3 needs the Bruins must fill in the 2016 NHL draft
Who will Don Sweeney bring to Boston?
COMMENTARY
After back-to-back late collapses resulted in two seasons without playoff hockey in Boston, the Bruins are looking to retool and rebuild in hopes of returning to the postseason in 2017. That effort begins Friday night at the 2016 NHL entry draft in Buffalo.
The Bruins begin the weekend with seven picks, including two first-round selections (14th and 29th overall). The Black and Gold head to Buffalo with one second-round pick, a pair of selections in the fifth and one each in the sixth and seventh rounds.
The Bruins currently have a handful of holes on their roster that they hope to fill through the draft, free agency or trades. Let’s take a look at some of the Bruins’ biggest draft needs:
Defense
The Bruins were awful in their own end last season and this was arguably the biggest reason they missed out on the playoffs. Luckily for the Bruins, this year’s draft class is heavy with defensemen.
The majority of the first 10-12 picks taken in this weekend’s drafts will be forwards. From Auston Matthews and Matt Tkachuk to countless others, there are some talented forwards up for grabs in this year’s draft. When the No. 14 pick rolls around and the Bruins are on the clock, they should still look towards taking a defenseman.
Sure, the chances of the Bruins taking a defenseman in this year’s draft who will make an immediate impact is minimal, but general manager Don Sweeney and company are best suited to take the best available defenseman with their first of two opening-round picks.
The Bruins do have a handful of young defensemen in the pipeline who could, down the road, be that top defenseman they so desperately need. Guys like Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk and Jeremy Lauzon all continue to develop and could be the future of the Bruins’ blue line.
Mikhail Sergachyov, (Windsor-OHL) Charlie McAvoy, (Boston University) Jake Bean (Calgary-WHL) and Logan Stanley (Windsor-OHL) are a few defensemen expected to go in the first round Friday night and are guys that are certainly on the Bruins’ radar.
Left and Right Wing
Even if Sweeney and Loui Eriksson can come to terms on a new contract, the Bruins need help on the wings. Last season, the Bruins struggled to find a consistent winger to slot alongside Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins hope that this is the season when David Pastrnak breaks out and turns into the top-line winger that the club believes he can be.
The Bruins do have a crop of young forwards on the horizon, but it’s tough to see any of those players making a huge impact offensively in the coming season. The Bruins will look to this year’s draft to add to their organizational depth at the forward position. But if one of this year’s top forwards slips down to them at No. 14, it may be difficult for Sweeney and company to pass.
Speed and Skill
Since taking over the reigns as GM, Sweeney has hammered away at how the Bruins need become a faster, more skillful club. Winning the Stanley Cup this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins displayed a potent combination of speed and skill. You can bet that Sweeney took notice.
The Bruins will look to find players who fit the speed-and-skill mold while addressing their positional needs this weekend. The 2016 class is deep with the skills and speed so it shouldn’t be too difficult for Sweeney and his staff to find exactly what they’re looking for in a Boston Bruin.
Without much success in recents drafts, the Bruins approach seems different this season, which could be a good thing for the team as it looks to reinvent itself.
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