By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
The Boston Bruins have not picked a defenseman in the first round of the National Hockey League Entry Draft since 2017, when they drafted Urho Vaakanainen 18th overall. The Joensuu, Finland, native played 31 games over four seasons with the B’s, and is currently a member of the New York Rangers organization. Nine years later, could they draft another young Finnish defenseman?
With Andrew Peeke looking likely to leave the team this summer in Free Agency, and the Bruins lack of right-handed defense prospects, it makes sense for them to draft a right-shot defenseman. Enter Juho Piiparinen.
Background
Position: Right-Shot Defenseman
Birthdate: August 10th, 2008
Hometown: Lahti, Finland
Height and Weight: 6’3″, 203lbs
2025-2026 Team: Tappara (Liiga)
2025-2026 Stats: 29 games played, three assists, eight penalty minutes, +6 rating.
Where is He Ranked?
EliteProspects.com: 44th
Craig Button/TSN: 18th
NHL Central Scouting (International Skaters): 6th
DailyFaceoff: 23rd
Sportsnet/Cosentino: 30th
Sportsnet/Bukala: 23rd
Profile and Highlights
The first thing that stands out when watching Piiparinen play is how excellent of a skater he is. For a larger player, Piiparinen’s mobility is impressive. While his offensive numbers in Liiga, don’t pop off the page, he does make a decent first pass, and looks like he could have potential for growth in that category. After all, he did have 13 points in 15 games in the U20 SM-Sarja this season, and he doesn’t turn 18 until August.
While plus/minus isn’t everything, it’s worth noting that Piiparinen was a plus player in every league he played in this season. Whether it was Liiga, Mestis (the second tier of pro hockey in Finland), or the SM-Sarja, Piiparinen was out there for more good things than bad. For a younger player, that’s a good thing.
Why Piiparinen Makes Sense for the Bruins
Right-handed defensive depth is a dire need for the Bruins. They have not drafted a right-shot defender with a pick in the first three rounds of the draft since 2018, when they drafted Axel Andersson 57th overall out of Sweden. This made sense when the team had Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo in their primes under team control, but fast forward eight years, and the B’s depth both at the NHL and AHL levels has been stretched thin.
Piiparinen could very well be the best right-handed defender available when Boston takes the podium at 23rd overall in June. He’s probably a couple of years away from making it to the NHL, but he’s young for this draft class, and already has over 30 games of experience playing against grown men.
Why the Bruins Might Go Elsewhere
First of all, Piiparinen could go in the late teens or early twenties, in which case the Bruins wouldn’t have a chance to select him. But outside of that, it’s possible if they decide to go defenseman, that they could elect to go for a defender with more offensive upside. That could be Tommy Bleyl, out of Moncton in the QMJHL for example, who put up 81 points in 63 games this season. They could also look at Xavier Villeneuve, a left-shot defender and BU commit, who also has significant upside. The Bruins seem to prefer the NCAA development route, and those players have already chosen that path, whereas Piiparinen might not be eligible to do so, given his pro experience.
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