2019 NHL Draft: Quick reactions on Bruins' selections in Rounds 2-7

With the Bruins picking four times on Saturday, here's a few quick reactions from Boston's selections in Rounds 2-7 of the 2019 NHL Draft. 

Round 3, No. 92 overall - Quinn Olson, F

With their second selection in the 2019 NHL Draft, the Bruins went with a winger that wasn’t on many radars – at least in the third round.

With the 92nd pick, Boston selected forward Quinn Olson, who just wrapped up his second season with the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). Olson, who measures out at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, tallied 20 goals and 66 total points over 54 games with the Oilers in 2018-19.

There isn’t much film out on Olson, but the winger apparently plays with a bit of an edge, as he racked up 75 penalty minutes during the regular season. In the playoffs, he added 15 points over 13 games — and 54 PIM.

While his numbers are encouraging for the winger in the AJHL, the case could be made that the Bruins could have scooped up Olson at a later stage in the draft. NHL Network tabbed the winger as the No. 200 prospect in the draft, while FC Hockey had him at No. 192.

It can be tough to project Olson’s viability as a NHL talent, with the winger still a year away from joining Minnesota Duluth for the 2020-21 season. Add in the fact that his main linemate with the Oilers, Dylan Holloway, was the CJHL Player of the Year and projects as a potential top-10 pick in the 2020 Draft, and Olson’s offensive contributions could very well be a bit inflated.

Still, given Scott Sandelin's track record when it comes to developing talent up in Duluth, Olson very well could be molded into an effective, two-way forward that plays with an edge in due time.

Round 5, No. 154 overall - Roman Bychkov, D 

The Bruins added to their D corps in the tail end of the fifth round with Bychkov, a smooth-skating blueliner currently in the Junior Hockey League over in Russia. While his contract status is currently uncertain (whether he remains with Loko Yaroslavl — the feeder program of the Yaroslavl club up in the KHL — or heads over to the CHL), Bychkov is an intriguing prospect with playmaking potential from the back end.

Ranked No. 81 overall by McKeen's Hockey, Bychkov has been scouted as a composed, puck-moving, left-shot defenseman that recorded 15 points over 40 games with Loko Yaroslavl in 2018-19. Bychkov could be a good value pick for the Bruins in the coming years, although it will be a bit easier to project his career trajectory when we gain more information about his next stop — whether it be in Russia or potentially over in North America.

Round 6, No. 185 overall - Matias Mäntykivi, C

Another potential value pick in the lower rounds, Mäntykivi bounced around multiple leagues in Finland, with most of his reps spent with the U-18 and U-20 teams of the Finnish Elite League club, SaiPa. In 34 games with the U-20 club, Mäntykivi tallied 12 goals and 36 total points. While Mäntykivi projects to be a bit of a project for Boston, the playmaking pivot could really rise up the rinks of the Finish Elite League in short order. Boston has had plenty of success as of late when it comes to finding talent in the final rounds of a draft, with Oskar Steen (No. 165 overall in 2016) set to break into North America after a dominant run in the SHL. With a few more years under his belt, Mäntykivi could have a similar career path.

Round 7, No. 192 overall - Jake Schmaltz, F

Boston closed out its draft selections with a forward that already has some impressive bloodlines in the NHL in Schmaltz. The cousin of NHLers Jordan & Nick Schmaltz, Jake wrapped up his first season in the USHL, tallying five goals and 18 total points with the Chicago Steel. Schmaltz will need to add some bulk to his 6-foot-1 frame (currently 165 pounds), but he has plenty of time to develop, with the forward expected to play at the University of North Dakota starting with the 2020-21 season.