Category: Ice Hockey

After Pittsburgh Penguins' president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas spoke with the media on Friday after round one of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, it became apparent that he and his front office have been poking around at some bigger names in the trade market.

And it appears they have engaged with one of the market's biggest names. 

On his 32 Thoughts podcast Monday, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman confirmed that he heard there were talks between Pittsburgh and the Dallas Stars regarding a potential trade to bring superstar winger Jason Robertson to Pittsburgh. Robertson, a pending-restricted free agent, is reportedly seeking a long-term deal with an average annual value of $14 million or higher, a price that Dallas can't pay without shedding some cap elsewhere.

32 Thoughts: The PodcastHockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman & Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.

Friedman on Jason Robertson/Pens (32TP): "I heard that there were talks with Pittsburgh on Friday or Saturday...and there were a couple of teams who thought there was some momentum there but obviously it didn't happen"

— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) June 29, 2026

"I heard that there were talks with Pittsburgh on Friday or Saturday," Friedman said on 32 Thoughts. "And there were a couple of teams who thought that there was some momentum there, but obviously, it didn't happen.

"Pittsburgh, by the way, is another team that people are saying is trying to do something with some heft to it. So, I wasn't so surprised to hear that. But, I think teams are trying to figure out, 'Ok what's he looking for, and would he be interested in coming to us?'."

Robertson, 26, is coming off a 45-goal, 96-point campaign, and he is one of the league's very best wingers. He already turned down an eight-year, $96 million deal from the Stars, and he reportedly rejected extension offers from the Seattle Kraken and St. Louis Blues.

Jason Robertson And The Pittsburgh Penguins Might Make More Sense Than You ThinkThe Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson appear to be on the verge of a potential breakup - and the Pittsburgh Penguins may actually make a great deal of sense as trade partners.

It has not been reported that Robertson or his camp would turn down an offer from the Penguins, should a deal be in the works or should an offer sheet happen.

On Friday, Dubas expressed that he'd still like to land a difference-maker in their 20s and that some of the players already traded have fit that mold. Robertson figures to fit that mold as well, but the asking prices prior to the draft were something that Dubas couldn't meet, which may be why the alleged talks between Pittsburgh and Dallas stalled during the draft.

"I think we continue to work away at it," Dubas said. "As it's happened, you go in, and what I wanted to have was - maybe not so much late-20s - but in the range of some of the guys that have been moved. And, in past years, they haven't gone for that level of asset. There was multiple top-10 picks moved, which isn't overly common."

But acquiring a bigger-name player - perhaps, such as Robertson - is still something Dubas and the Penguins will continue to work through. 

"I don't know that we'll pivot," Dubas said. "We'll continue to stay involved in all those discussions and see where it lands."

'We'll Continue To Stay Involved': Dubas Prepared To Adjust Accordingly To Changing MarketPittsburgh Penguins' president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas is still trying to land a difference-maker in the trade market, but he may have to adjust to a changing landscape with the rising salary cap.

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The Ducks have erased another pending UFA off of their list. On Monday, they traded defenseman Radko Gudas’ signing rights to the Florida Panthers in exchange for A.J. Greer’s signing rights.

Greer, 29, spent the last two seasons playing for the Panthers, putting up 49 points in 159 games. He is a big, bruising winger who will add plenty of toughness to the Ducks’ bottom-6.

A second-round pick in 2015, Greer began his pro career with the Colorado Avalanche before stops in New Jersey, Boston, Calgary and Florida.

Gudas was the Ducks’ captain for the past two seasons. He joined the organization in the summer of 2023, signing a three-year deal on the same day as longtime teammate Alex Killorn. Gudas’ first season with the Ducks helped Jackson LaCombe settle into the NHL as a rookie, as the former used his physicality and defensive mentality to complement the young defenseman.

However, after being named captain 2024, Gudas was unable to replicate his stellar performance from the season prior. Whether it was due to age or lingering injuries, he frequently found himself out of position, needing to take a penalty to prevent an opposing scoring opportunity.

Gudas’ Ducks tenure ended unceremoniously due to a sprained ankle that he suffered during the regular season. He returned for Game 1 of their Round 1 series against the Edmonton Oilers, but did not play for the rest of the playoffs after re-aggravating the injury.

With this trade, it’s a return to familiarity for Gudas, who played for the Panthers for three seasons—and helped them get to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 prior to signing with the Ducks. He’ll likely be on their bottom pair alongside Dmitry Kulikov.

Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, both Greer and Gudas are likely to sign with their new teams.

After the surprise Joseph Woll trade earlier this month, at least one former Philadelphia Flyers is going to be kept by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On Monday, with the dawn of free agency fast approaching, the Maple Leafs began extending pending free agents, and issuing qualifying offers to restricted free agents.

The Maple Leafs have already begun doing extensive work to reshape their defense, signing Darren Raddysh, trading Brandon Carlo, and extending Troy Stecher.

Their next step, for all intents and purposes, is going to be signing former Flyers prospect Emil Andrae, who was acquired in that Woll trade package.

Andrae, 24, is a restricted free agent whose qualifying offer is an extremely modest $874k; if and when he signs a new contract, it is highly likely his cap hit will far exceed that number.

NHL Insider Reveals Flyers Big Dan Vladar Contract ExtensionDan Vladar is about to sign a five-year extension with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Andrae scored two goals, 11 assists, and 13 points in 61 games with the Flyers at the NHL level this season, playing limited minutes despite being arguably the Flyers' best defenseman at breaking pucks out and starting plays with his passing.

As for former Flyers goalie Sam Ersson, who was traded alongside Andrae and a third-round pick for Woll, the Maple Leafs already traded him away to the Atlantic Division rival Ottawa Senators for a fifth-round pick.

While the deadline for qualifying offers is 5 p.m. on Monday, the Senators are expected to sign Ersson is all things go well.

The Flyers have not yet released their list of qualified free agents at the time of this writing.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' most valuable waiver pickup in recent memory is sticking around.

According to CHEK's Rick Dhaliwal, the Maple Leafs and Stetcher have agreed on a two-year extension.

Stecher has re-signed with Leafs, it is a 2 year deal. https://t.co/IlWAXxm4iv

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) June 29, 2026

According to PuckPedia.com, the deal is worth $1.35 million per season.

The Leafs plucked Stecher off the waiver wire from the Edmonton Oilers on November 15, as they looked for a right-shot defenseman in the wake of some injuries. One of those was injuries was to Brandon Carlo.

Stecher logged 16:44 of 5-on-5 ice time in 58 games with the Leafs, where he scored three goals and added 11 assists. Despite the Leafs missing the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, the veteran defenseman enjoyed his time in Toronto and was not shy about expressing his desire to stay beyond the season.

Ironically enough, it was the departure of Carlo's services that opened the door for Stecher again. The Leafs moved Carlo to the St. Louis Blues over the weekend for a pair of third-round picks at the 2026 NHL Draft.

Stecther's deal is one-way, but is just $125,000 above the NHL's burial amount from a salary-cap calculation perspective. Meaning, if he doesn't start on the main roster, the cap charge is negligible.

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After making qualifying offers to RFAs Nick Robertson, Jacob Quillan and Emil Andrae, the Toronto Maple Leafs did not give one to left winger Matias Maccelli, according to TSN's Chris Johnston. That means his time in Toronto is up, and he'll be a UFA as of July 1.

Maccelli is coming off a three-year contract that was signed in July 2023 with the Arizona Coyotes. He earned $3.425 million against the salary cap on that deal, and if the Maple Leafs wanted to qualify him, it would cost $4.11 million.

This past season was Maccelli's first in Toronto. He was acquired from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for a 2027 third-round draft pick. He scored 14 goals and 39 points for the Leafs with 14:34 of average ice time. He recorded 10 goals and 30 points in the final 50 games of the campaign.

Maccelli's best season in the NHL came in 2023-24 in the Coyotes' final year of existence. Featuring in all 82 games, Maccelli scored 17 goals and 57 points for Arizona, while averaging 16:14 of ice time. He hasn't come close to those numbers since.

Report: Nick Robertson, Emil Andrae Among Maple Leafs Receiving Qualifying OffersThe NHL has a deadline of 5 p.m. ET to extend qualifying offers to impending free agents.

Plenty of other RFAs around the NHL could also not be given a qualifying offer ahead of Monday's 5 p.m. ET deadline. But at the time of the report that Maccelli won't be receiving a qualifying offer, he becomes the youngest free agent available on the market at 25 years old.

