Bruins Draft Preview

Bruins fans have been long-awaiting the returns from the Phil Kessel trade. Peter Chiarelli took some heat for not getting an NHL-ready player for his 36-goal forward last offseason, but I think the doubters have silenced themselves...for now. While the Bruins have experienced heartbreaking ends to each of the last two seasons, they have a tremendous opportunity to change the fortunes of the franchise at this year's Entry Draft. Thanks to the aforementioned trading of Phil Kessel, the Bruins are equipped with two first-round picks this year, including the second overall. While the most glaring weakness for this team is goal-scoring, they lack depth all over the place and stand to improve across the board (goaltending exempt).

The first pick will be an absolute no-brainer, even for the Bruins. At the top, this draft is eerily similar to the 2007 NBA Draft. Taylor Hall is to Greg Oden what Tyler Seguin is to Kevin Durant. Hall, for the last year, was widely considered the best player in the draft and a lock for #1 overall, much similar to the hype surrounding Oden. Meanwhile, Seguin's rise came during his draft year, and the Durant-type-hype surfaced. Now, this pick is a no-brainer for the B's because they own the second overall pick, and they'll take whichever of the two Edmonton passes on. But make no mistake; they're two very different players. Hall is the dynamic sniper, a left-shot winger who is the more NHL-ready of the two. Seguin, while still an able-scorer, is a right-shot centerman who is best-known for his great two-way play and incredible playmaking skills. There are whispers that the Bruins "definitively" prefer one of them, and all signs point to that player being Hall. He's the scoring threat that the Bruins need, and appears to be ready to deliver right away. Seguin can contribute next season, but his body is still filling out and it'll take a few seasons before he's labeled as a star. If the B's fall in love with one of them before the draft, I'm sure Pistol Pete could package the 2nd overall pick with some additional pieces (it would be an expensive proposition to simply move up one spot) in a move to get the top pick in the draft to ensure they get their guy.
Best Case: Taylor Hall, LW
Real Life: Tyler Seguin, C

The second of the Bruins first-rounders is where things will get interesting for the Black and Gold. Chiarelli won't have the luxury of a "no-brainer" in the mid-to-late first round, but this is where the Bruins could vault into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. They will have already helped their starved offense with the number two pick, but they'll have to decide whether to supplement Hall or Seguin with another forward, or whether one of the defensemen from this D-rich draft will better suit them (both short-term and long-term). The way I see it, the Bruins will be looking at five scenarios surrounding this pick on June 25^th.

Scenario 1, trade the pick for immediate help either up-front or on the blueline: They have made it clear that it isn’t a rebuilding process and that they want to contend now, so it makes sense to think that they could move the pick for a proven asset. They could swap it for Tomas Kaberle, giving themselves a puck-moving defenseman who will contribute right away, or they could move it for scoring (maybe in the form of Patrick Sharp?).

Scenario 2, package the pick with other pieces to move up into the top 10: It’s an unlikely scenario, but it could happen. There are rumors that Florida wants to trade out of the #3 spot in order to fill several key holes. The B’s could package this pick, a roster player (Blake Wheeler), and one of their many prospects (Jordan Caron, Joe Colborne, or Zach Hamill) in order to get a chance at one of the draft premiere defenseman. If they did move up to another top 10, or top 5 pick, they’d likely be looking to select:

Cam Fowler: The draft’s best puck mover was rated ahead of Hall and Seguin to begin the season, but his stock dropped after a mediocre season in Junior.

Erik Gudbranson: He’s been compared to Chris Pronger in terms of skill at that age and mean-streak. As a shutdown defender with great physicality, he’s probably a perfect fit for the Bruins, but I’ve seen on several sites that Chiarelli “loves” Fowler and the next defender here.

Brandon Gormley: Of the 3, he’s the biggest project, as he would likely spend another year playing Junior Hockey in the QMJHL. Being the least NHL-ready of the three, Gormley could offer the greatest ceiling, and Chiarelli is a big fan of his.

A deal vaulting the B’s from 15 to top 5 would require a lot of phone-work by the Front Office, and it’s an unlikely scenario, but it could pay huge dividends if they do it right.

