Bruins
“We feel very comfortable with making a selection, but we’re going to continue to see what might present between now and then.”
The Boston Bruins have not had an opportunity to pluck a prospect in the top 10 of an NHL Draft in 14 years.
Be it the pugnacious Brady Martin, poised Jake O’Brien, or the big-bodied Roger McQueen, the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft stands as a long-awaited opportunity for Don Sweeney and the Bruins to give their listless prospect pipeline a shot in the arm.
A blue-chip center prospect tossing a black-and-gold sweater over his head in Los Angeles on Friday night would be a welcome sight for a Bruins organization whose future contention window rests on young talent complementing a core of David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.
But a little over 48 hours from the start of the first round, Sweeney acknowledged that the Bruins are not ruling out any options when it comes to adding talent to this roster.
Even if those measures may include relinquishing some of the coveted draft capital drawn from such a miserable season.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions over the last month, month and a half, of potential options with that pick,” Sweeney said Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena. “[We] are still exploring them as of today, probably as of tomorrow as well. So we feel very comfortable with making a selection, but we’re going to continue to see what might present between now and then.”
Given both the murky outlook when it comes to charting out the 2025 draft order and the number of teams wielding multiple first-round picks this year like Pittsburgh (No. 11, No. 12), Montreal (No. 16, No. 17) and Columbus (No. 14, No. 20), Sweeney acknowledged that there could be plenty of “movement” between now and when teams submit their draft selections on Friday.
For the Bruins, that could present multiple contingency plans beyond just sticking with the No. 7 pick and selecting a potential top-six fixture down the middle.
As appealing as it would be to see a youngster like O’Brien or even a sliding prospect like James Hagens rise through the ranks in Boston, the Bruins may not necessarily have the appetite to utilize all of those draft picks for the next three to four seasons.
With Pastrnak turning 29 years old last month, the Bruins could cash in some of those picks in search of a player who can both elevate the 2025-26 roster — and ideally entrench himself as part of Boston’s reworked core for the next few seasons.
From Boston’s perspective, dealing for an established player in his prime like defenseman Noah Dobson or a winger like Martin Necas or Jason Robertson invites less risk than rolling the dice on whatever prospects are available with the seventh pick.
“I don’t think it’s a short-term acquisition that we’d be inclined to make at this point in time,” Sweeney said of the type of asset Boston would target in the right deal. “When we have runway, I think that’s what we would look to do.
“Otherwise, we are going to focus on some of the draft capital that we have and use it as effectively as we possibly can. So I won’t say that when something presents in a player that has some term and/or runway that we wouldn’t jump at that. Because we would.”
Considering that Boston also holds its own first-round picks the next two seasons — along with both Toronto’s 2026 and Florida’s 2027 first-rounders — Sweeney could also part with future selections if he doesn’t want to cough up the No. 7 selection this year.
And if Boston isn’t smitten with any one prospect at No. 7 and is looking to acquire more darts for the dartboard, Sweeney acknowledged that the team could either trade down or part with a roster player if it gives them more chances to refill the club’s prospect pool.
For years, a win-now approach for the Bruins led to limited forays into the first round of the draft … and a subsequent barren prospect pool.
A disastrous season in 2024-25 might have changed some of Sweeney’s sentiment when it comes to drafting, development, and the patience required to orchestrate another sustainable contender.
But with the likes of Pastrnak and McAvoy not getting any younger, Sweeney won’t be hanging up on any calls that would give his team an immediate lift on the ice this fall.
“We have draft capital that we haven’t had in the past, that we’re perfectly happy with making selections,” Sweeney said. “But we’re going to continue to see what the marketplace might bear, and whether that’s players or move-back, move-up scenarios — I think we’re well positioned to be able to explore those. Whereas in years past, we haven’t been.
“I think we’ve got a core group of guys that, when healthy, are going to put us right back in a competitive mindset. And now we have to do a good job to surround that or grow it.”
Opting for talent over need
The writing is on the wall that the Bruins will home in on a center if they stand pat and select a prospect with the No. 7 pick.
But Sweeney stressed that the Bruins aren’t prioritizing a player who solely plays down the middle if they believe another option (perhaps winger Porter Martone or right-shot defenseman Radim Mrtka) offers a higher ceiling.
“We’re taking the best player,” Sweeney said, later adding: “I want to make sure our guys know we’re not trying to be myopic in how we view things. To just say it’s center-based, or it’s skill-based or just a guy who can shoot a puck.
“Ultimately, we’ve got to put [on] all the decision-making lenses and make the best decision we can. But yeah, more skill and scoring and competitiveness are the areas that we need.”
Loose pucks
Despite coming to terms with one of their top restricted free agents in Mason Lohrei earlier this week, Sweeney added that Boston is still chipping away at a contract with its top RFA in 33-goal scorer Morgan Geekie.
“There’s been constant communication,” Sweeney said. “Are we on the doorstep? I don’t think so, but that can change with one phone call.”
———
Sweeney was mum when asked about his communication with Brad Marchand and whether or not a return this offseason remains a tangible scenario.
“The only comment that I’ll make is that I’ve exchanged texts to congratulate Brad,” Sweeney said. “Beyond that, he’s a player on another team, so I have zero comment in that regard. He deserves congratulations, along with the Florida Panthers.”
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.