An attempted primer for the Bruins picking at 7th overall

In case you feel alone or frustrated by your 100 mock drafts and straight-up uncertainty, take comfort in knowing that not even Bruins general manager Don Sweeney seems to have an inkling as to how the board is going to break in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday night.

“Outside of your own list, I don't think you have any," Sweeney admitted when asked if he had a feel for how the board will break for his team on Friday night. "I mean, people will ask the questions, but sometimes people are misleading, sometimes people are truthful. In the day, you only control your own draft board. So, we have to react in terms of what other teams are likely to take.

"Everybody's looking for the best player. You're picking at the top part of the draft. You need who you think is the best player to impact your own club.” 

To be honest, it truly is that kind of draft.

By now, we know that defenseman Matthew Schaefer is the consensus top pick and will almost certainly be taking his talents to Long Island as the top pick in this year's draft. After him, the high-scoring Michael Misa seems like a relative lock to jump to the Sharks organization at No. 2 overall.

But once you get beyond that, it feels like it's anybody's guess, and with some teams still weighing their options for potential jockeying up or down the board.

"This time of the year, we run sort of dual rooms, with toggling back and forth with the with the guys that have been working an awful lot here to fill in any final gaps with the draft scenario," Sweeney revealed. "They feel really comfortable where they are and picking the top seven. We've had a lot of discussions over the last month. A month and a half, potential options with that pick, are still exploring them as of today, probably just as of tomorrow as well.

"We feel very comfortable with making a selection, but we're going to continue to see what might present between now and then.” 

But if the Bruins stick at seven, or around seven at the very least, who are some legitimate contenders to be the highest pick of the Don Sweeney era?

Truth be told, Carter Bear seems like a candidate if and only if the Bruins decide to move out of that seven-spot and slightly down the board. (There's been plenty of talk about some teams looking to make some moves up and down the board. And it's something the Bruins could in theory consider themselves if they think there's comparable talent four or five picks down the road from their original spot, as the team has alluded to in recent days.)

But if he's an option for a trade-down Bruins, he'd be one hell of a choice.

Praised for his playoff-level intensity no matter the time of year, the left-shooting Bear is coming off a 2024-25 campaign that featured 40 goals and 82 points in 56 games for WHL Everett before an Achilles injury ended his year.  

"[Bear] has had some really strong showings this year both in play-driving and play-creation. He possesses quick, soft hands, legit skill, good speed and a natural shot but he also stays around it, plays with intensity, works extremely hard and goes to the net and inside ice," The Athletic's Scott Wheeler wrote. "Though people talk about him for his motor and pro style, I saw him make some impressive skill plays this season and dance goalies and defensemen. But he can also beat you with his work ethic, and I like both the intentionality of his game and the way he uses his skill to play to the middle third."

The Bruins have been borderline obsessed with trying to make every prospect and addition be the next Patrice Bergeron. I mean, you understand the desire there (Bergeron was the spinal cord of their success for almost two decades and is a Hall of Famer next year), but sometimes that search and attempted reconfiguration of a prospect into an impossibility has been to their detriment.

Now, with all of that said, Caleb Desnoyers might just be their best possible play at finding a player with Bergeron-esque qualities at No. 7 overall.

On a Moncton team that won the QMJHL title and represented the league in the Memorial Cup, the 6-foot-2 center put up 35 goals and 84 points in 56 games, along with nine goals and 30 points in 19 playoff games. 

"Desnoyers is a safe bet to become a two-way, top-six forward," DailyFaceoff's Steven Ellis wrote last month. "I like his physical play, even though he’s not huge. I think he’s a great playmaker and he’s one of the smarter centers in this draft. Desnoyers might not be the flashiest, but at the very least, but he does so many intelligent things with the puck every night."

Desnoyers has a legitimate chance of being there at No. 7 for the Bruins.

The Bruins are not approaching this draft thinking that they have to take a certain position (center) with this pick. And if that is indeed true, left winger Victor Eklund could be an intriguing option for the club.

Skating for Djurgårdens IF in Sweden’s second-highest pro league this past season, Eklund put forth a season featuring 19 goals and 31 points in 42 games played, along with two goals and seven points in 16 postseason appearances.

