It was no secret that the Boston Bruins needed more center help throughout the organization. Matt Poitras is a recent draft pick who has already contributed to the NHL club in 33 games since being selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Beyond that, the position is thin at the prospect level, and the focus in this year’s draft was finding more pivots to develop. In the first round, the Bruins chose Boston College-bound, 6-foot-7 center Dean Letourneau with the 25th overall pick. In the fifth round, Boston went back to the well and selected center Jonathan Morello, who will be playing at Clarkson University this season.
The 6-foot-3, 192-pound center spent two seasons in the Ontario Junior Hockey League with the St. Michael’s Buzzers and 41 goals with 56 assists in 101 total games. This past season, Morello was a stellar playoff performer with 21 points in 11 games. The Toronto native was the 97th pick in the USHL Draft by the Dubuque Fighting Saints but elected to stay in Ontario and is now a Clarkson commit.
The 98th-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting, Morello was described as “An open ice threat who is easily one of the fastest skaters at the Tier 2 level in Canada. His edges and the way he powers out of his turns are elite for this level and project well for future levels. When pucks are chipped to open space, he rarely arrives second. His speed and length create turnovers on the forecheck and extend plays along the wall”. (Cap Friendly)
Morello showed signs of being a solid prospect at this week’s Bruins Development Camp in Brighton, Massachusetts as he competed with 34 other prospects for four days. Morello showed his speed and ability to play at all three levels of the ice and on special teams. The Bruins needed center play desperately and their late-round selection of Morello is drawing rave reviews.
