The NFL Draft is over and now the entire sports world can turn its attention to the NHL Draft. OK, that might be a slight exaggeration. Locally, however, there is good reason for Bruins fans to be as excited for a draft as they’ve been in a long time.
After selling at the trade deadline and missing the playoffs for the first time in nine years, Boston is set set to make its highest draft pick since at least 2010, when the organization selected Tyler Seguin second overall.
The Bruins finished with the fifth-worst record in the NHL, meaning they’ll have the fifth-best odds of winning the first overall pick in the draft lottery, which will be held on Monday, May 5. They cannot pick any lower than seventh. The draft itself will be June 27 and 28.
Boston has an 8.5% chance of picking first overall, an 8.6% chance of picking second, a 0.3% chance of picking third, a 0% chance of picking fourth, a 24.5% chance of picking fifth, a 44% chance of picking sixth, and a 14.2% chance of picking seventh.
Regardless of exactly where the Bruins end up drafting, this will be a critical pick for a franchise that desperately needs an infusion of young talent in the years to come as they hope to quickly retool and return to the playoffs. It may very well be their best chance to land the No. 1 center of the future they’ve been searching for since Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired.
This is considered a bit of a weaker draft overall, but the top 10 is heavy on centers who at least have the potential to be legitimate first-line pivots, even if most of them are not locks to become that. That is the case in most drafts, though: aside from the occasional generational talent at the top, stardom is rarely guaranteed.
So, we thought it would be useful to put together a Bruins big board for the top 10. To be clear, this is not based on any insight into what the Bruins themselves might be thinking, but rather what I think could make sense for them. This is not necessarily a “best player available” ranking, but more a “best pick for the Bruins” ranking.
1. Michael Misa, C, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
If the Bruins were to win the draft lottery and get the first overall pick, the debate would be Matthew Schaefer vs. Michael Misa. Schaefer is the consensus No. 1 prospect, but he’s a defenseman. Misa is the consensus No. 2, and he’s a center.
The feeling here is that there’s not a huge gap between the two, and the Bruins could absolutely justify going for the center. Misa is really impressive, and I would be surprised if he doesn’t end up being a legit No. 1 center, even if he tops out somewhere below true star status.
Misa led the OHL in scoring this season with a whopping 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) in 65 games. Among all draft-eligible OHL players since 2000, that ranks sixth in points per game behind only Connor McDavid, Patrick Kane, Sam Gagner, Marco Rossi and Jason Spezza – and ahead of the likes of Mitch Marner, Matthew Tkachuk, Taylor Hall and John Tavares.
Tavares is a pretty frequent comparison, in fact. Misa does a lot at a high level. He’s an excellent skater. He’s high-end as both a playmaker and a finisher, and creates offense both off the rush and in-zone. He’s committed defensively and plays in all situations, including leading the OHL in shorthanded points. He’s willing to play physical and go to dirty areas, and adding a little more muscle (Misa is listed at 6-foot-1, 184 pounds) should help him win even more battles.
Misa did have a disappointing OHL playoffs, as he was a rough minus-10 with three points in four games in a first-round loss to Erie. That shouldn’t be completely ignored, but it also shouldn’t overshadow all the great things he did the rest of the season. Saginaw’s whole team was overmatched in that series, and they got atrocious goaltending (hence some big minus numbers).
2. Matthew Schaefer, D, Erie Otters (OHL)
The flip side to the Misa argument would be that if the Bruins do see a clear drop-off from Schaefer to Misa, then they should probably just take Schaefer if they have the opportunity. There’s a reason the overwhelming majority of draft rankings have him first.
Schaefer suffered a fractured collarbone at World Juniors in December that cost him the rest of the season, but did enough before then to earn the high ranking. The left-shot defenseman had 22 points in 17 games, a points-per-game pace that would rank as third-best among all under-18 OHL defensemen since 2000 (behind only Ryan Ellis and 2024 ninth overall pick Zayne Parekh). He’s a great passer and should be a power-play quarterback in the NHL.
