The Boston Bruins are well-positioned to restock their prospect pool with seven picks in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Boston has two selections in the top 40 at 14th and 37th overall, which gives the Original Six club two chances to draft a really good player and assets to use if general manager Don Sweeney wants to move up in the first round.
Here’s a look at which players the Bruins might select with all seven picks they currently own before Round 1 begins Friday night in Florida.
Round 1, Pick 14:Â Kyle Connor, 6-1, 177 (Center/Left Wing, Youngstown/USHL)
Stats: 56 GP, 34 G, 46 A, 80 P
Here’s what I wrote about Connor from my final 2015 NHL Mock Draft:
“Connor is a scoring machine with excellent hockey smarts and the willingness to battle for puck possession all over the ice. He also has game-breaking speed and the playmaking skill to make his linemates better from center or left wing, where the Bruins desperately need more speed and skill.”
There’s a chance Connor won’t be available at No. 14, and in that scenario, the Bruins should consider wingers Timo Meier and Nick Merkley, defenseman Jakob Zboril or center Travis Konecny.
Round 2, Pick 37 (via PHI):Â Zachary Senyshyn, 6-1, 192 (Right Wing, Sault Marie/OHL)
Stats: 66 GP, 26 G, 19 A, 45 P
This is the better of the two second-round picks the Bruins acquired from the New York Islanders in the Johnny Boychuk trade, and it should give Boston a pretty good player because this draft class is so deep and talented.
Senyshyn, who ranked second among rookie scorers in the OHL, plays a power forward type of game with excellent speed and impressive goal-scoring skills. He’s not afraid to go to the net and uses his superior size to win puck battles. Senyshyn’s ability to excel in an uptempo style of hockey is among the reasons why he’s a good fit for a Bruins team that needs to play with more speed through the neutral zone. He’s not a liability defensively, but that area of his game still has plenty of room for improvement.
Round 3, Pick 75:Â Filip Ahl, 6-3, 211 (Left Wing, Hv Jr/Sweden-JR)
Stats: 34 GP, 20 G, 22 A, 42 P
Ahl is a gifted goal scorer with a powerful, accurate shot. When you combine that with his size, you have an exciting prospect who might actually be selected in the second round. But if he’s still available at No. 75, he’s a no-brainer pick for the Bruins, who need more scoring from left wing.
Round 4, Pick 105:Â Jeremy Lauzon, 6-2, 193 (Defenseman, Rouyn-Noranda)
Stats: 60 GP, 15 G, 21 A, 36 P
The Bruins need to replenish their defensive depth with Joe Morrow and Zach Trotman expected to play larger roles on the Boston blue line after spending most of the 2014-15 campaign with Providence.
Lauzon is a left-handed-shooting D-man — another need for the B’s — who used his powerful shot from the point to lead Huskies defensemen with 15 goals.
Round 5, Pick 135: Dryden Hunt, 5-11, 195 (Center, Regina/WHL)
Stats: 71 GP, 33 G, 50 A, 83 P
Hunt lacks elite size, but he has a good shot, a strong work ethic and has improved his skating at the junior level. He averaged more than a point per game for two different WHL teams this season (Regina and Medicine Hat) and is worth a look in the middle rounds as a center who’s difficult to play against.
Round 6, Pick 165: Ryan Shea, 6-0, 198 (Defenseman, Northeastern/NCAA)
Stats: 22 GP, 6 G, 29 A, 35 P
Shea will play at Northeastern next season after spending the 2014-15 campaign with Boston College High School. He was listed at No. 172 on NHL Central Scouting Service’s midterm rankings of the top North American skaters. Shea is a long ways from being NHL-ready, but he’s worth a gamble at this stage of the draft. Northeastern also has done a pretty good job of developing players in recent seasons, including Anaheim Ducks defenseman Josh Manson (Round 6, 2011).
Round 7, Pick 195: David Henley, 6-4, 203 (Defenseman, Charlottetown/QMJHL)
Stats: 64 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 P
Henley has tremendous size and isn’t afraid to use it in puck battles, dishing out huge hits or blocking shots. He’s not going to make much of an impact offensively, but the left-handed-shooting defenseman has the defensive skill and physicality to potentially become a third-pairing blueliner at the NHL level.
According to NHL.com, his favorite team is the Bruins and favorite player is Adam McQuaid.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
