If there is one thing that the Boston Bruins know all too well, it's that the words Don Sweeney and NHL Entry Drafts don't always go well together. Drafting has been one thing, developing prospects has been another.
There have been more failures than successes for Sweeney with prospects after they were drafted, and there were some big ones that are considered failures who were first-round draft picks. Here are three prospects drafted by the Bruins under Sweeney who were considered failures in terms of development.
Fabian Lysell
Boston's first-round pick in the 2021 Entry Draft, 21st overall, Fabian Lysell, was a forward with a gifted offensive game who came up short in reaching the NHL full-time in Boston. He spent most of his time in the organization with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) where he had a lot of success.
Lysell played in just 12 games for the Black and Gold with a goal and three points, all in 2024-25. The majority of his playing time came after the trade deadline in March, when Sweeney had a fire sale. However, he still wasn't able to crack the roster the following year and was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in June.
John Beecher
In the 2019 Entry Draft, the Bruins selected John Beecher with the 30th pick in the first round. He went on to have a very good college career at Michigan before making the transition to the pro game. He cracked the lineup in the 2023-24 season for Boston and had seven goals and 10 points. The following season, he had three goals and 11 points in 78 games.
Those ended up being the only two full seasons in Boston, as he was placed on waivers in November of 2025 and claimed by the Calgary Flames. He played in 29 games in Calgary before hitting free agency and signing with the Florida Panthers. A good penalty-killer and good at the face-off dot, he has never been able to live up to his first-round status.
Jack Studnicka
Once seen as the top center in waiting for when Patrice Bergeron retired, there was a lot of hype surrounding 2017 second-round draft pick Jack Studnicka. The 53rd overall pick played in just 38 games over four seasons with the Black and Gold with a goal and six assists.
He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in October of 2022 for prospects Michael DiPietro and defenseman Jonathan Myrenberg. Since that deal, he has bounced around with the San Jose Sharks and the Panthers. Much more was expected from Studnicka, but he never reached that potential at any of his stops during his career.
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