Eklund also played for the Sweden on the international stage, and scored seven goals and 11 points in 14 combined games. 

"Employing a relentless, never-ending motor and highly impressive contact skills, Eklund suffocates defenders with his pace, outraces them for pucks on retrievals and wins the war for body positioning by cutting them at their hands," EliteProspects.com wrote in their draft guide. "He’s also a very capable offensive creator who gets a lot of looks from the slot and net-front areas due to his dogged style, as well as showing skill and finesse as a playmaker."

One obvious potential issue for the Bruins and one that might give them pause would be Eklund's size, as he is listed at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds.

Victor is the younger brother of Sharks forward William Eklund.

Similar to Bear but in the other direction, I admittedly don't want to spend too much time talking about Anton Frondell because I would be downright shocked if he's still there when the Bruins are on the clock at No. 7 overall.

Praised for his shot, the 6-foot-1, left-shooting Frondell had five goals and seven points in 10 games in the Swedish junior ranks, along with 11 goals and 25 points in 29 games for Djurgårdens in 2024-25. 

"There’s a lot to like about Frondell’s game. He’s heavy but plays with intention, strength and some power (there are were some questions about his fitness level/weight after the time off but he worked on it and quieted those concerns with a strong showing at the Combine)," Wheeler wrote. "He’s got quick hands, a big one-timer, a natural and hard release and a good sense for spacing and attacking. He’s got an ability to both create his own looks, challenge defenders and find and use open ice to play off and to his linemates."

With skills like that, it's hard to imagine four different teams passing on Frondell and letting him fall to the Black and Gold at No. 7.

Once a favorite to be the top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, James Hagens is looking more and more like a real option for the Bruins at No. 7.

Skating at Boston College as an 18-year-old this past season, Hagens scored 11 goals and totaled 37 points in 37 games for the Eagles, and scored five goals and nine points in seven games for Team USA at the World Juniors. Prior to joining BC for the 2024-25 year, Hagens outright dominated for the U.S. National U18 club, with 39 goals and 102 points in 58 games, along with nine goals and 22 points in seven games at the World Junior 18s. 

"He has a dynamic combination of skating and skill reminiscent of American centers like Logan Cooley and Jack Hughes," The Athletic's Corey Pronman wrote earlier this month. "Hagens' edge work is high-end and he’s extremely elusive in open ice. He makes a ton of difficult plays on the move and is a high-end playmaker. Hagens isn’t that big or physical, and can stay on the outside too much, but he gives a decent effort and coaches tend to lean on him. He has the potential to be a play-driving top two line center in the NHL."

Hagens will always be knocked for his size (5-foot-10, 180 pounds), and it will lead to legitimate questions when it comes to his viability as a legitimate top-line center. But at seventh overall, there's tremendous value.

Another guy who's likely more of a legitimate option for Boston if they trade down a bit, Lynden Lakovic seems like a potentially natural fit for the Bruins given his 6-foot-4 frame, penchant for timely goals (he scored three overtime winners alone during Moose Jaw's WHL championship-winning season in 2023-24), and his ability to get inside ice.

“Lakovic is an intriguing prospect. He’s a big body forward who can be elusive on open ice with his effortless stride. He’s difficult to check when he’s handling the puck due to his long reach and stature. He has excellent puck touch for a big man and contributed 27 goals and 31 assists in 47 games for Moose Jaw this year," Sportsnet's Jason Bukala wrote earlier this year. "His style of play will be debated in scouting meetings leading up to the draft. For his stature, he isn’t physically overpowering, he’s more of a finesse forward.” 

A fast-riser up the draft boards in recent weeks and months, Brady Martin seems like the kind of player that'd be a Boston fan favorite.

Physical, downright relentless, and talented as a scoring threat.

A second-year player for OHL Soo, Martin put up 33 goals and 72 points in 57 games this past season. And it's worth mentioning that he didn’t turn 18 until mid-March, meaning the big boom could be around the corner for his game.

"Martin doesn't have the prototypical power-forward size but plays far bigger, and his tenacity and competitiveness are among the best in this year's draft class," NHL.com's Adam Kimelman wrote. "He made a strong final impression on scouts by helping Canada win the gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Under-18 Championship with 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in seven games."

