If you go back to the 2015 NHL Draft, you saw one of the weirdest scenarios play out when the Boston Bruins made three picks in a row in the first round.
It was unprecedented. Nobody thought the Bruins were going to make a selection with three straight first-round picks (13th, 14th, and 15th overall selections) they had accumulated. And you can make the argument that Boston not only missed on at least two of those picks, but you can make the case they missed on all three. However, one of those players, Jake DeBrusk, has turned into a fine NHL player.
Despite DeBrusk’s on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again trade requests, he has been steady for the Bruins. Again, we will see if he remains with the Bruins after this season. He is an unrestricted free agent. So, there is potential that all three first-round picks could no longer be with the club.
However, Zach Senyshyn and Jakub Zboril have not turned into NHL players. Neither player is with the big club as the Bruins announced Zboril was put on waivers. The organization is also allowing him to seek a trade.
Which makes the case that using all three drafts was not a smart idea. At 13th overall, the Bruins took Zboril. With the 14th overall selection, the Bruins took DeBrusk. And with the 15th overall pick, the Bruins took Senyshyn.
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And if you were going to use them, the Bruins could have taken players with more upside. Given who was available. For example, Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor, and Thomas Chabot were still on the board. Barzal was taken 16th by the New York Islanders. Connor was taken 17th overall by the Winnipeg Jets. And Chabot was taken 18th overall by the Ottawa Senators.
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It is easy to play Hindsight, but at the time, those watching and covering the 2015 NHL Draft were puzzled by general manager Don Sweeney‘s decision to make those picks. The player with the most upside was DeBrusk. However, there was uncertainty around the other two players.
Again it is easy to look back and play redraft given what we know about all these players, however, Draft Experts kind of knew it then too. Not to mention, people were speaking highly of Barzal, Connor, and Chabot, knowing they could turn into NHL superstars.
Not to mention, Sweeney could have used one of those three consecutive picks to acquire even more assets to help the team. There was talk the Bruins could use one of those picks to acquire defenseman Noah Hanifin. Hanifin is being linked to the Bruins in trade rumors this season.
Russ Cohen of Sportsology.com and Full Press Hockey stated the Bruins could draft Colin White or Brock Boeser. The reason Cohen suggested White was because he was a local kid and talented. But as we know, White has had too many injuries.
In addition, the Bruins could have taken Connor and Barzal as well. Now it was Sweeney’s first draft as an NHL general manager, but still, that is not an excuse for making disastrous choices with those picks.
And now the Bruins are paying for those mistakes? No, they did go to a Stanley Cup Final, losing to St. Louis in 2019, but the team had to be smarter about who they chose. Going deeper in the draft, their second- and third-round picks Jeremy Lauzon and Dan Vladar have had decent NHL careers but are no longer with the club.
So it goes to show how important hitting in the draft is, especially in the first round. But they did hit on Brandon Carlo, who was taken 37th overall in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Carlo plays a vital role on the Bruins’ defense, especially during their run to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Boston Bruins remain one of the best teams in the NHL this season. There has not been a falloff. However, you can say the 2015 NHL Draft was not their finest hour. The Bruins, you can say, put four players into the NHL that have solid players. But only two or three, depending on how you look at Vladar.
Finally, the door can be closed on the dreaded first round of the 2015 NHL Draft for the Boston Bruins once and for all.