By: Neil Simmons & Eamonn McLean | Follow us on Twitter / X: @NSimmz & @EamonnMcLean44
The second installment of the Black n Gold NHL Draft Day Two primer moves to the blueline. Last time out, Eamonn and I identified several forwards for Bruins fans to keep an eye on after the first round, where “best player available” may just as well fall right into Boston’s biggest needs. Now, we look to do the same on defense, where the Bruins prospect system is arguably at its driest. Boston hasn’t drafted a right-shot defenseman since 2021, and while it was an unaddressed need at last year’s draft, it’s even more so now.
The Andre Gasseau trade from Thursday has shaken up Boston’s draft capital, as they exchanged the 120th pick for the 104th and 157th as part of the deal, moving up in the fourth and bridging the gap from their cluster in the 110-120 range to the 206th. That move very well could put Boston back in range of a prospect or two we highlight below:
2nd Round (56th Overall)
Neil: Landon Nycz (LHD) – UMass (NCAA)
I will preface right off the hop that this pick will be entirely dependent on what the Bruins do in the first round. If they draft a defenseman at #23, I’d find it hard to believe they’d double down at the position so early. But if they draft a forward, or trade their first, going D in the second round would make a lot of sense. Nycz here would be a bit of a reach given his projected range, but it’s unlikely that he’d still be available when the Bruins next pick swings around.
While he didn’t put up eye-catching numbers in his first season at UMass, Minutemen Head Coach Greg Carvel described him as the “second best” defenseman he’s coached in Amherst, behind only Cale Makar. Praise like that, on top of his frame (6’2”, 209lbs) and exceptional skating, should be worth taking higher than the consensus boards dictate.
Eamonn: Samu Alalauri (RHD) Pelicans U20 (U20 SM-Sarja)
Committed to UMass for next season, Alalauri put up 6-19-25 in 40 games in the U20 SM-Sarja, the top junior league in Finland. Alalauri also wore an A for the Finnish U18 team at the U18’s, where he had four points in five games. He’s already pretty physically mature for his age, at 6’2”, 220lbs, and is headed to a school that has a long history of developing NHL defensemen. He could be paired up with Bruins prospect Vashek Blanar one day.
3rd Round (88th Overall)
Neil: Jayden Kurtz (RHD) – Chicago Steel (USHL)
The elevator pitch on Kurtz is that he’s a big, smooth-skating, puck-moving, right-handed shot D, essentially everything the Bruins need right now on their blueline. The Rogers, Minnesota native clocks in at 6’3”, 194lbs, racked up 13-25-38 in 26 games of High School hockey this past season, and appeared in 16 games with the Chicago Steel. He’s headed off to Wisconsin in the fall, where the Badgers have a rich history of developing NHL defensemen.
Eamonn: Callum Croskery (LHD) Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
The Bruins love a Boston College commit, and that’s what Croskery is. Croskery is headed to BC for 2027-2028 according to EliteProspects, meaning he’ll likely return to the Greyhounds this upcoming season. The Oakville, Ontario, native had 3-15-18 in 43 games with the Soo last season, and should see those numbers increase if he is to return to the OHL next year. He’s not huge, but also not small, at 6’1”, 187lbs, and was part of the Canadian U18 team at the U18’s this spring, where he had 1-3-4 in five games.
4th Round (104th, 111th, 122nd Overall)
Neil: Myles Brosnan (RHD) – Dexter Southfield School (USHS)
The Bruins love homegrown talent, and they really love having prospects develop in their backyard. Brosnan is a Winchester native who has played for the Boston Jr. Eagles and Dexter Southfield, made cameos in the USHL, and committed to Harvard. Standing at 6 ft, 194 lbs, Corey Pronman describes him as a “pro-built right-shot D” with great vision and puck-moving ability. Brosnan recorded 7-44-51 in 30 games at Dexter this past season, and would be another interesting blueline project for Bruins fans to monitor just a stone’s throw away from the Garden.
Eamonn: Vertti Svensk (LHD) SaiPa (Liiga/U20 SM-Sarja)
Svensk is a player whose draft range is hard to gauge. Some people have him as a 2nd-round pick, while others have him as a 4th-round pick. I’ll include the Joensuu, Finland, native here, as he seems more likely to fall than go that high to me. Svensk split this season between Liiga and the U20 SM-Sarja. He dominated at the junior level, with 31 points in 33 games, but had only 1 point in 18 games against men. He’s excellent with the puck on his stick, but he is considered a boom-or-bust pick, as his hockey sense has been questioned. Therefore, I think a fourth-round projection is fair.
Neil: Lincoln Kuehne (RHD) – Arizona State (NCAA)
Kuehne would be an interesting pick in this position, as he already has a year of experience under his belt in the toughest conference in college hockey. He played 30 games with Arizona State last season, only turning 18 at the end of November. He’s never been much of a point producer at any level, but he has a big frame at 6’2” and 205lbs that, coupled with his skating ability, allows him to cover space quickly. His puck-handling has been identified as a work in progress and could improve over time as he continues to hone his skills at the collegiate level.
Eamonn: Yaroslav Fedoseyev (RHD) Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL)
Fedoseyev has already scored a goal in the KHL at 18, and has good size at 6’2”, 187lbs. The Bruins desperately need right-shot defense prospects, and Fedoseyev could be a good bet here, as he’s probably farther along in his development than a kid who is playing juniors. He’s expected to play in the KHL again next season. However, his contract expires after next season, according to EliteProspects, so perhaps he could make his way over to North America then.
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