When Scott Wheeler has a mock draft for The Athletic, he isn't just throwing something at the wall and hoping that it sticks. He is normally making an informed decision about who is most likely to go to the Boston Bruins, and his selection of Jack Hextall for the team at No. 23 is almost too on-the-nose when it comes to how the front office views its prospects.
The Bruins do need to add depth to the center-ice position, as they tried to draft Dean Letourneau and James Hagens in the past two drafts, but it's starting to look like the latter may project better as a winger than someone who can play down the middle. If that's the case, Don Sweeney has to find another 1C through the draft or trade, but it doesn't feel like Hextall is going to be that explosive offensive player that Bruins fans are looking for.
"Hextall isn’t a sexy, flashy, offensive first-rounder, but he’s well-liked and well-respected around the USHL and NHL, and widely viewed as a first-rounder for a lot of the same reasons Command is: a heavy stick, pro habits and details, position, etc. He’s got some big backers, and I could see the Bruins being interested in him as a potential future middle-six center behind James Hagens. I think he goes in the 20s or early 30s somewhere."Scott Wheeler
Hextall is a two-way center playing in the USHL and moving on to Michigan State University in the fall. He had 58 points in 59 games for the Youngstown Phantoms, which isn't the worst output for a draft-eligible forward. A player like Matthew Knies from the Toronto Maple Leafs had a similar point-per-game USHL season in his draft-eligble year before moving on to college the following season.
While Hextall has his strengths and hopefully has a long NHL career, this mock falls a little flat for Bruins fans. After Don Sweeney and Cam Neely talked about getting more talent into the system, drafting a detail-oriented two-way center that is taking the NCAA route feels like the same old strategy from the front office.
To be fair, we have no idea what the front office is actually thinking and if doing a mock draft, anyone might think about how the Bruins have made their decisions and draw the conclusion that Hextall is the guy. The fans just have to hope that the front office have learned their lesson and go a different route.
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