It has been a busy off-season with many moving parts for the Boston Bruins. Amid all the activity was the NHL Draft. Talk of the Bruins trading back into the first round was just that, talk. Due to the Hampus Lindholm trade last season, the Anaheim Ducks selected in the Bruins’ spot at 22. That left the Bruins picking in the second round at 54th overall. Boston ended up with six picks in the draft, and here are their selections:
54 Matthew Poitras C – Guelph Storm (OHL)
At 5’11” and 172 pounds, the Bruins select to fill a need at right-shot center. The Bruins get a hard-working, two-way center with offensive ability. By all accounts, Poitras is a competitive player with a good work ethic and projects to be a middle-six center with continued growth. Central scouting had Poitras as the 45th-ranked North American skater, and most draft projections had Brooklin, Ontario native, in the late second to third round.
117 Cole Spicer C – USNTDP Team/Minnesota-Duluth (Bruins traded pick 91 to Seattle for 117 and 132)
Spicer is another center with upside headed to play college hockey at Minnesota-Duluth in 2022-23. The 18-year-old played in the United States National Team Development Program and registered 10-6-16 in 26 games. According to Central Scouting, the 121st-ranked North American skater is another steady two-way player with some offensive upside. Spicer turned 18 in June and will play at a fantastic Duluth program. The Grand Forks, North Dakota native, has a reputation for making a living in high-danger areas.
119 Dans Locmelis C – Lulea HF (Swedish Hockey League)
Locmelis is more of a reach at pick 119. The 6-foot, 170-pound center spent the last three seasons with Lulea HF. This past season, the Latvia native played 44 games with Lulea-U20 and registered 18-16-34. The scout on Locmelis isn’t extensive, but the left-shot center is a hard-working player who had a breakout last year. This seems more like the Bruins taking a chance on a late-bloomer.
132 Frederic Brunet D – Rimouski (QMJHL)
Brunet is a very intriguing pick as a highly-skilled offensive defenseman who posted 46 points in 63 games for Rimouski last season. The 6’2” 175-pound left-shot defenseman plays confidently with the puck and possesses a two-way game. Central Scouting had Brunet ranked 113th among North American skaters. Brunet is from Gatineau, Quebec, and turns 19 in August. This is a good value pick with an upside for Boston.
183 Reid Dyck G – Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
If the Locmelis pick was a reach, then this is a longer lunge. Dyck is a raw and athletic 6’4” goaltender who was on a bad WHL team. Dyck was, however, the 8th-ranked North American goalie. The Winkler, MB, Canada native’s stats were slightly alarming, with a 4.26 goals-against average and a .884 save percentage. This has the makings of a long-term project, but the Bruins have successfully developed goalies.
200 Jackson Edward D – London Knights (OHL)
Edward does not possess much offensive punch, but the 6’2” 194-pound defenseman is very physical and undisciplined. The Newmarket, Ontario native had 6 points in 54 games with London this past season but 51 penalty minutes. The 18-year-old was ranked 123rd North American skater by Central Scouting.
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