Cole Chandler was a fifth-round pick for the Boston Bruins in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. With the success of the franchise's prospect overhaul over the past 12 months, it would have been easy to forget him. However, Chandler is playing on one of the top teams in the QMJHL's Western Conference and is considerably outperforming the expectations set on him to start the year.
Two #NHLBruins prospects absolutely killing it:
— Dominic Tiano (@dominictiano) January 31, 2026
Cooper Simpson in the USHL
Cole Chandler in the QMJHL pic.twitter.com/w7kczLOE0l
Bruins' pundit Dominic Tiano on social media has projections every year for the team's prospect pool, and Chandler has been dominating those numbers so far this season. While Tiano projected Chandler would record just 12 goals and 33 points, the center already has 17 goals and 43 points with 16 games to go in his season.
Elite Prospects projects that Chandler will finish the year with 23 goals and 58 points. While those stats in a watered-down QMJHL don't imply that he will be playing on the NHL roster anytime soon, it's nice to see some wins at the draft table after years of concerning picks from Don Sweeney's management team.
The natural progression of growth over his three seasons in the Q is a great sign for the Bruins. It shows that we might not have seen the best of Chandler yet, and that he is willing to adapt his game and improve. He will chase even more development next season, as he recently committed to Northeastern University to continue his hockey career instead of staying for his final year in Shawinigan.
Hockey East has been a prospect factory for the Bruins, and the team will love having Chandler in the state. Another good summer at the team's development camp and the ability for the team's scouting staff to watch him closely in Boston next season has been an excellent path for past prospects. It might help uncover the fifth-rounder as another gem from the 2025 draft.
It'll be interesting to see if this becomes the norm as NIL rules change in college hockey. Chandler joins Vashek Blanar as two non-American prospects from the 2025 draft who will be playing in Massachusetts next season, and you could see more Bruins prospects making the jump to college in Hockey East when they may not have taken that opportunity under past rules.