The Boston Bruins seem to be in a quantum state at the moment. On paper, they’re good enough to make the postseason. But they’re also not good enough to really make much of a dent in the competition.
Now, there is some interesting data to shed light on what the 2026-27 season bodes for the Bruins. And by the look of things, the club’s two projected first-round picks don’t offer all that much hope.
An early projection of the 2027 NHL draft order by the folks at Tankathon shows the Bruins picking 10th in the first round.
Mind you, this is the Bruins own pick.
That projection shows a harsh truth the team will have to face this season: The Bruins will not make the postseason.
And it won’t just be missing the postseason. The Bruins don’t figure to be particularly close. By picking tenth, it signals that the Bruins will be among the bottom third of NHL teams next season. That’s no bueno, as it could mean a very challenging season in Beantown.
Of course, there is a silver lining. Finishing 10th is just close enough to win the 2027 NHL Draft Lottery and land the first-overall pick.
If a team like the New York Islanders could pull that off a couple of seasons ago, who’s to say the Bruins can’t pull it off themselves?
Bruins set to get another 2027 first-round pick
The projections also show that the Bruins will be getting another first-round pick. This pick looks to be the 20th-overall selection, originally belonging to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
As you may recall, the Bruins were set to receive the Leafs’ 2026 first-rounder. But it was a top-five-protected pick, and then the Leafs magically won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery.
So, the Bruins get the Leafs’ 2027 first-rounder. It’s worth noting that, because the Leafs are projected to make the playoffs, the pick will fall out of the top 10. Hence, the Bruins get the pick without concerning themselves with the potential encumbrance of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The fact that the Leafs would get the 20th pick highlights something that may be tough for Bruins fans to accept. The Leafs look to be a resurgent team, while the Bruins may regress. If that’s indeed the case, it would be a matter of determining just how far that regression would take Boston.
It’s doubtful that a significant regression would land the Bruins in full rebuild territory. But it will raise significant questions about what the team has to do to return to its once-President’s Trophy-caliber level.
Add us as a preferred source on Google