Bruins Draft: 7 players Boston could possibly pick at No. 20
This year’s NHL Entry Draft is vitally important for the Boston Bruins. Over the last few years, the B’s have missed more than hit with their draft selections. Now, with the current core of players on their way out, Boston needs to start replenishing their depleted farm system before it’s too late.
While the B’s AHL team, the Providence Bruins, have been successful the previous few years, the players that have moved on to the big club have struggled to adapt to the NHL. Whether this is due to the organization’s development tactics or just poor drafting is unknown. But one thing is for certain, Boston’s prospect pool is very close to bone-dry.
Their top prospect right now is center Jack Studnicka, who has seen NHL ice over the last two seasons but hasn’t been able to make a case to remain with the big club. After Studnicka there’s a big drop-off. Defenseman Urho Vaakanainen (2018 18th-overall pick) and forward Jakub Lauko (2018 third-round pick) are probably the next two top prospects for the B’s.
The Black and Gold also have guys that are on the verge of losing their “prospect” tag. Defenseman Jakub Zboril (2015 13th-overall pick) and right wing Zach Senyshyn (2015 15th-overall pick) are a couple of names included in this list.
That being said, the B’s could take any position (besides goalie as they’re set in that department with Jeremy Swayman and Dan Vladar) but should prioritize wing (especially right wing) and defense over center. Here are seven players the Black and Gold could potentially take with the 20th-overall selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
The Bruins could possibly take one of these two right wings from Sweden with the 20th-overall pick.
Fabian Lysell – Lulea HF (SHL)
Like a lot of prospects in this year’s draft, Lysell’s ranking is all over the place. He’s ranked as high as No. 3 by Dobber Prospects and as low as No. 30 by TSN’s Craig Button, but he is usually ranked between 10th and 15th. Either way, he should go somewhere in the first round.
This season, Lysell struggled playing with men for Lulea HF of the SHL, scoring just two goals and three points in 26 games. However, he flourished playing in the J20 league, recording three goals and 13 points in just 11 games.
At 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, Lysell’s top trait is his skating. He’s fast and agile. On top of that, he brings great puck handling and vision. He can make plays at top speed and also slow down the game. The 17-year-old is more of a playmaker than a sniper but can score if needed but needs to work on his shot. Additionally, Lysell is also strong defensively. Lysell’s play style has been compared to that of Mitch Marner.
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Isak Rosen – Leksands IF (SHL)
Unlike Lysell, Rosen is mostly ranked in the bottom half of the top-30 and his rankings are a bit more consistent. He’s ranked as high as No. 16 by Dobber Prospects, SportsNet, and FC Hockey, and ranked as low as No. 28 by Draft Prospects Hockey and The Puck Authority.
Just like Lysell, Rosen struggled in Sweden’s top league of the SHL, registering just one assist in 22 games this season. However, he thrived in the J20 league potting seven goals and 12 points in 12 games.
The 5-foot-11, 161-pounder is a fantastic skater. He’s lightning quick and can change speeds in an instant. With that, he brings silky mitts to make dekes at top speed as well as an excellent shot as he’s a pure sniper. With his speed, Rosen is very good at causing turnovers by reading plays and getting into shooting and passing lanes. Rosen’s play style has been compared to that of Viktor Arvidsson.
The Bruins could possibly take one of these two defensemen with the 20th-overall pick.
Daniil Chayka – Guelph Storm (OHL)/CSKA Moskva (KHL)
Chayka’s stock has fallen off a bit since 2019-20. He’s ranked as high as No. 13 by Neutral Zone but as low as No. 77 by EliteProspects.
Chayka’s stock fall is mostly due to his struggles in his native Russia. He struggled in the country’s two top leagues (KHL and VHL), registering just one goal and three points through 21 games between both leagues. But he played much better in the MHL, scoring one goal and four points in five games.
Prior to this season, Chayka was playing in the OHL where he was thriving. Over 112 games in two seasons, the 18-year-old scored 16 goals and 48 points.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder is quite mobile for his size. However, he can still be quicker and faster. Chayka also comes with a good shot but his passing and breakout game lacks. In his own zone, Chayka does an excellent job at keeping the opposition to the outside as well as using his reach to breakup passes and shots. His play style has been compared to that of Alec Martinez and a young Dmitry Kulikov.
