Bruins
The addition of a blue-chip expertise like James Hagens is a welcome sight for the Bruins in 2025.
The Boston Bruins’ once-dormant prospect pipeline is beginning to present indicators of life.
With Boston promoting off a number of NHL property on the commerce deadline in March for future returns — coupled with a promising draft haul in 2025 — the Bruins’ pool of younger expertise is the deepest it’s been in fairly a while.
Now that 2025 Growth Camp has wrapped, right here’s our annual rating of the highest 20 prospects within the Bruins’ system.
To slender down on among the candidates on this rating, we’re excluding prospects who’ve already logged at the least 15 video games with the Bruins, like Matthew Poitras and Michael Callahan.
We’re additionally excluding free-agent signings this offseason who could possibly be poised for a higher function in 2025-26, like AHL standouts Matej Blumel and Alex Steeves.
After rolling through No. 20-11 on Wednesday, right here’s our top-10 listing of the highest Bruins’ kids to maintain tabs on.
10. Chris Pelosi, F
One of many extra unheralded prospects within the system, Pelosi was arguably one of many high underclassmen in all of faculty hockey down the stretch in 2024-25.
After a sluggish begin with the Bobcats, Pelosi recorded 19 factors (11 targets, eight assists) over his remaining 23 video games, closing out the 2024-25 marketing campaign with 24 whole factors.
A 2023 third-round decide, Pelosi additionally made a powerful case for himself on the USA Hockey’s coaching camp for the 2025 World Championships, ending as one of many remaining cuts for a group that ultimately received back-to-back Gold Medals.
Pelosi was largely thought-about a high-floor prospect with professional potential given his bodily play and regular two-way sport.
However, if he can show that his second-half surge was no fluke, Pelosi might ultimately venture as extra of a two-way common in a middle-six function.
“He placed on a stable 10 kilos final 12 months,” Bruins newbie and school scout Parker MacKay stated of Pelosi earlier this summer season. “Quinnipiac did an awesome job final 12 months. I believe he respects each ends of the ice, and you may see that on the market. He’s taking pucks to arduous areas, and he additionally values his defending, and that’s definitely the items of his sport that we worth.”
9. Frederic Brunet, D
With Boston putting a premium on facilities and high-skilled forwards in the previous few drafts, it ought to come as little shock that Boston’s crop of blue-line prospects have been whittled down a bit over the previous few years.
However, an offensive-minded D-man in Brunet is a participant value monitoring transferring ahead, particularly after incomes a cup of espresso with Boston within the group’s regular-season finale in April.
Brunet has some dimension at 6-foot-3, however his calling card is his playmaking capabilities.
The 21-year-old defenseman seemingly put all of it collectively this previous season with Windfall, enjoying heavy minutes whereas additionally scoring 5 targets and 25 factors over 69 video games.
He’s not as offensively centered as a D-man like Mason Lohrei, however Brunet is at his finest when transferring the puck with authority.
Brunet wants a bit extra seasoning on the AHL degree, however the Quebec product is probably going going to be the primary blueliner referred to as up when the damage bug inevitably begins stinging Boston’s roster within the coming months.
8. Georgii Merkulov, F
This looks like make-or-break time for the 24-year-old Merkulov.
Signed as a university free agent in April 2022 after only one season at Ohio State, Merkulov has lengthy held courtroom as a productive participant within the AHL ranks.
In 201 profession video games with the Windfall Bruins, Merkulov has scored 70 targets and 179 factors — serving as one in all Ryan Mougenel’s simplest top-six abilities over the previous few years.
Regardless that the Russian ahead isn’t essentially the most imposing determine at 5-foot-11 and 183 kilos, Merkulov has usually shredded AHL defenses by means of a pointy one-time shot and comfortable fingers.
There’s no doubting that Merkulov is already a standout AHL expertise. The query now’s whether or not or not his skillset can correctly translate to the NHL degree.