Scenario 3, leverage the pick as a way to unload big contracts: The Bruins have plenty of unfriendly contracts that have and will continue to hinder their ability in the Free Agent market. If they plan on moving Tim Thomas (5 mil), Michael Ryder (4 mil), or Dennis Wideman (3.875 mil), then they’ll likely need to spice the pot with this pick or a slew of prospects. If they take advantage of this scenario, then it’s an indication that Chiarelli believes his best chance of improvement is via Free Agency.

Scenario 4, package the pick with the #2 pick to swap spots with Edmonton: The Bruins are in a great position at #2, so I’m hoping that this scenario doesn’t come true. Still, if they feel that either Seguin or Hall is definitively better than the other, I’m sure they will at least give this scenario some thought. However, I’m not sure the gap between the two players justifies the Bruins giving up an additional first round pick in order to move up…but if they need to move up, that seems to be the price.

Scenario 5, and the most unlikely I think, keep the 15^th pick and make a selection: While it’s possible that the Bruins keep the pick, one of the above four scenarios will prove too tempting on the 25^th for Chiarelli to pass on. If they do end up keeping the pick, they’ll likely have a couple of guys in mind:

Mark Pysyk (D) - Considered to be the best skater in the draft, Pysyk draws comparisons to Duncan Keith and Scott Niedermayer. He's still lanky (6'1, 165), but the Bruins can watch him fill-out for a year or two as he develops.

Mikael Granlund (C/W) - Finnish center/wing hybrid with a scoring touch and incredible playmaking skills. He has been compared to Saku Koivu in terms of skill-set and leadership ability, but there are questions as to whether he can transition those skills to smaller NHL rinks.

Dylan McIlrath (D) - The "nastiest" player in the draft might not be as skilled as the top 3 or 4 d-men in the draft, but makes up for it with ferocity. If the Bruins truly value the qualities that define the "Big Bad Bruins," then McIlrath will be seriously considered here.

Emerson Etem (LW) - He's an American-born kid with great speed and a nose for the net, sound like Zach Parise? With his stock continually on the rise, he might not slip this far. But if he's available, the Bruins will have to seriously consider.

Riley Sheahan (C) - He struggled offensively last year in the NCAA, but is best known for excelling in all three zones and being strong in the faceoff circle. The Bruins don't have a need down the middle, but they could find value in his versatility and make him their latest project.

Charlie Coyle and Kevin Hayes (F) - Like Sheahan, they still need to develop, but they're both locals, meaning the Bruins should have a leg-up in their scouting reports.

The best case for the Bruins at this pick would be to see a skilled, offensive defenseman like Pysyk drop to them, if for nothing other than his tremendous upside. While that is certainly possible, I can't see that many teams passing on him. Realistically, the best case is for the Bruins to spend this pick on a nasty, tenacious D-man like McIlrath to patrol the area in front of Tuukka for the next few years.

The Bruins will drastically change the outlook of their future in the first round of this year’s draft, but fans need to remember how well this team has drafted in the later rounds. Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic, and David Krejci were all second round choices, while Matt Hunwick and Vladimir Sobotka were scooped up in the fourth round. Some guys to look for after the first 30 picks:

Kirill Kabanov (RW)
Alexander Petrovic (D)
Brock Beukeboom (D)
Adam Pettersson (C)
Jared Tinordi (D)
John McFarland (LW)

With so many picks in their possession, I see the Bruins taking a risk at some point within two rounds. Their skepticism surrounding Russian players was probably eased a little when they signed Yuri Alexandrov a few weeks ago, so maybe they'll look to add one of the skilled Russian forwards whose stock has plummeted over the past year.

Other than taking risks, the Bruins need to stick to the theories that saw them draft so well in later rounds over the past decade. That theory: draft well rounded players who work hard. Guys like Bergeron, Krejci, Lucic, and Mark Stuart are what they need to strive for in later rounds, and I see those qualities being keystone in guys like Tinordi and Beukeboom.

Ideally, they'll get Hall with #2 (or even #1) and use the 15th and/or 32nd picks to help unload some unfriendly salaries or add NHL-ready talent. While "ideal" can sometimes be substituted with "unrealistic," I think it's certainly fathomable for the Bruins to do exactly that on Draft Day. Either way, June 25th is a day that will drastically change the outlook of this Bruins team, both short-term and long-term.