Unless the Boston Bruins make a trade, Don Sweeney and his cast of scouts won’t make a selection at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft until the 57th pick. In fact, the Bruins are slated to have only five selections in the entire seven-round draft.
That doesn’t mean the Bruins can’t pick up some important pieces, especially for the developmental depth chart, at the draft that takes place at American Airlines Center in Dallas on June 22-23.
History
A few of Boston’s top players were picked in similar spots in their draft years. Captain Zdeno Chara was pegged 56th overall by the New York Islanders in 2006 and Patrice Bergeron was a second-round pick by the Bruins in 2003. The Bruins took David Krecji 63rd overall a year later.
The 2018 draft is considered a strong one, and the talent pool is fairly deep. While it’s fun to talk about organizational needs and drafting certain positions, NHL teams tend to pick the best player available, regardless of position. The Bruins likely won’t stray from that in Dallas.
Recent Bruins draft history suggests the organization’s scouts have found some nice players in the second round, including Jack Studnicka, the team’s 2017 second-rounder, selected 53rd overall. A native of Tecumseh, Ont., Studnicka had a goal and four assists in five games with the Providence Bruins to end this season. With two years of junior eligibility left, Boston fans likely won’t see Studnicka for a while, but it doesn’t take away from his upside. He’s slated to be back with the Oshawa Generals for the 2018-19 season.
Rick Nash’s value was a hot-button topic during the playoff run, but the Bruins were able to acquire a top-six wing in part due to having a chip in the prospect pool such as 2016 second-rounder Ryan Lindgren. A Burnsville, Minn., native, Lindgren had two very productive seasons at the University of Minnesota before finishing this season with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the Rangers. Lindgren, a puck-moving two-way defenseman by trade, had two goals and two assists in 10 games.
In Sweeney’s first draft at the helm of the Bruins, the organization was able to pick up three solid prospects, including Brandon Carlo, who has now played in 158 NHL games. That has to be considered a very good second round pick.
Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson also came out of that 2015 NHL draft in the second round. The former Boston University Terrier had 16 goals and 17 assists in 62 AHL games with the Providence Bruins this year, in his first full season of pro hockey. Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon, the team’s third second-round pick in 2015, also saw significant minutes in Providence this past season.
Going back to 2014 when Peter Chiarelli was still running the show, the Bruins drafted local boy Ryan Donato (Scituate, Mass.) out of Dexter School with their second-round pick. After three stellar seasons at Harvard, Donato generated buzz with his hot start to his NHL career.
That’s six second-round picks in four seasons who are positive chips in the Bruins’ prospect pool. That bodes well for Boston’s chances of drafting a solid youngster in 2018, despite not having a first-round pick.
Bruins brass caught a lot of heat for taking Trent Frederic much higher than expected, 29th overall in the first round of the 2015 draft, but that pick has ended up looking good. After two solid seasons at Wisconsin, the St. Louis native turned pro and enjoyed a solid run to end the season with the P-Bruins. Frederic, an excellent two-way center with incredible hockey sense, picked up five goals and four assists in 16 AHL games.
Possible Picks
So, who might the Bruins draft with the second-round pick in 2018? That’s almost an impossible question to answer. As one hockey professional put it, “The Bruins have some needs, especially improving their top two defensive pairings. You can never have enough good centers and defensemen.”
Stanislav “Slava” Demin, a defenseman out of Wenatchee in the BCHL, could be a great pick for the Bruins at No. 57 if he’s still on the board. He’s listed 40th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, but he has a lot of upside. The 6-foot-1 Californian can skate, move pucks north with a solid first touch on breakout passes and has an ability to jump into the rush.
The Bruins haven’t had a local selection since Donato in 2014, but a possibility is Thayer Academy center Jay O’Brien. He’s the 32nd-rated North American skater, according to NHL Central Scouting. The Hingham, Mass., native is a competitive two-way center who has a good shot and can recover pucks. He’s heading to Providence in the fall, where current Bruins Noel Acciari (Johnston, R.I.) and Tim Schaller (Merrimack, N.H.) played college hockey.
Harvard recruit Jack Drury is another solid candidate to be taken late in the second round. He’s a two-way center who is most known for his defensive play, so he might not be a huge draw for Bruins diehards. However, he’d be a fan favorite if he makes it to Boston. He’s a character guy who will block shots and do whatever it takes for his team to win. Drury is the 27th-rated North American skater, but he could fall due to concerns about his skating.
All three would be good values late in the second round and would have plenty of time to develop in college hockey.
Goaltending, a key issue to any organization, has been shored up with the solid play of Daniel Vladar, a native of Prague, Czech Republic. He’s been solid in his minimal outings with the Providence Bruins the past two seasons and has been above average with the Atlanta Gladiators in the ECHL. Also waiting in the wings between the pipes are Maine rising sophomore Jeremy Swayman, who made the Black Bears significantly better in 2017-18, and Oshawa Generals goaltender Kyle Keyser of Coral Springs, Fla.
2018 Selections
- 2nd Round – 57th overall
- 3rd Round – 77th overall
- 4th Round – 119th overall
- 5th Round – 150th overall
- 7th Round – 212th overall
