It’s been said before and it’ll be said again, the Boston Bruins don’t have one of the top prospect pools in the NHL. They rank near the bottom, some of which can be traced back to trading away their first-round picks at various trade deadlines under general manager (GM) Don Sweeney. The cupboard is not bare, however, it could be considered a top-heavy pool.
What does that pool look like? With the 2022-23 NHL season over, let’s take a look at who the Bruins’ top 10 prospects are ahead of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft on June 28 and 29 in Nashville.
10. Trevor Kuntar
Selected in the third round, 89th overall in the 2020 Entry Draft, Trevor Kuntar originally was going to attend Harvard University, but when they canceled sports for the 2020-21 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, he pivoted across the city of Boston to Boston College. After three years with the Eagles, Kuntar left after his junior season and signed his entry-level deal in March.
This season, he played in the top six for BC and had 13 goals and 16 assists. The 6-foot-0, 195-pound New York native finished his collegiate career with 28 goals and 31 assists. As his time in college progressed, his all-around game improved and he played in all situations. He will likely find himself with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) next season, but he’s worth keeping an eye on the next couple of seasons.
9. Brandon Bussi
In March of 2022, the Bruins took a flyer on free agent goalie Brandon Bussi after his senior season at Western Michigan University came to an end. His first pro season in Providence turned a lot of heads and he is someone who could turn into a sleeper signing by Sweeney.
After winning three of his five starts after signing last season, he went 22-5-4 with a 2.40 goals against average (GAA) and a .924 save percentage (SV%). He made the Atlantic Division AHL All-Star Game and gave the Bruins’ front office an interesting scenario. Do the Bruins believe in him after one season to count on him as a backup next season in Boston if they decide to trade Linus Ullmark? Unlikely, but you never know what can happen this summer. On June 20, the Bruins signed Bussi to a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL cap hit of $775,000.
8. Riley Duran
In the sixth round of the 2020 Draft, the Bruins selected Riley Duran, and through his first two seasons at Providence College, the Boston native is looking like someone who could be a late-round steal. In 38 games in 2021-22, the center had 10 goals and nine assists as a freshman before playing for the United States in the 2022 World Junior Championships over the summer where he made a name for himself with two goals and three assists, and a plus/minus of plus-5 on the fourth line.
Related: Revisiting the Bruins’ 2022 Draft Class One Year Later
He returned with the momentum from the WJC to Providence and in 29 games, the 6-foot-2, 182-pound had eight goals and 12 assists, good enough to finish tied for fourth with points for the Friars last season. Playing in all situations for coach Nate Leaman, Duran will return to Providence for his junior year in the fall, which is a big one for him in terms of development.
7. Dans Locmelis
One of the lesser-named Bruins’ prospects is Dans Locmelis, but the 119th overall pick in the 2022 Draft is quickly and quietly climbing the ranks. In 44 games for Lulea HF in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), he had a breakout season with 25 goals and 34 assists. For the second consecutive season, he played for Latvia at the World Junior Championships and made an impact on the big stage playing a physical style that fits the Bruins mold.
In 2022, he had a goal and an assist, but at the 2023 WJC, the dynamic forward had three goals in six games. The 6-foot-0, 170-pound center will attend the University of Massachusetts at Amherst this season and it gives the Boston front office an opportunity to see him up close.
6. John Beecher
Next season, the Bruins front office and coach Jim Montgomery would like to add some youth into the lineup and John Beecher has been knocking on the door of an NHL spot. His time in 2022-23 could be what lands him a shot in Boston.
Beecher just completed his first pro season with the P-Bruins with nine goals and 14 assists. The former University of Michigan standout is a player that is good at even strength, but he is also a penalty killer, and at 6-foot-3, his long reach can frustrate opponents. Selected 30th overall in the first round of the 2019 Draft, Beecher is someone who will have a lot of eyes on him in training camp in September.
5. Brett Harrison
Since drafting Brett Harrison in the third round, 85th overall in the 2021 Draft, it is looking like the Bruins are getting a steal in that draft. In 2021-22 for the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), he had 27 goals and 34 assists in 65 games. This past season, he improved and turned into one of the more dangerous scorers in the OHL.
He spent the first half of the season with the Generals and had 16 goals and 17 assists, then was traded in January to the Windsor Spitfires and had 18 goals and 18 assists for a combined 69 points. Windsor also picked up Shane Wright, the fourth overall pick by the Seattle Kraken in the 2022 Draft and they combined to form a dangerous and prolific top line for the Spitfires. Windsor was upset in the first round of the playoffs, but Harrison continued to show his offensive ability which has a high ceiling and a skill set that is better than a third-round selection.
4. Georgii Merkulov
After his freshman season at Ohio State, Georgii Merkulov signed a free-agent contract with the Bruins. Not much was known about the undrafted forward except his 20 goals and 34 assists in one season for the Buckeyes. An older prospect already at 22 years old, he was the top offensive player for the P-Bruins with 24 goals and 31 assists this season, which earned him Rookie of the Year honors.
This season, some players were called from Providence to Boston to fill in for injured players, but Merkulov was not one of them. Jakub Lauko and Joona Koppanen got the calls, but Merkulov never heard his name called. That could be a different next season and depending on what happens to the roster in Boston this season, the talented center could be in the mix for a roster spot in 2023-24.
3. Matthew Poitras
Locmelis is a rising prospect from last season’s draft, but Matthew Poitras is turning into the best pick from last summer in Montreal. Needing to restock their center with youth, Sweeney did that at the draft, and his first selection of the draft in the second round, 54th overall, is turning into a promising talent.
In 2021-22, he got his feet wet in the OHL with the Guelph Storm with 21 goals and 29 assists in 68 games, but he took his game to another level this season. In 63 regular season games, he had 16 goals and 79 assists, then had two goals and six points in the postseason. The 5-foot-11, 176-pound Ontario native has great vision on the ice, plays with a chip on his shoulder, and is quickly turning into one of the Bruins’ top center prospects.
2. Fabian Lysell
Since being drafted 21st overall in the 2021 Draft, Fabian Lysell and been the most talked about and a top prospect for the Black and Gold, but this season in his first full pro season in Providence, he did not perform as well as he would have hoped, but there is still a lot to like about his game.
In 54 AHL games this season, he battled injuries and illnesses that forced him to miss some time, but he still finished with 14 goals and 23 assists. Sweeney was active at the trade deadline in March and it would not have been surprising to see him have moved Lysell in order to complete a deal, but he held onto him, instead moving the Bruins’ next couple of first-round picks. Like some of his other Providence teammates from this season, Lysell will have an opportunity in training camp to make the case for a bottom-six roster spot next season.
1. Mason Lohrei
Lysell has been at the top of this list, but this season, Mason Lohrei, the Bruins’ top defensive prospect moved passed him on this list heading into the 2023 offseason. Another second-round pick by Sweeney, 58th overall in the 2020 Draft, he signed his entry-level contract following his junior season at Ohio State in March and finished out the season in Providence. An offensive defenseman, he had four goals and 28 assists for the Buckeyes this season.
A left-shot, the Bruins already have an abundance of left-shot blueliners for next season, but it’s very likely some will be on the move this offseason and open some spots. Whoever Sweeney decides to move remains to be seen, but the 6-foot-4 Lohrei is knocking on the door of an NHL spot. He will be in the mix next season and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in Boston at some point next season.
The Bruins, who have one pick each in the third, fourth, and sixth rounds along with two seventh-round picks in the 2023 Draft, will look to see if they can add to this list. They have a top-heavy prospect pool, but it’s likely they will be looking to some it next season in the NHL. Just who gets the call will be one of the storylines in training camp in September.