Boston Bruins: Looking at a disastrous 2015 Entry Draft
The 2015 offseason was one of sweeping change for the Boston Bruins. After General Manager Peter Chiarelli was shown the door, Don Sweeney was given the vote of confidence from the Bruins ownership and became the eighth GM in franchise history.
Sweeney did not waste any time making his presence known. He traded young and promising yet disgruntled defenceman Dougie Hamilton to the Calgary Flames for a handful of high draft picks. Sweeney then moved hard-nosed winger and fan favourite Milan Lucic to the Los Angeles Kings for a package that included another first-round pick.
When Commissioner Gary Bettman hopped on stage to announce one of the most obvious first overall picks in recent memory in Connor McDavid – the Boston Bruins had three consecutive mid-round picks in picks; 13,14 and 15.
Over five years later, it is truly tough to look back on the 2015 Draft and what could have been – especially in the first round. To add insult to injury, they actually traded away the eventual Kirill Kaprizov pick.
Let’s look at some of the colossal mistakes made by GM Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins front office and what could have been.
Boston Bruins 2015 First Round Picks.
Scouting Report. Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL). 70. Pick Analysis. D. Jakub Zboril. 13. player
Jakub Zboril has had a slow path to the NHL, but has finally carved himself out a full-time role on the Boston Bruins blue line. That being said, he is performing nowhere near the level that you would expect from a first-round pick that was drafted over five years ago.
Notable defensive misses: Thomas Chabot
LW. Swift Current Broncos (WHL). 14. 70. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Jake DeBrusk
Jake DeBrusk has shown flashes of sustained brilliance during his four years playing for the big club – including a 27-goal campaign in 2018-19. To his credit, DeBrusk has actually been the largest contributor thus far to these three picks. Fresh off a healthy scratch though, DeBrusk is performing nowhere near his potential.
Notable left-shooting forward misses: Kyle Connor, Sebastian Aho
RW. Soo Greyhounds (OHL). player. 70. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Zachary Senyshyn. 15
Zachary Senyshyn is easily the biggest disappointment of these three picks up to this point. Having only played six games for the big club so far, one has to wonder when this kid will be able to make his mark in the NHL. To give him his due, he is playing some good hockey for the Providence Bruins right now.
Notable right-shooting forward misses: Matthew Barzal, Brock Boeser
What could this Boston Bruins team look like?
One has to wonder how dominant this Boston Bruins team could look like if management had made the right selections. There would be more than a healthy mix of dominant veterans and young guys – consistent dominance for the next decade-plus guaranteed.
Of course, this Boston Bruins roster would be much different if these studs had been picked with different trade and free agent strategies along with the substantial contracts these young guys have signed. Let’s look at a fantasy roster though, imagining Don Sweeney had taken the top guys.
Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
Connor – Barzal – Krejci
Ritchie – Coyle – Smith
Frederic – Studnicka – Bjork
Chabot – McAvoy
Vaakanainen – Carlo
Grzelcyk – Lauzon
Rask
Halak
What could’ve been? Obviously, this is the most fantasy of fantasy rosters, but the Boston Bruins are known to get their players to buy in with more team-friendly deals.
The top six forwards are obviously lethal and would be a constant right hook and uppercut for defending teams. The defensive group is also so much stronger with the Chabot addition on the left side. Easily would be the top pairing in the NHL with McAvoy.
The Boston Bruins drafting has improved.
Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins front office have seemed to improve their drafting since the 2015 debacle.
In 2016, they grabbed both Charlie McAvoy and Trent Frederic in the first round. Both guys look to be future stalwarts of this Bruins team.
In 2017, they grabbed Urho Vaakanainen and Jack Studnicka in the first two rounds. Also, two guys who are starting to make their mark on the roster.
Must Read. Boston Bruins: 3 New Jersey Devils trade targets. light
The future looks bright for the Boston Bruins with a growing young core who look like they’ll be ready to roll whenever the veteran guys decide to hang them up, but the 2015 draft will always be a tough one to swallow for Bruins fans.