A Look Back at Don Sweeney’s Draft History: 2020

Previous drafts: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.

What constitutes a successful draft or a failing draft? The hockey community looks at NHL games played to determine success, although some choose to look at 100 games as successful while others look at 200 games. Fans in droves prefer to look at stats. Harman Dayal and Dom Luszczyszyn of the Athletic broke down the drafts from 2007 on and found your Bruins to be the fourth most successful NHL team at the draft. They took their analysis even further.

It may be too early to judge the 2020 Entry Draft based on that criterion, but I am going to take an objective and unbiased look at it.

Could this be Don Sweeney and the scouting team’s most successful draft overall? It seems that way, at least so far.

SECOND ROUND

When the Bruins picked Mason Lohrei at 58th, many Bruins fans had questions and some were even angry. It seems likely he would be chosen in the first round if the draft were done again. I was not in favor of including him in a trade for Noah Hanifin. Now, Bruins supporters are unwilling to let him go unless it’s for a top-tier player. This could turn out to be the steal of the draft.

THIRD ROUND

The Bruins selected Trevor Kuntar with the 89th pick. Despite being overaged like Lohrei, he shows potential as a long-term bottom six forward in the NHL and is likely to become a fan favorite in Boston. Currently, I wouldn’t exchange him for any player chosen after him, including two other Bruins picks.

FIFTH ROUND

The Bruins’ selection of Mason Langenbrunner at 151st overall in the draft raised some questions among fans, being Jamie Langenbrunner’s son, who is currently the assistant GM – Player Personnel of the Bruins, Mason Langenbrunner is considered a prospect with some talent. However, he is still relatively inexperienced and has a challenging development path ahead.

SIXTH ROUND

The Bruins picked Riley Duran 182nd overall and, similar to Kuntar, appears to be a durable member of the Bruins’ bottom six forward group and another favorite among fans. The only other player worth considering here is Devon Levi, but the Bruins’ goaltending situation is already established.

This draft by the Bruins under Sweeney is undoubtedly their best yet, even if Langenbrunner doesn’t make the cut. The scouting department has been overhauled, ensuring that everyone contributes and shares a clear vision for the players they aim to recruit. While the journey has had its challenges, it is now beginning to yield rewards.

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