What should be a busy offseason for the Boston Bruins will really get started Friday night, when the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft will be held in Los Angeles. Boston owns the seventh overall pick in the upcoming draft, after going 33-39-10 and missing the playoff last season.

If Don Sweeney stays in that slot and makes a pick, it will be the highest Bruins selection since the team drafted Tyler Seguin second overall in 2010. It will be Boston's first Top 10 pick since 2011, when the team drafted Dougie Hamilton ninth overall.

Sweeney hasn't had too many first-round swings recently, with just two other first-round picks since 2021: Dean Letourneau, 25th overall in 2024 and Fabian Lysell, 21st overall in 2021. 

Boston has plenty of needs up and down the roster, with depth at center the most glaring of them all. The majority of NHL mock drafters have Sweeney addressing that need with the seventh overall pick, but we'll see where the Bruins GM goes when picks start coming off the board Friday night.

Here's a roundup of which players the mock drafters believe will don a Spoked-B on stage Friday night. 

: Jake O'Brien, C, Brantford (OHL)

The Bruins will pick in the top 10 for the first time since 2011, and could target O'Brien, who elevated his game during the second half of the season with his poise, vision, playmaking ability, and willingness to play hard all 200 feet. The 17-year-old can slow the game down in the offensive zone and find scoring opportunities for himself or his teammates, can check other teams' top players and play in all situations.  

: Jake O'Brien, C, Brantford (OHL)

Peters considered the highly skilled Martone, but ultimately opted for the playmaking center O'Brien, who put up 98 points in 66 OHL games this past season and didn't turn 18 until this week. With a true star on the wing in David Pastrnak, O'Brien profiles as a player who could certainly pair well with him in the future.

"What Jake O'Brien showed this year, to me — and yes, he does need to get stronger, he needs to tack on muscle and different things — is that he is a legitimate offensive creator," Peters said. "He can make things happen, he can make guys around him better."

 (June 17): Roger McQueen, C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

Despite their needs, I don't think Boston is as hard pressed to take a center here as the organizations in front of them, in part because six centers in a row just got picked. I could see the Bruins lean toward winger Martone or defenseman Radim Mrtka for that reason but it wouldn't surprise me as well if they took another center. McQueen, O'Brien and Hagens would all be possible fits here.

: Brady Martin, C Soo Greyhounds (OHL)

Physical and fast, Martin embodies the Bruins identity. Tremendous compete level.

Click to read a full breakdown on Brady Martin by Elite Prospects.

: Brady Martin, C, Soo Greyhounds (OHL)

The Bruins still have a core intact with David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy being the guys to build around. They don't necessarily need a foundational piece, but adding a player that fits their identity wouldn't hurt. Martin is the hard-nosed, but still skilled forward that could potentially be a long-term No. 2 center or even could swing to the wing and be more of an aggressive F1 heat-seeking missile. There is talk he will go in the top five and I think it's legitimate. That said, I think Martin is more of a secondary piece for a contending team than a centerpiece. The Bruins would probably be able to bring him into their mix soon and be very happy about the direction of your franchise. I think James Hagens and Porter Martone would be strong considerations here for Boston, too.  

: Victor Eklund, RW, Djurgardens IF

Eklund is the younger brother of San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund. The 5'11", 170-pound Swede had 31 points in 42 games this season for Djurgårdens' HockeyAllsvenskan squad, helping them earn promotion to the SHL alongside teammate and fellow NHL prospect Anton Frondell.

NHL.com's Mike G. Morreale considers him to be the second-best right wing in this year's draft. Corey Pronman praised Eklund's speed and creativity, while Steven Ellis cited his playmaking and excellent shot.

Eklund will likely spend next season with Djurgårdens IF, where he'll garner valuable experience against SHL talent. He has the potential to become a top-six right wing for the Bruins.

Overall, the Bruins have seven selections in the 2025 NHL Draft: 

Round 1, Pick 7
Round 2, Pick 51 (from St. Louis via Edmonton from Trent Frederic trade)
Round 2, Pick 61 (from Carolina via Colorado from Charlie Coyle trade)
Round 3, Pick 69 
Round 4, Pick 100 (from Philadelphia via Toronto from Brandon Carlo trade)
Round 5, Pick 133
Round 6, Pick 165

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