The Bruins hold five picks in this week’s NHL Draft. Here’s what else you need to know before the first round begins.
The Bruins don't hold a first-round pick in 2023, but there's still plenty to know about Boston's potential plans in this week's NHL Draft.
When the Chicago Blackhawks won the NHL Draft Lottery in May, they won the rights to one of the most highly touted prospects in recent memory: Connor Bedard. Bedard is almost certain to go off the board at No. 1 — but as far as the rest of the order for this year’s NHL Draft, nothing is set in stone.
The first round kicks off at 7 p.m. Wednesday from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Rounds 2 through 7 will take place starting at 11 a.m. Thursday.
The Bruins hold five picks in this year’s NHL Draft, but none in the first round. Boston traded its first-round choice to the Washington Capitals in February as part of the deal to acquire Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov. The deal also included the Boston’s 2023 fifth-round pick.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2023 NHL Draft.
NHL Draft 2023: The basics
When: Wednesday, June 28, and Thursday, June 29
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Time: 7 p.m. Wednesday, 11 a.m. Thursday
TV: ESPN (first round), NHL Network (Rounds 2-7)
Format: There are seven rounds, with 32 picks in each round. The first 16 picks of the draft were determined by the lottery. Picks 17 through 28 went to teams that lost during the first two rounds of the playoffs, with teams that did not win their division in inverse order of regular-season point totals, followed by division winners in inverse order. Next is the conference runner ups, followed by the Stanley Cup Final runner up and champion.
When do the Bruins pick?
The Bruins do not have a first-round pick in this year’s NHL Draft, as Boston traded its first-round choice to the Washington Capitals in February as part of the deal to acquire Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov. The deal also included Boston’s fifth-round pick this year.
From 2018 to 2022, the Bruins made just two first-round picks.
The Bruins also do not have a second-round pick this year, as they traded it to the Anaheim Ducks as part of the Hampus Lindholm trade in 2022.
They acquired an additional seventh-rounder from the Kings in 2022. The Bruins are on the hunt for more cap space, a process that began Monday when they dealt Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to Chicago.
Right now, the Bruins hold the following picks:
2023 NHL Draft order
1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. Anaheim Ducks
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
4. San Jose Sharks
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Arizona Coyotes
7. Philadelphia Flyers
8. Washington Capitals
9. Detroit Red Wings
10. St. Louis Blues
11. Vancouver Canucks
12. Arizona Coyotes (from Ottawa Senators)
13. Buffalo Sabres
14. Pittsburgh Penguins
15. Nashville Predators
16. Calgary Flames
17. Detroit Red Wings (from New York Islanders via Vancouver Canucks)
18. Winnipeg Jets
19. Chicago Blackhawks (from Tampa Bay Lightning)
20. Seattle Kraken
21. Minnesota Wild
22. Philadelphia Flyers (from Los Angeles Kings via Columbus Blue Jackets)
23. New York Rangers
24. Nashville Predators (from Edmonton Oilers)
25. St. Louis Blues (from Toronto Maple Leafs)
26. San Jose Sharks (from New Jersey Devils)
27. Colorado Avalanche
28. Toronto Maple Leafs (from Boston Bruins via Washington Capitals)
29. St. Louis Blues (from Dallas Stars via New York Rangers)
30. Carolina Hurricanes
31. Montreal Canadiens (from Florida Panthers)
32. Vegas Golden Knights
Bruins’ recent draft history
The Bruins made six selections in last year’s draft Boston used its first pick, No. 54, to take forward Matthew Poitras of the OHL’s Guelph Storm. Boston did not have a pick in the third round but chose Cole Spicer in the fourth at No. 117.
Bruins draft picks nearing a call-up are Poitras, Ohio State defenseman Mason Lohrei (2020, No. 58) and Boston College forward Trevor Kuntar (2020, No. 89). All three signed two-way, entry-level contracts with the Bruins this spring.
With the first pick …
Connor Bedard, having drawn comparisons to Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, is the consensus No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, and the basement-dwelling Chicago Blackhawks are likely to incorporate him into their system sooner rather than later.
The 17-year-old center led the Western Hockey League with 143 points (71 goals, 72 assists) in 57 regular-season games this season. He also had 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in seven WHL playoff games and was the first player in 11 years to score 10 or more goals in a single playoff series in the league.
After Bedard goes, the rest of the order is less obvious. Here are other top players to watch in this year’s draft.
Adam Fantilli, C, Michigan (NCAA)
Fantilli is fresh off a sparkling freshman year at Michigan, including winning the 2023 Hobey Baker and the Tim Taylor National Rookie of the Year awards. He helped Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship with two goals and three assists. Fantilli’s list of accolades is too long to spell out here, but suffice it to say that he has plenty of experience behind him to justify his place as a top-two prospect.
Will Smith, C, NTDP (USHL)
Perhaps the best home-grown player available in this year’s draft, Smith — a Lexington resident committed to Boston College — anchored the National Team Development Program’s top line this season. Smith is agile, crafty, and fast on the rush. He may require some development at the NCAA level before making the jump to the big show, but Smith shows immense scoring promise (his 20 points in seven games at World Juniors matched Bedard’s total).
Leo Carlsson, C, Orebro (Sweden)
Carlsson spent the last two seasons playing in Sweden’s top professional league, building a wealth of experience against world-class talent. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds, Carlsson is ranked among the top international skaters in this year’s draft. He isn’t known for his speed or physicality, but his ability to read the ice and make plays makes him a top prospect.
Matvei Michkov, RW, Sochi (KHL)
The Russian-born Michkov is arguably the most complete offensive player in this year’s draft behind Bedard. He is aggressive and confident with the puck, dancing through the offensive zone and dazzling scouts with creative playmaking. Michkov recorded 20 points in 20 games for the Kontinental Hockey League’s HK Sochi. Teams will have to weigh his commitment to play in Russia through the 2025-26 season in their decision of whether or not to draft him.
Local players in the 2023 NHL Draft
Smith and NTDP linemate Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass./Boston College) are both likely to go in the first round of this year’s NHL Draft. After them, the field of local talent drops off significantly.
Will McDonough (Duxbury, Mass./Harvard), Sean Keohane (Milton, Mass./Harvard), and Will Vote (Arlington, Mass./Boston College) could all be selected in the second round or later.
Other draft-eligible New England players include Ben Poitras (Northeastern), Joe Connor (Amherst, N.H./Northeastern), Matthew Wood (UConn), Matt Copponi (Merrimack), and Charles-Alexis Legault (Quinnipiac).
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