Bruins enter – Boston’s 2026 NHL Draft board is still stacked, even after the Maple Leafs won the lottery and moved Boston’s expected path to the top seven. With eight total picks—led by No. 23—the Bruins could still target a mix of high-upside defensemen and forwards, inclu
The Bruins walked into their offseason expecting a certain kind of freedom: a first-round pick of their own and the possibility of landing the sixth or seventh overall selection through Toronto’s pick.
That plan took a hit last month. The Maple Leafs won the draft lottery, grabbed the No. 1 pick, and pushed that Leafs first-round selection all the way to 2028 as an unprotected first-round selection. For Boston, the setback wasn’t just about where they’d pick. It changed how the organization could build its prospect pipeline—whether by drafting another blue-chip player right away or by flipping that pick for help sooner.
Even with Toronto keeping the selection, Boston still has plenty of draft ammunition as it approaches the 2026 NHL Draft weekend. The Bruins will enter with eight total picks: Round 1 (No. 23 overall), Round 2 (No. 56 overall), Round 3 (No. 88 overall), Round 4 (No. 104 overall, No. 111 overall, No. 122 overall), Round 5 (No. 157 overall), and Round 7 (No. 216 overall).
On paper, Boston may not have the means to land a top-line franchise star in the first round. But there are several prospects who could still shape the future by the time Boston’s on the clock late Friday night—especially players built around the Bruins’ ongoing search for elite skills on the blue line and in their forward depth.
Tommy Bleyl could be the kind of defensive prospect that fits that immediate need. A right-handed defenseman from Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL). Bleyl is listed at 6-foot-0 and is described as a two-way option with skating ability and offensive instincts. The Cushing Academy standout made a jump to the QMJHL this season and produced 13 goals and 81 total points in 63 games—numbers framed as the most points recorded by a draft-eligible defenseman in the Q in 45 years.
Bleyl’s upside is also being measured in how he moves with the puck. The piece notes he is an elusive playmaker and elite skater. with comparisons to Brian Rafalski as a potential power-play quarterback. The Athletic ranked Bleyl as the fifth-best skater in this draft class. and Elite Prospects’ scouts polled him as the class’ top straight-line skater.
Boston could still face a tougher scouting reality with Bleyl as well. The scouting view presented is that he’s a flawed prospect. But if he’s available at No. 23, his skating talent and offensive creativity are positioned as the injection Boston may be trying to add to its future defensive group.
Up front, J.P. Hurlbert is another name framed as fitting the Bruins’ system. A forward for Kamloops Blazers (WHL). Hurlbert is tied to a style that can travel—one built for scoring chances and shot generation. The Bruins have recently benefited from high-scoring. shot-first wingers in their system led by Will Zellers and Cooper Simpson. and Hurlbert is described as the type of middle-six forward with 20-to-25-goal upside.
His production in the WHL was substantial: 97 points (42 goals, 55 assists) in 68 games in the past year. The scouting notes acknowledge concerns about his skating and defensive work. even as they emphasize that his game is heavily offense-driven—“wicked” shot. great hands. high hockey IQ. playmaking ability. and hard hitting without reckless body use. The piece also says he does not throw his body around in a reckless manner. leads with his hands to knock players’ leverage. and posts a profile that suggests a third-line floor that peppers the net.
That balance—offense that can translate with a potentially controllable pro role—makes him a possible option if Boston wants cost-controlled scoring across the depth chart.
The Bruins could also look at Nikita Klepov, a left winger for Saginaw Spirit (OHL). Klepov’s profile centers on scoring. The piece says he led the OHL in scoring this past season with 37 goals and 97 points in 67 games. His motor is described as evident on tape. with the Michigan State commit portrayed as someone who can beat defenders one-on-one and generate looks off the rush.
There are tradeoffs in the projection. Klepov is described as not the most physical player and sometimes pushed to the outside. Even so. the case for him is that he could develop into a high-skilled middle-six wing with legitimate top-six upside if he hits—though the piece also frames him as a long shot to still be available at No. 23.
For fans hoping Boston grabs another offensive-minded defenseman, Xavier Villeneuve is one of the clearest names. A left defenseman for Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL). Villeneuve is highlighted as a puck mover and playmaker similar in spirit to Bleyl: the kind of prospect teams chase when they want dynamic. high-skill production on the power play.
Villeneuve is listed at 5-foot-11 and, in the described scouting view, is an elite skater who can elude opponents and move the puck out of danger with crisp edge work. He is also projected to head to Boston University this fall.
But the projection comes with sharp edges. The piece lays out boom-or-bust concerns around his overall defensive game. risk-taking. and a productive-but-not-elite abbreviated season in the Q—six goals and 38 points in 37 games. Even with that uncertainty. his tools are presented as enticing for a Bruins team that needs high-end skill on its future blue line.
Adam Novotny is another winger tied to the Bruins’ drafting interest: shot-ready and built for a pro role over time. Novotny plays for Peterborough Petes (OHL) and is described as 6-foot-1 and 201 pounds with a strong frame. His OHL numbers listed here are 34 goals and 65 points in 58 games.
