The Boston Bruins have had no shortage of draft-day swings under Don Sweeney, but the harder part has come after the picks are made. Development has been the issue, and a few of the biggest letdowns came from players the Bruins believed could become real pieces of the future.
Fabian Lysell is the latest name that still leaves a lot to wonder about. Boston took the gifted winger 21st overall in the 2021 Entry Draft, and he showed plenty of offensive skill while spending most of his time with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League.
But that game never fully translated in Boston. Lysell appeared in just 12 games for the Black and Gold in 2024-25, finishing with a goal and three points.
Most of that NHL action came after the trade deadline in March, when Sweeney had a fire sale, yet even with that opening he couldn’t lock down a spot. He still wasn’t able to crack the roster the next year, and Boston moved him to the Colorado Avalanche in June.
John Beecher followed a similar path, even if the path looked promising early on. The Bruins used the 30th pick in the first round of the 2019 Entry Draft on Beecher, who went on to have a very good college career at Michigan before turning pro.
He broke into Boston’s lineup in 2023-24 and posted seven goals and 10 points. The next season brought three goals and 11 points in 78 games.
Those would end up being his only two full seasons with the Bruins. In November of 2025, Boston put him on waivers, Calgary claimed him, and he went on to play 29 games for the Flames before reaching free agency and signing with the Florida Panthers.
He remained a good penalty-killer and a strong face-off presence, but never came close to matching first-round expectations.
Then there’s Jack Studnicka, a player who once carried real buzz as the center Boston hoped would be next in line after Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins picked Studnicka 53rd overall in the 2017 draft, and the anticipation around him was high.
It never turned into much in Boston. He played only 38 games across four seasons with the Black and Gold, collecting one goal and six assists.
The Bruins traded him to the Vancouver Canucks in October of 2022 for prospects Michael DiPietro and defenseman Jonathan Myrenberg. Since then, he has moved on to the San Jose Sharks and the Panthers, but the big leap that was expected from him never came at any stop.
In Other News...
James Hagens Could Be Exactly What The Bruins Need This Season
James Hagens arrives with the kind of resume that makes a team pay attention right away. The seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft already got a taste of the league with a few games last season, and after a strong college run, he has put himself in position to be part of Bostons middle six this year. For a Bruins team looking for more skill and youthful upside in the lineup, Hagens is the sort of player who can change the feel of a forward group fast if his early pro promise carries over.
The bigger question is what kind of leap he can make once the schedule gets rolling and the spotlight gets brighter. Hagens will be measured not just against the usual rookie learning curve, but against other top newcomers like Gavin McKenna, with the Calder Trophy conversation already hanging over the class. If he gives Boston steady offense and helps stabilize the depth that so often decides a season, he can turn a promising start into something much more meaningful for the Bruins. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Enter A Crucial Stretch For Don Sweeneys Long Term Plan
Midway through the offseason, the Bruins are moving toward rookie camp and training camp with the calendar now doing some of the heavy lifting for Don Sweeneys front office. Boston has several contract decisions ahead, and those choices matter beyond the usual summer housekeeping because they will help shape how the roster looks not just in the fall, but in the longer view Sweeney has been building toward.
Around the league, other teams are wrestling with their own front office and contract questions, a reminder that this part of the NHL calendar can quickly turn into a test of patience and planning. For the Bruins, the focus is tighter and more immediate: sorting out those upcoming decisions without losing sight of the bigger blueprint, a task that only gets more important as camp gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Patrice Bergerons Rare Bruins Fights Are Worth Reliving
Patrice Bergeron spent a good part of his career being known for everything but fisticuffs, which is part of what made his recent trip through fight history so appealing. In an interview on Spittin Chiclets, the longtime Bruins center opened up about boxing lessons and walked through four NHL scraps from his playing days, including matchups with Josh Gorges, Evgeni Malkin, Tyler Myers and Blake Wheeler.
For Bruins fans, it is a reminder that even Bergerons rarest moments could become memorable. He talked through the context and outcomes of each fight, while also reflecting on how martial arts training might have served him well back then. It is a small but fun window into a player whose game was built on detail, discipline and the occasional surprise. [Read more 🡒]