The Boston Bruins have been one of the more successful NHL franchises over the past decade.
With the exception of a few seasons, the B’s have been in the mix year-in and year-out, missing the playoffs just twice since 2008 and winning a Stanley Cup in 2011.
A big reason for that success is because of the team’s ability to draft. The B’s are built on homegrown stars like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci and on and on and on.
In fact, the Bruins have been the best drafting franchise in the league over the last 16 years, according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, who compiled points from each team’s draft class dating back to 2003. And the B’s have a pretty cushion at the top of the list.
Here’s the top five:
- Boston Bruins – 5,994 points
- Chicago Blackhawks – 5,791
- Washington Capitals – 5,572
- Pittsburgh Penguins – 5,567
- Anaheim Ducks – 5,269
It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that all five teams in the top five won Cups during this stretch as well.
Boston’s draft success from 03-08 largely is the reason they sit so high in the rankings. The B’s drafted Bergeron in 2003, Krejci in 2004 and top the league in points from the 2006 draft after taking Marchand, Phil Kessel and Milan Lucic.
Things began to even out a bit, as Bruins picks from 2009-2014 have recorded 1,530 points, good enough for 13th in the league. Likewise, Bruins picks from the last four drafts have accounted for just 164 points, paling in comparison to division rivals like the Toronto Maple Leafs (433), Buffalo Sabres (320) and Ottawa Senators (192). On the flip side, the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals have gotten a whopping four points out of their four drafts thus far. So recent draft success does not necessarily immediately correlate to winning.
A there is plenty to like about the Bruins farm system, which has produced the likes of Jake DeBrusk, Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak over the last few seasons.
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