The key difference, compared to a pure ceiling swing, is what’s expected to translate. Even if his offense doesn’t become a 25-goal NHL regular projection, the piece suggests he could carve out an effective role through relentless forechecking—anchored by physicality and straight-line speed.
Liam Ruck adds another layer to Boston’s planning: drafting a player with an unusually specific follow-up path. Ruck is a right winger for Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), listed at 5-foot-11. The scouting view notes he doesn’t get high marks for skating ability and may be slightly undersized. Yet it also says he was a force in a top-line role.
In the WHL season described, Ruck scored 45 goals and 104 points in 68 games. The piece adds that it remains to be seen how his output translates in the pro game, but that he’s earned high marks for compete and hockey IQ.
Then comes the twist: the piece says a team drafting Liam Ruck would also be best served by drafting his identical-twin brother. Markus Ruck. at some point in the late first or second round. It portrays Markus as a gifted passer with concerns over size and speed—similar to his brother. Still. it says that when they played together. the pair carved up the competition in the WHL with Markus posting 21 goals and 87 assists over 68 games.
Boston, the piece suggests, may need to pool picks and trade up in the late first or early second round to secure a shot at Markus as well. If the Bruins did end up adding both brothers, the idea presented is that they could anchor a line in the pro ranks if they reach their ceiling.
At center, the Bruins’ board could branch differently. Ilia Morozov is described as a higher-risk, higher-reward option compared to many late-first center projections, and the piece directly notes why he stands out.
Morozov is listed as a center for Miami (NCAA) and is described as the youngest player in college hockey at the start of the 2025-26 season. The piece says he is 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds and logged first-line reps at the University of Miami. putting up eight goals and 20 total points in 36 games. It also notes that even if he doesn’t project as an offensive force in the pro game. he played a physical game and could develop into a shutdown center later on the depth chart. His ceiling is compared to a big-bodied center like Jordan Staal, who is described as thriving in a middle-six spot.
Boston could also consider another center option. Jack Hextall. who is described as a third-line. 200-foot pivot type at the next level. Hextall plays for Youngstown Phantoms (USHL). The piece says there has been buzz linking Hextall to the Bruins. pointing to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler projecting Hextall to Boston in his final mock draft earlier this week.
The scouting view described here doesn’t emphasize jaw-dropping offense. Instead. it points to hockey IQ. two-way play. and compete level. with a projection that if Hextall pops. he could become a strong 3C similar to Charlie Coyle. The piece lists him at 6-foot-1 and 188 pounds, and includes a U.S. junior performance line of 6G, 4A, 10P in 9 games in the USHL this year. It also mentions that the Illinois native had 2G, 5A, 7P in 5GP at Hlinka.
It also notes The Athletic tabbed Hextall as the third-best 200-foot forward in this draft class behind Caleb Malhotra and Viggo Björck.
Elton Hermansson, a right winger for MoDo (HockeyAllsvenskan), is another dynamic offensive prospect mentioned as potentially available for Boston. The piece says he made an immediate impact in Sweden’s second-tier pro league in 2025-26, totaling 21 points in 38 games with MoDo.
The report connects the dots through a points-per-game comparison. noting that the only 17-year-old skaters in HockeyAllsvenskan who have posted a higher points-per-game rate than Hermansson (0.55) over the past 20 years are Anton Frondell (0.86). William Nylander (0.77). and David Pastrnak (0.67). It describes Boston’s likely fit as a team adding more dynamic offense to its pipeline.
And if Boston wants a forward with a higher floor. Casey Mutryn is positioned as a candidate for a safer selection. Mutryn is listed as a forward for USNTDPA and a Norwell native and Boston College commit. The piece says he has a much higher floor than many other forwards projected to be available by No. 23, but a lower ceiling—more of a two-way, physical wing projected as a third-line stalwart.
The described case for Mutryn emphasizes size. physicality. and leadership qualities that have drawn high marks in the lead-up to the draft. The projection offered is that he figures to be a very good pro in the NHL. with the only remaining variable being whether Boston wants to swing for something more skilled at No. 23.
The Bruins’ draft night will still feel like a negotiation between what they need and what’s left on the board at No. 23. The lottery shifted the dream of a top-seven pick, and it also reshaped the urgency around trading or selecting immediately.
Still. with eight picks across seven rounds and a roster of prospects who each come with their own strengths and questions—from skating and offense to two-way roles—Boston enters this weekend ready to rebuild its options. The names on the list aren’t just names. They’re the next chances for the organization to turn a painful detour into a future that looks a lot more like the one it wanted all along.
Boston Bruins 2026 NHL Draft Don Sweeney Leafs draft lottery Tommy Bleyl J.P. Hurlbert Nikita Klepov Xavier Villeneuve Adam Novotny Liam Ruck Markus Ruck Ilia Morozov Jack Hextall Elton Hermansson Casey Mutryn