For the Maple Leafs' roster, this clears up some more room in terms of the team's depth on the wing. With Robertson coming back, as well as youngsters Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna expected to have roles in the NHL next year, on top of Matthew Knies, William Nylander and others, there wasn't much room.

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The Florida Panthers are bringing a familiar, beard-covered face back to the franchise.

On Monday, the Panthers acquired the rights to unrestricted free agent Radko Gudas from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for the rights to A.J. Greer, also a UFA.

We have acquired the rights to Radko Gudas from Anaheim in exchange for the rights to A.J. Greer.

Details » https://t.co/DtNvipn1qepic.twitter.com/Dg4cyXpWhX

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 29, 2026

Both players will become free agents on July 1, but the trade allows the Panthers and Ducks to negotiate extensions with their new players for the next two days.

THN Florida reported on the Panthers' interest in a Gudas reunion last week. 

Gudas, 36, previously played for the Panthers from 2020-2023 before signing a three-year deal with the Ducks, who also named the veteran blueliner their captain.

Now he and his family will return to South Florida, a place they were very happy during his time with the Panthers.

It’s believed that Gudas and Florida will come to an agreement on a deal that is lower than the $4 million average annual value he earned while in Anaheim.

We’ll see how things play out between now and Wednesday.

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Photo caption: Jun 2, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas (7) takes questions during media day in advance of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

On Monday, Alberts Šmits took the ice for the first time at the New York Rangers’ practice facility for Development Camp.

Šmits, who was selected by the Rangers with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, expressed his relief to be done with the draft process and is now ready to shift his focus to the development camp. 

“It's a big relief that you end up in such a good organization, and now just you have the time and good place to work on your little things that you have to improve to take the next step,” Šmits said. 

The big question surrounding Šmits is whether or not he’ll be attending training camp starting in September to compete for an opening-night roster spot. 

Šmits is considered to be one of the more NHL-ready defensemen in the 2026 draft class, but he neglected to specify whether he would be at training camp in a couple of months. 

“We'll see how it goes,” Šmits said, trying not to reveal his plans for this upcoming season. 

The 19-year-old’s draft stock rose after he was able to hold his own playing for Team Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympics against some of the best players the NHL has to offer. 

In addition to his time at both the Olympics and the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship, Šmits has experience competing against pro-level talent, playing for Mikkelin Jukurit of Liiga, the top-tier Finnish ice hockey league.

“A lot of experience how to handle situations when you go against much bigger and stronger guys,” Šmits said of his time in Liiga. “I think they are more improved than playing against the junior guys, so it gave me a lot of experience (how to) handle different situations.”

As for Šmits’ summer plan in terms of his training, he chose not to reveal it to the media, keeping it between himself and the organization.

The Vancouver Canucks are bringing Brendan Gallagher home. On Monday, the Canucks acquired the former Vancouver Giants forward from the Montréal Canadiens for future considerations. As part of the deal, Montréal will also be retaining 50% of Gallagher's $6.5 million cap hit. 

In the press release, Ryan Johnson wrote, "Brendan is a quality individual and a very good hockey player. We love the way he competes and leads by example. Bringing in veterans like Brendan will help us set the standard for our younger guys to follow. We are excited to add someone who has ties to the Lower Mainland, wants to be here with the Canucks, and knows firsthand how passionate and knowledgeable our hockey market is in Vancouver. This is an important acquisition for our hockey club."

Gallagher has spent his entire 14-year career with the Canadiens. The 34-year-old played 911 regular-season games, where he scored 246 goals and recorded 487 points. As for the playoffs, Gallagher recorded 34 points in 79 games and was part of Montréal's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021

Before making the NHL, Gallagher was a star in the WHL with the Giants. He is still the franchise leader in both goals (136) and points (280). Gallagher was drafted 147th by Montréal in the 2010 draft and made his NHL debut on January 22, 2013. 

Gallagher brings grit and leadership to Vancouver's lineup. He has worn an "A" for the Canadiens since 2015 and is known as one of the hardest working players on the ice. Gallagher has one more year left on his current deal and will be a free agent at the end of the 2026-27 season. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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This past weekend, the Winnipeg Jets closed out their 2026 NHL Draft with a pick that transcended hockey, selecting Edmonton Oil Kings defenseman Noa Ta'amu in the seventh round in what became one of the most historic moments of the entire weekend. 

Ta'amu made history as the first player of Samoan descent ever drafted into the NHL, a milestone that speaks to the growing diversity and reach of the sport on a global level.

