2016 NHL Entry Draft: Boston Bruins Options At Pick 29

2016 NHL Entry Draft: Boston Bruins Options At Pick 29 On June 24th

The Boston Bruins, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Carolina Hurricanes and Arizona Coyotes are fortunate enough to have two first-round picks in the 2016 NHL Draft. Having multiple first-round picks allows you to address multiple areas that need improvement in your prospect core, if you choose, with some of the top talent still available. With the San Jose Sharks losing in 6 games in the Stanley Cup Finals, the pick in which the B’s acquired in the Martin Jones trade last summer fell to #29. Here are four players that could be available at #29 who might fit the bill for the Bruins, partially based on their substantial year-by-year improvement.

Logan Stanley, Defense, Windsor Spitfires (OHL): 64 GP: 5G, 12A, 17 pts, +7

Logan Stanley is a giant at 6’7″, 225 lbs. and could be a long-term replacement for Zdeno Chara. His frame and the way he plays justifies that fact and he has even said that he models his game after Big Z. No one knows how much longer Zdeno Chara will choose to play, but picking up Logan Stanley could end up being a very solid use of the B’s second first-round pick. One thing to note about Stanley is his improvement by season, particularly in the +/- category. After putting up just 4 assists and a -25 rating in 59 games in his first season as a member of the Spitfires, he tallied 17 points and a +7 rating in 64 games this year.

Chances are he won’t be available at #29, as he is ranked #19 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. Not many players want to get in the way of Logan Stanley; he is not a gentle giant. Not just getting in the way of him always, his cannon of a shot coming at you isn’t much of a welcoming sight either. Having a guy like Logan Stanley is what so many teams dream of. He is a big and powerful defenseman who could be logging a lot of minutes in the NHL someday.

Nathan Bastian, Center/Right Wing, Mississauga Steelheads (OHL): 64 GP: 19G, 40A, 59 pts, -3

Bastian isn’t a first-rounder in everyone’s mind, but if he is available, he has potential to be a big, scoring winger for the Bruins with solid play-making abilities. He saw great growth in his offensive production while playing with other draft eligible players, Michael McLeod and Alex Nylander. Playing in four fewer games this season than he did in the 2014-2015 season, Bastian jumped from 29 to 59 points and improved his -29 rating to a -3. Bastian’s 6’3″, 207 lbs. frame doesn’t slow him down, as he is a pretty solid skater for a kid of his size. He would be a nice piece to add to a Bruins right wing pipeline that is fairly weak and his positional versatility is another thing that could catch the eye of Don Sweeney.

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Lucas Johansen, Defense, Kelowna Rockets (WHL): 69 GP: 10G, 39A, 49 pts, +11

The Kelowna Rockets are well-known for producing quality NHL defensemen including Tyson Barrie, Shea Weber and Tyler Myers. Lucas Johansen looks to achieve NHL success like his older brother, Ryan Johansen, center for the Nashville Predators. Lucas is a smart, two-way defenseman with smooth skating ability who saw a massive improvement in his second year as a Kelowna Rocket. He jumped from eight points and a +20 rating in 65 games in the 2014-2015 season to 49 points and a +11 rating in 69 games this year. He has solid height at 6’2”, but he will need to put on some more weight and muscle, as he is only 176 lbs.

There is a good chance that he will still be available at #29, he ranks as a late first-round to early second-round prospect. It is almost a given that the Bruins will go the defensive route with one, if not both of their first-round picks and Lucas Johansen would be a smart choice if he is still on the board.

Pascal Laberge, Center/Right Wing, Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL): 56 GP: 23G, 45A, 68 pts, -3

CHL Top Prospects Game MVP, Pascal Laberge is a toss up to be available at #29, he would be a steal this late in the first round. He is a terrific skater who uses his smarts to find space in order to make smart plays and crafty moves. Ironically enough he likes to model his game after former Bruins #2 overall pick, Tyler Seguin. The one alarming thing about Laberge is he needs to put on more weight (6’1″, 174 lbs.). But it shouldn’t be too much of a problem as he has plenty of time to bulk up. In the 2014 season between the Gatineau Olympiques and the Victoriaville Tigres, he put up 31 points and a -9 rating in 58 games. He then went on to explode with 68 points in 56 games and a -3 rating in his first full year with the Victoriaville Tigres.

Adding players like Nathan Bastian or Pascal Laberge would be good moves because of their positional versatility and the fact that Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci are both in their 30’s and aren’t going to last forever. I am not hinting at the fact that Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci are going to retire anytime soon, but building a base of young talent is crucial to maintaining success year after year. If Laberge can play like the guy he models his game after, Tyler Seguin, that wouldn’t be too bad either.

Next: Boston Bruins Mock Draft 2.0

Seeing year-by-year improvement like these prospects have shown is such a good sign when drafting. It is a good sign for their developmental years to come and makes everyone who is affiliated with the organization optimistic and excited. The Bruins can’t go wrong taking any of these guys, as the draft class is fairly deep this year.