The Bruins are now just one of three teams (Detroit, Winnipeg) that have still not shored up their coaching vacancy at this early stage of the offseason — and it seems like Cam Neely, Don Sweeney and the rest of Boston’s front office is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to looking for Bruce Cassidy’s successor.
While the B’s have already been linked to names like David Quinn, Jay Leach, Spencer Carbery, Jim Montgomery and Joe Sacco over the last few weeks, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday that Penguins assistant coach Mike Vellucci and Colorado Eagles (AHL) coach Greg Cronin have also interviewed for the Bruins' gig and are in the mix.
Vellucci may not necessarily steal headlines, but the 55-year-old has found success at just about every stop he’s made on the coaching ladder. He has served as an assistant on Mike Sullivan’s staff in Pittsburgh for the last two seasons — primarily working with forwards and the penalty kill. Before that, Vellucci was an assistant general manager and director of player development with the Hurricanes from 2014 to 2019 — also leading the Charlotte Checkers (Carolina’s AHL club) for two seasons and helping them win a Calder Cup in 2019.
Unlike Vellucci, who stands as more of an outsider without both playing or regional ties to the Bruins (he hails from Farmington, Michigan) — Cronin is an Arlington product who led Northeastern from 2005-11.
Since leaving the Huskies, Cronin has served as an assistant coach with both the Islanders and Maple Leafs before moving to the AHL ranks.
At this stage, it appears as though Quinn, Leach, Montgomery and Vellucci are considered the current favorites in this pool of coaching candidates — with Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli noting that Quinn is considered the front-runner at this stage of the process.
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Most of the narrative surrounding the Bruins these days might revolve around their ongoing coaching search and Patrice Bergeron’s status, but Sweeney and the B’s also have a draft to prep for — with Boston looking to inject more young talent into a prospect pipeline that desperately needs more high-end skill.
Here are the picks for the Bruins in the 2022 NHL Draft, which will be held from July 7-8 at Bell Centre in Montreal:
Round 2 - No. 54
Round 3 - No. 91
Round 4 - No. 119
Round 6 - No. 183
Round 7 - No. 200
Round 7 - No. 215
While the Bruins are still likely on the prowl for more promising center prospects, Sweeney and his staff will once again have to look for help further down in the 2022 pool of talent — with Boston relinquishing another first-round pick in its deadline deal for Hampus Lindholm back in March.
The Bruins also relinquished their own third-round pick in their trade with Ottawa in 2021 for Mike Reilly, and also coughed up their fifth-round pick in a 2022 swap for Josh Brown.
As such, the B’s will begin in the later stages of the second round with the No. 54 overall pick — a familiar spot for Boston in previous years (Jack Studnicka, 53rd overall 2017 / Jeremy Lauzon, 52nd overall in 2015 / Mason Lohrei, 58th overall 2020).
The Bruins have surprised many with their draft selections in the past (Lohrei was a relatively unknown prospect in 2020 … and, you know about 2015) — but the expected path that the B’s take with their first selection has to be the center position, especially given the dearth of potential top-six pivots in the system.
The Bruins would likely be thrilled if Northeastern’s Jack Hughes was available to them at No. 54, while other centers in that same draft range include Cameron Lund and Matyas Sapovaliv.
Even though they gave up their third-round pick in the Reilly deal, the B’s did manage to replenish some of their draft capital by dealing Dan Vladar to Calgary last summer — adding the Flames' third-rounder (91st overall) in the process.