By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
Through six rounds of the 2026 National Hockey League Draft, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney selected six players: goaltenders Yuri Ivanov and Roberto Henriquez, forwards Nils Bartholdsson, Matvei Kotkov, and Oscar Olsson, and defenseman Jacob Vandeven. The Bruins had one more pick to end the draft, owning one pick in the seventh round.
With the 216th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Bruins selected defenseman Cullen McCrate. In the end, the Bruins selected seven players without having a first-round draft pick this year after trading it away to the Utah Mammoth in the JJ Peterka trade.
McCrate played 16 games from 2023 to 2025 in the USHL with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, recording no points. However, after joining the Fargo Force midway through the 2024-25 USHL season, McCrate’s game improved. In the 2025-26 season with the Force, McCrate recorded 30 points in 61 games, including four points in nine games during the 2026 playoffs. At 6’2″, 189 lbs, McCrate moves well with the puck and skates solidly. McCrate makes smart passes and has good speed. A right-handed defenseman is something the Bruins have been lacking, and McCrate is a right-handed defenseman.
The 2026 NHL Draft is officially over for the Bruins and the other 31 teams. Now, the focus shifts to free agency for Sweeney. Big decisions will be made over the next few days as free agency begins, which could deeply impact the Bruins.
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