Even when Merkulov’s shot and sharp hockey IQ would seemingly permit him to chip in offensively at hockey’s highest degree, he’s solely recorded a single level by means of 10 video games with the Bruins throughout two seasons.
Regardless of the clear expertise with the puck on his stick, Merkulov’s pace and processing skill has typically been a contact behind at an NHL tempo — resulting in a number of high quality seems, however little when it comes to tangible outcomes.
Merkulov re-upped in Boston on a one-year contract this offseason. But when he doesn’t make the group out of camp, he’ll must clear waivers earlier than getting despatched again all the way down to Windfall.
7. Dean Letourneau, F
On paper, a prospect like Letourneau checks off all the containers of the kind of expertise the Bruins ought to covet.
A middle? Test.
A 6-foot-7 body? Test.
Add within the video-game-like stats he compiled in opposition to prep competitors at St. Andrew’s Faculty in 2023-24 (61 targets and 127 factors throughout 56 video games), and it ought to come as little shock {that a} Bruins group determined for high-end expertise down the center rolled the cube on Letourneau with the No. 25 decide within the 2024 NHL Draft.
However, after initially drawing comparisons to a fellow 6-foot-7 scoring heart in Tage Thompson, Letourneau validated his standing as a “venture” by struggling mightily in his first season at Boston Faculty. The then 18-year-old ahead didn’t rating a purpose over 36 video games with the Eagles in 2024-25 and completed with simply three assists.
In hindsight, the choice to speed up Letourneau from the prep degree to Hockey East competitors in a single season was a misstep, because the younger ahead might have benefited from a 12 months within the USHL earlier than making the bounce to school.
However, regardless of his lackluster manufacturing, Letourneau has said and done all the right things this offseason as he tries to put together a bounce-back season.
“He truthfully dealt with it very well,” Bruins participant improvement coordinator Adam McQuaid stated of Letourneau throughout Growth Camp. “There have been days of disappointment the place he felt like he might and needed to influence extra. We have been preaching smaller particulars like defending pucks and being bodily, and he began to get a bit of little bit of time on the penalty kill. He acquired a lot better together with his stick — simply little particulars.
“He took all that in stride however was nonetheless like, ‘I wanna do extra, I wanna influence extra. I imagine I can do extra.’ These are all constructive issues. On the finish of the 12 months, he was like, ‘I’m going again to BC. I’m going to compete for a spot.’ Nothing’s going to be given to you. He is aware of that, and it says quite a bit about him.”
The 2025-26 season will probably be essential for Letourneau if he needs to reassert himself as a high prospect in Boston’s system. He has robust puck expertise for a participant at his dimension, however he must make the most of that 6-foot-7 body much more if he needs that pure expertise to take over in Grade-A ice.
6. William Moore, C
One more Boston Faculty ahead, Moore stands as a possible middle-six common on the subsequent degree if his regular two-way sport continues to mature.
The No. 51 decide within the 2025 NHL Draft, Moore ranked second on the U.S. Nationwide Workforce Growth Program U-18 Workforce with 59 factors (27 targets, 32 assists) in 64 video games this previous season.
Moore was projected to be a possible late first spherical or early second-round choice on this draft, with the consolidated rankings compiled by Elite Prospects itemizing the ahead because the No. 34 decide on this draft class.
Lots of that top draft standing rests in his versatile skillset, because the 6-foot-3 ahead can play the physique, win faceoffs, and has a powerful defensive basis to his sport drawn from his sharp hockey IQ.
The first query for Moore is whether or not or not his offensive abilities can proceed to evolve as he braces himself for harder competitors within the years forward.
If Moore’s scoring capacities plateau, he might venture as a Swiss Military Knife on a 3rd line within the years forward. However, if he can stuff the stat sheet at Chesnut Hill and develop into a 50-point NHLer, he has the makings of a really helpful 2C on the professional degree.
