Jacob Vandeven likely won't grow too much more in stature, already standing at 6-foot-6 as a defenseman. The Bruins have been valuing their tall, rangy defensemen lately with the signing of Nikita Zadorov a few offseasons ago and the types of players they've targeted through trade and free agency, and they added another mammoth to their pipeline with the Vandeven signing.
The Bruins selected London Knights D Jacob Vandeven in the 5th round (157th overall) of the ‘26 NHL Draft.
— Jack Aylmer (@Jack_Aylmer) June 29, 2026
6’6”, 207 lbs and 18 years old. Had 13 goals and 19 assists in 47 GOJHL games with the Komoka Kings last season. Played 12 games in the OHL, scoring a goal in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/m8sBfVWzZD
The Bruins took a lot of shots on both draft nights, and there might not have been any bigger than Vandeven. He played just eight games in the OHL this past season after spending most of the year in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, and there will have to be many more step-ups in competition before even making it at a pro level.
While it might take a couple of seasons with the London Knights before anyone looks at Vandeven as a legitimate option to even move on to the next level, the talent that people do know about is as raw and developable as any of the Bruins' other picks. He had 32 points in 47 games for the Komoka Kings before signing with the London Knights, which is no small offensive feat for a player of his size.
The one part of the Vandeven story that is going to make some people question the decision is that he wasn't even a defenseman at the start of this season. He was a forward until December, before flipping over to defense due to his size. It's worth noting that this wasn't an off-the-board pick, as the player showed in just half a season at a position that he was worthy of being an NHL project.
It was yet another gamble by Sweeney at the draft, but after grabbing some great value with some of their inital picks, the front office could afford making this calculated risk.
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