Cole Chandler may have flown under the radar when the Bruins snagged him in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, but the way he’s playing now, he’s making it hard to ignore him.
Skating for one of the top teams in the QMJHL’s Western Conference, Chandler is not just holding his own - he’s outperforming expectations in a big way. Coming into the season, projections had him pegged for a solid but unspectacular year: think 12 goals, 33 points.
Instead, with 16 games still left on the schedule, Chandler’s already blown past those numbers with 17 goals and 43 points. That’s not just a step forward - that’s a leap.
Elite Prospects now projects him to finish the season with 23 goals and 58 points. Sure, the QMJHL isn’t the toughest league out there, and those numbers don’t guarantee NHL success.
But for a fifth-round pick, this kind of breakout is exactly the kind of upside teams hope to uncover in the later rounds. After a few years of questionable draft returns under Don Sweeney, Chandler’s emergence is a welcome sign that the Bruins may be starting to hit on more of their picks.
What stands out most is Chandler’s year-over-year development. This isn’t a one-off hot streak.
It’s the continuation of a steady upward climb since he entered the QMJHL, and it suggests there’s still more room to grow. That growth mindset - the ability to adapt and elevate his game - is what NHL teams covet in a prospect.
And Chandler’s next step might be just as important as the one he’s taking now. He’s committed to Northeastern University for next season, opting to jump to NCAA hockey rather than return for an overage year in Shawinigan.
That move puts him right in the Bruins’ backyard, where the development staff can keep a close eye on him and work with him more directly. It’s a path that’s worked well for other Bruins prospects in the past.
Hockey East has been fertile ground for the Bruins, and Chandler’s decision to head to Northeastern adds another intriguing name to that pipeline. He’ll join fellow 2025 draftee Vashek Blanar in Massachusetts next season - part of a growing trend that could accelerate under the new NIL landscape in college hockey. With more flexibility and incentive for players to choose the NCAA route, we could see even more international prospects following suit.
For now, Chandler is doing exactly what you want from a mid-round pick: outperforming expectations, showing real growth, and putting himself firmly on the radar. The Bruins may have found something here - and if his development continues on this trajectory, Chandler could be one of the quiet steals of the 2025 draft.