The Boston Bruins have the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. It’s the first time since 2006 that Boston’s own first-round pick is in the top seven.
Including this No. 7 pick, the Bruins could have as many as five first-round selections over the next three drafts.
They have their own first-round pick in 2025, 2026 and 2027, as well as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2026 first-rounder (top-five protected, per PuckPedia) and the Florida Panthers’ 2027 first-rounder (top-10 protected, per PuckPedia).
Could the Bruins acquire another first-rounder ahead of the draft on June 27?
The Athletic’s 2025 NHL Staff Mock Draft 2.0 was published Wednesday, and it includes the Bruins getting the No. 15 pick in a fake trade with the Vancouver Canucks.
Here are the details of the mock trade proposal:
- Bruins acquire forward Nils Hoglander and No. 15 pick (used to take defenseman Jackson Smith)
- Canucks acquire forwards Pavel Zacha and Marat Khusnutdinov
Would this trade make sense for the Bruins? There are pros and cons.
One positive would be acquiring another top-15 pick. It’s no secret the B’s have one of the league’s worst prospect pools. In fact, the Bruins’ prospect pool ranked 30th out of 32 teams in Scott Wheeler’s latest evaluation for The Athletic in February. That’s what happens when you make a first-round pick in just four of the last seven drafts.
Taking a center — such as Jake O’Brien, Brady Martin, etc. — with the No. 7 pick and a defenseman — such as Jackson Smith — with the No. 15 pick would significantly bolster Boston’s prospect talent and depth. The B’s could also use the No. 7 and No. 15 picks to try to trade up in Round 1 if there was a player they really like. Trading up can be difficult, though.
Nils Hoglander is signed for three more seasons with a team-friendly $3 million salary cap hit. Hoglander tallied a career-high 36 points, including a career-high 24 goals, during the 2023-24 campaign. But he took a step back this past season with 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 72 games. If Hoglander played like he did in 2023-24, his contract would be an absolute steal. But he’s played five seasons in the NHL, and only once has he scored more than 13 goals.
Losing Zacha would be tough for the Bruins, too. His versatility as someone who can fill a top-six role at center or on the wing is valuable. He has good chemistry with David Pastrnak. His stats this past season were a decline from the two previous years, but he should be able to get back to the 20-goal mark next season. He actually has the second-most even-strength points (81) of any Bruins player over the last two seasons. Zacha is also signed to a team-friendly contract that runs through 2026-27 with a $4.75 million cap hit.
Zacha isn’t an elite offensive player, but the Bruins lack scoring depth and cannot afford to be dealing away players who can tally 50-plus points if they plan on being in the playoff mix next season. The B’s are also pretty thin at center.
Overall, this trade would make sense for the Bruins if they were doing a full and proper rebuild. But if the B’s plan on just doing a retool, then it wouldn’t make sense to pursue this deal.
