Speedy forward Jakub Lauko could be Bruins best pick of the draft

DALLAS – Jakub Lauko sat at the podium in the bowels of American Airlines Center and looked down at his new black and gold jersey. He tugged at the spoked-B and searched for the words to describe his emotions after the Bruins selected him No. 77 overall.

“I’m really, really happy I’m in Boston,” Lauko said. “I really don’t know what I’m doing now wearing the Bruins jersey. It’s amazing.”

Then came the sure shot of confidence from the 18-year-old Czech, who was stunned he didn’t go earlier.

Lauko didn’t expect to go in the first round, but he did feel as if he had great meetings with the Florida Panthers, who picked at No. 34 in the second round. He was ranked 47th by hockeyprospects.com. That’s not quite early second-round potential, but lasting until No. 77 was a bit late for the center and left-wing.

His speed is his greatest asset, so much so that he felt confident enough to say he was “one of the fastest skaters in the class.”

“I want to prove I can be the steal of the draft,” Lauko said. “That’s motivation for me.”

Lauko could end up to be the best pick from the Bruins in this draft, who went heavy on centers and defensemen. Prior to the draft, Don Sweeney expressed his interest in centers because of their ability to move more naturally to either wing position. It’s an easier transition than it is for wingers to play center at the NHL and the Bruins focused on that this weekend.

The rest of the draft class included defenseman Axel Andersson (No. 57), center Curtis Hall (No. 119), defenseman Dustyn McFaul (No. 181), and Russian center Pavel Shen (No. 212). Saturday was the busy day for the Bruins after they were wallflowers on Friday night. The Bruins did not have a first-round draft pick – they traded it to the Rangers for Rick Nash – something Sweeney sorely lamented.

The Bruins' scouting staff was enamored with Lauko, a player they had projected as a first-round talent, according to assistant GM Scott Bradley.

"We're ecstatic to get a player like this at that point in the draft," Bradley said. The Bruins considered Lauko at No. 57, but felt he would be available in the third round. "He has a lot of character and willing to sacrifice and this player really can shoot the puck. His real asset is his speed and he'll come in and hopefully turn some heads."

In 42 games with Piráti Chomutov in the Czech league, Lauko had just three goals and six assists, but his speed carries his game as a strong transition player.

The best moment came when he seemed to misinterpret a question about “what his parents do.” The question, intended to be about his parents’ professions, was lost in translation.

“They’ll probably drink tonight,” Lauko said, conveying the excitement his family was feeling on draft day.

After sitting out the first round without a pick, the Bruins took Andersson No. 57 overall in the second round. Andersson, a Swedish defenseman, played in the Swedish SuperElit league and had six goals and 25 assists.

The 6-foot, 179-pound defenseman was in Sweden when he was selected and celebrated with his mom, a memorable moment before he heads to Boston this week for development camp.

“It meant a lot to me and my family,” Andersson said. “My mom is in tears right now, and we just hugged each other, and it was a big day for me.”

With one year left on his juniors contract it’s likely he’ll remain in Sweden next season. He’s a smooth skater who can lead the rush, but he said he wants to improve his offensive ability and his shots at the blue line.

Hall, the center from Youngstown (USHL) will play at Yale University and is a 6-3, 201-pound right-shot skater. He had 31 points in 54 games with the Youngstown Panthers. McFaul, who’s headed to Clarkson, had 19 points in 38 games in the OJHL.

It's not surprising to see the Bruins restock their depth in the middle. Riley Nash will be an unrestricted free agent July 1, which means the Bruins will need a third-line center if Nash does not return after his breakout year.

The Bruins have strong organizational depth at the center position. Ryan Donato, who joined the Bruins after leaving Harvard last season, could get that chance, though they played the natural center at left-wing last season. Trent Frederic and  could also compete for that slot, though they are further away than Donato is.

Bruins development camp begins this Tuesday, the four-day period of workouts where their prospects and draft picks will get an opportunity to showcase themselves.