And Schaefer is far from just an offensive defenseman. He’s a complete, 200-foot player who has handled big minutes and who was wearing a letter for Erie as a 17-year-old. He was also captain of the Canada White team at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge last year. He’s an excellent skater and puck-mover in transition, and closes on and kills plays quickly in the defensive zone. He’s 6-foot-2, 183 pounds and will throw some hits, with room to get even stronger. He’s also one of the youngest players in this draft class. The one area of Schaefer’s game that probably rates as just average would be his shot.
A left-shot D may not seem like the biggest need for the Bruins, but they have struggled to find the right fit with Charlie McAvoy on their top pair in recent years, and they could certainly use a power-play QB. Schaefer could be that player, with the upside to supplant McAvoy as the team’s best defenseman at some point.
3. Anton Frondell, C, Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)
Frondell had 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 29 games in the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league, this season. That was good for the best points-per-game pace by an under-18 player in the league’s 20-year history. Second and third on that list are William Nylander and David Pastrnak. And Frondell actually got off to a bit of a slow start this season before turning it on in the second half.
So yeah, the left-shot center is in some impressive company. The things to like about him go beyond the numbers. Frondell probably has the best shot in this draft class, including a rocket one-timer that he makes good use of playing on the right elbow on the power play. The idea of a Bruins power play with Pastrnak on one side and Frondell on the other is pretty tantalizing.
Frondell also uses the threat of that shot to fake out defenders and goalies before setting up teammates for grade-A looks. He’s not just a threat from distance, as he works to get inside to high-danger scoring areas. At 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, he plays a bit of a power forward game and is an effective forechecker. He uses his body and reach to hold onto pucks in the offensive zone and ward off defenders. He’ll throw some big hits, but could stand to bring the physicality more consistently. He’s also a good but not great skater, so that’s another area where he could improve.
Want another promising stat? NHLe is a formula that uses a prospect’s age, production and level of competition to project the chances he will become an NHL regular (defined as 200+ games played) and/or an NHL star (defined as 0.7 points per game for a forward or 0.45 points per game for a defenseman). According to Hockey Prospecting, Frondell runs away with the best NHLe in this draft class, with a 99% chance of becoming an NHL regular and an 89% chance of becoming a star. The only players with better projections from the last two drafts were Connor Bedard, Matvei Michkov, Macklin Celebrini and Ivan Demidov.
You might be able to talk me into taking Frondell in the top two. I’m not quite there, but I don’t think it would be as crazy as some would suggest. Some rankings still have Frondell, who is currently playing for Sweden at the World U18 Championships, outside the top five. If he drops to the Bruins at five or six, they should run to the podium with an ear-to-ear smile.
4. James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA)
Hagens entered the season as the projected No. 1 pick, but slipped a little after “only” putting up 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games as an 18-year-old freshman at BC.
That might seem harsh, but it is fair to an extent. Macklin Celebrini (1.68 points per game), Jack Eichel (1.78) and Adam Fantilli (1.81) all blew that production out of the water at the same age, and that’s probably the level required to be seriously considered for first overall. Hagens’ production this season was more in line with what Kent Johnson and Matty Beniers did as freshman teammates at Michigan in 2020-21, which is still a really solid place to be.
Some are dropping Hagens out of the top five, which is a bridge too far for me. I mean, let’s take a look at the rest of his resume: In 2023-24, he had 102 points in 58 games with the U.S. Under-18 Team, a rate of production that has only been eclipsed by Jack Hughes, Will Smith, Gabe Perreault, Auston Matthews and Phil Kessel. He was the No. 1 center and top forward in ice time as an under-ager for the U.S. team that won gold at World Juniors this year. At the 2024 World U18 Championships, he broke Nikita Kucherov’s record for points in a tournament. The year before, he broke the World U-17 Hockey Challenge record for points in a tournament.
