Bruins
“We will use the draft capital and try to improve our hockey club this year and moving forward in every capacity possible.”
For the first time since 2011, the Boston Bruins are set to pick in the top 10 of an NHL Draft.
By the time Boston lands on the clock with the No. 7 pick in the upcoming draft, the Bruins should be in prime position to bolster their barren prospect pool with a promising player.
A dearth in young, impactful centermen has significantly lowered Boston’s ceiling in the post-Bergeron era — and stands as the most pressing need for a retooling Bruins roster.
One of the many pivots in Boston’s draft range like Brady Martin, Jake O’Brien, Roger McQueen, or even Caleb Desnoyers would be a welcome addition for a franchise that needs to build up their roster down the middle once again.
But even with the potential of drafting a top-six fixture sitting on the horizon, Bruins GM Don Sweeney kept his options open last week when asked about that No. 7 pick.
“It’s always going to be about what’s best for the organization,” Sweeney said at Marco Sturm’s introductory press conference on June 10. “We’re in a unique position this year drafting in the top 10 that we haven’t been there for a significant amount of time. We’re excited about that. We have two second-round picks. You have two firsts the following year, two firsts.
“We’ve been an aggressive organization, whether or not you want to point out fault in regard to trying to win and accomplish the ultimate goal. That’s what we’re here for. So, we will use the draft capital and try to improve our hockey club this year and moving forward in every capacity possible. It might be making the selection, but it won’t mean that we aren’t having conversations that says, ‘How do we improve our hockey club today and moving forward?’”
Sweeney’s decision to strip Boston’s roster down to the studs in March landed them a significant haul of picks. Beyond their own No. 7 pick drawn out of a miserable 2024-25 season, Boston also holds an additional four potential first-round picks (two of their own, and both Toronto’s 2026 and Florida’s 2027 first-rounder) over the next three years.
If Boston opts to stand pat and use those picks to replenish their prospect pipeline, it could help the Bruins fill out their roster and complement the likes of David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy in the coming years.
But the Bruins are also in an uncomfortable position as far as how much patience can be prescribed for a team that — while retooling — may have a bit more urgency than a team willing to stomach a four or five-year rebuild.
As such, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if the Bruins use some of that surplus in draft capital to try and add to this current roster with more proven commodities if the right deal arises.
But could that reasonably include the No. 7 pick?
Yes, holding onto the coveted draft selection offers Boston its best chance in decades to target a young center who could develop into a franchise fixture.
But there’s also no guarantee that a player like Martin or O’Brien will become star talent. And even if that player does hit, it might be wishful thinking to expect said prospect to be hitting his stride while Pastrnak is still in his prime years.
A reset was all but inevitable for Boston after this year went off the rails.
But if the Bruins could flip that No. 7 pick in a package for an impact player in his mid-20s — it might be a more palatable option for a team that is still trying to open up a new contention window when players like Pastrnak (29 years old) and McAvoy (27 years) are still playing at a high level.
Could Boston use that No. 7 pick to acquire a star winger rumored to be on the open market like Jason Roberson or Martin Necas? Perhaps it could entice a team like Vancouver to move on from disgruntled center Elias Pettersson?
It’s unclear if Pettersson is even going to be dangled on the market — and trading for an uber-skilled center like him is still a massive risk given both his contract ($11.6 million cap hit through 2032) and severe drop-off this past year (15 goals, 45 points).
And even if Necas and or Robertson would immediately bolster Boston’s offense, acquiring a star winger would still mean that Boston is kicking the proverbial can down the road when it comes to developing a proven center in due time.
Still, Necas, 26, is one the more dynamic skaters in the NHL — ranking in the 99th percentile of all skaters, per the league’s NHL Edge stat tracking. The Czech product has skated alongside the likes of Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha during international competition — and is coming off a season where he posted 83 points (27 goals, 56 assists) over 79 games between Carolina and Colorado.
Robertson — who won’t turn 26 years old until July — has also averaged 37.8 goals and 87 points over the last four seasons, and has been a key cog on a Dallas team that has gone to three straight Western Conference Finals.
Robertson and Necas may not be top-line centers. But they’re elite wingers who would immediately slot in as franchise fixtures for the Bruins in 2025 and the years ahead.
After years spent relinquishing draft picks for immediate returns, Sweeney and his staff must grapple with a new reality if they intend on opening up a sustainable, homegrown contention window.
But as the Bruins try to toe the line between orchestrating a proper retool while also not wasting Pastrnak’s prime, it’s clear from Sweeney’s comments that Boston is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to improving this roster.
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