The pick adds another meaningful chapter to a draft weekend that saw hockey continue to broaden its cultural footprint. Earlier in the draft, Jaxon Cover became one of the sport's most compelling stories when the Cayman Islands native was selected 32nd overall by the Ottawa Senators to close out the first round, having taken up ice hockey after years as an inline skater and emerging as a naturally gifted player. 

Ta'amu's selection carries a similar significance, representing a community that has not previously seen one of its own drafted into the NHL. The son of former NFL player Ed Ta'amu, Noa brings an imposing physical profile to the Jets organization.

The six-foot-two, 227-pound defenseman is built like a prototypical defensive blueliner, using his size and strength to disrupt plays, separate pucks from opponents and make life difficult for forwards in his own zone. While his offensive production of 18 points in 105 games over the last two seasons is modest, the underlying numbers tell a more compelling story. 

Ta'amu posted a plus-33 rating during that span, a strong indicator of his impact on the defensive side of the puck even at this early stage of his development. Some scouting outlets have also noted that Ta'amu is surprisingly quick for a player his size, adding another dimension to an already intriguing defensive profile.

At just 18 years old, Ta'amu has plenty of runway ahead of him before the Jets will look to bring him into the fold at the professional level. The path forward will be about continuing to develop his game in the WHL, adding offensive instincts to complement the defensive foundation he has already built and growing into the kind of player that can some day make a case for a roster spot in Winnipeg.

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The Vancouver Canucks are moving on from Nils Höglander. 

The forward has been dealt to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Entry Draft. 

“We would like to thank Nils for his time in Vancouver, and we wish him the best with his new team Nashville,” Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson said in a press release. “Picking up another draft pick is important for us as we continue to try and accumulate assets for our rebuild.”

Höglander was selected 40th-overall by Vancouver in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and was the final player remaining in the organization from that draft class. He made his NHL debut on January 13, 2021 against the Edmonton Oilers, scoring his first-career goal in that game. The winger finished his rookie NHL season with 13 goals and 14 assists 56 games played. 

After a couple of down seasons that saw him spend time with the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL, Höglander returned to Vancouver for the 2023-24 season, during which he scored a career-high of 24 goals and 12 assists in 80 games. All 24 of these goals were scored at even-strength. 

With Höglander traded, the Canucks now have only five players currently under contract who took part in the team's playoff run during the 2023-24 season. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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The Colorado Avalanche have announced they have re-signed Taylor Makar to a two-year extension worth $1.75 million. The first year of the contract is two-way, making him waiver-exempt. 

Signed, sealed, delivered ✍️ pic.twitter.com/jFA2e5G79E

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 29, 2026

Makar played his first full professional season last year, splitting time between the AHL Colorado Eagles and the Colorado Avalanche as a call-up. In 56 games with the Eagles, he finished with 14 goals and 10 assists for 24 points, while with the Avalanche, he scored 12 goals but didn’t record a point.

With the Eagles, he finished sixth on the team in goals and was tied for 10th in scoring. In the Calder Cup playoffs, he had two goals and four assists for six points in 17 games.

A younger brother of Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Taylor played all 12 games with the Avalanche alongside his brother and became the first siblings in Avalanche history to both appear in the same game since Colorado relocated from Quebec. Joining Anton, Peter, and Marian Stastny as the only brothers in franchise history to do so.

The 6-foot-4, 109-pound winger turns 26 this upcoming season on March 13 and will look to be another top candidate for the Avalanche as a call-up if any injury occurs.

Avalanche Unveil 2026 Development Camp Roster Featuring 26 PlayersThe Colorado Avalanche have announced a 26-player roster for their 2026 development camp in Centennial, featuring 15 draft picks, on-ice sessions from June 30 to July 2 at Family Sports Center, and a community visit to the Avs Clubhouse at the William E. Cope Boys & Girls Club.

