The Boston Bruins, for the first time in a long while, have a boatload of picks in the upcoming NHL Drafts.
Most notably, they have five first-round picks in the next three drafts, including the possibility of having three of them in the 2028 draft.
The Bruins did not get lucky in Tuesday night’s 2026 NHL Draft Lottery.
They had a 58.2 percent chance of getting the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top-five protected 2026 first-round pick. But the Leafs won the lottery and will pick No. 1 overall. As a result, they will give the Bruins a 2027 or 2028 first-round pick to complete the Brandon Carlo trade from March of 2025.
- If the Leafs’ 2027 pick is outside the top 10, it goes to the Flyers. The Bruins would then get the Leafs’ unprotected 2028 first-round pick.
- If the Leafs’ 2027 pick is inside the top 10, they can choose to give it to the Flyers or Bruins. The team not chosen will get Toronto’s unprotected 2028 first-rounder.
What will the Bruins do with all these draft picks?
They can use all or most of them to add talented young players to the organization and bolster a prospect pool that still lacks high-end talent. The Athletic ranked the Bruins’ prospect pool 30th out of 32 teams in 2025, but it improved to the 19th-ranked prospect pool in this year’s rankings after a strong 2025 draft and other prospects showing on-ice improvement.
That’s an impressive jump, but it’s still middle of the pack.
The Bruins could also use some of these draft picks as trade chips to acquire immediate help. The B’s desperately need another top-six forward (preferably a center) and a top-four defenseman.
The players that make up Boston’s core are largely in the win-now portion of their careers, so it would make sense for the Bruins to prioritize adding veteran help to the roster after this season’s playoff run.
