The Boston Bruins have done the necessary work to stock their prospect pool, and now they have some prospects with upside to make a real impact at the NHL level.
In the last five years, the Bruins have only selected twice in the first round (2024, 2025). They took a Boston College center both times. The Bruins also have a pair of third-round picks, including one acquired from Colorado, who will team up at North Dakota this fall, and they have already been training together in their home state.
Also in the top five, a Bruins second-round pick who has NHL experience but has not yet found a full-time role at the highest level.
Let’s put a bow on the prospect rankings. If you missed it, check out 15-11 here, then check out 10-6 here.
The prospects were weighed on two factors: their NHL-readiness and their NHL ceiling. Any prospect who is under 23 and has not played a full NHL season is considered.
Let’s get into the top five:
5) Matt Poitras, C/LW (Providence Bruins)
Matt Poitras has the most NHL experience (69 games) out of any Bruins’ prospect that fits the criteria of this list, but he has yet to carve out a full-time spot in the lineup in three years since turning pro. He spent the majority of the 2025-26 campaign in Providence, finishing with 44 points (13-31–44) in 69 games. He also scored a goal at the Stadium Series in Tampa, and that is one of his seven career NHL goals.
Poitras has proven to be a skilled playmaker, but the knock on him was his physical and defensive game. Both have improved through his time in Providence, and he has added more size since debuting for the Bruins in 2023-24.
Poitras is ready for another shot at the NHL level. However, the Bruins have not made it easy for the 22-year-old. The center depth is stockpiled in front of Poitras, and his best bet this year (aside from the wing, and he has proven to be more effective down the middle) is the 4C spot.
The Bruins also need to sign Poitras, though they hold his rights as a restricted free agent.
4) Cooper Simpson, LW/RW (North Dakota)
Cooper Simpson is a name to keep an eye on. The Bruins’ third-round pick at the 2025 draft is starting at North Dakota (and joining Will Zellers) in the fall, and he is coming off a 74-point season (34-40–74) with the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL. He finished second in the league in scoring.
Simpson played in the USHL for a few seasons, logging minutes for the Tri-City Storm while dominating the Minnesota high school ranks. He left Shakopee High with 239 points (139-100–239) in 108 games.
The 19-year-old winger is a goal scorer who boasts a ferocious shot, which he put on display through his first two Bruins development camps. He spoke about his improvements in the defensive game, and playing on a loaded North Dakota team will only further his game.
Simpson is a few years from the NHL. The Bruins have his rights until June 1, 2029, and that falls back to August 15, 2030, if he stays in school. Simpson was also invited to the 2026 Team USA World Junior Summer Showcase, a showcase for the World Juniors in the winter, and those games take place from July 26-August 1 in Ontario.
Also Read:5 Takeaways from Bruins Development Camp
3) Will Zellers, LW/RW (North Dakota)
What a year for Will Zellers. The Bruins acquired the now-20-year-old in the Charlie Coyle trade, and he broke out as a freshman at North Dakota last season. His 18 goals were the second most on the team and his 34 points ranked fourth.
He was also a late roster add for Team USA at the World Juniors, and he led the team with eight points (5-3–8) at the tournament.
The Minnesota native has a high ceiling, similar to his soon-to-be teammate Cooper Simpson. He is a shooter, but he can also drive play with his speed and quick hands. He was a development camp standout in each of the last two seasons, and is quickly emerging as one of the Bruins’ top prospects in the pipeline.
Zellers is sticking around at North Dakota, and he said at development camp that the goal is to be hanging banners in Grand Forks. He also said that the NHL feels closer, but he knows that he’s playing against high-level competition in the NCHC. With another productive season at North Dakota, though, Zellers becomes a candidate to turn pro either ahead of, during, or right after the 2027-28 season.
Credit: Connor Nee / Boston Hockey Now
2) Dean Letourneau, C (Boston College)
The Bruins wanted to get back into the first round of the 2024 draft, and they took a long-term project in Dean Letourneau. So far, it looks like it’s working. The 6-foot-7 forward looked like a completely different player in his sophomore year, and he finished only behind James Hagens for the BC and Hockey East scoring lead with 39 points (22-17–39).
Letourneau is leaning into his size and uses it as an advantage in his game. He motors to the front of the net and will put himself in a position to create high-danger situations, but also uses his size to win puck possession off the boards. He is also very effective on special teams, leading BC in power play goals (6) while also contributing to the penalty kill.
Letourneau kept his head high after an adversity-filled freshman year, rolling his confidence into sophomore year, and now he has an opportunity to steer the ship. He will be one of BC’s top options, and it should not be much longer after that before Letourneau throws a black and gold sweater on.
Also Read:Bruins Prospect Dean Letourneau’s Bounce-Back Season Fueled by Confidence
1) James Hagens, C/LW (Boston/Providence)
I kid. This one is not news to anyone, and it should be the last season we see James Hagens on any Bruins’ prospect list, although it is not guaranteed he starts the season in the NHL. After leading the Hockey East with 47 points (23-24–47), the seventh-overall pick signed an ATO with the P-Bruins, then joined the Boston squad on April 8.
He got two regular-season games and three playoff games in, then Marco Sturm shuffled the lineup, and Hagens watched from the press box. That was not the end of his season, as he played for Team USA at the World Championships in May.
Hagens was drafted as a center, and Don Sweeney has repeated that, but the Bruins love his ability to play on the wing. He was on the wing a lot during BC’s season, and he ran on the left side of the kids’ line when he landed in Boston. He will get his shot down the middle, but it might not come right away.
Regardless, if given a runway in Boston, it’s hard to imagine his impact isn’t immediate. Marco Sturm loves working with younger players, and Hagens’ ceiling is much higher than those he will be competing with for a roster spot.
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