Seth Griffith

History

2009-10: Drafted by London in the fourth round (65th overall) of the 2009 OHL Priority Draft, Seth Griffith appeared in 17 regular season games and 10 playoff contests for the Knights. He spent the majority of the season with the St. Mary’s Lincolns in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Griffith scored 2 goals with 1 assist and was minus-five during the regular season for London, which had the OHL’s third-best record. In the playoffs he scored 4 goals with 3 assists and was plus-one with 2 penalty minutes. Griffith was the leading score for St. Mary’s, scoring 43 goals with 35 assists and had 56 penalty minutes in 49 games. After finishing fourth in the Western Conference St. Mary’s lost to LaSalle in the first round. In five playoff games Griffith scored 6 goals with 3 assists.

2010-11: Griffith was the third-leading scorer for London in his first full OHL season and represented Canada at the 2011 U18 World Junior Championship. In 68 games he scored 22 goals with 40 assists and was -1 with 28 penalty minutes. The Knights reached the OHL playoffs despite finishing last in the tough Midwest Division. In the six game series with eventual OHL champion Owen Sound, Griffith was the Knights’ leading scorer with 3 goals and 4 assists and was minus-two with 6 penalty minutes. Griffith was scoreless with an even plus/minus in seven games for fourth-place Canada at the WJC. He was ranked 157th amongst North American prospects in Central Scouting’s final rankings prior to the 2011 NHL Draft but was not selected.

2011-12: Griffith returned to London for a second season after attending the Tampa Bay Lightning training camp. He was the Knights’ leading scorer with 45 goals and 40 assists and was plus-24 with 49 penalty minutes in 68 games. London finished with the OHL’s best record, winning the Midwest Division, and advanced to the Memorial Cup by capturing the playoff title. Griffith had an outstanding post-season, scoring 10 goals with 13 assists while finishing plus-14 in 19 OHL playoff games. In the Memorial Cup he scored 1 goal with 2 assists and was minus-three with 4 penalty minutes. Shawinigan defeated London, 2-1 in overtime, in the Memorial Cup championship game. Griffith was not among the 210 North American skaters in Central Scouting’s final ranking yet was selected by Boston in the fifth round (131st overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft.

2012-13: Griffith was the second-leading scorer for OHL champion London in his third season despite missing time with a broken hand. He scored 33 goals with 48 assists in 54 games and was +18 with 52 penalty minutes. The Knights finished with the OHL’s best record and overcame a three games to one deficit in the OHL Finals against Barrie to reach the Memorial Cup. Griffith scored 9 goals with 16 assists in 21 playoff games and was +5 with 14 penalty minutes. In four Memorial Cup games he scored 1 goal with 2 assists and was -3 with 4 penalty minutes. Griffith attended camp with Canada’s U20 team but was not selected to play in the 2013 World Junior Championship. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with Boston in April, 2013.

 2013-14: Griffith was the second-leading scorer for Boston AHL affiliate Providence behind fellow rookie Alexander Khokhlachev in his first pro season. He scored 20 goals with 30 assists and had an even plus/minus with 28 penalty minutes in 69 regular season games. Providence finished third in the Atlantic Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Griffith scored 4 goals with 7 assists and was +5 with 8 penalty minutes in 12 playoff games.

2014-15: Griffith made his NHL debut with the Bruins on October 13th against Colorado and played in 30 games for Boston in the first half of the 2014-15 season before being assigned to AHL affiliate Providence in January 2015. He scored 6 goals with 4 assists and was -2 with 6 penalty minutes skating for Boston. Griffith scored 12 goals with 19 assists and was -1 with 12 penalty minutes in 39 AHL games with Providence. Seven of his 12 goals were scored on the power play. In the five-game playoff series against Hartford he scored 2 goals with 3 assists and had an even plus/minus with no penalties.

Talent Analysis

Griffith is a small, skilled forward with excellent hockey sense and solid offensive skills. He has an impressive compete level that allows him to win pucks from much bigger defensemen. Offensively, Griffith’s best attribute is his hockey sense. He thinks the game at a high level and knows how to get the most out of his linemates.

Future

Griffith suffered a knee injury that kept him out of the lineup at the start of the 2015-16. Once healthy he was assigned to the AHL's Providence Bruins where he has spent most of the year; appearing in two mid-season games with Boston during a call-up in late December. Griffith's play with the Bruins in 2014-15 suggests he can produce points but his lack of size and strength and limited physical game are an obstacle to him staying at the NHL level on a permanent basis. Long-term Griffith’s potential is somewhere between an offensively inclined third liner and a complementary second liner.