The Boston Bruins are loaded with first-round draft picks. It is a fairly distinctive state of affairs for the B’s to seek out themselves in.
In any case, the Bruins haven’t made first-round picks in back-to-back years since 2016 and 2017, and so they’ve picked in Spherical 1 in simply 4 of the final seven drafts.
However after dealing away a number of veterans at the March 7 NHL trade deadline, Bruins normal supervisor Don Sweeney now has a excessive quantity of draft capital to restock the staff’s lackluster prospect pool. He might additionally use a few of these picks in potential commerce packages to accumulate established expertise that would assist Boston get back into the playoff mix quickly.
In complete, the Bruins might have 5 first-round picks and 4 second-round picks over the following three drafts:
Sweeney was requested Tuesday throughout head coach Marco Sturm’s introductory press conference in regards to the staff’s draft capital.
“It is all the time going to be what’s greatest for the group. We’re in a novel place this 12 months drafting within the high 10,” Sweeney stated. “We have not been there for a big period of time. We’re enthusiastic about that. We now have two second-round picks. Two first-round picks the next 12 months. We have been an aggressive group. Whether or not you need to level out fault with regard to attempting to win and attain the final word purpose, that is what we’re right here for.
“We’ll use the draft capital and attempt to enhance our hockey membership this 12 months and transferring ahead in each capability doable. It may be making the choice, however it will not imply that we aren’t having conversations that say, ‘How will we enhance our hockey membership at the moment and transferring ahead?’”
The crown jewel of the Bruins’ draft picks is their 2025 first-rounder, which is No. 7 overall. The final time the Bruins’ personal choice was within the high seven was 2006, after they took ahead Phil Kessel at No. 5.
Wouldn’t it make sense to commerce the No. 7 decide? The one state of affairs during which dealing away this decide could be sensible is that if a younger star beneath contract was a part of the return package deal. That stated, a powerful case might be made for retaining this decide and utilizing it to bolster a prospect pool thought-about by many consultants to be among the many worst within the league. Actually, the Bruins’ prospect pool ranked thirtieth out of 32 groups in Scott Wheeler’s latest evaluation for The Athletic in February.
The Bruins’ No. 1 want on the NHL stage and all through the group is a top-six middle. And by chance for the Bruins, the 2025 draft class is loaded with quality centers.
Gamers reminiscent of James Hagens (Boston Faculty), Brady Martin (Soo Greyhounds), Jake O’Brien (Brantford Bulldogs) and Roger McQueen (Brandon Wheat Kings) might be obtainable at No. 7 and provides the B’s a future top-six middle.
The Bruins can be busy on Day 2 of the upcoming draft, assuming they preserve their picks. Boston owns two second-rounders — the St. Louis Blues’ decide at No. 51 and the Carolina Hurricanes’ decide at No. 61 — one third-rounder at No. 69 and one fourth-rounder (the Philadelphia Flyers’ decide at No. 100). Boston owns its fifth-, sixth- and seventh-round picks, too.
Sweeney has to steadiness constructing for the long run whereas executing a short-term retool. He has the draft capital to journey each paths concurrently. The true query is whether or not Sweeney and his scouts will decide the suitable gamers. The Bruins’ draft historical past throughout his 10-year tenure as GM has been subpar.
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