Bruins Top Five Greatest Draft Picks Outside First Round

The 2023 NHL Entry Draft is upon us, but the Boston Bruins don't have a pick until the third round at 92nd overall.

The Bruins have had several first-round picks over the years that were used to select Ray Bourque (1979), Terry O'Reilly (1971), Sergei Samsanov (1997), Joe Thornton (1997), Phil Kessel (2006), Tyler Seguin (2010) and of course, David Pastrnak (2014).

Let's take a look at the five best players the Bruins selected outside of the first round.

5. P.J. Axelsson (1995, Round 7, 177th overall)
The left wing from Sweden played his entire NHL career for the Boston Bruins, appearing in 797 games over 11 seasons, potting 103 goals and adding 184 assists for 287 points.

While Axelsson was not a prolific goal scorer, his unrelenting, gritty defensive play, especially on the penalty kill, made him a solid player and fan favorite.

Axelsson currently serves as the European scouting coordinator for the Bruins.

4. Jeremy Swayman (2017, Round 4, 111th overall)
As part of the 2023 William M. Jennings Trophy tandem winner with Linus Ullmark for the fewest number of goals allowed in the regular season, Swayman posted a .920 save percentage and a 2.27 goals-against average in 37 appearances this year.

Swayman, in just his second full season with the Bruins, went 24-6-4 allowing just 76 goals on 953 shots.

In three years with the Bruins, the 24-year-old netminder has a .920 save percentage and a 2.24 goals-against average in 88 games.

3. David Krejci (2004, Round 2, 63rd overall)
In a draft class that saw Alexander Ovechkin go first overall and Evgeni Malkin second, there were a lot of players between the second pick and Krejci, and most of them didn't end up with the careers the 37-year-old Czech Republic native did.

In 16 seasons with the Bruins, Krejci has the fifth-most assists in Bruins history with 555 and ninth in points with 786.

The center was part of the 2011 Stanley Cup team and led all Bruins skaters with 23 points in the postseason that year.

2. Brad Marchand (2006, Round 3, 71st overall)
It's hard to believe that Marchand was not a first-round pick given the elite player he has grown into over the course of his 14 seasons with the Bruins.

Marchand has played 947 games for the Black and Gold, becoming one of the best left wings in Bruins history.

He is sixth all-time in goals (372), ninth in assists (490), seventh in points (862), fourth in game-winning goals and holds the Bruins record for shorthanded goals with 33.

He won the Stanley Cup his rookie year moving his way up from the fourth line to the top line alongside Hall of Famer Mark Recchi and longtime linemate Patrice Bergeron.

1. Patrice Bergeron (2003, Round 2, 45th overall)
The six-time Selke winner was not a first-round pick. The Bruins did have a first-round pick that year and they selected defenseman Mark Stuart with the 21st pick. Stuart played four years for Boston before being traded to the former Atlanta Thrashers.

Bergeron on the other hand has developed into one of, if not the best, two-way center in NHL history.

In 1,294 games wearing the Spoked-B, Bergeron has scored 427 goals and recorded 613 assists for 1,040 point,s which is ranked third in team history. He is second to only Johnny Bucyk in game-winning goals -- Bucyk has 88, Bergeron 81 and he is ranked fourth all-time in shorthanded goals with 22.

Honorable mention: Milan Lucic (2006, Round 2, 50th overall), Matt Grzelyk (2012, Round 3, 85th overall), Brandon Carlo (2015, Round 2, 37th overall), Ted Donato (1987, Round 5, 98th overall) and Joe Juneau (1988, Round 4, 81st overall).