How Bruins overtime loss to Devils could impact team's draft position pre-lottery
The Boston Bruins did very few things right during a disappointing 2024-25 season. The team's regular-season finale Tuesday night was another serving of disappointment, and one that could hurt the team's draft pick this summer.
Fans at TD Garden were split Tuesday night. With the Bruins missing out on the playoffs for the first time since 2016, some fans wanted to see the team win its final game and end the year on a positive note. Others embraced the tank and wanted another loss to improve the team's odds in the NHL Draft lottery.
Neither faction went home happy. The Bruins ended up erasing a two-goal deficit to force overtime, but the extra hockey didn't last long. Former Boston College defenseman Brian Dumoulin scored just 1:30 into overtime
to lift the Devils to a 5-4 victory
.
A loss on Tuesday would have locked Boston into the No. 4 slot in the lottery. Now the Bruins sit fifth, which could see them picking as late as seventh overall in the draft.
Boston finished the season 33-39-10, but the extra point from Tuesday's OT loss gave the team 76 points on the season. It's tied with the Seattle Kraken and Philadelphia Flyers for the fourth-worst total this season. The Kraken have more regular-season wins than the Bruins with 35, so they will remain behind Boston in the lottery mix.
But the Flyers will have the Bruins brass scoreboard watching on Thursday night, when they close out their regular season in Buffalo against the Sabres. Any Philadelphia point will put them behind the Bruins in the lottery, while a loss would lock Philly into the No. 4 spot and the Bruins would be set at No. 5.
The Bruins may be done playing, but hockey season isn't quite over for Boston just yet.
At least the Bruins have a decent collection of picks in 2025 to help rebuild the franchise's lackluster system. Boston's picks includes a pair of second-round selections, which Don Sweeney acquired in his deadline day selloff. The Bruins did not have a second-round pick at the start of the year.
Here's what the Bruins will be working with at the 2025 NHL Draft:
1st Round: 1, own pick
2nd Round: 2, from Carolina (Charlie Coyle trade) and from St. Louis (Trent Frederic trade)
3rd Round: 1, own pick
4th Round: 1, from Philadelphia
5th Round: 1, own pick
6th Round: 1, own pick
7th Round: 1, own pick
The NHL Draft lottery will be held sometime in May, while the NHL Draft will take place on Friday, June 27 (Round 1) and Saturday, June 28 (Rounds 2-7) in Los Angeles.
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