"There has been a ton of discourse recently as to whether Martin is a top-10 pick. Here’s what I’ll say: this is a guy you win with. He’s built for the playoffs like Brad Marchand, so undervalue him at your own peril," Ellis wrote on DailyFaceoff. "Away from the puck, He hits everyone in sight, constantly battles hard for the puck and is a noted goal-scorer, too. He doesn’t always have top-level players to play with on the Greyhounds, but he does look like one of the best players to come out of the OHL this year because he does so much all over the ice and never gives up on a play."

Of course, the success rate with power forwards taken at the top of the draft is enough to give you some pre-draft jitters. But if this a player who projects similar to a Brady Tkachuk or Tom Wilson more than a Trent Frederic (third-line ceiling), you're golden. It's just finding out exactly what's under the hood.

Another big-bodied forward, Porter Martone has what you have to consider a slight chance of still kicking around when the Bruins are on the clock at No. 7.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds and considered a power forward with surprisingly good hands and playmaking abilities, Martone tallied 37 goals and 98 points in 57 games for OHL Brampton in 2024-25, and scored one goal in three games for Canada at the World Juniors. 

If the Bruins drafted him, it would be with the idea that he's the long-term answer behind David Pastrnak on the right-side forward depth chart.

Limited by injuries, 6-foot-5 center Roger McQueen gave NHL teams just 17 regular-season games and another three playoff games to work with in 2024-25 due to a back injury that derailed his season. He was certainly productive in that 17-game sample, with 10 goals and 20 points for WHL Brandon, but was that enough for teams to make such a high-leverage call on him?

“Yeah, well, it makes it a little more challenging," Sweeney admitted, referencing McQueen's situation directly. "But the volume of games and the situational things that you weren't able to see a player play in, I know it's never just a one-year exercise for our scouts. Sometimes it's two to three years of watching games and watching the progression of the player. I think in some of those unique cases, you have to do your due diligence."

There are some who believe that McQueen would've been a top-three pick in this year's draft had be been healthy. But with back injuries, that's a giant if.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Hell, I'll say it until it's officially not an issue. But the Bruins desperately need to fortify their right-side defensive pipeline. Both for this season and the future. And if the Bruins truly want to go off the board from a position-centric point of view, right-shot defenseman Radim Mrtka would be the biggest move the Bruins could make.

I mean that in every sense of the word, too.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 218 pounds, the right-shooting Mrtka posted three goals and 35 points in 43 games for WHL Seattle in 2024-25, along with one goal and four points in five games for Czechia at the World Junior 18s. 

"While Mrtka isn’t a particularly punishing player, he’s an active and aware defender.," EliteProspects wrote in their 2025 NHL Draft Guide. "He scans for threats, ties them up, and rotates well. Though he lands the occasional big hit, his physical impact comes through his ability to absorb contact, win retrievals, and deny space."

If drafted, Mrtka would almost immediately shoot up to the second-highest slot on Boston's right-side defensive depth chart, help replace some of what the Bruins lost with Brandon Carlo's departure, and stop Charlie McAvoy from looking like a man on an island for the Black and Gold at that spot right now.

I'm not going to lie, this is the name I've circled for the Bruins for some time now. Now, the Bruins can say what they want about not being so position-focused and how they want to take the best player available. But if the board does not have any surprises, Jake O'Brien just feels like a potential Bruins pick.

A 6-foot-2, 172-pound center, the right-shooting O’Brien totaled 32 goals and 98 points in 66 games for OHL Brantford this past season, and put forth a postseason run that included three goals and 11 points in 11 games. All while being considered a strong two-way option for the Bulldogs. 

"O’Brien is a quick processing high-IQ, two-way center with a well-rounded skill set and leadership qualities. His ability to control the pace of play, make smart decisions with the puck, and maintain a defensive-first mentality positions him as a potential top-15 selection in the 2025 NHL Draft," NeutralZone.com wrote in their draft profile on O'Brien. "O’Brien is effective in all zones, excelling in puck possession, forechecking, and creating offensive opportunities for himself and his teammates. However, improvements in faceoff consistency, skating mechanics, and physical strength will be critical to his transition to the NHL. With his combination of skill, composure, and work ethic, O’Brien projects as a middle-six NHL center with upside as a reliable, matchup player."