Ranking Top 20 Bruins prospects (10-6): European talent, 2022 picks headline latest selections

With the NHL Draft and Development Camp in the rearview mirror, it’s time to run through our annual review of Boston’s prospect pipeline and unveil our latest top 20 rankings.

Yes, the B’s don’t boast the most stacked prospect pipeline in the NHL, but due in large part to some solid returns from drafts in 2020 and beyond, Boston is starting to feature some high-end youngsters who could be on the cusp of breakout campaigns this year - be it in college, juniors or even in the pros.

(Note: We’re setting the cut-off for what constitutes as a “prospect” with players who have earned NHL reps in two or more seasons. As such, guys like Jack Studnicka, Oskar Steen and Jack Ahcan have graduated and won’t be included here.)

After starting off this week with our No. 20 - 11 rankings, let’s move on to No. 10-6. 

10. Matias Mäntykivi - C

Age: 21
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 165 pounds
2021-22 Stats (Liiga): 51 games — 12 goals, 19 assists

In what is starting to look like a recurring (and very promising trend), the Bruins have done well in recent years when it comes to identifying potential pro talent overseas in the later rounds of drafts — with Mäntykivi (sixth round, 2019) continuing to put up strong numbers over in his native Finland.

Even though his numbers may not exactly leap off the page in the three years since the Bruins drafted Mäntykivi, the skilled center has also been battling against players 10+ years older than him in Finland’s pro Liiga field — a tougher path to navigate when compared to realms such as junior hockey.  

And even with some early struggles, Mäntykivi really turned a corner in 2021-22 in his first season with Ilves — posting 31 points over 51 games. Pretty strong numbers for a 21-year-old player overseas in Finland, considering the six players who outscored him on Ilves boasted an average age of 27.6. 

As of right now, it appears as though Mäntykivi intends to return to Finland for at least one more season, where he should be in line for a dominant campaign before finally making the jump over to North America. Of course, the real evaluation will begin once Mäntykivi has to adjust to the level of play in Providence and a smaller sheet of ice, but the Finn has the tools to be a useful middle-six pivot if he continues to work on his skating and bulks up. His hockey IQ is there. 

9. Ty Gallagher - D

Age: 19
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 190 pounds
2021-22 Stats (NCAA): 34 games — 5 goals, 11 assists

Gallagher is looking like a tremendous value add for Boston in the 2021 NHL Draft, with the Bruins scooping him up from the U.S. National Team Development Program in the seventh round (No. 217 overall).

Of course, Gallagher’s offensive capabilities were easy to glean during his time with the NTDP, with the blueliner setting a program record with 25 goals over his two seasons in Ann Arbor. There were questions regarding his skating ability and smaller frame, but the fact that he plummeted all the way down to the seventh round stood as a major coup for a B’s organization that is always looking to draw more offense out of its D corps. 

And sure enough, Gallagher didn’t miss a step during his first season at BU, earning Hockey East All-Rookie Team honors while logging top-four minutes and recording 16 points over 31 games for the Terriers. 

That heavy shot that Gallagher wields made itself known throughout Development Camp, where the 19-year-old skater displayed a good knack for finding shooting lanes. 

He’ll need a bit more time over on Comm Ave, but Gallagher does have the skill set to eventually develop into an offensive-minded, third-pairing option at the NHL ranks. Pretty good for a seventh-rounder.

"Right away, he came in as a young guy,” Adam McQuaid said of Gallagher. “I think he was the youngest guy on their team, he was just confident. I always say about Ty that he's a gamer — like he just shows up to compete and battle and he works and he's a guy that wants to continue to get better. Takes the right approach. He asks questions. So I think that those are probably some of the things that they noticed (at BU). BU had a bit of a rough start last year, but they really turned it around and were a really good team the second half of the year and I think he was was part of that.”  

8. Matthew Poitras - C 

Age: 18
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 172 pounds
2021-22 Stats (OHL): 68 games — 21 goals, 29 assists

The headliner from Boston’s latest draft class, Poitras has already had a solid start to his tenure as a B’s prospect — with the 18-year-old pivot standing out in multiple drills during Development Camp thanks to his willingness to fight inside to Grade-A ice and skating ability.

