Bruins draft team sees major upside in 2025 class thanks to one key factor

Struggles in the standings gave Bruins a new window

The Bruins haven’t had many high picks in recent memory—and for good reason. They’ve been winning. But this year was different. The wheels wobbled late in the season, and Boston tumbled far enough to get a better position on the draft board.

That change gave scouting director Ryan Nadeau an opening. Instead of looking at the back half of the first round, he turned his focus toward the top-tier talent. The types of players the Bruins rarely have access to.

A little luck helped too. Several teams ahead of Boston made unexpected selections, allowing skilled prospects to slide. This time, the Bruins didn’t hesitate. They took the swing.

A departure from the “safe pick” era

For years, Boston’s draft decisions have reflected caution.

They went for guys who were safe bets to play, not stars who could change games. That worked when the core was elite and the supporting cast could just hold the line.

But times have changed. The Bruins don’t have that luxury anymore. They need difference-makers, and they’ve finally started drafting like it.

I think having more picks, and having some higher picks, allowed us to probably look at some players with a bit more offensive ability and upside that sometimes in the area where we tended to be picking we didn’t have some of those players available or the players that were… there’s alot of risk associated sometimes with that player.

Whether they’re undersized, whether they’re physically underdeveloped, or whether there’s just a real major lack of detail in their game. Where there are other players sitting there at the same spot, where you really appreciate their attention to detail, their heaviness, their hardness.

We didn’t shy away from some of that. I just think we ended up in a spot this year where we could really take some swings at some higher upside offensive players that maybe in the past we haven’t had as many swings on that kind of player.” Ryan Nadeau, Director of Scouting

Even if not every pick pans out, the mentality shift alone is a win. For a team that’s been stuck between eras, this draft was the first clear sign that Boston is ready to evolve. And that might be the most important step of all.