The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery could not have unfolded worse for the Boston Bruins.
Not only did the Bruins not get the Maple Leafs’ first-round pick to complete the Brandon Carlo trade from 2025, Toronto actually won the lottery and will pick No. 1 overall. The Leafs now have the opportunity to draft top prospect Gavin McKenna, who could be an elite forward for a long time.
The Bruins will eventually get a first-round pick from the Maple Leafs as part of the Carlo trade, but it won’t be until 2027 or 2028.
The B’s do have their own first-round pick, though. The draft order after the lottery is not yet final, but Boston’s first-rounder should be in the low-20s.
What positions do the Bruins need to upgrade with their 2026 first-round selection? The blue line is one specific area that must be bolstered in the very near future.
If you were to make a list of the Bruins’ top 10 prospects, it would be hard to put any defenseman on there. Maybe Frederic Brunet would be No. 9 or No. 10, but you could easily put a forward or two ahead of him. Simply put, there are no top-tier defenseman prospects in Boston’s system right now.
The Bruins have made three first-round picks and three second-round picks over the last five drafts, and only one of those selections was a defenseman — Liam Pettersson from Sweden in Round 2 last year. The Bruins prioritized upgrading at center the last couple years, which was absolutely the right move given their lack of high-end talent at that position following Patrice Bergeron’s retirement in 2023.
Now it’s time to switch it up a bit, if possible. The 2026 draft class is loaded with exciting defenseman prospects, but most of them are going to be off the board in the first 15 or so picks. That’s one reason why it was pretty disappointing for the Bruins to not land the Maple Leafs’ 2026 first-rounder.
If there aren’t any defenseman worth taking in the early 20s when the Bruins are on the clock in Round 1, then they should just take the best player available. The Bruins’ propsect pool has improved a lot in just the last year, but it’s not in a place where the team should be drafting for need if there are much better players available at other positions.
Which players should the Bruins target with their first-round pick? Here’s a roundup of mock drafts after this week’s Draft Lottery.
“Hextall isn’t a sexy, flashy, offensive first-rounder, but he’s well-liked and well-respected around the USHL and NHL, and widely viewed as a first-rounder for a lot of the same reasons Command is: a heavy stick, pro habits and details, position, etc. He’s got some big backers, and I could see the Bruins being interested in him as a potential future middle-six center behind James Hagens. I think he goes in the 20s or early 30s somewhere.”
“Preston would be a great pick here. Preston’s strong showing at the U-18s helped Preston boost his stock in a big way. He finished with six points in five games while being one of the team’s top all-around offensive threats. He was a puck-possession machine, and he consistently got the puck into high-danger areas.
“Preston is an undeniably talented player who could become a top-six threat down the line. Preston has a remarkable shot and often wastes no time firing in the back of the net from the slot. His shot looks NHL-ready right now.”
“Hurlbert’s vision and offensive instincts are unquestionably high-end; he finished the WHL regular season with 97 points in 68 games and added 3 more points in 4 playoff games. Play away from the puck was a concern, but the back half of the season looked much better.
“The main concern for Hurlbert is whether his offensive game can translate to higher levels of play. Improving physicality and poise under pressure would go a long way toward reassuring us of that. The NCAA environment could be a good place to push those elements of his game this fall.”
