Bruins prospect rankings: Updated top 10 players after 2025 draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins made the wise decision to stockpile prospects and draft picks by trading away veteran players at the 2025 NHL trade deadline in March.
The B’s ended up making seven selections in the 2025 NHL Draft in June. It was the first draft in which Boston made a pick in each of the first three rounds since 2015.
The Bruins were able to add some talented players in the 2025 draft, including first-round pick James Hagens. And after drafting four centers, the Bruins now have a lot of depth at that position in their prospect pool. This is an encouraging development for the franchise because it currently does not have a true top-six center on its NHL roster, with the possible exception of Elias Lindholm.
That said, the overall level of talent in Boston’s prospect pool remains fairly weak. The Athletic ranked the Bruins’ prospect pool No. 30 out of 32 teams in its annual rating in January. Even after the most recent draft, the Bruins likely would still rank in the bottom third.
Drafting and developing has not been one of the Bruins’ strengths over the last 10 years. That needs to change if the franchise is going to be a Stanley Cup contender in the next three to five years.
Let’s take an updated look at the top 10 prospects in the Bruins organization. (Only players 23 years old and under were considered for this list, which excludes players like Georgii Merkulov and Michael DiPietro.)
10. Chris Pelosi, Center
Age: 20
Team: Quinnipiac (NCAA)
It took Pelosi a little while to adjust from playing in the USHL to playing for Quinnipiac last season, but he found his stride in the second half of the season and finished with a very respectable 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 38 games as a freshman. He had 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in the final 23 games of the campaign.
He also was among the final cuts for Team USA ahead of the 2025 World Junior Championships.
Pelosi has a good two-way skill set, and he plays physical without taking bad penalties. A Year 2 jump at Quinnipiac could vault Pelosi much higher on this last at this time in 2026.
9. Frederic Brunet, Defenseman
Age: 21
Team: Providence (AHL)
Brunet is a good skater and not afraid to jump into the rush and crash the net. His playmaking ability really improved in Providence this past season, evidenced by his career-high 20 assists (double his previous high).
Overall, Brunet tallied 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 69 games with the P-Bruins, earning himself the team’s award for best defenseman. He made his NHL debut in the final game of the 2024-25 season versus the New Jersey Devils.
Brunet likely will start the 2025-26 campaign in Providence, but if Boston’s blue line depth is tested due to injuries, the Quebec native would be one of the best candidates to call up.
8. Philip Svedeback, Goaltender
Age: 23
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Svedeback is the best 23-and-under goalie prospect in the Bruins’ system. He went 14-8-4 with a .911 save percentage and a 2.42 GAA for Providence last season. He has posted a .909 save percentage or higher in three of his first four years with the Friars.
With Jeremy Swayman signed long term, Joonas Korpisalo signed for three more years, and Michael DiPietro ready to compete for a backup job in the NHL, it might be difficult for Svedeback to climb up the organizational depth chart. But he’s a pretty talented goalie, and the Bruins’ depth at this position will allow them to take their time with Svedeback and let him develop at the best pace.
7. William Moore, Center
Age: 18
Team: Boston College (NCAA)
The Bruins took Moore with the No. 51 overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft. Some experts had Moore ranked as a top-35 prospect in this class, so the Bruins were fortunate to get him in the middle of Round 2.
Moore ranked second on the U.S. Under-18 Team with 59 points (27 goals, 32 assists) in 64 games. He needs to get a little stronger and add some muscle to his 6-foot-2 and 175-pound frame, but there’s a lot to like about his offensive skill set.
Moore will play for Boston College as a freshman next season, like several other B’s prospects on this list.
6. Dean Letourneau, Center
Age: 19
Team: Boston College (NCAA)
The Bruins took Letourneau with the No. 25 pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft. He has tremendous size at 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds. He plays a physical, power forward-type of game. Unfortunately for Letourneau, the jump to college hockey was a difficult one for him last season. He scored zero goals with three assists in 36 games for the Eagles.
He told reporters at Bruins Development Camp last week that he had a broken hand in the first half of the season. Not being able to impact the game as much as you want offensively can be frustrating for a young player, but Bruins player development coordinator Adam McQuaid liked the way Letourneau dealt with the adversity.
