served as Thomas's backup for five games. He started one. And made it count.

"The shutout against the Rangers is what I'll remember from this year," said Rask, who stopped 31 shots to post a 1-0 blanking of the Blueshirts Jan. 31.

But a one-game NHL stint wasn't what 2008-09 was about for Rask. The intention was to make the 22-year-old The Man in Providence, where he would backstop a young club, assume a heavy workload, and layer on mental strengthening to his technical ability. Rask went 33-20-4 with a 2.50 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. He improved in the playoffs, posting a 9-7 record with a 2.21 GAA and a .930 save percentage.

Through the first two years, Rask has been on an ideal pace, first acclimating himself to North American hockey, then ramping up his duties. He also improved his once-subpar practice level. So it seems logical that he continues along the curve by serving as Thomas's backup in 2009-10, with Fernandez out of the picture.

"In his own mind, he was probably looking for it to be quicker than it was," said Providence coach Rob Murray. "Realistically, we all knew. You have to develop.

"As we sit here today, potentially his time has come. I don't want to say he's put in his time. I think he really made strides this year. His practice habits improved. He understands how important it is to win now, not just individually but as a team. He was invested in that for us this year."

"I think it was a good year overall," Rask said. "I improved every part of my game. I played a lot and was really able to handle the amount of games."

If he makes the team in Boston, Rask will earn an $850,000 base salary. He could make up to $3.2 million, but he is not expected to hit his bonuses.

Sobotka should also be in the mix, with his future hinging on management's decision regarding two unrestricted free agents: P.J. Axelsson and Stephane Yelle. This season, Sobotka was a top-line left wing centered by Martin St. Pierre. In 44 games, he had 20 goals and 24 assists while recording 83 penalty minutes.

"We all think Vladdy's a guy who can play in the NHL," Murray said. "By the fact that he didn't get traded at the deadline, they've got plans for him."

Sobotka projects to a third- or fourth-line NHL forward, with penalty-killing chores perhaps expected as well. While Sobotka is a natural center, Murray said he prefers playing on the wing.

"He's strong and he's courageous," Murray said. "He doesn't get intimidated by anything. For that reason, he should be dependable on the wall getting pucks out. He's a powerful, quick skater. He is a strong guy.

"But in saying that, down here is different than up there. Up there, every team's got bigger and stronger guys. He's got to become more elusive as a player. Down here, he tries to run everybody over."

Three other players are on the second tier of AHLers pushing for jobs: Brad Marchand and Mikko Lehtonen up front, and Jeff Penner on the back end. All had excellent rookie years but might need more time in Providence in the fall before they're ready for recall.

Bitz is looking good after his makeover

Two years later, Bitz projects to be a full-time NHL forward, one that serves as an example for younger prospects.

"Coach said before the last game that Bitz is in the NHL because he gets the puck on the boards and gets it out," said Providence right wing Brad Marchand. "It's a big thing."

Bitz, Boston's fourth-round pick in the loaded 2003 draft, was a skilled center in college, even playing the point on the power play. For Bitz to succeed as a pro, however, he needed to charge up his legs and develop an edge in the hard-hat areas.

During Bitz's first year, Gordon and his then-assistant, Rob Murray, kicked off the makeover, which continued under Claude Julien and the Boston staff upon Bitz's promotion.

"We wanted him to push the pace," Murray said. "We wanted him to play faster and aggressively. He's a guy that we had to rewire that way to get him going and play faster. As opposed to him just standing around. We got him up to speed that way."

No more lumbering and floating. A lot more crashing and banging. And then came the promotion. Bitz played in 35 regular-season NHL games, collecting 4 goals and 3 assists. In the playoffs, Bitz appeared in five games. In Game 7 against Carolina, playing alongside David Krejci and Michael Ryder, Bitz scored the game's first goal.

The lesson: Good coaching can turn around a player willing to be coached.

"The other day, I said to him, 'You do your job up there and it's amazing how effective you can be,' " Murray said. "He said, 'Yeah, I got the puck out of our zone off the wall a couple of times. You'd think the coaching staff thought I scored a goal.' "

Etc.

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com.