FINAL: 2023 NHL Draft - Bruins take three centers, a wing and a defenseman in fairly quiet draft for the league

What you need to know

WHEN: 7 p.m. ET Wednesday, June 28 (Round 1); 11 a.m. ET Thursday, June 29 (Rounds 2-7)

HOW TO WATCH: Wednesday – ESPN, SN, TVAS; Thursday – NHLN, SN, TVAS

DRAFTING: The 2023 NHL Draft will consist of seven rounds with a total of 224 selections (32 teams, 7 rounds). There have not been any compensatory picks awarded this year. Teams are on the clock for three minutes.

BRUINS PICKS

Round 3: 92nd overall – C Christopher Pelosi (Sioux Falls, USHL)

Quick hits: A little off the board, so pretty on brand for the Bruins. He was ranked the 127th North American skater by Central Scouting. He played in both the NAHL (24 GP; 10-7--17) and USHL (43 GP; 13-6--19) in 2022-23 and is committed to Quinnipiac for 2024-25. Former star at Mount St. Charles star. Decent size – listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. What I've gleaned from folks more plugged in on prospects: Pelosi has a good shot and has the tools to be a pro. Hasn't all come together yet, but he's got another important developmental year in the USHL in front of him before jumping to NCAA. There might have been better value centers on the board between Jayden Perron, Denver Barkey and Luca Pinelli, but this is all magic beans. People killed the Mason Lohrei pick at the time, and he quickly became one of Boston's best prospects. We'll see. 

Round 4: 124th overall – C/W Beckett Hendrickson (USNTDP)

Quick hits: After going off the board, the Bruins get a kid who slipped a little bit. Could have gone in the third round or maybe even the late second. He is the Hendrickson is ranked 58th by Elite Prospects and 116th by Daily Faceoff. He is the 67th-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting. Played lower in the lineup with the U.S. program. In 52 games with the U18 squad, he had 13-21--34. In 21 USHL games, he had 7-9--16. He's committed to Minnesota for 2024-25. What I've gleaned from folks more plugged in on prospects: Could have gone higher. An excellent passer and strong along the boards. His shot is developing and has a lot of upside. Just turned 18 and at 6-foot-2, 174 pounds, has plenty of frame to fill out. Could be pretty good value. 

Round 6: 188th overall – C Ryan Walsh (Cedar Rapids, USHL)

Quick hits: Walsh is committed to Cornell next season. He set a Cedar Rapids single-season record with 79 points (30g, 49a) in 61 games as an over-ager last season. He was second in the USHL in scorning behind potential 2024 No. 1 pick (and incoming BU freshman) Macklin Celebrini. Had 39 points (16g, 23a) in 28 games in prep school (Salisbury School) in 2021-22. The 19-year-old is listed at 6-foot-1, 174 pounds, continuing a trend of centers with size for Boston. Not surprising to see a swing on an over-ager (soon to be 20) late in the draft. What I've gleaned from folks more plugged in on prospects: Shoots it well and works hard. Intelligent and urgent player.

Round 7: 214th overall (from Los Angeles) – RW Casper Nassen (Sweden-Jr.)

Quick hits: Nassen is committed to Miami-Ohio for 2024-25. He had 40 points (23g, 17a) in 48 games in U20 over in Sweden this season. Ranked 138 among European skaters by Central Scouting. Big kid, listed at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds. Intriguing late pick.

Round 7: 220th overall – LD Kristian Kostadinski (Sweden-Jr.)

Quick hits: Bruins go with another big Swede in the seventh round to finish off their draft. Kostadinski is a hulking kid, listed at 6-foot-5, 214 pounds. He was ranked the 62nd European skater by Central Scouting. Ranked 188 by FCHockey and 198 by Draft Prospects Hockey. Not sure we'd expect a ton of offense from him. Had 10 points (2g, 8a) in 43 games in U20 last season. 

RECAPPING THE FIRST ROUND

As expected, Connor Bedard went first overall to Chicago. As soon as the Blackhawks move out Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, they get their next savior. Anaheim turned heads when they took Leo Carlsson and not Adam Fantilli at No. 2. Anaheim has plenty at center, so thought they would have made sense to swing for winger Matvei Michkov, who fell to Philadelphia at No. 7. Columbus certainly won't complain, they finally get the franchise center they've needed for over 20 years in Fantilli. 

Huge run on centers, to no surprise really. This draft (and first round) is super deep at forward, especially center. There were a couple of pivots that certainly could have been on Boston's radar if they found a way back into the first round. Vegas may get tremendous value out of David Edstrom with the 32nd pick to end the first round.

