Bruins prioritize skill with six-player haul on Day 2 of NHL Draft
Round 2, Pick 51: C William Moore, US National Team Development Program
With their first second-round selection — acquired as part of the Trent Frederic trade to Edmonton — the Bruins added a two-way forward who is set to join Hagens and several other Bruins prospects at Boston College in 2025-26.
The 6-foot-2-inch Moore finished second on the US National Team last season with 59 points (27 goals, 32 assists) in 64 games — with his two-way acumen and hockey IQ leading to his projection as a middle-six forward in the NHL ranks.
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'I have a very unique play style,' Moore said after donning a Bruins sweater. 'I have a big frame that's still filling out, but I think I have a high IQ, creative aspect to my game.'
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Moore — who said he was the first member of his family to play hockey — was projected to be an early second-round pick, with the consolidated rankings compiled by Elite Prospects
Moore is also an accomplished piano player.
'That was the first thing I tried,' Moore said. 'Hockey was one of the last but, yeah, I think it brings a lot of creativity to my game. Hands-wise, I think I'm very skilled with the puck. And I think I have a lot of finesse. And I have that on the keys too.'
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Round 2, Pick 61: D Liam Pettersson, Växjö Lakers HC J20
With pick No. 61, (acquired in the Charlie Coyle trade with Colorado), the Bruins took a playmaking blueliner.
Pettersson is a 6-2, puck-moving defenseman who scored six goals and 21 points in 39 games with Växjö in the J20 junior league in Sweden.
Pettersson is viewed as a project, with his transition game and playmaking capabilities offering plenty of upside — but more work to be done on his defensive game.
SportlogiQ listed him as the No. 68 prospect in the draft —
'We're looking for players that are going to be continuing to drive offense but also competitive on both sides of the puck,' Bruins GM Don Sweeney said.
Round 3, Pick 79: LW Cooper Simpson, Shakopee High School (Minn.)
Boston initially held the No. 69 pick in the third round, but traded the selection to Montreal in exchange for picks Nos. 79 and 108. It marked the first trade between Boston and Montreal since Feb. 21, 2001. With the first of those two picks from Montreal, the Bruins selected a skilled winger in Simpson who torched the high-school circuit in Minnesota this past season. The 6-1 winger led all Minnesota high school players this past year in goals with 49 in just 39 games (along with 83 points) with Shakopee High School. He also finished the 2024-25 season on a high note by scoring seven goals in nine games with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. Simpson said he tries to model his game after fellow Minnesota-born winger Jimmy Snuggerud — who scored 66 goals across three seasons at the University of Minnesota before turning pro with St. Louis this spring. The skilled winger will eventually join fellow Bruins prospect Will Zellers at the University of North Dakota, although it's unclear if it will be for the 2025-26 campaign.
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Round 4, Pick 100: D Vashek Blanar, IF Troja-Ljungb (Sweden)
With their fourth-round selection, the Bruins opted to take a bit of an unknown in big-bodied defenseman Vashek Blanar. Blanar was not ranked on many scouting lists, with the 6-4, left-shot D playing the last few seasons in the Swedish junior leagues. Blanar — who was born in Colorado but moved back to Czechia when he was four — posted 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 38 games with IF Troja-Ljungb in the J18 league this past season. Much like Pettersson, the Bruins are banking on Blanar's offensive upside, especially when matched with his frame. 'He's got a bit of an underdeveloped frame right now,' Sweeney said. 'A great skater, wants to compete. Probably trying to do too much at times.'
Round 5, Pick 133: C Cole Chandler, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)
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Boston shifted to the CHL ranks in the fifth round, opting for center Cole Chandler out of Shawinigan.
The Nova Scotia product has received high grades for his skating ability and defensive details, although his offensive production with Shawinigan (13 goals, 32 points in 64 games) might limit his ceiling at higher levels of play. Chandler — who did close out this past season with 12 points in 16 games during the QMJHL playoffs — said that an injury suffered in 2023-24 and a subsequent illness last summer contributed to a slow start this season.'The adversity that I faced, I think it really helped me the second half — being able to bounce back like that,' Chandler said.
Round 6, Pick 165: C Kirill Yemelyanov, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
The Bruins closed out their selections in the sixth round by taking another center: Kirill Yemelyanov.
Ranked as high as
'Maybe not a high-end offense, but he's certainly someone who's involved in terms of driving some plays and getting some scoring chances,' Bruins director of amateur scouting Ryan Nadeau said of Yemelyanov. 'And he also has a real good determination to the way he plays the game.'
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