The Boston Bruins’ 2022 NHL Draft featured three centers as the team looks ahead to rebuild the position as soon as next season. Two of the three, second-round pick Matthew Poitras and fourth-pick Dans Locmelis, are having stellar seasons in the Ontario Hockey League and Swedish League, respectively. The organization could always use a good offensive defenseman and might have hit on one in the fifth round last June.
Nineteen-year-old blue liner Fredric Brunet was selected with the 132nd overall pick by Boston and is playing in his third full season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Victoriaville Tigres. Brunet has shown a steady offensive improvement during his time in the QMJHL, and this season is shining. This past week Brunet was selected as the QMJHL Player Of The Week after registering one goal and five assists as the Tigres extended their winning streak to four, and Brunet’s point streak reached nine games.
Acquired by the Tigres from the Rimouski Oceanic during the holiday trade period, Brunet currently leads all QMJHL defensemen with 56 points in 47 games. But the 6-foot-3, 190-pound defenseman has improved his puck-moving and offensive skill from last season when the Quebec native totaled 46 points. His solid work in all three zones grabbed the attention of the Boston Bruins, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Brunet has had a connection to one specific Bruins player as he has worked out in the off-season with Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron. Although Brunet grew up just a couple of miles from Montreal’s Bell Centre, Brunet was very excited to be drafted by Boston because of his relationship with Bergeron. In 2021, Brunet moved to Quebec City and began working out at the University of Laval, where Bergeron was training. Now, Brunet is developing a path to the NHL and becoming an intriguing prospect in the Bruins’ system.
Since the trade to Victoriaville, Brunet has had 22 points in 14 games and is becoming one of the top defensemen in the league. His defensive work is also improving, with a plus-9 rating this season. Brunet continues to climb the charts of Bruins prospects and has the size and offensive prowess to be an NHL defenseman at some point. Look for Frederic Brunet to compete this summer at Bruins Development Camp and be a player to watch for the Boston Bruins down the road.
