Bruins To Select 29th Overall In NHL Draft With San Jose Sharks Pick
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Bruins traded goalie Martin Jones to the San Jose Sharks for their first-round pick in 2016. The move has somewhat backfired, as Jones nearly backstopped the Sharks to a Stanley Cup, leaving the Bruins with the 29th pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.
The Bruins still have their own pick at 14th. The two first-rounders give the team potential ammunition to move up in the draft for a player they covet, which GM Don Sweeney reportedly tried and failed to do in last year's draft.
Boston also holds a second-round pick, which came from the New York Islanders in the Johnny Boychuk trade. The Bruins' third and fourth-round picks were traded away in packages for John-Michael Liles and Lee Stempniak, respectively.
Mock drafts have the Bruins selecting a variety of players, all of whom play either center or defense. The blue line, however, is clearly a more pressing need for the Black & Gold. Multiple mocks peg the Bruins at 14th to pick Dante Fabbro, a mobile, two-way right-shot defenseman from British Columbia. The Hockey Writers' mock draft has the Bruins picking Charlie McAvoy, who is currently playing at Boston University.
As for the 29th pick, more than one mock draft has the Bruins selecting 6-foot-7 defenseman Logan Stanley, who is currently playing for Windsor in the OHL. The towering Stanley will inevitably draw comparisons to Zdeno Chara as the draft approaches, but his unique combination of immense size and surprising mobility has also drawn comparisons to the Winnipeg Jets' Tyler Myers. Here's to hoping Stanley would be closer to Chara, should the Bruins select him.
Should the Bruins draft anything but two defensemen with their two first-round picks, should they use them? Share your ideas in the comments. The 2016 NHL Draft takes place June 24-25 at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.