The Boston Bruins have found themselves near the bottom of NHL prospect pools as the season approaches in two months. Recent call-ups Mason Lohrei, Matt Poitras, and John Beecher are now most likely on the NHL roster, leaving the pool of young players a little thin yet again. As the 2024-25 season nears, here are players’ destinations within the Boston Bruins organization from the 2022 NHL Draft.
2022 Draft
Matt Poitras (2nd Round) – Poitras showed promise in his first 33 NHL games with five goals and ten assists before a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely. The 20-year-old’s slight build was challenged at the pro level, however his offensive creativity and playmaking ability were evident. Poitras has put on about eight to ten pounds in the offseason and should be completely healthy for training camp in September. If Poitras has a good camp, the former Guelph Storm star should begin the 2024-25 season in Boston.
Cole Spicer (4th Round) – Spicer spent the last two seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and combined for eight goals and nine assists in 49 total games. Last season, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound center was academically ineligible for the second half of the hockey season and recently announced that he is stepping away from hockey for personal reasons. Time will tell if Spicer will be back to playing any time soon.
Dans Locmelis (4th Round) – Locmelis is a promising center at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who scored seven goals with seven assists in 30 games and played in the World Junior Championships for the Latvian team, where he had five points in five games. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound forward will enter his sophomore year with the Minutemen and looks to take on a bigger role.
Frederic Brunet (5th Round) – Brunet is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound defenseman who played 48 games for the Providence Bruins and contributed two goals and ten assists. The late-round pick has shown promise and should show more of his offensive capabilities this season for the AHL team.
Reid Dyck (6th Round) – The Bruins decided not to sign the goaltender to an entry-level contract and no longer hold his rights. Dyck has been playing in the Western Hockey League for the Swift Current Broncos.
Jackson Edward (7th Round) – Edward is an intriguing prospect who has improved his offensive skills as a defenseman. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound blue liner stood out for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League as an assistant captain and was one of the better defensemen in the Memorial Cup playoffs, garnering 11 points. Edward is a physical player who can be a little nasty, which could give Edward the chance to play in the NHL eventually. Edward will play for the Providence Bruins this season.
There are still four high-end prospects in the 2022 draft class for the Boston Bruins, with Poitras leading the list. Brunet and Edward will see plenty of time in Providence, and Locmelis will be a player to watch in the Hockey East Conference. There is reason for cautious optimism with this draft class.