Not many surprises, other than Carlsson, plus Gabe Perrault and Edstrom slipping a bit. Toronto went pretty far off the board with forward Easton Cowanb, who could have been available in Rounds 2 or 3. That was with the 27th pick, which would have been Boston's, ironically. 

Perhaps most surprisingly of all, there was not a single trade. With all the chatter of Boston potentially having another cap move up its sleeve, Montreal listening on No. 5, Nashville furiously trying to move up or St. Louis and Toronto shopping picks, nothing happened. The trade market was uncomfortably quiet, especially with the activity of the last few days. Bit of a dud, in that regard. Maybe things will heat up in Day 2.

Great night for college hockey, and Hockey East in particular. Boston College had three first-round incoming freshman forwards (Perrault at 23, Will Smith at 4 and Ryan Leonard at . Boston University had incoming defenseman Tom Willander go at 11. UConn rising sophomore Matthew Wood went at 15. Incoming Maine freshman Bradly Nadeau went at 30. 

Plenty of intrigue left for tomorrow. 

TOP PROSPECTS

This is one of the deepest drafts in recent memory, certainly up there with the 2015 class, which was headlined by Connor McDavid. It is especially forward-heavy.

There's consensus No. 1 pick Connor Bedard out of the Regina Pats in the WHL, set to become the next big thing in the league. The center is truly shaping up to be a generational talent and probably the best prospect since McDavid or Auston Matthews. He'll take his elite shot and scoring ability to Chicago.

Adam Fantilli, a center out of Michigan, also looks to be an exceptional, game-breaking prospect, although not quite on the level of Bedard. Became just the third freshman to win the Hobey Baker. Tremendous playmaking ability and has a strong frame. Would easily be the top pick in many other drafts.

Matvei Michkov is this year's wildcard because of his contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL until 2025-26. A team may be rolling the dice with how long it will have to wait to sign him and bring him to North America, if ever. Still, the winger has a skillset that could make him No. 1 in a lot of other drafts, like Fantilli.

Swedish center Leo Carlsson will undoubtedly make any team happy. He has a strong frame, like Fantilli, coupled with high-end puck skills and playmaking. 

Will Smith, bound for Boston College next season, brings a strong run of playmaking and creativity out of the USNTDP. 

Keep an eye on: Austrian David Reinbacher, likely the top defenseman to go. Mobile but sound defensively. Played against pros in Switzerland. ... Undersized winger Zach Benson could go in the top 10 or dip to the latter half of the first round. Dazzling passer, but the size may scare off teams. ... Should be plenty of Hockey East involvement this week. BC could see three incoming freshmen go high in the first round between Smith, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault. UConn's Matthew Wood could go in the upper first round as well. Tom Willander is headed for BU this fall. He should go high as well.

THE PRE-DRAFT LATEST WITH THE BRUINS

• The Bruins sent Taylor Hall and the rights to Nick Foligno to Chicago on Monday for RD prospects Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula. Boston also acquired RD Reilly Walsh from New Jersey for C Shane Bowers. 
• Don Sweeney is not expecting Orlov to re-sign. The general manager didn't sound overly confident about Tyler Bertuzzi, either. Sweeney and Cam Neely are still playing the waiting game on Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. 
• The Bruins believe finding a way back into the first round will be a "difficult task."
• Speaking on Wednesday's edition of "32 Thoughts," Elliotte Friedman indicated that he doesn't feel the Bruins are done. Reported Boston is still very much pursuing a reunion with Tyler Bertuzzi.
• Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK Television in Vancouver, reports the Bruins will sign old friend Milan Lucic once free agency opens on July 1 (Saturday). TSN's Chris Johnston corroborated the report. 
• Boston is up to $10,937,500 in cap space, according to CapFriendly.
• The deadline to buy out Mike Reilly is Friday.

BRUINS' NEEDS

Boston's biggest organizational need, by far, is still center, even with the promise that some higher-skilled prospects like Matthew Poitras, Georgii Merkulov and Brett Harrison have shown. They probably won't find that next cornerstone pivot, but won't ever say 'no' to more organizational depth. 

The Bruins need to find value in the picks they do have this year. Poitras, Harrison, Mason Lohrei, Ryan Mast, Frederic Brunet, Dans Locmelis are among mid-late round picks that have shown promise in recent years. Obviously, whether any or all end up panning out remains to be seen, but Boston has shown an ability to at least be able to find some potential diamonds in the rough on Day 2 that might be able to make an NHL impact down the line.