With the Boston Bruins’ 2023-24 season over, it’s time to start turning attention to the next big thing for the organization on the calendar, the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. For the third year in a row, they will not have a pick in the first round of the draft. This year’s first-round pick belongs to the Detroit Red Wings after the 2023 Trade Deadline deal that brought Tyler Bertuzzi to the team for their 2023 playoff push.
Related: Bruins Need to Pay Jeremy Swayman Whatever He Wants
The last time the Bruins had a first-round pick was in 2021 when they selected Fabian Lysell, who hasn’t quite lived up to expectations yet, primarily due to injuries limiting his time the past two seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL). Prior to his injury in March, he had 50 points in 56 games for the Providence Bruins.
The Bruins’ lack of draft picks is because the team continues to be competitive, leading to the trading of their picks for players to help with postseason pushes. As a result, they have what many believe to be a weak prospect pool. But, if this past season has shown us anything, success can be found in later rounds of the draft. Matthew Poitras was the team’s top pick in the 2022 Entry Draft, coming in at pick 54 in the second round and making the roster as a 19-year-old.
The Bruins currently only have three picks for this year’s draft, and will not be picking until the fourth round unless general manager Don Sweeney puts together a trade in the next few weeks to shore up a few more picks. Wherever they end up picking though, there is a decently clear hierarchy of needs for them to draft this year.
4. Goaltender
The Bruins do not need to select a goaltender in this year’s draft. With Jeremy Swayman set to be the goaltender of the future and a talented prospect in Brandon Bussi, who the team will hopefully be able to retain this offseason, they also selected goaltenders in both the 2021 and 2022 Drafts that are still in the process of developing.
Next year may be a time to consider getting another goaltender in the system, but with limited picks and a pretty solid pool already established, goaltending is an area the Bruins can afford to skip in this year’s draft. There are always exceptions if someone crazy drops down the board and falls into their lap, but unless that happens, there is no need to address this position in the 2024 Draft.
3. Center
This is a departure from past rankings of Bruins draft needs as they have been extremely center-heavy with their selections in the past few drafts. It was a big area of weakness, and was looking particularly desperate last season with the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.
But with the arrival of Poitras earlier than expected, who will hopefully take a step forward next season after his 2023-24 campaign was cut short due to a shoulder injury, their center depth does not look quite as weak as it did a year ago. Several of the Bruins’ top prospects at the moment are centers. John Farinacci has had a pretty solid rookie season in the AHL and Brett Harrison continues to develop as well.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide
The Bruins’ current crop of center prospects may not have the highest of ceilings, but most likely, anyone they’d be taking in this year’s draft would be on the same page or worse than their current group. They already have a lot of mid-draft center prospects at the moment, and so the team could afford to take a break this year and have another season to watch how their current ones pan out.
The 2025 NHL Draft will be the year to prioritize taking a center when the Bruins have a first-round draft pick again (presuming they don’t trade it at next season’s trade deadline).
2. Winger
The Bruins need more goal scorers. That has been an issue for them for several seasons now, and was very apparent in their postseason run. Again, they’re not going to find a guy in the fourth round that will be ready to play and be impactful next season or even the season after that. But, there will be guys available that may not be the most well-rounded players yet, but have raw goal-scoring abilities. That is the kind of player the front office should really be targeting in this year’s draft, a kid that is really excellent in one area and gives them time to develop the rest.
Wingers are ranked a step above center just due to the lack of them at the top of their prospect pool. They have a lot more guys who are constant centers or play a mix between the two positions. The Bruins could use another guy who is a solid, dedicated winger in their prospect pool.
1. Defenseman
Mason Lohrei has been the Bruins’ top defensive prospect for the last few seasons and after his performance in the postseason, he’s ready to be a full-time NHLer in 2024-25. Outside of him, there are a lot of question marks amongst their defensive prospects. The next most exciting prospect at defense is probably Frederic Brunet, who was a fifth-round selection in the 2022 Draft. He had 12 points in 48 games in the AHL this season, but still has room to grow.
All this to say, the Bruins could use some restocking at the defense position. Some solid defensemen have come out of the middle rounds of the draft and there could easily be a hidden gem the team can select in the fourth round.
Defense is a weakness for the Bruins, and again, while they won’t be able to directly address it for next season at the draft, it’s a good idea to continue to build on the position. They have a solid top four locked down for the next few seasons in Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Hampus Lindholm, and Mason Lohrei, but depth was an issue this season and could continue to be in the future if they don’t do something to try and address it now.
2024 Draft Is Approaching
After several seasons of the Bruins’ prospect pool being ranked last in the NHL, they got some wins in 2023-24 with the success of guys like Poitras, Lohrei, and Johnny Beecher. They’re still not going to be able to get guys that are bigger and flashier names due to their lack of picks, but the front office has shown that they are capable of finding some solid guys in these middle rounds of the draft.
Related: Bruins Must Realistically Factor Poitras Into Center Plans
They will most likely take a few years to develop, but there is still reason to be excited to see who the Bruins will select at this year’s draft. The 2024 NHL Entry Draft will be taking place June 28 – 29 in Las Vegas. Make sure to check in with The Hockey Writers‘ 2024 NHL Draft Guide to stay up to date.