5. Will Zellers, F
One of many high prizes secured by Boston by way of their trade-deadline hearth sale in March, Zellers has been a welcome addition to the Bruins’ pipeline as a possible middle-six scoring winger.
The 2024 third-round decide (initially chosen by Colorado) had a standout season with the Inexperienced Bay Gamblers within the USHL, incomes USHL Participant of the 12 months honors after scoring 44 targets and 71 factors throughout 52 video games with the Inexperienced Bay Gamblers.
Zellers will not be essentially the most imposing presence on the ice at 5-foot-10 and 175 kilos. However, as evidenced by his play at Growth Camp, Zellers is a brilliant offensive winger who generates scoring probabilities by working in high-danger ice, discovering comfortable areas and altering the angle of his photographs moderately than simply peppering the online.
The Minnesota native — who stated he fashions his sport after a fellow undersized scoring winger in Jake Gunetzel — is ready to proceed his hockey profession on the College of North Dakota in 2025-26. If Zellers can proceed to gentle the lamp with regularity as a freshman at Grand Forks, his inventory goes to soar inside Boston’s system.
“You may inform straight away that he’s simply becoming proper into the group,” McQuaid stated of Zellers throughout Growth Camp. “Simply on the ice — his pure intuition for scoring? He doesn’t want many alternatives, and he capitalizes on them. I believe he’s pushed that manner.”
4. Dans Locmelis, C
No Bruins prospect has seen their inventory rise as a lot as Locmelis over the previous few months.
A 2022 fourth-round decide by the Bruins, Locmelis initially projected as a possible two-way, fourth-line participant if he carved out a job within the NHL ranks.
However after scoring 14 factors over 30 video games as a freshman at UMass in 2023-24, the Latvian-born ahead broke by means of with 33 factors (eight targets, 25 assists) over 40 video games with the Minutemen this previous season.
He then signed his entry-level take care of the Bruins, becoming a member of the Windfall Bruins within the spring and recording a whopping 12 factors (three targets, 9 assists) over simply six video games with the P-Bruins.
Past that surge in offensive manufacturing on the AHL degree, Locmelis closed out his busy 12 months representing Latvia on the IIHF World Championships — the place he scored 4 targets and 6 factors over seven video games.
Locmelis’ play in opposition to confirmed NHLers throughout Worlds apparently caught the attention of Workforce Canada captain Sidney Crosby, who complimented the 21-year-old forward’s game during the international tournament.
A cerebral centerman whose sport seemingly thrives on the greater tempo discovered on the professional degree, Locmelis could possibly be in line for a featured function with Windfall full-time in 2025-26. However, it additionally wouldn’t come as a shock if the previous UMass product makes a push for NHL reps at this some level this season.
3. Fabian Lysell, RW
When Lysell is on his sport, it’s simple to see why the Bruins chosen him twenty first total within the 2021 NHL Draft, and why the Swedish winger continues to be routinely talked about as a possible contributor for Boston forward of each coaching camp.
Lysell’s skating skill is elite, with the winger at his finest when he’s aggressively driving to the online or utilizing that 0-to-60 speed up to win foot races and arrange his teammates within the offensive zone.
He nonetheless has loads of work to do defensively, however when Lysell is assertive and working with loads of confidence, issues occur offensively when he has the puck on his stick.
Lysell has issues sustaining that aggressiveness and confidence night time in and night time out. He had some encouraging spurts over his 12 video games with Boston in 2024-25, however nonetheless went by means of some prolonged lulls en path to only one purpose and three factors over that stretch.
On a Bruins ahead corps severely missing when it comes to high-end expertise, Lysell ought to have each alternative to attempt to win a middle-six spot on the 2025-26 roster out of camp.
However after a lackluster camp final fall, Lysell wants show that among the flashes he showcased in April can develop into an everyday sight at any time when he hops over the boards.