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Corson Ceulemans – Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
If you’re a Bruins fan and don’t know who Corson Ceulemans is you must live under a rock because the joke of having him and Karson Kuhlman has been a joke for quite some time now. But anyway, Ceulemans has been ranked as high as No. 12 by FC Hockey and as low as No. 55 by EliteProspects.
In a shorted 2020-21 AJHL season, Ceulemans took another step forward after having a very good 2019-20. This season he put up four goals and 11 points in just eight games after recording five goals and 35 points in 44 games the season prior.
Ceulemans’ claim to fame is his aggressiveness. He’s always trying to push play forward and, in the defensive zone, trying to make a big hit. Both of these can be problems as forcing plays leads to turnovers and going for hits can cause him to be out of position. However, Ceulemans has the tools to be great with a quick shot, big frame at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, and good skating ability. His play style has been compared to that of Cale Makar.
The Bruins could possibly take one of these centers or this left wing with the 20th-overall pick.
Xavier Bourgault, center – Shawnigan Cataractes (QMJHL)
Bourgault is ranked as high as No. 15 by Dobber Prospects and Recruit Scouting, and as low as No. 37 by EliteProspects.
Over the last two seasons, the 18-year-old has broken out as one of the top prospects in this year’s class. Over this time, he has scored 53 goals and 111 points in just 92 games. But this should be taken with a grain of salt as he plays in the high-scoring QMJHL.
Bourgault’s biggest issue is his skating. The 6-foot, 172-pounder is quick and fast, but his agility needs work. He has a hard time turning, but can skate extremely well in a straight line. His biggest asset is his work ethic. He works to get to the dirty areas, trying to win board battles and get to the front of the net. While this aggressiveness can be beneficial offensively, it can cause him to be out of position in his own zone. His play style has been compared to that of, believe it or not, Brad Marchand.
Aatu Raty, center – Karpat (Liiga)
Raty was once thought to be the first-overall pick in this year’s draft, but he struggled in Finland’s top league causing his draft stock to take a hit. The 18-year-old is ranked as high as No. 12 by McKeen’s Hockey and as low as No. 28 by TSN’s Bob McKenzie.
As mentioned earlier, Raty struggled in Finland’s top league, scoring just three goals and six points in 35 games. However, he played much better in the U20 league, registering three goals and seven points in just eight games.
At 6-foot-1 and 181 pounds, Raty isn’t the quickest or fastest skater. However, he has superior agility that allows him to turn nicely and get around defenders. Along with his agility, Raty comes with excellent stickhandling, vision, and passing that allows him to be the playmaker he is. However, Raty is hesitant when it comes to going to the middle of the ice. In the defensive zone, Raty isn’t afraid to get physical, keeping his body between the opposition and the net. He can also read plays well, intercepting passes and shots. His play style has been compared to that of Nazem Kadri.
Brennan Othmann, left wing – Flint Firebirds (OHL)/EHC Olten (SL)
Othmann has been ranked as high as No. 14 by SportsNet and as low as No. 44 by The Puck Authority.
The 18-year-old was the second-overall pick in the 2019 OHL Draft and didn’t disappoint as he put up 17 goals and 33 points in 55 games in his first OHL season. However, with uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 season, the 6-footer decided to play in Sweden’s second league. There he recorded seven goals and 16 points in 34 games.
Othmann is one of the weaker skaters in this year’s class. His skating has been described as clunky as he just isn’t quick, fast, or agile. However, he makes up for it with strength, one of the best arsenal of shots in the class, and silky mitts. Othmann is also good defensively as he possess a high hockey IQ that allows him to position himself correctly as well as read plays. His size also allows him to be physical, but he has trouble containing his man due to his weak skating. His play style has been compared to that of Zach Hyman.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I would be fine with the Bruins drafting any one of these seven players. However, as I previously mentioned, they should prioritize right wing and defense over center. But, I also think that they should try to draft bigger players as they’ve struggled with bigger, stronger teams the past couple of years.
With the two right wings mentioned being a bit on the smaller side, I think they should either go with defenseman Daniil Chayka or center Aatu Raty. Both players have seen their draft stock slide due to struggles playing with men. However, they have shown that they can dominate their own age group, which hopefully should continue as they develop and age.
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If you want to know about more prospects the Bruins could potentially draft in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, check out this Twitter thread by @BruinsNetwork.