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On Monday night we’ll find out if the Bruins will be happy with where they’re picking in June’s draft, or very happy.
The National Hockey League will hold its draft lottery and, depending on the outcome, the B’s can pick between No. 1 or No. 7.
By virtue of their fifth-worst finish, the B’s have the fifth-best shot at landing the top pick. They have an 8.5% chance at landing the top pick, an 8.6% chance at getting the second pick, a 0.3% chance at the third pick, no chance of picking fourth, a 24.5% chance of staying put at the fifth pick, a 44% chance at dropping to sixth and a 14.2% chance at picking seventh.
Should the B’s land the top pick, the consensus best player available is Erie Otters (OHL) defenseman Matthew Schaefer, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound do-it-all D-man who was on his way to spectacular season (7-15-22 in 17 games) when he suffered a broken collarbone at the World Junior Championships in December. But his play was promising enough to put him at No. 1 on most draftniks’ boards.
While any team can use a defenseman who draws comparisons to Miro Heiskanen like Schaefer has, the B’s imperative to draft and develop a No. 1 centerman is the most pressing organizational need. Whether or not Michael Misa will turn out to be that top line center, the left-shot pivot had a stunningly good season for the Saginaw Spirit (OHL), when he posted 62-72-134 totals in 65 games, though he did have a disappointing playoff (2-1-3 and minus-10 in four games). If the B’s win the top pick, it would not be a shock if they decide to take Misa. If they land the second pick, it’s a good bet that Misa’s still there. After that, he’ll be gone.
There are still intriguing pivots remaining after Misa, however. There is, of course, Boston College’s James Hagens. He began the year projected as the top pick but was overtaken by others. There is some concern about his size (5-11, 177) and his ability to work in inside ice, but he was also just 17 years old when the college season started and there is no denying his elite skill level. He had 11-26-37 totals in 37 games as an Eagle freshman. He may not project to be a transformational player, but he’ll be a top-six forward. If you told Bruins’ fans at the start of the season that they’d have a shot of landing Hagens, they would have been quite happy.
A player who has gained traction down the stretch has been Moncton Wildcat (QMJHL) center Caleb Desnoyers, helped no doubt by Moncton’s rampage through the Quebec league’s playoffs. With Desnoyers leading the way (35-49-84 in 56 regular season games, 9-15-24 in 13 playoff games), Moncton has swept two series and won the other one in five games. Winning matters, and Desnoyers contributes to that goal at both ends of the ice. There’s no doubt the B’s brass has seen plenty of him given that he’s a teammate of Bruin draftee, defenseman Loke Johansson (sixth round, 2024).
Center Anton Frondell (Djurgardens, Sweden) is the top-rated European and may be more NHL-ready than most prospects by virtue of the fact that he’s already playing with men in Sweden’s second division. After battling through some early season injuries, he had 11-14-25 in 29 games with Djurgardens and has good size (6-foot-1, 198 pounds), though he’s not the fleetest of skaters. He’s played wing as well and one comparable for Frondell has been Gabriel Landeskog. Like most Swedes, he’s strong defensively.
If it’s big centermen you like, there’s Brandon Wheat Kings’ (WHL) Roger McQueen (6-foot-5, 192 pounds). Though McQueen remains highly rated, he missed most of the season with a back injury, which no doubt would be a red flag for most teams. When healthy, he has produced. He had 10-10-20 totals in 17 games once he returned and, in 2023-24, he had 21-30-51 in 53 games. The B’s must hit on this pick, wherever it falls, and this might be too big a chance to take. On top of that, they selected the same body type last year in BC centerman Dean Letourneau.
After being the Canadian Hockey League Rookie of the Year in 2024, Brantford Bulldog (OHL) center Jake O’Brien followed that up with a strong season 2024-25, when he posted 32-66-98 totals in 66 games. He’s slender at 6-foot-2, 177 pounds but he has a good two-way game. One concern is that over half of his production (50 points) came on the man advantage. He might be a reach at No. 7, if the B’s drop to that spot, but given their need for a center, O’Brien could attract the B’s at that spot.
One more name to keep in mind: Porter Martone. He’s not a centerman, but he’s a commodity the B’s always covet – power forward. At 6-3, 208 pounds, the Brampton Steelhead right wing had an excellent OHL season, posting 37-61-98 totals. While his truculence may not be that of, say, Tom Wilson, he does use his size to get to hard areas of the ice. He also rose late, with TSN’s Bob McKenzie rating him third, behind only Schaefer and Misa.
Whatever pick the lottery gives them, the B’s should get a good prospect. But keep in mind, there is not a Macklin Celebrini in this draft. It’s a strong bet the prospect they draft will remain just that, at least for another year.
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