It is fair to say that the 2025 NHL Entry Draft was an exciting one for the Boston Bruins. They most notably landed top prospect James Hagens with the seventh-overall pick after the Hauppauge, New York native fell down lower than expected. They also added some interesting prospects, like center William Moore, defenseman Liam Pettersson, winger Cooper Simpson, and blueliner Vashek Blanar. With this, the Bruins' prospect pool is certainly looking stronger than it did at the end of the 2024-25 season.
While the Bruins spent plenty of money this off-season, there are still certainly a lot of questions surrounding them heading into the 2025-26 campaign. The possibility of them bouncing back is there, but if they do not and end up being near the bottom of the NHL standings again next season, they could end up having some intriguing prospects to choose from at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. This is especially so if they end up landing a top pick through next year's draft lottery.
Because of this, let's look at three prospects from the 2026 NHL draft class who would be spectacular additions to the Bruins' system if next season goes south and the Bruins get another high pick at the draft.
Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State University (NCAA)
If the Bruins once again have a bad season in 2025-26, they will certainly be hoping that they win the draft lottery to get the chance to select forward Gavin McKenna. The 17-year-old winger has the potential to become a legitimate superstar, and it is why there is so much hype surrounding him as we enter his draft season.
McKenna undoubtedly demonstrated his immense potential while playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). During the 2023-24 season with the WHL club as a 16-year-old, he recorded 34 goals, 63 assists, and 97 points in 61 games. As excellent as he was that campaign, McKenna hit a new level during this past season, as he recorded 41 goals, 88 assists, and 129 points in 56 regular-season games. He also followed that up with nine goals, 29 assists, and 38 points in 16 playoff games. Now, after dominating the WHL, McKenna will play for Penn State University next season.
With the Bruins desperately needing help on the wing, landing an incredible prospect like McKenna would be massive. Thus, if the Bruins were to win the draft lottery in 2026, McKenna would be the obvious player to select with the first-overall pick.
Ryan Roobroeck, LW, Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
While McKenna is undoubtedly the grand prize from the 2026 NHL draft class, there are still some very promising other youngsters who would be great for the Bruins to land. One of them is forward Ryan Roobroeck, as he has the potential to become a very good NHL player later down the road.
Roobroeck showed promise during his first season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Niagara IceDogs in 2023-24, as he recorded 28 goals, 23 assists, and 51 points in 63 games. The 6-foot-4 forward then took a big step forward in his development this past season with the OHL squad, as he posted 41 goals, 46 assists, and 87 points in 64 contests. These were fantastic numbers from the big winger, and he would be a big prospect for the Bruins to land if they end up having an early pick in the draft next year.
If the Bruins selected Roobroeck in next year's NHL Entry Draft, he would give their prospect pool a massive boost. The potential for him to become a legitimate first-line forward is there, and he would be an awesome forward for the Bruins to select if they end up not winning the McKenna sweepstakes.
Keaton Verhoeff, RD, University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Although the Bruins have some exciting forwards to keep an eye on from the 2026 NHL draft class, they also have a very intriguing defenseman to watch in Keaton Verhoeff. The 6-foot-4, right-shot defenseman has shown plenty of promise, and there is no question that he has the tools to blossom into an excellent defenseman at the NHL level in the future.
Verhoeff kicked off his junior career during the 2023-24 season with the Victoria Royals of the WHL, where he had two assists and two penalty minutes in 12 games. While he had a quiet start to his WHL career, he undoubtedly took a significant step forward during the 2024-25 campaign with the Royals. In 63 games with the WHL squad, he recorded 21 goals, 24 assists, 45 points, and a plus-23 rating. He also had one goal and 10 points in 11 playoff games. After an impressive 2024-25 season, he will now be making the switch to college hockey with the University of North Dakota.
Given how strong of an all-around defenseman Verhoeff is, he would be a significant blueliner for the Bruins to add to their prospect pool if they have the chance to next year. This is especially so when noting that their depth on the right side of their defense is not the strongest after trading Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs at this past trade deadline.
Charlie McAvoy Provides Latest On Bruins' Vacant Captaincy
While speaking with<a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/29/bruins-star-charlie-mcavoy-eager-to-resume-career-after-season-cut-short/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_content=tw-bosheraldsports&utm_source=twitter.com"> The Boston Herald's Steve Conroy</a>, Boston Bruins star defenseman Charlie McAvoy shared that he and David Pastrnak will be entering the 2025-26 season as alternate captains. As a result, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Bruins</a> are not expected to pick their next captain just yet.
Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders/WHL