The Next Wave: Where the Bruins Pipeline Stands
Here's the thing about a prospect pipeline: you never notice it until it pays you back. The Bruins went years with a system people loved to call thin, and then James Hagens (16 GP, 12 P so far) showed up and reminded everybody why you keep an eye on the kids. He's in Boston now, which means the rest of this group has a new standard to chase.
So where does it stand? Honestly, deeper than its reputation. There are 25 names worth tracking, with 13 of them in college and 7 playing in Europe or Russia. There's size down the middle, a couple of skilled wingers who can flat-out score, and a goalie worth dreaming on. Nobody here is a sure thing, and that's the fun part.
Below are the five I'd watch closest this season, then everyone else, broken down by where they're playing. The numbers update on their own; the opinions are all mine.
- Hot hand: Dean Letourneau won Friday's game against Northeastern in overtime, then opened the scoring on the power play Saturday. He put 18 shots on net across the two nights.
- Hot hand: Cole Chandler has points in four straight games for Cape Breton, and his two-goal Sunday came during a five-game Eagles win streak.
- Breakout: Kirill Yemelyanov and Matvei Kotkov scored two goals each in Loko's 6-2 win Thursday. Yemelyanov finally got real minutes, including power-play time.
- Firsts: Cooper Simpson scored his first two college goals, both on the power play, in North Dakota's loss to Michigan State. Jacob Vandeven got his first OHL goal of the year Sunday.
- Injury watch: Will Moore is still out at BC. Cullen McCrate missed Brantford's last two games and Oscar Olsson sat out Orebro's weekend with an ongoing injury.
- International: Liam Pettersson (Sweden) and Vashek Blanar (Czechia) head to the Five Nations U20 tournament this week, an audition for World Juniors.
- Providence: Two wins: 7-6 in overtime over Springfield on Friday, then an 8-0 rout of Lehigh Valley on Sunday with a Jiri Patera shutout. Dans Locmelis scored Sunday.
Dean Letourneau
Start with the obvious: there aren't many 6-foot-7 centers who can actually handle the puck, and that's why Boston spent a first-rounder on him. The rookie-year growing pains at the Heights are behind him, and what you see now is a big body learning when to slow a play down and when to bulldoze through it. If the hands keep catching up to the frame, this is a third-line center with real upside, maybe more. Patience is the whole deal here, and so far it's paying off.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): OT winner and 9 SOG Friday vs. Northeastern · PP goal, an assist and 9 more SOG in Saturday's OT loss.
Boston College (NCAA) · 7 GP · 5 G · 5 A · 10 PTS · Drafted 2024, round 1, No. 25
Will Zellers
Zellers is the guy you watch for pure fun. He's not big, he doesn't need to be, and he finds soft ice in the offensive zone like he's got a map nobody else was handed. Getting him as a third-rounder looks like a steal more every month. The question was never whether he can score; it's whether he can do it against grown men. North Dakota is a good proving ground for exactly that.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): goal and assist, 5 SOG in a loss to Michigan State · pointless run ends at four.
University of North Dakota (NCAA) · 7 GP · 3 G · 5 A · 8 PTS · Drafted 2024, round 3, No. 76Dans Locmelis
Locmelis is the closest to Boston of anyone on this list, and it shows in how he plays: responsible, smart on the walls, the kind of center coaches trust late in games. He's not going to light up the scoresheet every night in Providence, and that's fine. He's the type who sneaks onto an NHL roster because he does twenty little things right, and one injury up front could make him a phone call away.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): scored in Sunday's 8-0 win over Lehigh Valley.
Providence Bruins (AHL) · 11 GP · 1 G · 7 A · 8 PTS · Drafted 2022, round 4, No. 119
Nils Bartholdsson
Here's the fun one from the 2026 class. Bartholdsson is tearing up Swedish junior hockey right now, and the production is loud enough that you can't ignore it, even at 5-foot-10. A third-round pick scoring like this is how a prospect climbs a list in a hurry. Next step is proving it in the men's league, but for now, enjoy the highlight reel.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): shootout goal for Almtuna on loan Wednesday · 2 SOG on Rogle's fourth line Saturday.
