The Bruins’ prospect pool keeps getting deeper, and the latest group of names worth tracking stretches from Nova Scotia to Sweden to Russia. Boston’s top 15 list already covered the players closest to the NHL, but there’s another layer here: younger prospects, longer timelines, and a few intriguing bets who could pay off down the road.
Cole Chandler is one of the more interesting forward names in the system. Boston went to Nova Scotia during the 2025 draft, and Chandler’s path will bring him to Northeastern University for the 2027-28 season.
He won’t be arriving as a pro, though. His college career will start under head coach Jerry Keefe, after he spends time with the Cape Breton Eagles.
Last season with the Shawinigan Cataractes, Chandler put up 52 points (20-32-52). The Bruins also caught up with him at development camp, where he talked about playing for both Cape Breton and Northeastern.
Another forward to watch is Oscar Olsson, the Bruins’ fourth-round pick from June. Boston went back to Sweden for him, and the 17-year-old delivered 30 points (14-16-30) in the U20 Nationell, then added five goals in the playoffs.
He also turned heads at development camp with quick hands and a strong shot. Olsson still has plenty of runway, and a bigger role with Örebro should only help him keep moving.
Ryan Walsh is a different kind of prospect, already deep into his college career and entering his senior year at Cornell. He’s in his second season as captain and finished with 33 points (10-23-33), good for second on the Big Red and first on the team’s power play.
His production has climbed every season, and this year he also played for the US Collegiate Selects team at the Spengler Cup. Walsh did not attend development camp, and Don Sweeney said that was tied to his training schedule and that the organization was comfortable with the decision.
There’s also Kirill Yemelyanov, a 2025 sixth-round pick who gives the Bruins another long-term swing. The 19-year-old is developing in Russia and just posted a point-per-game season in the Russian junior league.
He also won the Kharlamov Cup and led Loko Yaroslavl with 10 goals during the playoff run. Boston also holds the rights to his teammate Matvei Kotkov, and both players will continue developing together “ indefinitely.
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On the blue line, Loke Johansson is a name that deserves attention. The 20-year-old left-shot defenseman, a defensive defenseman, moved up from QMJHL Moncton for the 2025-26 season and split time between Providence and the Maine Mariners.
He mostly played in Maine, where he had four points (2-2-4) in 36 games. Johansson is 6-foot-3, signed to an entry-level contract, and was dominant in Moncton before finding another gear in the playoffs.
Once he earns a full-time role in Providence, he becomes a much more interesting development case.
The Bruins also used the seventh round of the 2026 draft on Cullen McCrate, a right-shot defenseman they wanted in the pipeline. He’s coming off a 30-point season (10-20-30) with the Fargo Force in the USHL and is committed to Michigan State.
That’s a crowded spot, though, with Chase Reid, Tommy Bleyl, Sean Barnhill, and Cole Ward also on the Spartans’ depth chart. That logjam makes McCrate’s fit worth watching.
Then there’s Jacob Vandeven, another 2026 draftee and a left-shot defenseman with a unique background. He grew up as a forward before moving to the blue line in December. The 6-foot-6, 18-year-old then joined the London Knights in January, played forward in the playoffs, and will stay with the Knights next season.
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Matt Poitras May Be The Bruins Breakout They Have Needed
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The Bruins are still looking for the kind of internal jump that can change the feel of a season, and Poitras is the sort of player who could help answer that need if the development keeps trending the right way. His AHL track record suggests there is more to unlock, and Boston is hoping that by 2026-27 he can grow into a regular top-nine role rather than remain a player the team shuttles in and out of the lineup. For now, the question is less about whether the talent is there and more about when the Bruins finally get enough of it at the NHL level. [Read more 🡒]