Boston Bruins Defensive Prospect Earns All-ECAC Honors

Boston Bruins fans are excited about a handful of prospects at the forward position. James Hagens is set to sign an entry-level contract with Boston as soon as his season with Boston College is over. Eagles’ teammate Dean Letourneau is the 2024 first-round selection who has had a tremendous sophomore season at the Heights, and wingers Will Moore, Cooper Simpson, and Will Zellers also have intriguing upside.

However, the young defensive crop is a little thinner. Frederic Brunet is a fifth-round draft pick who is progressing into a potential NHL role next season. Beyond that, the Bruins need a young defenseman with NHL potential. One name that continues to resurface is Quinnipiac sophomore defenseman Elliott Groenewold.

With the 110th pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Bruins selected defenseman Groenewold in the third round. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound defenseman spent one season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL and produced five goals with 11 assists in 57 games and was a Second Team All-Rookie selection.

After the draft, Groenewold played his first collegiate season with Quinnipiac. In 38 games with the Bobcats during his freshman year, the Bellows Falls, Vermont native tallied four goals with eight assists and a plus-5 rating. Groenewold progressed into one of the best ECAC defenseman this season with six goals and 13 assists and a spot on the All-ECAC First Team. Groenewold’s plus-38 rating led NCAA Division 1 hockey.

Groenewold plays an aggressive style and has the tools to be a shutdown defenseman in the NHL if he continues to refine his game. It is likely that Groenewold will stay at Quinnipiac for his junior season, but there is still a chance that the Bruins will sign Groenewold to a pro deal to kick-start his professional career with the AHL Providence Bruins. The Bruins might have another solid defensive prospect, something they desperately need.