Bruins 2023 Draft Tracker: What to know about Boston’s five picks
The Bruins are slated to make five picks in Rounds 3-7 of the 2023 NHL Draft.
After being on the outside looking in at the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Don Sweeney and his staff got to work on Thursday morning at Bridgestone Arena.
Boston’s deadline deals over the past two years for Hampus Lindholm, Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov, and Garnet Hathaway have significantly sapped their draft capital.
But Boston still had five selections in Rounds 3-7 on Thursday, with the Bruins ultimately adding a trio of centers and two Swedes to their prospect pipeline.
Here’s what you need to know about Boston’s five draft selections:
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Round 3, Pick 92 — F Christopher Pelosi
With their first selection in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Bruins selected forward Christopher Pelosi out of Sewell, New Jersey.
The 6-foot-1, left-shot center played last season with both the Janesville Jets (NAHL) and Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL), posting 19 points (13 goals, 6 assists) in 43 games with the Stampede. He was ranked No. 127th overall among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Even though Pelosi is regarded as a raw product, his physicality and netfront presence were noted as major strengths to his game in EliteProspect.com’s Draft Guide.
The 18-year-old forward, who previously played at Mount St. Charles in Rhode Island, is committed to Quinnipiac University. However, he might need more seasoning down in the USHL ranks before making the jump up to the collegiate ranks.
Round 4, Pick 124 — C Beckett Hendrickson
The Bruins selected yet another center with their next pick in the 2023 Draft, taking 6-foot-1 pivot Beckett Hendrickson out of the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Hendrickson, the son of Minnesota Wild assistant coach Darby Hendrickson, was ranked 67th overall among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and was tabbed as a late second-round pick (No. 58 overall) by EliteProspects.com.
“I think I’m a really smart player — raw talent,” Hendrickson said of his game. “I think, I’ve got a lot of progress to work on, but I think I’ll get there with hard work and dedication. So I’m really excited to get back home and get to work.”
Mitchell Brown on EliteProspects tabbed Hendrickson as a skilled playmaker who was also impressive on the boards.
Here’s what the EliteProspects 2023 NHL Draft Guide said abiut Hendrickson:
Hendrickson exhibits a combination of passing skill and lane creation in all three zones. He hooks pucks around sticks, slips them under, and sauces them over sticks with no wind up, even off the backhand. But he doesn’t just take open lanes; he creates them with multiple layers of deception. He slows down and angles away from his eventual target, baiting the defender. The second they pivot or reach, he passes.
Slotted further down in the lineup on a deep NTDP forward corps, Hendrickson posted 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 52 gamers with the NTDP U-18 team last season.
Hendrickson said that he models his game after Minnesota Wild forward and Massachusetts native Matt Boldy.
“The way he plays down low, he’s really smart,” Hendrickson said of Boldy. “I think we’re both bigger bodies, and just the way he plays around the net and stuff. I really try to take some stuff out of his game.”
He will play with fellow Bruins 2023 draft pick Christopher Pelosi at Sioux Falls in 2023-24 before joining the University of Minnesota the following fall.
“Detailed, work ethic, high motor. That’s Beckett’s calling card,” Don Sweeney said of Hendrickson. “Had a little injury that might have affected a little bit of opportunity at production. But sometimes in the development program, guys get slotted in a little bit. And let’s be honest, the high-end side of the top two lines there is pretty skilled. But he’s got a lot of details in his game.”
Round 6, Pick 188 — C Ryan Walsh
Boston didn’t deviate from their draft strategy in the sixth round, selecting center Ryan Walsh out of the USHL.
The Rochester, New York, native is a 6-foot-1, right-shot forward who set a new team record with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders (USHL) with 79 points (30 goals, 49 assists) over 61 games this past year.
Walsh, who turns 20 on August 25, went undrafted over the previous two years. But he ranked second in the USHL in scoring behind only Chicago Steel F Macklin Celebrini — who is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Walsh will play for Cornell this fall.
“Little longer trajectory there,” Sweeney said of Walsh. “The area guys really feel strongly about his path. He’s going to go to Cornell next year, and probably as a young player, make an impact there.”
Round 7, Pick 214 — RW Casper Nassen
Boston finally deviated from its center-focused draft strategy in the seventh round, opting for big-bodied winger Casper Nassen out of Sweden.
Nassen, who currently measures out at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, played for Västerås in Sweden’s U-20 division last season, posting 40 points (23 goals, 17 assists) over 48 games.
The 19-year-old Nassen will likely spend another year in Sweden before making the jump over to North America in 2024-25. He is committed to Miami (Ohio).
Here’s what Corey Pronman of The Athletic said of Nassen’s game: Nassen has one of the best pure shots in the draft. His one-timer is a legit weapon from range. He’s a good-sized winger, too. His skating is quite heavy, though, and I don’t see much offensive creativity in his game.
Round 7, Pick 220 — D Kristian Kostadinski
With its final pick, Boston targeted another Swede, but this one on the blue line.
Kristian Kostadinski was tabbed as the 62nd-ranked EU skater by NHL Central Scouting, with the 6-foot-5 defenseman playing 43 games with Frolunda in Sweden’s U-20 division last season.
The left-shot D projects as a physical defenseman at the next level, with Kostadinski ranking seventh in the U-20 Nationell league with 69 penalty minutes last season.
“There’s a little bit of size element there with both players,” Sweeney said of both Nassen and Kostadinski. “Maybe a little more longer development trajectory with both of them as well. … [Kostadinski] knows he’s got deficiencies, and he’s willing to work on them.
“And he’s got a great work ethic. So excited about it. You look at Nassen, the size and the shooting ability. Just got to continue to apply the resources for him, so that he continues to move along in his development.”
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