Every summer, Scott Wheeler from The Athletic releases his Top 100 list of the top drafted skaters who are not currently playing in the NHL. The Boston Bruins' prospect pool has been on a steady incline over the last 12 months, and it was safe to assume that they'd have some players on this list. However, there were some shocking omissions which left just two players in the top-100: James Hagens and Matt Poitras.
Poitras being on this list is sort of a funny addition. Normally, Wheeler reserves the rankings for players who aren't on an NHL roster, which is why Poitras wasn't included in last year's after playing most of the 2023-24 season in Boston. However, after his demotion to Providence, which could lead to another season in the AHL upcoming, Wheeler re-added him to the group.
"There’s a lot to like about Poitras. Coming up, he was viewed as an above-average playmaker, athlete and overall player whose game was projectable. He then made the NHL at an early age on that basis. But some growing pains have set in, and he’s still trying to find his identity/a clearly defined role. There’s still reason to believe he becomes a middle-six/PP2 forward who can produce 40-50 points."Scott Wheeler
Unsurprisingly, Hagens ranked high on the list, but No. 8 was a bit high in relation to his draft position. The Bruins picked him as the seventh-best prospect in his class, but Hagens is already better than players like Porter Martone, Caleb Desnoyers, Anton Frondell, and last year's third-overall pick, Beckett Sennecke.
Will Zellers = Snub?
While Poitras was a surprising addition, it wouldn't have been surprising to see Will Zellers on this list. Last year's USHL Player of the Year is on an upward trajectory and could prove to be some great value in the Charlie Coyle trade. Bruins fans will keep a close eye on him in the NCAA this season, and he also has the opportunity to play for his country at next year's World Juniors.
Bruins fans shouldn't panic that their rising prospect pool isn't featured as much on this list. While it'd have been nice to see Zellers or Fraser Minten, the prospects will let their play on the ice do the talking, which is something that Minten could start doing as early as this regular season if he can earn a substantial role out of camp.