Boston Bruins Draft Preview: Plenty Of Quality Available In Rounds 2 & 3

The Boston Bruins only have five draft picks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, which started with the first round Tuesday night. After trading their first round pick in the trade for forward Ondrej Kase in February, the Bruins won’t make a selection until late Wednesday morning when the second round of the draft kicks off.

The Boston Bruins will select 58th overall and 88th overall to open their 2020 draft slate. In a normal year, that might not be worth paying close attention to but you will want to tune in if you can because this draft has been called the best NHL Draft since 2003 when the Bruins drafted Patrice Bergeron 45th overall in the second round. There’s plenty of depth and now it’s up to the Boston Bruins amateur scouts’ work to be rewarded.

Round 2, Pick 58

A deep forward draft could present the Bruins the opportunity to draft a quality prospect 58th overall. Center Jean-Luc Foudy and right winger Yevgeni Oksentyuk could be intriguing options at this spot.

Foudy is a smaller player at just 5’11” and 175 pounds. That said, he brings both speed and skill to the table. Considering the amount of size and brawn the Bruins have in their system, they can afford to take a chance on a small, skilled player.

Foudy, according to scouts, is a “pass-first centremen” who is “gifted with blazing speed that forces defenders backward.”

Foudy is complimented for his “strong compete level” and his “strong acceleration”. In terms of warts to his game, scouts say Foudy “needs to shoot more, and to develop his ability to win in the face-off circle.” His responsibly in the defensive end is also pointed out by scouts who frequent the OHL. Foudy can also play on the penalty kill.

Oksentyuk, meanwhile, went undrafted last June. The fifth overall pick in the 2019 CHL Import Draft, Oksentyuk is another small and skilled forward who stands in at 5’7″ and 154 pounds. According to scouts, his ability was not the reason why he was left off the board in 2019. Rather, teams were hesitant because of his lack of size and his Russian roots.

Oksentyuk has been compared to former second round pick Alex DeBrincat, who was a small sniper in the OHL with Erie. DeBrincat fell out of the first round but has proven to be a steal for the Chicago Blackhawks. A natural goal scorer, Oksentyuk has top-end puck skills to go with NHL caliber speed.

Despite his lack of size, scouts have no concerns with Oksentyuk’s willingness to engage physically and to drive the net. He’ll need to put on some bulk if he is going to have an NHL career. The natural tools are there. Oksentyuk scored 33 goals in 58 games for the OHL’s Flint Firebirds last season.

Round 3, Pick 88

Skill is the name of the game in this year’s draft. Another small and skilled option is likely to be on the board when the Bruins select 88th overall. Logan Morrison is a smart center with exceptional passing skills who played the 2019-20 season in the OHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs. Scouts like Morrison’s ability to find the open seams in the attacking zone. Morrison can also generate offense off the cycle and can avoid contact while maintaining possession.

Some scouts believe that Morrison has the skill to be a late second round pick. That makes him a potential value selection for a Bruins team that could use an infusion of speed and skill in their prospect system.