Hagens is still an incredibly dynamic player. He is arguably the best skater in this draft class, and he is a high-end playmaker. He consistently sets up teammates for high-danger scoring chances. He can be a one-man transition game. He does a great job of changing speeds to deceive defenders and create space for himself. He puts in the work defensively, and I think he’s more of a battler than some give him credit for.
The one thing Hagens definitely needs to do more is look for his own shot. He can be frustratingly deferential at times, especially considering he actually has a really good shot when he uses it. It was understandable at the start of this season given that his linemates were returning stars Perreault and Ryan Leonard (who led the country in goals this year), but there was still some overpassing even at the end of the season.
5. Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
Desnoyers has frequently been described as the “safe” pick among the group of non-Misa centers, which is both fair and something that sounds a bit like a backhanded compliment.
He is a safe pick, because he really doesn’t have any weaknesses. He’s a 200-foot player. He has a high hockey IQ. He competes hard and plays physical. He’s a good skater, good passer, and good shooter. He has leadership qualities, twice wearing a letter for Canada in international play. He has good size at 6-foot-2, although he does need to fill out his frame as he’s currently just 178 pounds.
Desnoyers has the talent and production on top of all that, though. He might not have Frondell’s shot or Hagens’ speed, but he makes some high-end offensive plays as both a playmaker and finisher. He was the best player on the QMJHL’s best team this season, with 84 points (35 goals, 49 assists) in 56 games. On a points-per-game basis, that’s the 11th-best QMJHL season for a 17-year-old since 2000, just behind Jonathan Huberdeau and Nico Hischier, and just ahead of Claude Giroux. As of publishing, he leads the QMJHL with 22 points in 11 playoff games as Moncton sets its sights on the Memorial Cup.
Hischier isn’t a bad comparison. I also heard the NHL Draft Pros show invoke two Florida Panthers by calling him “a poor man’s Aleksander Barkov” or “a rich man’s Anton Lundell,” which sounds like a really nice player. Desnoyers should be a good No. 2 center at worst, and he does have first-line potential.
6. Jake O’Brien, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
No one’s stock rose down the stretch as much as O’Brien’s. A few months ago, he was almost universally ranked outside the top 10. In NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings released this month, O’Brien had shot up to fourth among North American skaters.
If you want to know why, just watch some of his playmaking highlights, which we’ve conveniently included below. O’Brien’s vision, passing and hockey IQ are at or very close to the top of this draft class. He’s just a machine when it comes to creating scoring chances and setting up teammates in high-danger areas.
O’Brien was second behind Misa among draft-eligible OHL players in assists with 66, and finished tied with the next guy on this list for second in points with 98 in 66 games. O’Brien got off to a somewhat slow start with 12 points in his first 15 games, and then produced at a points-per-game pace the rest of the way that matches Tyler Seguin in his 17-year-old OHL season. He is also a good two-way center, putting his smarts to good use in the D-zone as well as the O-zone.
O’Brien has some bulking up to do, as he is currently just 172 pounds despite being 6-foot-2. He has a good shot, but like Hagens, he can be guilty of overpassing sometimes. He also still has room to improve as a skater, and has already taken some strides (pun intended) there. O’Brien is one of the younger players in the class as a June 2007 birthday, so he has a little more developmental runway than some others.
Drafting O’Brien ahead of Porter Martone (more on him next) would maybe be a surprise based on consensus rankings, but I don’t think it should be. They’re different players, but I think their upside is ultimately pretty similar, and O’Brien plays the position that’s more of a need for the Bruins.
7. Porter Martone, RW, Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
Martone is a power forward at 6-foot-3, 208 pounds, but he might not quite be the classic prototype that you’re thinking of. That’s because Martone might actually be a better playmaker than he is a goal-scorer, a notion that’s reflected in his 61 assists this season vs. 37 goals.
