There aren't many prospect pools around the NHL that had more of a glow-up over the past 12 months than the Boston Bruins. It was one of the worst in the league at this time last year, but after an uncharacteristic trade deadline teardown and some good fortune at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Bruins are slowly starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Daily Faceoff's Steven Ellis covers all the prospect pools around the league, and he seems very interested in the progress the Bruins have made. James Hagens was an easy choice to take over the top spot in the team's top ten, but he also slotted newcomer Fraser Minten into the No. 2 hole. Another fast riser entered the top-five at No. 4 after Dans Locmelis had a breakout season in the NCAA, AHL, and World Championships.
Two other new additions to the top-ten list were William Zellers and William Moore, with the former coming over in the Charlie Coyle trade, and the latter being a steal in the second round of this year's draft.
Possible graduating prospects
An interesting wrinkle for the Bruins is that many of the guys who are bringing them out of the prospect pool basement could soon be graduating to full-time NHL duty. It wouldn't be surprising if Fraser Minten starts the year in Boston after an impressive end to the season, and Locmelis' 12 points in six AHL games last season to end the year has him on a massive rise to get some NHL games this season and possibly be a fixture in the lineup by 2026-27.
Another name that Bruins fans will be monitoring throughout this season is Hagens. He will spend the year at Boston College to get some more development, but there's a great chance he will turn pro once the college season ends. Whether that's for a playoff run in Boston, some games to end the regular season, or an ATO with Providence, remains to be seen.
Another player who could make their way off Ellis' list by next season is Fabian Lysell. He didn't have the best time adapting to life in Boston to end last season, but another summer of development could set him up to steal a roster spot out of camp.
Bruins fans should enjoy this resurgence of their prospect pool while they still can, because Don Sweeney has no appetite for a lengthy rebuild, and the top four on Ellis' list could all be NHLers by 2026-27. It might only be a one-year tenure for some of the players, but the Bruins' prospect pool is on the rise.