Going into the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the Boston Bruins were set up to make some big franchise decisions with three straight first-round picks at 13, 14, and 15. It was Don Sweeney's first NHL Entry Draft as general manager of the Black and Gold.
When the dust settled, fans knew it was going to take some time to determine whether or not the picks would pan out. In hockey, it could be a few years before those questions are answered. It has been 11 years since that famous draft, and to this day, it's a stain on Sweeney's tenure as GM of the team he played for during his career.
What if Don Sweeney won the 2015 NHL Entry Draft?
So let's painfully review how things ended up shaking out. Sweeney picked, in order, Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk, and Zach Senyshyn. That didn't turn out to be a great draft. Zboril played in 76 NHL games before he moved his career overseas. DeBrusk was the one pick that panned out. He played in 465 career games for the Black and Gold with 138 goals and 128 assists. Senyshyn played in just 14 games for Boston with a goal and two assists over three seasons.
DeBrusk ended up leaving in free agency and signing with the Vancouver Canucks, and Senyshyn was traded to the Ottawa Senators, where he played in two games in the 2021-22 season.
Now, looking back at the draft, there are four names that stick out that were taken in the first round after Boston's three picks that would have been huge picks. Forward Mathew Barzal was taken 16th by the New York Islanders, Kyle Connor was picked 17th by the Winnipeg Jets, Thomas Chabot was taken 18th by the Senators, and Brock Boeser was selected 23rd by Vancouver.
Imagine how different things would be for the Black and Gold had the draft gone a different way. The Bruins' window would still be wide open with some elite forwards, and there is a good chance that fans wouldn't have to worry about David Pastrnak not winning a Stanley Cup.
There are parts of Boston Bruins history that fans don't want to talk about, and the 2015 Entry Draft is right at the top of the list. Yes, it is time to move on, but given the opportunity that was handed to Sweeney in his first season as GM, it will be a huge swing and a miss that will linger for a long time in Boston.
Add us as a preferred source on Google