Recapping The 2014 Boston Bruins Draft Class

One way for teams in any sport to find success is to draft and develop young talent. Over recent years the Boston Bruins have seen a mix of success and failure with their drafting ability. When looking back, it’s easy to see that the 2014 draft has the potential to be one of their greatest draft classes. Despite only having five total picks in the draft, the Bruins were able to land some pretty solid talent. Here’s a recap of who the Bruins landed in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

1st Round — David Pastrnak — Forward

Pastrnak has been in the NHL for four seasons and has become one of the top right wingers in the league over the last two years. The Czech winger spent half of his rookie season in the AHL and missed significant time due to injury during his second season as a pro. Despite not seeing full time action in his first tow seasons, Pastrnak was able to produce for the club. Over the last two years he’s seen full time minutes and has been healthy, which has allowed him to show the talent he posesses. In 157 regular season games over the last two years he’s picked up 69 goals and 81 assists. He’s also added eight goals and 16 assists in 18 career playoff games. The Bruins were extremely excited when they drafted him 25th overall in the 2014 NHL draft and he’s proven why the team was thrilled to get him.

2nd Round — Ryan Donato — Forward

The Boston native has appeared in just 15 NHL games to this point in his career but has shown signs of what could be a special one. After a solid season at Harvard and a good showing for Team USA in the Olympics, Donato inked his first professional contract with the Bruins. He immediately stepped into the lineup and produced for the club. In 12 regular season games, Donato tallied five goals and four assists. Though his playoff appearances weren’t the greatest, Donato’s regular season performance showed that he contains the ability to be a legitimate offensive threat during his NHL career.

4th Round — Danton Heinen — Forward

Heinen’s coming off of a spectacular rookie campaign with the Bruins. Heinen showed a terrific ability to produce, but also an ability to slow the game down and make the right play. At times during the season it looked like Heinen was a veteran with the plays and decisions he made while on the ice. He saw some slumps, as are expected with young NHL players, but he also showed the talent that he contains. Heinen may not be the flashiest player or have the big name, but he knows how to play hockey the right way and can be a valuable to for the club for the near future.

5th Round — Anders Bjork — Forward

Bjork’s rookie campaign got off to a solid start with the Bruins before head and shoulder injuries ended his season prematurely. The 2014 5th round pick is still a wildcard, however, he’s shown signs to become a solid middle of the lineup winger. Bjork may never contain the ability to be a top line forward, which is okay because 5th round picks aren’t expected to become superstars. He may still be a question mark, but with what he showed at the beginning of last season, there are hopes that the future can be real bright for the former Notre Dame standout.

7th Round — Emil Johansson — Defense

Johansson is the only draft pick from 2014 that hasn’t seen time in the NHL so far. He spent all of last season in the AHL with the Providence Bruins and picked up two goals and eight assists in 53 games. He’s a dark horse to make the Bruins blueline soon due to his abilty to make smart plays whenever he has the puck on his stick. He may never see a full time role in the NHL, but only time will tell.

Kevin Maggiore (@kevin_maggiore)