While Poitras may not boast as high of an offensive ceiling as some of the other promising young centers that were available for Boston in the second round, Poitras likely offers a higher floor as a potential NHLer — with the 18-year-old impressing in his first full season in the OHL due to his high motor, two-way acumen and hockey smarts.  

Of course, while some of the finer details of Poitras’ game — such as his backchecking effort and stick skills — are often routinely praised in prospect reports, the 18-year-old still should have plenty of room to grow offensively, especially in his second full season with the OHL’s Guelph Storm. 

“I just said to (associate director of amateur scouting) Ryan Nadeau how smart he is, right off the hop,” Providence Bruins head coach Ryan Mougenel said of Poitras. “I'm not gonna lie. I follow the OHL quite closely just because I've got a lot of friends that coach in the league. A lot of my buddies' kids play in the league. So I've been following him.   “They did a real good job with that pick. He's gonna be a good player. And they've got a new coach going in there in Guelph, Scotty Walker (yes, THAT Scott Walker), who will help grow his offensive game. He's going to be awesome for him. Scotty is a fantastic guy. So I'm excited.”

7. Marc McLaughlin - F 

Age: 23
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 198 pounds
2021-22 Stats (NCAA): 33 games — 21 goals, 11 assists

This will be the first — and only — time that McLaughlin should appear on this list, given the likelihood that the North Billerica native will log more games up in the NHL ranks this upcoming season. 

One of the more prized collegiate free agents on the market last season, McLaughlin stayed close to home after wrapping up his career at Boston College — with the forward making an immediate impact during his brief time up with the B’s in 2021-22. (three goals in 11 games). 

Regarded as a high-effort, two-way talent who could slot into a bottom-six role up in the NHL ranks, McLaughlin might have the potential to be a 15-20 goal scorer at hockey’s highest level — given his knack for beating goalies clean with that heavy wrister of his. 

With Curtis Lazar off to Vancouver, don’t be surprised if McLaughlin is the early favorite for that vacant 4RW spot on Boston’s roster — even though he should face competition from the likes of Oskar Steen and others. 

6. Oskar Jellvik - F 

Age: 19
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 174 pounds
2021-22 Stats (Sweden J20): 41 games — 26 goals, 29 assists

Ryan Mast might be the most underrated B’s prospect, but Jellvik could be the youngster in the organization who has seen his stock rise the most over the past year.

The latest in Boston’s line of European prospects who have brought back encouraging returns on the ice, Jellvik was arguably the breakout star at Boston’s Development Camp earlier this month — with the skilled forward building off of a promising 2021-22 campaign in which performed at beyond a point-per-game pace in Sweden’s junior league.

From our breakdown of Jellvik’s game during Dev Camp: 

Jellvik may not boast the biggest frame (5-foot-11, 174 pounds), but the forward is a plus skater, has good hands and is very opportunistic and shifty in the offensive zone. Even without the physical tools of a John Beecher or perhaps the release of a Marc McLaughlin, Jellvik consistently put himself in the soft areas of the ice and caught goalies off-guard with his wristers.  

Jellvik was strong all week, but he was especially impressive in Friday’s camp-ending scrimmage — which ended in a 4-4 draw between Team White and Team Black. Jellvik lit the lamp twice in the scrimmage, with both tallies coming off of some high-end skill and a willingness to drive toward the net. 

Jellvik might have put himself on the radar of some B’s fans after posting 55 points in 41 games overseas last season, but he’ll be in the Bruins’ backyard moving forward — as he will play at Boston College this fall. 

He’s not on the tier of Lysell/Lohrei (not yet, at least), but Jellvik is already looking like a high-end talent who, at the very least, is offering very good returns for a fifth-round pick. 

“Just huge improvements,” Providence head coach Ryan Mougenel said of Jellvik. “I got a call from Paul Carey during the year, he played a couple of games with him. ... He was really impressed with the kid. And obviously, I kept an eye on him. And then obviously, in camp, I thought he's been outstanding. You can see a lot of the skill level on some of the players, especially some of the European players. I think it's a little bit of a common denominator and how skilled some of these kids are that are coming in from across the pond. So he's one guy, I think he's got a real bright future.”