The Boston Bruins front office doesn't have the greatest reputation for developing prospects and identifying young talent, but the group has steadily been getting better over the past couple of years. There is a clear path emerging for the team to have success into the next decade with some of the recent additions to their prospect pool, and fifth-round pick Jacob Vandeven might be one to add to the list.
Vandeven is a forward-turned-defenseman, changing positions last December while playing Junior B hockey in Ontario. It kept him off a lot of scouts' radars, which led the Bruins to take a chance on him in the fifth round. The towering blueliner has landed in the perfect place for his development with the London Knights of the OHL, and he has been having a ton of success to start the year.
I thought this was an interesting stat: London Knights defenseman and #NHLBruins prospect Jacob Vandeven has not been on the ice for a 5v5 goal against through 7 games to start the season.
— Dominic Tiano (@dominictiano) October 14, 2026
Not bad for a forward turned defenseman.
No one would've blamed Vandeven if it took some time to adjust to a defenseman's life in the OHL after playing as a forward in the lower levels of junior hockey just nine months prior. However, he is quickly becoming one of London's best defensemen, and for a program that develops a lot of NHL-caliber players, the Bruins could be inheriting a stud in a couple of years.
We aren't saying he is going to turn into prime John Klingberg or Kevin Bieksa, who were fellow blueliners taken in the fifth-round, but the possibility is at least there for him to be an NHLer at some point in his career. With not a ton of tape to go by last season, former NHL scout Jason Bukala's company, The Pro Hockey Group, labelled Vandeven as a potential third-pair NHL defenseman. The Bruins would take that projection.
Scouts say that Vandeven isn't a flashy player, but he is one who will consistently make the smart plays. He uses his 6-foot-6 reach well, and is a good skater given his size. The Pro Hockey Group give him an above-average grade in IQ, Skating, Puck Moving, and Physicality.
Vandeven feels like the perfect Bruin, and someone who can fill the Nikita Zadorov role eventually if he continues on this developmental path. The Bruins and independent scouts believe it, but it'll be up to the player to overcome his fifth-round status and become a full-time NHLer.
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