Just one week ago, the Boston Bruins were prepared to take the first night of the 2024 NHL Draft off and will not make a selection until the fourth round at pick 122. With a thinning prospect pool and needs at center and left defense, the Bruins included a first-round pick when dealing goaltender Linus Ullmark to Ottawa. It was a familiar spot in the draft, as Boston owned the selection previously before trading it for Tyler Bertuzzi. On Friday night, Boston put it to good use.
With the 25th pick in the draft, Boston chose massive center Dean Letourneau from St. Andrews College prep school in Canada, who will be attending Boston College in the fall. The 6-foot-7, 214-pound forward is tall, long, and skilled. Letourneau is a good skater with a deceptive passing ability and a heavy shot. The 18-year-old can use his large frame to get to the net on “give-and gos” and finish to the tune of 61 goals in 56 games last season.
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The Braeside, Ontario native was ranked all over the map by different hockey analysts and was listed 37th by Inside The Rink. TSN’s Craig Burton had him as high as 69th. Central Scouting rated Letourneau, the 23rd North American skater. However, in a draft that seemed to be top-heavy, the Bruins took a swing at a big center with promise. Boston needs centers, and although Letourneau is probably two or three years away, the left-shot center is worth the gamble.
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Typically, a player with Letourneau’s size will have some skating issues, but as Inside the Rink described him, “Letourneau moves well, with solid crossovers in motion. Letourneau can quickly rush past opponents, creating offense for himself and creating scoring chances”. This bodes well for the forward’s ability to compete in Hockey East with the Eagles, an opportunity that presented itself after 2023 first-round pick Will Smith opted to sign with the San Jose Sharks, opening a spot at The Heights.
The Bruins have a legitimate center prospect to go with last year’s third-round pick Chris Pelosi, who excelled last season in the USHL and heads to Quinnipiac University in the fall. Boston needed a young offensive talent, and Dean Letourneau fills that void and then some.
