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10 prospects Bruins could target with their 2 second-round picks
The Bruins currently hold both the No. 51 and No. 61 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.
All eyes are focused on who the Bruins will take with the No. 7 pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft.
But, the Bruins also have a prime opportunity to further bolster their prospect pipeline in the second round.
Boston is set to enter the 2025 NHL Draft with two picks in the second round: picks No. 51 and 61.
Both selections were acquired by Boston during the team’s sell-off at the trade deadline in March, with pick No. 51 reeled in via Trent Frederic’s trade to Edmonton, and pick No. 61 plucked from the Avalanche as part of the Charlie Coyle trade.
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Boston’s own second-round pick in 2025 (No. 37 overall) was relinquished in 2023, with the Capitals acquiring it as part of the trade that brought Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to the Bruins.
While the first round has been a struggle at times for Boston when it comes to identifying young talent, the Bruins have unearthed NHL potential in the second round over the years — with Matt Poitras, Mason Lohrei, Ryan Lindgren, Brandon Carlo, and Jeremy Lauzon standing as hits over the past decade.
Here are 10 names to keep tabs on once the Bruins land on the clock in the second round.
Luca Romano, C, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
The writing is on the wall that the Bruins will target a center with their No. 7 pick.
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But given that the pivot position is Boston’s most pressing need for the long haul, it would come as little surprise if the Bruins opt to double-dip and try to add another impact center in the second round.
Romano may not be the most imposing skater at 5-foot-11, but the Toronto native has earned high marks for his skating ability and craftiness. His stat line with the Rangers (25 goals, 51 points in 67 games) doesn’t leap off the page, but his playmaking skills and acceleration offers hope that he has more to offer in the coming years.
After Boston labored offensively all season long with a relatively slower roster, expect the Bruins to target speed and skill with at least two of their first three picks in this draft.
Ryker Lee, LW, Madison Capitols (USHL)
Lee might represent some wishful thinking when it comes to Boston’s spot in the second round. Most draft projections have the 6-foot winger as a potential pick in the 30s, given his elite puck skills and upside as a 20-plus goal scorer at the next level.
Lee, who will play at Michigan State this upcoming season, is coming off a year where he scored 31 goals and 68 total points over 58 games while taking home USHL Rookie of the Year honors with Madison.
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The Bruins prioritized goal-scoring talent and skill when they added a promising prospect in Will Zellers via the Coyle trade in March. Adding another skilled talent like Lee would be another step in the right direction, especially if he drops on Saturday.
Peyton Kettles, D, Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
Center might be Boston’s most pressing need entering this draft. But the Bruins also desperately need to find a future top-four stalwart on the right side of their defense after trading Brandon Carlo to Toronto in March.
Thankfully, there should be plenty of right-shot blueliners with size available in the second round. Even if some of those prospects aren’t projected to be high-end offensive playmakers on the backend, plenty fit the profile as physical, albeit mobile, D-men who can log heavy minutes if they develop into NHL regulars.
Kettles fits that bill as a 6-foot-5 skater who can snuff out scoring chances by either delivering a bruising hit or using his reach to break up passes in Grade-A ice. Kettles is one of the younger players in this draft class, as he won’t turn 18 until Sept. 1.
Carter Amico, D, U.S. National Team Development Program
Amico has some red flags due to injury, but the 6-foot-5, 232-pound defenseman might also have the highest upside among this crop of puck-moving, physical blueliners in the second round.
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Once projected to be a late first or early second-round pick, the right-shot Amico might fall into the middle or end of the second round after missing most of this past season with a knee injury. But the BU commit is one of the stronger D-men in this draft class and could be a minutes-munching regular at the next level.
The Westbrook, Maine, native’s offensive game may not take off in the pros, but Amico has a knack for making the smart, simple play with the puck on his stick to get his team’s transition game going.
Max Psenicka, D, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Add Psenicka to the list of imposing, physical right-shot D who could be available when the Bruins pick in the second round.
The 6-foot-5 blueliner adjusted well after leaving his native Czechia and joining Portland midway through the 2024-25 season, serving as a thorn in the side of opposing skaters with his physical brand of hockey.
Mason West, C, Edina High School
West is one of the more intriguing prospects in this draft class given both his imposing 6-foot-6 frame and his standing as a two-way athlete in high school.
While West was a force on the ice at Edina High School in Minnesota (49 points in 31 games), he was also his school’s star quarterback. There’s no knocking West’s athleticism, pro-ready frame, and potential as a middle-six difference maker at the next level.
But West’s focus on football even at this stage of his career might concern some teams and lead to him dropping in the draft.
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“NHL teams are still nervous about taking him because he plans to play his senior season in football before moving over to the USHL for the remainder of the season,” FloHockey’s Chris Peters noted in his draft profile on West. “NHL personnel have questioned what will happen if West gets big Division I football offers after getting primarily mid-major offers following his junior year. West says he is choosing hockey for the long-term, but there’s still that risk factor.”
Cameron Schmidt, RW, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
If the Bruins are looking to add speed and skill in the second round, there’s a lot to like about a prospect like Schmidt. The dynamic skater lit the lamp 40 times and scored 78 points in 68 games with Vancouver this past year and is considered one of the top skaters and shooters in this draft class.
Schmidt’s name has been etched all over the board in recent mock drafts. While TSN’s Craig Button had him at No. 19 in his latest draft ranking, his TSN colleague Bob McKenzie had Schmidt at No. 47.
The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler even had Schmidt available at No. 57.
Why the variance? A lot of it has to do with the fact that Schmidt is just 5-foot-7 and 157 pounds.
That slight frame might frighten some talent evaluators when it comes to whether or not Schmidt’s skill can translate in the pro game. But it’s hard to overlook the game tape when it comes to Schmidt’s potential as a 20-goal, middle-six winger — and that might be underselling him.
Jack Ivankovic, G, Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
Jeremy Swayman might be signed long-term as Boston’s franchise goalie. But it wouldn’t come as much of a shock if the Bruins use at least one of their draft picks this weekend to add another netminder to the system.
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Ivankovic isn’t the biggest body at 5-foot-11, nor were his numbers with Brampton elite (.903 save percentage over 43 games). But the University of Michigan commit has earned high marks for his ability to deliver in clutch moments — especially after winning both the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and U18 Men’s World Championship this year with Canada.
Theo Stockselius, C, Djugården U20 (Sweden)
The Bruins have focused heavily on Sweden over the last few drafts, so it wouldn’t come as much of a shock if Boston likes what it sees in a versatile forward with a pro-ready frame like Stockselius.
The 6-foot-3, 196-pound forward ranked fourth among U18 players in Sweden’s U20 league with 51 points this season over 40 games. But his true value in the back end of the second round lies in his versatility and willingness to engage down low.
He could be a useful cog on a third line in the NHL if he develops properly in the next few years.
Ethan Czata, C, Niagara Ice Dogs (OHL)
Another hard-working, two-way centerman who projects more as a 3C at the next level, Czata is another safe option for Boston in the second round if they’re looking for a player with a solid motor and puck skills.
He scored 21 goals and 55 points over 68 games with Niagara this past season, although his calling card might be his defensive IQ and willingness to knock opposing skaters off the puck.
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