June 29, 2016, will forever remain a big day in NHL history. On that day, two blockbuster trades took place, and one NHL star announced he would be remaining with the only team he ever played for. At 3:34 PM, the New Jersey Devils announced that they had acquired Taylor Hall from the Edmonton Oilers in return for Adam Larsson, and just 20 minutes later, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they had acquired blueliner Shea Weber from the Nashville Predators in exchange for P.K. Subban. Just three minutes later, news came that Steven Stamkos had signed a new contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In Montreal, the second announcement took the spotlight. While Subban will always remain a polarizing figure with Canadiens’ fans, there is no denying that when he played for the Habs, he was an extremely entertaining player. Not only because of his persona, but because of his playing style. He was one of the few players of the Carey Price era who were first and foremost about offense. When he took flight in his own zone and carried the puck to the other end of the ice, the Bell Centre would buzz with excitement. When Lane Hutson started his career with the Habs, he was the first defenseman since Subban to generate that kind of buzz with his exciting manoeuvres all over the ice.

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When Marc Bergevin traded the blueliner to the Preds, Subban had spent seven seasons in Montreal, skating in 434 games, putting up 278 points, and winning the James Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman after the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. In 42 games that season, he put up 38 points. In his final season in Montreal, the flashy rearguard put up 51 points in 68 games as his season ended early because of an injury suffered in what would turn out to be his final game as a Hab on March 10, 2016, against the Buffalo Sabres. He had spent 29:55 on the ice before being taken off the ice on a stretcher following a collision with Alexei Emelin. Needless to say, that wasn’t how he had pictured his time with the Canadiens ending.

Subban would play only six more seasons in the NHL, three with the Predators and three with the New Jersey Devils, before retiring. As for Shea Weber, he played just five seasons with the Canadiens before being forced to retire by injuries. In his five years in Montreal, Weber only skated in 275 games out of a possible 373 games and put up 146 points, including 58 goals.

Weber had a rugged style of play and could land some game-altering hits on opponents all over the ice, providing a much more physical presence than Subban ever did, a style better suited to the Bergevin brand of hockey. The big defenseman also had a booming shot from the blueline, which became the Canadiens’ default play on the power play. While Weber could never lead the Canadiens to their 25th Stanley Cup conquest, he did captain them to the Stanley Cup final in his final season, in 2020-21. Although no one knew back then, when the Lightning beat the Canadiens in five games, the curtain fell on Weber’s career. He played with a torn meniscus, a broken ankle, torn thumb tendons, and a torn groin. It was when Weber was left unprotected for the expansion draft that doubts about his future surfaced, before the GM announced in October 2021 that he would sit out the season and may never play again. Which unfortunately turned out to be true.

In the end, the trade that promised to alter both franchises for years to come saw both players retire earlier than anyone thought, but both athletes will forever hold a special place in Canadiens’ fans hearts; one for being a rare offensive bright spot and giving so much to the city and the other for getting the Habs nearer to the Cup than they had been since 1993, when they won their 24th.

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Key takeaways from Bruins' 2026 NHL draft class, JJ Peterka trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins, for the first time since 2023, did not make a first-round pick.

They entered the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday with the No. 23 overall pick, but they traded it as part of a package to acquire left wing JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth.

The B’s ended up making seven picks by the end of Saturday.

Let’s look at a couple key takeaways from Boston’s 2026 draft class:

JJ Peterka gamble was worth taking

The odds of the Bruins drafting and developing a player as talented or better than JJ Peterka with the No. 23 overall pick was low. Therefore, trading for the speedy top-six left wing and giving up the No. 23 pick and the Panthers’ 2028 first-rounder (top-10 protected) was a risk worth taking.

Peterka is dangerous off the rush and should be a consistent 30-goal scorer in Boston, especially if he plays alongside David Pastrnak.

“He’s got an elite shot,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told reporters Friday night. “Probably gives us another look on the elbows in a power-play situation. His power-play minutes dipped a little bit last year. His 5-on-5 production has been really good. Plays both wings. Could probably play with a couple different types of centers, help drive a line, but also complement the better guys in situations that we’re certainly trying to improve.”

Peterka is only 24 years old, too, so he can help the B’s win now and be part of the team’s next core. He’s also signed through 2029-30 with a reasonable salary cap hit of $7.7 million.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Taking goalie in second round was bold

The Bruins need more forwards with speed and skill, and there’s a severe lack of high-end talent on the blue line in their prospect pool (more on that below). So it was surprising that Boston decided to take Russian goalie Yury Ivanov with the No. 56 overall pick in the second round.

Not only that, Ivanov wasn’t even one of the highest-rated goalies in this class. NHL Central Scouting had him ranked 10th among international goalies.

The B’s were well-aware of these rankings, but they like Ivanov’s potential.

