Clawing their way in

Two years ago, Milan Lucic made it known that he’d be more important to the Bruins as a pro than captain of his junior club. Lucic was joined on the roster by David Krejci, a first-year pro in Providence the previous season, with fellow rookies Vladimir Sobotka and Petteri Nokelainen also filling NHL roles.

With standout training camps this fall, Brad Marchand and Jeff Penner could follow in their footsteps.

Sobotka and Tuukka Rask are expected to break camp with the Bruins. But Marchand and Penner, first-year pros in 2008-09, represent the vanguard of the second wave of Providence pups eager to earn NHL paychecks.

Marchand, the 71st overall selection of the 2006 draft, was the No. 2 scorer among rookies in the AHL last season. Marchand, who stepped into Bitz’s right wing spot alongside Jeremy Reich and Wacey Rabbit upon the Cornellian’s promotion, recorded an 18-41 -59 line in 79 games, trailing only Portland’s Tim Kennedy. In the playoffs, Providence coach Rob Murray bumped Marchand up to the first line with Sobotka and Martin St. Pierre. Marchand responded with 15 points in 16 games.

“I was very happy with my game,’’ said Marchand. “There were some things I needed to work on and change. The second half of the season went very well and the playoffs went well. I was happy with how the season went. Good first year pro.’’

Marchand showed good wheels, little fear, and soft hands as an AHL rookie. At the end of the season, he was instructed to work on his game along the defensive-zone boards to win battles and chip pucks out.

One area Marchand already has appeared to perfect, however, is his ability to enrage opponents. Marchand is a perpetual yapper (“Usually something stupid,’’ Rask termed the wing’s verbal assaults) who doesn’t hesitate to give other players a jab - either with his mouth or stick. Marchand isn’t considered in the trash-talking league of Sean Avery or Steve Ott, two of the NHL’s most effective agitators. But the Bruins don’t have a mosquito-in-the-ear irritant like Marchand in their system, which could give the 5-foot-9-inch, 187-pound wing an advantage in landing an NHL job.

“I think that when I get my opportunity, I’m going to go in there and be a guy who has to work hard and do all the little things right,’’ said Marchand, who projects to be a bottom-six NHL forward. “Maybe create an opportunity here or there. But I’ll finish my hits and create energy for the guys. I’m going to be a fourth-line player or maybe a third-line player starting out. I’m just going to go in and work as hard as I can.

“I’ll play the same way, getting in guys’ faces, being gritty, and being a little pest out there. I know it might be different at the NHL level. Guys have said it’s a little more difficult to play that role because there’s a lot more respect in that league. Guys aren’t always about that. So it’s going to be an experience. I can’t wait to see it.’’

While Marchand went the major junior route, Penner chose a nontraditional approach. After playing lower-tier juniors, Penner enrolled at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks as a 20-year-old freshman in 2007-08. Following his freshman season, Penner signed with the Bruins. Last year, after making it to the second-to-last round of cuts in camp, the 5-11, 190-pound defenseman had 10 goals and 18 assists in 80 games for Providence.

Penner was paired mostly with Johnny Boychuk, who is projected to be Boston’s seventh defenseman in 2009-10. Penner plays a two-way game that emphasizes mobility, positioning, and hockey sense. Partly because of Penner’s development, the Bruins included Matt Lashoff in the deadline-day deal that brought Mark Recchi to Boston last season. Penner plays a similar style to Hunwick, although he doesn’t have the older defenseman’s turbos. Besides experience, Penner will need to round out the physical side of his game to survive the big-league battles in the danger areas.

“You always want to have high expectations,’’ said Penner. “I’d love to stick in Boston during the next training camp. I’d like to get some NHL experience next year. It was definitely encouraging seeing guys like Hunwick and Lashoff step up in the ranks. They play a very similar game to mine. It gives hope for me in the offseason.’’

Sizing up a Classic jersey

“That worked,’’ said Bruins principal Charlie Jacobs, “because they’re not necessarily their team colors. There’s no black or gold. It’s a powder blue jersey, and that made it unique. It’s certainly recognized in their market. It’s not like the Pirates, Steelers, or anything else. It’s unique.’’

Jacobs hopes that by the end of August, the Bruins, in conjunction with Reebok and the NHL, will settle on a design that will serve multiple purposes: capture the Bruins’ heritage, stand out as a unique item for the New Year’s Day game against the Flyers at Fenway Park, and convince fans to hand over their money.

“We’ve had some really good meetings with Reebok and the NHL regarding what we think will be most appropriate to our market,’’ Jacobs said. “We’ve looked at some traditions of our organization and our storied history.’’

So far, the Bruins have audited every jersey in team history, looking at elements they like and ones that, in retrospect, might have been tweaked. Jacobs said the final product could be a retro jersey, or it could be a new uniform that incorporates different treatments. Black and gold would most likely be involved in the final design. But the Bruins also have worn jerseys featuring dark brown and mustard yellow tones.

A Swede deal with big payoff

Stick salute to the Bruins, with general manager Harry Sinden at the helm then, for hitting a home run in terms of a value pick. Only six players from the 1997 draft (five first-rounders, one third-rounder) have totaled more NHL games than Axelsson, a seventh-round pick, and none with the same club.

“There was a tournament in February with the Swedes, Czechs, Finns, and Russians during the midwinter break for the elite leagues,’’ recalled Neil Abbott, Axelsson’s agent, of a game prior to the left wing’s arrival stateside. “I was sitting there with [assistant GM] Mike O’Connell. P.J. was one of their draft picks, a pretty distant draft pick. This kid dominated. He stole pucks. He skated like the wind. He intercepted passes. He was everywhere. He just did so much. O’Connell had been looking at some other guys. But after sitting with me for most of the game, I think he’d been looking at P.J. an awful lot.’’

Etc.