Rögle BK U20 (U20 Nationell) · 5 GP · 7 G · 5 A · 12 PTS (also Rögle BK, SHL: 10 GP, 0-0-0; Champions League: 5 GP, 1-0-1; on loan to Almtuna IS, HockeyAllsvenskan: 2 GP, 0-0-0) · Drafted 2026, round 3, No. 88
Yuri Ivanov
Every pipeline needs a goalie to dream on, and Ivanov is ours. He's tall, he's raw, and the record in Russia doesn't tell you much because his team in front of him is giving up a ton. Look at the save percentage instead, it says he's holding his own. Goalies take forever, so think of this as a four- or five-year project. The tools are the reason he went in round two.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): backed up for Spartak's top junior team twice.
MHK Spartak-MAH Moskva (MHL) · 10 GP · 2-7-0 · .912 SV% (also MHK Spartak Moskva, MHL: 4 GP, 1-2) · Drafted 2026, round 2, No. 56The closest ones. These guys are already pros, and an injury or two in Boston is all it takes.
Riley Duran is a 24-year-old center from the 2020 draft class, taken in the 6th round. The points haven't come yet, so the real work is in the details. He's one call-up away from Boston.
Providence Bruins (AHL) · 11 GP · 1 G · 3 A · 4 PTS · Drafted 2020, round 6, No. 182The biggest group in the system, spread across Hockey East, the NCHC and beyond. College hockey lets them grow up before signing.
The Bruins grabbed Cooper Simpson in the 3rd round in 2025, and he's now a 19-year-old left wing playing at University of North Dakota. The production is decent, and the arrow is pointing up. Another year or two of college hockey wouldn't hurt.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): two power-play goals Saturday, his first in college.
University of North Dakota (NCAA) · 5 GP · 2 G · 1 A · 3 PTS · Drafted 2025, round 3, No. 79Christopher Pelosi, a center, is 21 years old, now skating for Quinnipiac University. He's contributing, not dominating, and for his age that's fine. College gives him time to fill out before he turns pro.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): 4 SOG and 6/10 on draws in a win over Providence, no points; three-game point streak ends.
Quinnipiac University (NCAA) · 7 GP · 3 G · 3 A · 6 PTS · Drafted 2023, round 3, No. 92Remember Elliott Groenewold? Boston picked him in the 4th round back in 2024. He's chipping in steady offense without forcing it. Another year or two of college hockey wouldn't hurt.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): plus-1, no points, in a win over Providence.
Quinnipiac University (NCAA) · 7 GP · 0 G · 5 A · 5 PTS · Drafted 2024, round 4, No. 110Cole Spicer gives the system another center, 22 years old and on the books since the 2022 draft. The scoring is real so far, and he's driving play instead of riding along. College gives him time to fill out before he turns pro.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): three assists in two wins over Long Island · a point a game so far.
Western Michigan (NCAA) · 7 GP · 1 G · 6 A · 7 PTS · Drafted 2022, round 4, No. 117Beckett Hendrickson is a 21-year-old center from the 2023 draft class, taken in the 4th round. He's contributing, not dominating, and for his age that's fine. Another year or two of college hockey wouldn't hurt.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): no points in a tie and an OT win against Penn State.
University of Minnesota (NCAA) · 8 GP · 2 G · 2 A · 4 PTS · Drafted 2023, round 4, No. 124The Bruins grabbed Jonathan Morello in the 5th round in 2024, and he's now a 20-year-old center playing at Boston University. The points haven't come yet, so the real work is in the details. College gives him time to fill out before he turns pro.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): assist on the winner in a 7-2 win over Maine · 6-for-6 on draws Saturday.
Boston University (NCAA) · 8 GP · 0 G · 2 A · 2 PTS · Drafted 2024, round 5, No. 154Leo Henriquez, a goalie, is 19 years old, now skating for Boston College. Goalies are a slow build, and this is one of those slow builds. Another year or two of college hockey wouldn't hurt.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): did not dress either night.
Boston College (NCAA) · 1 GP · 0-1-0 · .800 SV% · Drafted 2026, round 6, No. 170Remember Ryan Walsh? Boston picked him in the 6th round back in 2023. Box score aside, this is a development year, plain and simple. College gives him time to fill out before he turns pro.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): two goals in Cornell's opener · 26 of 36 draws in Saturday's loss.
Cornell University (NCAA) · 2 GP · 2 G · 1 A · 3 PTS · Drafted 2023, round 6, No. 188Casper Nassen gives the system another right wing, 22 years old and on the books since the 2023 draft. He's chipping in steady offense without forcing it. Another year or two of college hockey wouldn't hurt.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): no points in two ties with Minnesota State, 5 SOG total.
