We are not even halfway through the 2025-26 NHL season, and there is still a lot of hockey left to be played. Are the Boston Bruins a Stanley Cup Playoff team? That will be the debate for months to come. If they are going to be, then getting healthy as soon as possible is a must.
It's never too early to look ahead to the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. This past June, the Bruins struck draft gold in the first round when James Hagens, once seen as the top pick of the draft class, fell to them at No. 7. That arguably made them the winners of the draft in the top 10.
The Bruins right now are projected to have two first-round picks next June, and whether or not that ends up being what happens remains to be seen. Eric Cruikshank of The Hockey News released his mock draft, and he had Boston selecting two defensemen to add much-needed depth for the future.
Bruins predicted to land two defensemen in first-round of 2026 Entry Draft
This year's draft is the Gavin McKenna draft. Whoever ends up with the top pick has the opportunity to select the consensus No. 1 pick. As far as the Bruins go, if they don't end up with the top pick, which is very unlikely, Cruikshank predicted Boston to grab a pair of defensemen with the 11th and 13th picks.
With Toronto's pick at No. 11, Cruikshank predicted the Black and Gold will select Daxon Rudolph from Prince Albert in the WHL.
"After Boston grabbed forward James Hagens last year, Rudolph could become the Bruins' foundational defensive prospect. He was the first overall selection in the 2023 WHL Draft, ahead of other top prospects in this class like Verhoeff, Lin, and Mathis Preston. Rudolph is a smooth skater with great instincts and gap control, knowing when to pinch and keep plays alive with an uncanny ability to sift long-range shots through traffic,'' Cruikshank wrote.
Rudolph has good size at 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds. The right-shot has seven goals and 12 points this season in 25 games. His seven goals matched his high from last year with Prince Albert.
As for the 13th pick Boston has, Cruikshank predicted Don Sweeney and his staff to select Alberts Smits from Jukurit (Finland).
"Smits has been one of the nicest surprises to come out of this class. The 18-year-old Latvian has elevated into a top-pairing role this season with Jukurit in Liiga, Finland's top professional league. He's relentless in his drive to create offense, and it's translated into production, scoring six goals and 12 points in 26 games. Smits could skyrocket up NHL draft rankings if he continues to have impressive outings,'' Cruikshank wrote.
Smits has an underrated offensive upside Rudolph does, but he is still turning heads before the draft. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound left-shot would be the type of player the Bruins covet in terms of being able to play in all three zones and be physical.
Again, these are just predictions, but Boston fans would love to see the front office add some younger prospects of defense into the organization. As far as homegrown defensemen, the Bruins need to turn out more than they already do. Making it a priority in the draft would be a good start.