With the 105th pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, the Boston Bruins selected left winger Jesse Gabrielle.
The winger is known for his grit and plays with an edge, something head coach Claude Julien can appreciate. The 18-year-old has a nose for the net. In 33 games played last season with Regina of the WHL, Gabrielle netted 10 goals alongside 9 assists for 19 points.
At 5-foot-11, 205-pounds, size is not advantageous, but helps with his elusiveness as a winger. He includes every ounce of his size on his aggressiveness on the forecheck. Gabrielle is an agitator, and gets in opponents heads. Something the Big Bad Bruins can attest to.
Gabrielle is a solid skater. He maneuvers seamlessly around larger bodies, making an advantage out of a disadvantage: size.
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Scouts dubbed him as elusive and hard to stick with. In time, the winger will only become more treacherous to cover. He’s scrappy and skilled, two areas of the game Julien reveres.
Gabrielle was ranked 75th by NHL Central Scouting entering this year’s draft. When pondering Gabrielle’s future with the Bruins, it’s an ambiguous rode for the teen. He has time to mature, much like the remainder of Boston’s other 10 picks from the draft. He’ll likely see more WHL time, or transfer elsewhere.
Overall, the winger’s likelihood that he lands in a Boston Bruins uniform in several years is unlikely. Most 4th rounders are seen as commodity values in trades or simply longterm prospects. As for Gabrielle, if his offensive game improves and he continues to be a scrappy winger, he may rise up in the ranks in time. Key word is time.