Lake Superior State (NCAA) · 8 GP · 3 G · 4 A · 7 PTS · Drafted 2023, round 7, No. 214Kristian Kostadinski is a 21-year-old defenseman from the 2023 draft class, taken in the 7th round. It's a quieter start on the scoresheet, and it's more about learning the system than counting goals. College gives him time to fill out before he turns pro.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): assist on BC's first goal Friday · minus-1 Saturday.
Boston College (NCAA) · 7 GP · 0 G · 1 A · 1 PTS · Drafted 2023, round 7, No. 220Will Moore is a forward Boston brought in as a free agent, now at Boston College. There isn't much to judge yet, and that's okay this early. Another year or two of college hockey wouldn't hurt.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): still sidelined with an injury.
Boston College (NCAA) · No games logged yet this season · Drafted free-agent signingBig minutes, long bus rides and a lot of games. This is where raw kids turn into pros.
Cole Chandler, a center, is 19 years old, now skating for Cape Breton. He's over a point a game, which is the kind of start that gets people talking. Junior is the right place to build the game before the pro jump.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): assist Friday · two goals Sunday · four-game point streak.
Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL) · 12 GP · 5 G · 8 A · 13 PTS · Drafted 2025, round 5, No. 133Remember Jacob Vandeven? Boston picked him in the 5th round back in 2026. It's a quieter start on the scoresheet, and it's more about learning the system than counting goals. He'll get big minutes in junior, which is exactly what he needs.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): first goal of the season Sunday in an OT win at the Soo.
London Knights (OHL) · 15 GP · 1 G · 1 A · 2 PTS · Drafted 2026, round 5, No. 157Cullen McCrate gives the system another defenseman, 19 years old and on the books since the 2026 draft. He's contributing, not dominating, and for his age that's fine. Junior is the right place to build the game before the pro jump.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): no points Thursday, then missed the next two games.
Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) · 12 GP · 4 G · 6 A · 10 PTS · Drafted 2026, round 7, No. 216Playing against grown men in Europe and Russia, a tougher test than it sounds.
Liam Pettersson is a 19-year-old defenseman from the 2025 draft class, taken in the 2nd round. The points haven't come yet, so the real work is in the details. Holding a spot in a men's league at his age says something.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): seventh defenseman in two Djurgarden wins, no points · off to the Five Nations U20 tournament.
Djurgårdens IF (SHL) · 12 GP · 0 G · 1 A · 1 PTS (also Djurgårdens U20: 7 GP, 2-5-7) · Drafted 2025, round 2, No. 61The Bruins grabbed Matvei Kotkov in the 4th round in 2026, and he's now a 18-year-old right wing playing at Loko Yaroslav. It's a quieter start on the scoresheet, and it's more about learning the system than counting goals. Playing against men overseas is good prep for the grind of North American pro hockey.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): two goals, both driving the net, in a 6-2 win Thursday.
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) · 20 GP · 5 G · 2 A · 7 PTS · Drafted 2026, round 4, No. 104Kirill Yemelyanov, a center, is 19 years old, now skating for Loko Yaroslav. Box score aside, this is a development year, plain and simple. Holding a spot in a men's league at his age says something.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): two goals and 11:01 of ice time, with power-play time, in a 6-2 win Thursday.
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) · 10 GP · 2 G · 2 A · 4 PTS (also 4 GP, 0-1-1 with Loko Yaroslavl, MHL) · Drafted 2025, round 6, No. 165The youngest European picks, still in junior but already worth tracking.
Remember Vashek Blanar? Boston picked him in the 4th round back in 2025. He's chipping in steady offense without forcing it. He's still in junior hockey overseas, and the men's league is the next test.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): no points in two HV71 losses, minus-3 Sunday · off to the Five Nations U20 tournament.
HV71 U20 (U20 Nationell) · 11 GP · 3 G · 3 A · 6 PTS (also HV71, SHL: 2 GP, 0-0-0) · Drafted 2025, round 4, No. 100Oscar Olsson gives the system another left wing, 18 years old and on the books since the 2026 draft. The scoring is real so far, and he's driving play instead of riding along. A jump to senior hockey in Europe is the next box to check.
This week (Oct 26-Nov 1): missed both weekend games with an ongoing injury.
Örebro HK U20 (U20 Nationell) · 12 GP · 7 G · 5 A · 12 PTS · Drafted 2026, round 4, No. 122