Bruins NHL Draft Grade Roundup: How Analysts View Boston’s 2020 Class

The Boston Bruins didn’t have a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, a product of trading away their selection during this past season.

They still added four new players to the pipeline Wednesday, though, choosing two defensemen and two forwards between Rounds 2 and 6.

Here’s the Bruins’ full draft class:

Round 2 (Pick 58): Mason Lohrei, D
Round 3 (Pick 89): Trevor Kuntar, F
Round 5 (Pick 151): Mason Langenbrunner, D
Round 6 (Pick 182): Riley Duran, F

(The Bruins also traded a 2020 seventh-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2021 seventh-round selection.)

So, how did Boston make out?

Well, obviously, it’s difficult to draw any significant conclusions right now, with none of the players being over the age of 19. Their development from here on out largely will determine if/when they arrive in Boston and whether they’ll achieve success at the NHL level, and all current evaluations therefore should be taken with a grain of salt.

That said, several hockey analysts broke out their red pens in wake of the draft, handing out grades for each team, including the B’s. Here’s what a few “experts” are saying about Boston’s haul of talent.

Chris Peters, ESPN: D-
With only four picks, the Bruins couldn’t do much to make a dent in their system. They used their first two picks on second-year draft-eligibles, with Mason Lohrei looking like a fairly off-the-board pick at No. 58. That said, he might be a bit of a late bloomer because he popped in the USHL this season as one of the league’s top scoring defensemen. Trevor Kuntar, who skates well and possesses a high-end shot, was one of the top producers in the USHL last season and shined for the U.S. at the World Junior A Challenge. He’ll be playing at Boston College next season, giving the Bruins a chance to keep a close eye on his development.

This grade, however, has as much to do with the lack of picks as anything else. There just wasn’t a whole lot this team could do to improve the prospect pool in a significant way.

Corey Pronman, The Athletic: D
I don’t mind the Trevor Kuntar pick at 89. I didn’t have him there but I respect the skill. Mason Lohrei at 58 was quite surprising and watching him last season, I don’t see the value in the second round. I have my skepticism that this Bruins class will provide much at the NHL level.

J.D. Burke, Elite Prospects: F
I was really taken aback by the Boston Bruins decision to draft Mason Lohrei with their first pick in the second-round. I’d spoken to some teams around the league that shared interest in Lohrei, but not that early. He’s got a big shot, and put up some serious numbers for the Green Bay Gamblers, but his skating is nowhere near good enough.

They followed that up with another re-entry from the USHL in Youngstown Phantoms sniper Trevor Kuntar. It’s fine value, relative to where I expected Kuntar to land going into the day, but his lack of off the puck instincts and offensive instincts warded me off. That’s a player we rated as a ‘DND’ (Do Not Draft) prospect.

That the Bruins finished the day with a pair of low probability bets out of the American high school ranks doesn’t bode especially well for their likelihood of getting many NHLers out of this draft.