That’s not a bad thing at all. If anything, it makes him more dangerous, because he can make plays all over the offensive zone and do more than just try to bull-rush his way to the net. He has legit vision and passing skills and does a great job of drawing defenders to him before setting up teammates. He has soft hands as a stickhandler, too.
Oh, and he can also score plenty of dirty goals. Martone is willing to go to the net-front and hard to move once he’s there. His good hands help him finish via deflections, off rebounds, or by lifting the puck in tight. He’s not as much of a threat from distance, but will snipe a corner from time to time. He’ll throw some hard hits on the forecheck, adding to his power-forward reputation.
The question for Martone is his skating. It’s probably the biggest weakness of anyone who might go in the top five. He can offset some of his lack of pace by using his body and reach to shield the puck, but you’d like to see more pull-away speed from such a high pick. His effort, especially defensively, can come and go at times, too.
Martone has drawn some comparisons to the Tkachuk brothers, and there are *some* similarities. But I think it would be wise to slow down a little bit with those comps. He’s not as consistent a physical presence as Brady, and he’s not as well-rounded a player as Matthew. That doesn’t mean he can’t or won’t get to that level; just that it might be unfair to expect that he will.
8. Roger McQueen, C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
If the Bruins had the eighth pick and the seven players above on this list were all off the board, I’d be OK with taking a chance on McQueen. But the Bruins won’t have the eighth pick, because they can’t drop any lower than seven, so I would not take McQueen. I actually feel pretty strongly that there’s a gap between seven and eight here.
The pros: McQueen is 6-foot-5, 197 pounds. He has a very good shot, with plenty of power on both snap shots and one-timers. He uses his size to throw some hard hits and force turnovers on the forecheck. He also muscles his way to middle ice and is a strong net-front presence.
The cons: McQueen missed four months with a back injury this season. As pointed out by former scout Pete Hughes on X, 12 of his 20 points this season came in four games against the WHL’s two worst teams. He had eight points in 13 regular-season games against the rest of the league, and one point in three playoff games. He’s not a great skater and doesn’t really drive play in transition. He also needs to improve defensively and loses more 1-on-1 battles than you would expect.
Some respectable rankings have McQueen in the top five, so it’s not like it’s indefensible to take him higher than this. But I just think he carries significantly more risk than any of the seven players above him on this list, and worry there might be a bit of falling in love with size and ignoring some red flags.
9. Victor Eklund, LW/RW, Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)
Eklund, who played on a line with Frondell this season, is probably going to go in the top 10, but I’m not sure he’s as obvious a fit for the Bruins as the rest of this list. A 5-foot-11, 161-pound winger just doesn’t seem like the kind of player they’re after right now.
There is a lot to like about Eklund, though. He’s a terrific skater, incredibly shifty, and has great hands that allow him to make plays at top speed. He’s both a good playmaker and finisher. He has a great motor and hounds pucks.
You’ll never have to question Eklund’s effort, and it’s easy to imagine him becoming both a coach and fan favorite. If he has a weakness, it might be that he sometimes tries to do too much and forces plays that result in turnovers. He’ll also need to improve his defensive play.
10. Radim Mrtka, D, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
After Schaefer, there could be a lengthy run on forwards in this draft. Mrtka may very well be the second defenseman off the board, though.
The Czech is a 6-foot-5, 202-pound right shot who projects as a shutdown defenseman with some two-way ability. He reads plays well and has a very good stick. He effectively uses his size to win battles and box out. He’ll throw some hits, but isn’t really a bruiser. He’s a good skater and puck-handler and took some real steps offensively this season, finishing with 35 points (3 goals, 32 assists) in 43 games for a Thunderbirds team that wasn’t very good offensively.
The Bruins could use a Brandon Carlo replacement to slot in behind Charlie McAvoy on their right side, and Mrtka certainly looks like a player who fits the bill. It’s just hard to imagine them prioritizing that over a high-upside forward with a top-seven pick, though.