“Certainly we’re cognizant of the public lists and what’s out there, but for us, we’ve got to look at the attributes and value the players the way we value them. We had the opportunity to watch him play live a number of times,” Bruins director of amateu scouting Ryan Nadeau told reporters Saturday. “We watched him on video, we tracked him. Certainly as the year went on, we got a little bit more excited about his game…We’re just really excited about where his game could get to.”

The Bruins have plenty of depth in net. Jeremy Swayman was a Vezina Trophy finalist this past season and is only 27 years old. His contract runs through the 2031-32 season. Michael DiPietro is coming off a fantastic campaign for the AHL’s Providence Bruins in which he went 34-8-1 with a .930 save percentage. He’s also just 27 and deserves a chance at the backup job in Boston at some point.

Even if the point of the Ivanov pick was to give Boston depth at the position well into the future, it felt odd to use the Bruins’ most valuable pick in this draft (after trading No. 23 overall on Friday) on a player who might not step onto the TD Garden ice for many more years.

In fairness, the Bruins develop goalies better than most teams, but they had much more glaring roster needs to address in Round 2.

Bruins waited too long to take a defenseman

The No. 1 weakness in the Bruins’ prospect pool is a lack of skilled defensemen. If you look at their top 10 prospects, Frederic Brunet is the only defenseman who would make the list, and he’s not a slam dunk to have a successful NHL career.

The Bruins didn’t take a defenseman in this draft until the fifth round. They selected Jacob Vandeven at No. 157 overall. It was another reach.

#NHLBruins select Jacob Vandeven 157th overall. I ranked him 307th overall. pic.twitter.com/CyhJAlu8GM

— Patrick Bacon (@TopDownHockey) June 27, 2026

Vandeven does have an intriguing skill set and physical profile. He became a full-time defenseman this past season. He’s 6-foot-6 and 207 pounds, and he does bring some offensive ability to the ice. There’s definitely some potential there.

But when blue line depth is a major weakness in your prospect pool and you don’t take a defenseman until Round 5 (and then again in Round 7), that’s not a great outcome.

Zero centers drafted

The Bruins have made a strong effort in recent seasons to find a top-six center through the draft. They selected James Hagens at No. 7 overall in the first round last year, as well as his Boston College teammate Dean Letourneau in Round 1 in 2024. Both players had fantastic 2025-26 seasons for the Eagles.

In total, the Bruins drafted four centers in 2025, two in 2024, two in 2023 and three in 2022. So it wasn’t too surprising that the B’s focused on other positions this year.

Early grades are not promising

Here’s a roundup of Bruins draft class grades. They haven’t received high marks so far.

Corey Pronman, The Athletic: C

“After trading its first-round pick, Boston was limited in what it could walk away with. Nils Bartholdsson in the third round brings some interesting traits, and I liked Oscar Olsson where the Bruins got him. I could see one depth player emerging, or Yuri Ivanov getting some games as a backup goalie.”

Rachel Kryshak, ESPN: C+

“Acquiring a proven NHL player is almost always better than taking a chance with a draft pick. JJ Peterka is who the Bruins opted for, sending a first-round pick to Utah in the deal. Yuri Ivanov is a very young goaltender who is going to take time but has solid NHL potential. Oscar Olsson is a decent bet in the fourth round with potential.

“The Bruins might not get any NHL players from their draft class, but using their first pick as part of a package to acquire a proven talent is good business for where the team is in its competitive window.”

David St-Louis, Elite Prospects: C-

“Yuri Ivanov may have carried Spartak Moskva to the MHL finals, but our team didn’t believe much in his upside due to play-reading and postural issues, giving him late-round value. Boston is banking on athleticism with that selection.

“For our staff, their most exciting pick was Roberto Leonardo Henriquez, who we ranked at No. 71 and went 170th. The dynamic-skating goaltender became a high-end puck stopper in the USHL, and has the tools to be an undersized NHL tandem-level goalie.”

(Click the link above for St-Louis’ full analysis)

Bruins still in good shape for future drafts

The Bruins own all of their future first-round picks, and they’ll also get a 2027 or 2028 first-round pick from the Maple Leafs to complete the Brandon Carlo trade.

They also picked up an extra fourth-rounder in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. The B’s sent the Penguins a 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 111 overall) for a 2026 sixth-rounder (No. 170 overall) and the Winnipeg Jets’ 2027 fourth-rounder.