Bruins Draft: 7 players Boston could possibly pick at No. 20

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.

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.