By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
A few days ago, my colleague Kenny Kaminsky took a look at who he believes are the top ten prospects in the Boston Bruins’ system. I thought it was a great idea and decided to produce a list of my own, with two ground rules.
First, in order to be considered for selection, the player must have been selected in the 2021 National Hockey League Entry Draft or later. Second, the player must have been born in 2002 or later, or in other words, he must be 23 years old or younger. So if you’re wondering why a player might not be on my list, if they don’t fall within those two parameters, that might be why.
Honorable Mentions
Before I begin the top ten, I’d like to mention three prospects whose progress is worth following this season, the first being Defenseman Vashek Blanar. Selected in the fourth round this summer by the B’s, Blanar spent last season in Sweden with IF Troja-Ljungby’s J18 & J20 teams in the J18 & J20 Regions. He was not ranked by many outlets, yet the Bruins drafted him relatively high at 100th overall. The Vail, Colorado, native had a fantastic development camp showing, and looked like one of the stronger players on the ice. This wasn’t enough to earn a spot in my top ten, but he is worth at least keeping an eye on. He will suit up for HV71 U20 team next season in the U20 Nationell.
The second prospect is Chris Pelosi. Pelosi began his collegiate career this year with the Quinnipiac Bobcats, after a year in the USHL with the Sioux Falls Stampede. The Sewell, New Jersey, native had a solid freshman year at Quinnipiac, producing 24 points in 38 games. He was one of the last cuts for Team USA at the World Junior Championship, a squad that went on to win a Gold Medal. Selected in the third round in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Pelosi can play both Center and Left Wing. I would have ranked him #11th if I had done a top 15 as opposed to a top ten. He will return to Quinnipiac for his Sophomore season.
Finally, the last prospect I’d like to mention is Cooper Simpson. Simpson was selected in the third round this summer, after a strong season with Shakopee High School in Minnesota, and the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. Simpson can shoot the puck, as evidenced by his 49 goals in 31 games in High School, as well as his seven goals in nine games in the USHL. He is committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2026-2027 season, and will suit up for the Youngstown Phantoms this upcoming season. How he does in his D1 year compared to Will Zellers is worth keeping an eye on.
#10. Liam Pettersson, D – Vaxjo Lakers HC
Taken with the latter of the Bruins’ two second-round picks this summer, Pettersson just sneaks into my top ten. The Gislaved, Sweden, native spent this past season in the Vaxjo Lakers’ system, making five appearances in the Swedish Hockey League, the top level of Pro Hockey in Sweden.
Standing at 6’2″, Pettersson has good size and moves well. When the opportunity to rush the puck through the neutral zone is there, he takes it. He has solid offensive instincts for a blueliner, evidenced by his 21 points in 39 games in the J20 Nationell last season. However, he will need to bulk up a bit as he is listed at only 170 pounds. He will play again next season for Vaxjo’s U20 team.
#9. Frederic Brunet, D – Providence/Boston
A native of Gatineau, Quebec, Brunet was perhaps the most improved player in the entire Bruins’ system last season. In what was a chaotic year organizationally for the Bruins, depth players like Jordan Oesterle and Alec Regula were lost on waivers to other organizations, opening up more ice time for prospects. Brunet rose to the challenge, producing career highs across the board in the AHL, earning Providence’s best defenseman award, and his NHL debut in the Big club’s season finale against the New Jersey Devils.
Brunet is entering the final year of his Entry-Level Contract and will likely be Providence-bound again this season. However, I would expect him to be given a longer look in Boston at some point next year, if he has another year like this one, and the big club struggles again.
#8. Dean Letourneau, C/RW – Boston College
There’s no way around it, this past season was a difficult one for Dean Letourneau. While he may have improved in certain areas throughout the year, zero goals in 36 games for a forward is hard to ignore. While there were flashes at times of his potential, it was clear that he was not quite ready yet for the NCAA.
Luckily for Letourneau, time is still on his side. If the Braeside, Ontario, native is looking for a source of inspiration on how to deal with early struggles, he could look at former Boston College Eagle Brian Boyle. Making the jump from prep school to the NCAA in 2003, Boyle only managed to record eight points in his freshman season. Boyle steadily improved as a four-year player at BC, and went on to have a 14 year career in the NHL. The Tage Thompson comparisons for Letourneau were unfair and unrealistic, but there’s still a good chance he can become an NHLer.
