Going into the NHL Entry Draft this weekend, it wasn't known what direction general manager Don Sweeney was going to take. Which positions was he going to target to add depth?
Boston had the 23rd overall pick in the first round on Friday night, but as the draft was getting underway and the Toronto Maple Leafs were taking Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick, the Bruins traded the pick to the Utah Mammoth for wing JJ Peterka. In the overall big picture, the Bruins need players that can help now, and not a draft pick that is at least a couple of years away.
Boston didn't have their first pick until the second round and 56th overall on Saturday at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo. They used that pick to address a position that was a little bit surprising.
Bruins draft goalie Yuri Ivanov in the second round
The Bruins continued their addition of goalies to the organization when they selected Yuri Ivanov. The 17-year-old plays for Spartek in the MHL. He was the 10th-ranked goalie by NHL Central Scouting. He is another young netminder added to the Bruins pool. Ivanov went 13-3-1 with a .924 save percentage in Russia's top junior league, according to Scott McLaughlin of WEEI.
This was a bit of a surprise, using their first pick to grab a goalie. The Bruins have always looked to take a goalie in the draft, but generally they would strike in the fourth round or later, something they did with a goalie named Jermey Swayman in the 2017 Entry Draft when he was plucked in the fourth round.
It remains to be seen what Ivanov's future looks like, but there was clearly something there that the Bruins liked to take him in the second round. Currently, Boston has depth with their goaltending in the organization, but there are some questions surrounding some of those players, including Philip Svedback. Ivanov is certainly a risk taken in the second round, but there is some upside if it works out.
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