It has been 10 years since the Boston Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney swung and missed on the first round of the 2015 Entry Draft. Sweeney connected on just one of three consecutive first-round picks at 13, 14, and 15.
Sweeney's first-ever pick as GM of the Black and Gold was defenseman Jakub Zboril, followed by forwards Jake DeBrusk at No. 14 and Zach Senyshyn at No. 15. Of the trio, the only one to carve out a full-time NHL career was DeBrusk, who thrived for the Bruins, but he left in free agency last summer to sign a long-term deal with the Vancouver Canucks.
Zboril struggled to find time in Boston and spent the majority of his time in the organization with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL). He was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in March of 2024 at the trade deadline as part of a deal that brought Andrew Peeke to Boston. Senyshyn requested a trade out of Boston and was never able to find a spot on an NHL roster.
As for Zboril, Columbus let him walk after the 2023-24 season, and after he signed a PTO with the New Jersey Devils and failed to ink a contract with them, he went overseas and signed with HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga. After the season, both parties agreed to mutually part ways. Following this past season, he has found a new home for the upcoming campaign.
Former Boston Bruins first-round bust Jakub Zboril finds a new home for the 2025-26 season
Zboril will remain in the Czech Extraliga for the upcoming season after the 28-year-old signed with HC Vitkovice. Last season for Dynamo Pardubice, he tallied two goals and 16 points in 30 regular-season games.
Zboril was never able to stick in Boston after spreading out 76 games over four seasons wearing the Spoked-B. He hopes to find his game overseas this season and maybe look to latch on with an NHL team in the future, but that might be hard to do.