Brady Martin could be the next Sam Bennett. Could that entice Bruins to take him with the No. 7 pick?

Boston Globe

a day ago

'Steak every night,' he
Boston is last among those four teams in draft positioning with the No. 7 pick, so it's a testament to the growing belief that Martin is destined to be a top-10 pick.
Months ago, such a label being bestowed on Martin felt like a long shot.
He wasn't among the top 20 prospects on
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So why the late surge in Martin's draft stock?
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All one has to do is look at the wake of destruction Sam Bennett left on the ice during Florida's latest Stanley Cup to draw the correlation.
'I look up to Sam Bennett and Tom Wilson, Matthew Knies — a couple of those guys who play hard and physical and put the puck in the net,' Martin said.
At 6 feet and 187 pounds, Martin doesn't fit the power-forward mold of Wilson. Among his fellow 2025 draft-eligible skaters, Martin doesn't possess the puck skills and offensive capabilities of James Hagens or the pro-ready shot wielded by Anton Frondell.
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But Martin is the type of prospect that GMs covet, especially after a Panthers team built around a relentless forechecking approach laid siege to every defensive structure that stood in its way this spring.
'If you look at the teams in the [Stanley Cup Finals] there, and the way they play, like [Zach] Hyman is obviously out — but I think the way he plays is kind of how I play,' Martin said. 'So I think it helps me quite a bit.'
In a draft class rife with uncertainty and plenty of question marks regarding the ceiling of several prospects, Martin stands as a tantalizing addition to a team's second line.
'He plays big minutes and in all situations for his team in Sault Ste. Marie,' Central Scouting's Nick Smith told
'Will play physical and play in the trenches. He has great offensive instincts with vision and creativity, and can finish as well. He's the guy you want on the ice when the game is on the line. Checks all the boxes and has no holes in his game.'
Martin is an on-ice wrecking ball, doling out damage across the boards and tenderizing puck retrievers with bone-crunching checks. His skating doesn't stand out to the same degree as Hagens, but his high motor makes him hard to miss.
Martin credits his upbringing for instilling in him the discipline, responsibility, and physical requirements needed to thrive in pro hockey.
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Rather than spend his early mornings at a hockey facility or gym, Martin spent most of his early years up before sunrise working on his family's dairy farm — tending to the over 60,000 chickens and 250 cows on the property.
'I haven't got too into hockey training — more just kind of 'farm strong', is what they call it, I guess,' Martin said. 'That's kind of how I grew up and put on a lot of strength and muscle.'
But Martin is far more than just a punishing forechecker. Playing for the Soo Greyhounds (OHL) this past season, Martin scored 33 goals and 72 total points over 57 games — while adding another 11 points over seven games while serving as Canada's assistant captain during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Those offensive totals don't measure up to the stat lines put forth by higher-rated forwards such as Michael Misa (134 points in 65 games) and Jake O'Brien (98 points in 66 games).
But much like Bennett — who has just one 50-plus point season in his NHL career — Martin could be a player whose whose value doesn't rest just in production.
Martin could ingratiate himself with fans on Causeway Street in record time given his propensity to dole out punishment, and the odds would be high that he'd carve out a role as a middle-six stalwart in due time.
But the question remains: Is Martin the type of player to target with a top-10 pick, rather than target a youngster with a higher ceiling?
Martin's floor is very high, but his ceiling is also lower than Hagens, O'Brien, or McQueen — all of whom have their own red flags, but also the tools in place to be legitimate 70 or 80-point difference-makers at the next level.
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It remains to be seen if Martin will be up for grabs by the time Boston is on the clock. Utah, which already has a skilled pivot in Logan Cooley, could opt for a safer option with their No. 4 pick and bring in Martin as a punishing 2C.
But if Martin is available, Don Sweeney and the Bruins will have a tough call to make.
Martin will likely be a good player for the Bruins if he dons a black-and-gold sweater later this month. Whether or not he'll be an
elite
player at pick No. 7 is another ask entirely.
And if the Bruins want to avoid drafting in the top-10 again moving forward, they can't just draft good players.
Conor Ryan can be reached at