By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
Last Saturday afternoon, the Boston Bruins used the 51st overall pick in the NHL Draft to select William Moore, a promising young forward out of the US National Development Program. On the surface, this was simply viewed as a good value pick with a quirk, as Moore, like the Bruins’ first-round selection James Hagens, is also a Center who will play for Boston College next Fall. However, there is more to this draft pick than meets the eye; The Bruins did not initially own the 51st overall pick, and the manner in which they obtained it can be traced back to a trade from nearly 40 years ago that is deeply woven into the franchise’s rich history.
Back in the summer of 1986, former Bruins first-round pick Barry Pederson had just finished a solid bounce-back year after missing most of his fourth season in the NHL due to shoulder surgery, recording 29-47-76 in 79 games. While a solid stat line, it represented a substantial drop from his 92, 107, and 116-point campaigns before the injury, and Boston decided to sell while he was still young and his value was still high. The Vancouver Canucks offered to pay a premium for Pederson, who played Junior hockey in nearby Victoria, and so then-Bruins General Manager Harry Sinden traded Pederson to Vancouver for a young Cam Neely and a first-round pick in 1987.
Neely needs no introduction to Bruins fans, and while Pederson maintained his 76-point production for the Canucks the following year, he would sharply decline soon after. Despite Pederson’s performance, Vancouver finished with the third-worst record in the league, giving Boston the third-overall pick, which they used on Defenseman Glen Wesley. Wesley spent seven years in Boston, racking up over 300 points from the blueline, and was dealt to Hartford in 1994 for a haul; their next three first-round picks in ‘95, ‘96, and ‘97.
The first of those choices, Kyle McLaren, may be familiar to some Bruins fans. He also spent seven years in Boston before being dealt to San Jose in 2002 following a contract dispute. Down the line, McLaren’s returned assets eventually led to the acquisitions of Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell, who played key roles for the Bruins in the 2011 Stanley Cup. The 1997 first-round pick was used on Sergei Samsonov, who logged 376 points in eight years in Boston before being traded as well, heading to Edmonton at the deadline in 2006 and contributing 15 points to a surprise playoff run that brought the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final. Samsonov’s trade netted two roster players, Yan Stastny and Marty Reasoner, and a second-round pick in that year’s draft, which the Bruins used to select an immediate fan favorite – Milan Lucic.
Lucic was the physical embodiment of that era of Bruins hockey, terrorizing the rest of the NHL for eight seasons in black & gold en route to 342 points and the 2011 Stanley Cup. Heading into a contract year in the summer of 2015 and with the Bruins already in a cap crunch, Lucic was dealt to the LA Kings, ironically as one of current General Manager Don Sweeney’s first big moves in the role. In return for Lucic, the Bruins received Martin Jones, Colin Miller, and a first-round pick in that year’s draft.
Martin Jones was quickly traded to San Jose within days for the now returning Sean Kuraly and a first-round pick in 2016. The 2015 first-round pick from Lucic was used on Jakub Zboril, the first of the infamous three straight. Zboril bounced between Boston and Providence for several years and was eventually traded to Columbus in 2024, in exchange for current defenseman Andrew Peeke. The Bruins used the 2016 first-round pick, which finished 31st overall, to select Trent Frederic, who was just dealt to Edmonton at this past trade deadline after 337 games with Boston. In return, the Bruins received defense prospect Max Wanner, the second-round pick that became William Moore, as well as a fourth-round pick in 2026.
In summary, Harry Sinden’s decision to sell high on Barry Pederson is still paying off for the Bruins nearly 40 years later, and could very well continue to grow with the extra draft pick for next season. Moore is going to be a name to watch on a Boston College team that will be loaded with talent, including five other Bruins draft picks. If all goes well, Moore could be the next Bruin to grab the torch passed down from all the big names connected to this trade and help lead the team back into Cup contention.
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