#7. Fabian Lysell, RW – Providence/Boston
The 2024-2025 campaign was up and down for Lysell. The Goteborg, Sweden, native saw his point totals in the AHL decrease significantly from his 50 in 56 games mark in 2023-24 to 34 in 52 contests. However, when given the opportunity in the NHL, Lysell looked arguably the best he’s looked since he entered the organization in 2021. He was fast, engaged, and creative. While his numbers on paper might not be impressive, (three points in 12 games) his underlyings were solid on a post-deadline Bruins team that was non-competitive most nights.
Unfortunately for Lysell, he once again appears likely to be a victim of a middle-six logjam at the NHL level, with the acquisitions of Viktor Arvidsson, Tanner Jeannot, and others. Perhaps he can find a way to win a role out of training camp, but the odds do not seem great for him to start the year in Boston.
#6. William Moore, C/LW – Boston College
The first of the Bruins’ two second-round selections this year, the Bruins took Moore after he fell to them at 51st overall. Moore had consensus late first-round to early second-round rankings amongst most draft experts, and for good reason. The Mississauga, Ontario, native had a strong draft year with the US National Team Development Program, producing 59 points in 64 games.
Moore will suit up this season for a BC team that will feature six Bruins’ prospects. He’s already off to a strong start this season, having featured at the World Junior Summer Showcase for Team USA, where he recorded a goal and an assist. A strong start to his freshman campaign could go a long way for his chances of making Team USA.
#5. Dans Locmelis, C – Providence
Other than Brunet, Dans Locmelis may have seen his stock rise the most out of everyone in the Bruins’ system this season. The Jelgava, Latvia, native had a solid sophomore campaign at UMass before turning pro in the spring. In six regular-season games with the P-Bruins, Locmelis had twelve points, ultimately finishing his season with Team Latvia at the IIHF World Championships, where his play caught the eye of Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby.
Locmelis projects as a third-line forward at the NHL level, but if his time in Providence this season was a sign of things to come, then his ceiling could be higher. He will likely be a key contributor for both the P-Bruins and Team Latvia at the Olympic Games this winter, with the possibility of a call-up to the NHL at some point.
#4. Will Zellers, LW/RW – North Dakota
Acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the Charlie Coyle trade, Will Zellers finds himself at the fourth spot on my list. The Maple Grove, Minnesota, native destroyed the USHL last year, with 44 goals in 52 games with the Green Bay Gamblers, winning the USHL Player of the Year award in the process.
Next up for Zellers is his freshman season at the University of North Dakota. He will need a strong first half of the season to make Team USA for the upcoming World Junior Championships. Whether or not he ends up signing his Entry-Level Contract after this season probably depends on how his year goes. If the transition to the college game isn’t as smooth as he’d hope, another year in the NCAA may be in the cards.
#3. Matt Poitras, C/RW – Boston/Providence
Poitras may not have finally staked his claim as a full-time NHLer last season; however, he did not hurt his stock in the long term. The Ajax, Ontario, native spent time in the AHL for the first time in his career, and he dominated, producing 41 points in 40 games.
Whether Poitras will begin next season in the NHL will probably depend on how his training camp goes. However, he has won a spot on the team out of training camp the past two seasons, and is a good bet to do so again given his versatility and ability to produce offense, something the Bruins sorely lack.
#2. Fraser Minten, C/LW – Boston/Providence
Like Zellers, Minten joined the Bruins’ organization in a deadline trade, this time from the Toronto Maple Leafs. A Western Hockey League product, Minten was the captain of the 2024 Canadian World Junior team, a roster that also featured fellow Bruins’ prospect Matt Poitras.
I was torn between Poitras and Minten for the second spot on my ranking, as they share many similarities. Both players have made the NHL out of training camp the past two seasons. They were selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, and both had solid CHL and AHL careers. In the end, I went with Minten, as I believe he has a very high floor and barring injury will have a long career in the NHL. Poitras has a slightly higher ceiling in my opinion, but his injury history also led me to rank Minten a spot higher.
#1. James Hagens, C – Boston College
The obvious choice for the first spot, Hagens was the Bruins’ first top ten selection since choosing Dougie Hamilton ninth overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. The Hauppauge, New York, native had a solid freshman campaign at BC, where he produced at a point-per-game pace in 37 games with the Eagles, also winning a Gold Medal at the World Juniors.
Adding a talent like Hagens in year one of the re-tool could not have been a bigger win for the Bruins, who fell two spots in the NHL Draft lottery. While he did not go first overall as expected at the beginning of last year, he still had a very productive year for both BC and Team USA. Look for Hagens to have a monster sophomore season for the Eagles before making the jump to the pros.
Good