“He honestly handled it really well,” McQuaid told reporters on June 30. “There were days of disappointment where he felt like he could and wanted to impact more. We were preaching smaller details like protecting pucks and being physical, and he started to get a little bit of time on the penalty kill. He got much better with his stick — just little details.
“He took all that in stride but was still like, ‘I wanna do more, I wanna impact more. I believe I can do more.’ Those are all positive things. At the end of the year, he was like, ‘I’m going back to BC. I’m going to compete for a spot.’
“Nothing’s going to be given to you. He knows that, and it says a lot about him. So I learned a lot about his character. Adversity at a young age — a lot of these guys haven’t seen it. So for him to go through it now, there’s always going to be some critics and adversity faced. And for him, being here in Boston probably magnifies it a little bit. He’s handled it really well.”
With a year of experience, and several BC forwards having recently graduated or left for the NHL, Letourneau has a tremendous opportunity to make a huge sophomore leap with the Eagles in 2025-26.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports5. Will Zellers, Left wing
Age: 19
Team: North Dakota (NCAA)
The Bruins acquired Zellers — a 2024 third-round pick — from the Colorado Avalanche as part of the Charlie Coyle back in March.
Zellers doesn’t have tremendous size (5-foot-10 and 175 pounds), but he has a very impressive offensive skill set, including a great shot and plenty of speed. His 44 goals were the most of any USHL player last season, and his 71 points ranked third.
Zellers will play at the University of North Dakota as a freshman next season. He is one prospect Bruins fans should keep a close eye on.
4. Dans Locmelis, Center
Age: 21
Team: Providence (AHL)
Locmelis arguably improved more than any Bruins prospect last season. He tallied a career-high 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists) in 40 games for UMass-Amherst, and then he played six regular season games for the Providence Bruins and dominated with 12 points (three goals, nine assists).
Locmelis also starred for Latvia at the World Championships.
The 2022 fourth-round pick probably will start next season in Providence, but he’s definitely a candidate to push for an NHL roster spot if he impresses during training camp and the preseason. It would be surprising if he doesn’t make his Boston debut at some point in 2025-26.
3. Fraser Minten, Center
Age: 21
Team: Boston Bruins (NHL)
Minten was a 2022 second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs and was acquired by the Bruins as part of the Brandon Carlo trade in March. He should be in the mix for Boston’s third-line center competition during training camp and the preseason thanks to his two-way skill set. He’s a smart, reliable player with decent offensive upside.
Minten didn’t score a ton in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, but he did tally seven points (three goals, four assists) in 11 games for the Providence Bruins after the trade.
Minten played six games in Boston toward the end of the season and held his own defensively. He has 25 games of NHL experience overall.
2. Matt Poitras, Center
Age: 21
Team: Providence (AHL)
Poitras’ impressive rookie season in 2023-24 was cut short due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. He began last season with the Bruins but struggled with one goal and three assists in his first 14 games. The Bruins sent Poitras to Providence in November as a result.
Poitras ended up playing 19 more games in Boston from Jan. 14 through March 6 and scored zero goals with seven assists during that span. He spent the final portion of the season in the AHL, finishing with 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) in 47 games for Providence overall.
Poitras is a skilled playmaker with slick hands and a good shot. He needs to be a little stronger on pucks and improve in the faceoff circle, but he definitely has the potential to be a useful middle-six forward for the Bruins. Similar to Minten, Poitras should be among the candidates vying for the third-line center role.
Poitras has shown flashes of his potential in the NHL. Whether he can be a consistent offensive player at that level remains to be seen.
1. James Hagens, Center
Age: 18
Team: Boston College (NCAA)
The Bruins were very fortunate that Hagens — once considered the top prospect in the 2025 draft class — fell to them with the No. 7 overall pick in last month’s draft.
Hagens has No. 1 center potential as an elite playmaker, a gifted skater and the ability to score goals in a variety of ways. From a skill set and size perspective, he plays a lot like New Jersey Devils star center Jack Hughes.
Hagens tallied 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) as an 18-year-old first-line center for the Eagles last season. He also was one of Team USA’s best players at the World Junior Championship and scored in the gold medal game.
Another year of development at BC would be the smartest route for Hagens to take. The Bruins shouldn’t rush Hagens’ ascent to the NHL. He is their only elite prospect.