Latest mock draft has Bruins taking center Boston ‘desperately craves'
The Bruins have a busy summer ahead of them that includes naming a new coach, re-tooling their roster and deciding who to select with the No. 7 pick in the NHL Entry Draft later this month.
Boston could address its need for center depth — a position the team has struggled with since Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired in 2023. And in The Athletic's latest mock draft, NHL prospects analyst Corey Pronman has the Bruins doing just that and taking Brady Martin.
Advertisement
'Martin brings an intense, physical two-way game while also having an excellent skill level,' Pronman wrote. 'He is a potential top-two-line center that Boston desperately craves and plays the way the Bruins like.'
Martin, 6-foot center, showed off his skills for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds during the 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League season when he amassed 33 goals and 39 assists for 72 points.
The 18-year-old isn't afraid to be physical and throw his weight around near the boards and in puck battles — something the Bruins have been missing. But Martin's skating could use some work. However, he could develop into a Swiss Army Knife-type player the Bruins need, and many scouts believe he's the type of player teams need if they want to make a lengthy Stanley Cup Playoffs run.
Pronman recently wrote that Martin 'has a true hardness in his game' and while his stride 'isn't the most technically sound,' his natural quickness helps him get around at higher levels.
More Bruins content
Read the original article on MassLive.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Panthers beat Oilers in double-overtime to level NHL Stanley Cup Final
Corey Perry of the Edmonton Oilers reacts after scoring a game-tying goal against the Florida Panthers in the third period of game two of the NHL Stanley Cup Final (Steph Chambers) Brad Marchand scored a breakaway goal at 8:04 of the second overtime, lifting the Florida Panthers to a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers that leveled the NHL Stanley Cup Final at one game apiece. Marchand's game-winner in Edmonton was his second goal of the contest. His first had given the Panthers a 4-3 lead in the second period, an advantage that stood up until Edmonton's Corey Perry scored with 18 seconds left in the third to force overtime. Advertisement Anton Lundell gained control of the puck in the Panthers zone and fed a flying Marchand, who beat Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner for the victory two days after the Oilers' overtime win in game one. The best-of-seven championship series -- a rematch of last year's Final won by the Panthers -- now shifts to Florida for games three and four on Monday and Thursday. Edmonton emerged from a frenetic first period with a 3-2 lead. Red-hot Sam Bennett put the Panthers up 1-0 at 2:07 of the first period, grabbing his 13th goal of the playoffs -- his 12th on the road. Evander Kane was called for high-sticking and Nate Schmidt found Bennett, whose goal ended the Oilers' nine-game streak of scoring first. Advertisement Kane atoned with a goal that made it 1-1, and Evan Bouchard put the Oilers up 2-1, ripping a shot past Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky after his initial shot was blocked by Aleksander Barkov. Seth Jones had pulled the Panthers level at 2-2 when Bennett was called for goaltender interference and 24 seconds into the ensuing power play Leon Draisaitl scored to make it 3-2 on a stunning pass from Connor McDavid. McDavid squeezed past Barkov and wrong-footed Aaron Ekblad before finding Draisaitl -- the overtime goal hero in game one -- in the right circle. It was the highest-scoring first period in a Stanley Cup Final game since the Sharks and Penguins combined for five goals in game five in 2016. Advertisement Dmitry Kulikov pulled the Panthers level at 8:23 of the second with a wrist shot from point. After Florida's Niko Mikkola was called for holding, Marchand, fed by Lundell, scored on a short-handed breakaway to put the Panthers up 4-3 and they took that lead into the final period. The lead stood up until the waning seconds of the third as Bobrovsky came up with a string of saves that included stopping Draisaitl's one-timer from the right circle with a minute remaining. But Edmonton weren't done and 40-year-old Perry struck for his ninth career goal in a Stanley Cup Final, locating the loose puck and directing it into the net. Both teams had chances to end it in the first overtime, but goalies Bobrovsky and Skinner stood tall to force a second extra session for the first time in the Final since 2020. bb/tc
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Surprising NHL Team Expected to Be 'Major' Players in Free Agency
Surprising NHL Team Expected to Be 'Major' Players in Free Agency originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The NHL offseason is almost upon us, with the 2025 Stanley Cup Final getting set to start on Wednesday. This summer is expected to be very active for a lot of teams, with multiple sides looking to get close to winning a title. Advertisement But one team in particular could be a major player in free agency, and that is the Carolina Hurricanes. After losing in the Eastern Conference Final again, Carolina is gearing up for a massive offseason. Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky spoke about the upcoming summer, hinting at the plans of the team. 'If there's any chance to get better, we're going to take it,' Tulsky said during a postseason meeting with the media. 'We have the full buy-in to spend to the cap if there are ways to do it to get better. "We have so much space and such a strong team. There's no guarantee we can find ways to spend all that money, but we're going to spend all summer trying.' Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger (51) watch the puck during the third period at Lenovo Center. James Guillory-Imagn Images It remains unknown which players would be of interest to Carolina, but they will have room to make a big splash. The expected salary cap for next season is coming in at $92.4 million. Advertisement 'Our goal is to win a Cup, and our goal is to win more Cups after that and keep going,' Tulsky said. 'We're trying to build a team that can compete year after year. But competing isn't enough. We want to win. So you've got to find a way to do that.' If the Hurricanes can add some more talent, they may finally be able to get over the hump to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Carolina has a solid core in place, and it seems that they are just a piece or two away from truly contending. Related: Oilers Predicted to Finally Break Long Canada Stanley Cup Curse Related: Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Predicted Stanley Cup Final Rematch Last Year This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sabres Predicted to Land All-Star in Major Offseason Move
Sabres Predicted to Land All-Star in Major Offseason Move originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Buffalo Sabres have one of the longest playoff droughts in all of sports. The franchise hasn't seen the postseason since the 2010-11 season, but the front office seems determined to end this streak next year. Advertisement With this, it could see Buffalo be very active on both the free agent and trade market. Buffalo needs to add more legitimate talent to the roster if it wants to have a chance to end the long drought. One player who could make a lot of sense for Buffalo is Dallas Stars wing Jason Robertson. Robertson is reportedly on the trade block this offseason, and it could see Buffalo take a big swing to land him. NHL writer Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report listed the Sabres as a potential landing spot for Robertson if he is moved. "In the past, the Sabres' deep pool of prospects and wealth of draft picks would be the easiest way to make a deal, but they've got some questions about some of their roster players who could be used to land Robertson. The Sabres have RFAs in forward JJ Peterka and defenseman Bo Byram at the top of the list who could be used to make a big-swing deal. They've also got the No. 9 pick in the 2025 draft, and there's a debate to be had as to whether they should keep that pick or trade it in this kind of move.", Yerdon said. Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Nicholas Robertson (89) and and right wing Mitchell Marner (16) and Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) in action during the game between the Dallas Miron-Imagn Images Robertson could be a nice complement piece to star Tage Thompson. His ability to generate scoring chances for both himself and others could allow the Sabres to build a lethal offensive attack. Advertisement For the year, Robertson scored 35 goals and 45 assists for the Stars. Dallas was one of the better teams in the NHL this past season, with Robertson helping to lead the charge. Additionally, his $7.75 million salary cap hit would be fairly affordable for the Sabres to absorb. It remains to be seen how active Buffalo will be this summer, but Robertson could be a solid option. Related: Rangers Predicted to Trade Star to Kraken Amid Offseason Rumors Related: Ducks Young Star Listed as 'Untouchable' Amid Trade Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