The case will be made that the Bruins haven’t given Lysell an prolonged run over the previous few seasons. However, the onus additionally falls on Lysell to show to Boston that his days within the AHL are over.
2. Fraser Minten, C
Minten doesn’t have the offensive upside of a Matt Poitras, nor does he wield the identical high-end talent present in Lysell’s sport.
However, because the Bruins attempt to plug in youthful gamers who can settle into established roles transferring ahead, a wise, two-way centerman like Minten has all of the makings of a long-term fixture at 3C for Boston.
A former Toronto second-round decide who was plucked up by Boston within the Brandon Carlo commerce, Minten is a jack-of-all trades pivot who has drawn excessive marks for his defensive acumen, hockey smarts, faceoff work, and off-ice intangibles.
In some respects, Minten mimics a participant like Charlie Coyle, whose practical offensive output throughout most seasons normally hovered round 40 factors.
However, if saved in place as a third-line pivot, Coyle (and Minten, by extension) supplied tons of worth to his group by enjoying heavy minutes in all conditions, successful key attracts, and doing the little issues to assist his group win as a dependable lineup fixture.
If the 2025-26 season finally ends up being a bridge 12 months for the Bruins, one welcome silver lining could be if Minten can leapfrog the a number of different gamers presently combating for bottom-six reps and solidify his spot as Boston’s 3C of the long run.
1. James Hagens, C
The brand new crown jewel of Boston’s prospect pipeline, Hagens represents what the Bruins have been looking for over the previous decade: a possible top-line heart.
Lengthy thought to be the No. 1 prospect within the 2025 NHL Draft class, Hagens dropped all the best way to No. 7 on draft night time as a consequence of considerations over his smaller body (5-foot-11, 190 kilos) and what was thought-about an “underwhelming” freshman season at Boston Faculty the place he was a point-per-game expertise (37 factors in 37 video games) as a 17-going-on-18-year-old skater.
There are some warts in Hagens sport that must be ironed out, most definitely as a sophomore with the Eagles.
However Hagens’ talent and competitiveness is simple to glean — be it by means of watching sport tape or following together with him throughout Growth Camp.
He may need some rising pains on the professional degree in relation to combating for inside ice, however Hagens’ elite edge work and puck expertise make him the kind of participant who will persistently generate probabilities with the puck on his stick.
Hagens might not be a professional franchise participant like Jack Hughes, however he boasts loads of similarities to different smaller, playmaking abilities like Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller — each of whom are top-line fixtures on their respective groups.
After a number of years, the Bruins lastly have a real blue-chip expertise marinating of their group.
“He’s been that manner his entire life — when it comes to what he’s accomplished,” Don Sweeney stated of Hagens’ status as an influence participant. “So we simply hope the pure development is you’ll have the ability to do on the NHL degree. “Once more, it’s a tricky league.
“You discover that out whenever you get in. You understand that you simply’re in a a lot deeper pool of gamers and he’ll have his personal challenges. However I believe he’s pushed to be that high participant and needs to be a distinction maker.”
Right here’s our full rankings:
- 1. James Hagens, C
- 2. Fraser Minten, C
- 3. Fabian Lysell, RW
- 4. Dans Locmelis, C
- 5. Will Zellers, F
- 6. William Moore, C
- 7. Dean Letourneau, C
- 8. Georgii Merkulov, F
- 9. Frederic Brunet, D
- 10. Chris Pelosi, F
- 11. Michael DiPietro, G
- 12. Oskar Jellvik, F
- 13. Elliott Groenewold, D
- 14. Cooper Simpson, F
- 15. Loke Johansson, D
- 16. Andre Gasseau, F
- 17. Vashek Blanar, D
- 18. Ryan Walsh, F
- 19. Dalton Bancroft, F
- 20. Riley Duran, F
Honorable Point out: G Philip Svedeback, F John Farinacci, D Liam Pettersson , F Cole Chandler, F Beckett Hendrickson, D Jackson Edward, D Ty Gallagher
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