Boston Bruins End of Season Prospect Report: Part Three

This is the part some have you been waiting for: My Rankings.

To be eligible for the list, a player must have been drafted by the Bruins, signed as a free agent, or acquired via trade. While they don’t need to be on an NHL contract, those on AHL-only deals who weren’t originally drafted by the Bruins won’t qualify, as they aren’t considered Boston prospects. For example, Mason Millman, signed as a free agent to an AHL contract, does not meet the criteria. However, Ty Gallagher, also on an AHL-only contract but a Bruins draft pick, is included.

The last requirement is that players must be younger than 25 as of September 15, 2025. Since Georgii Merkulov and Daniil Misyul don’t hit that milestone until October, they remain eligible. However, Drew Bavaro and Jaxon Nelson turn 25 before the cutoff date, excluding them from the list.

This season, I’ve revamped the rating system. Players are now evaluated across multiple categories on a 1 to 10 scale. A score of 6 signifies an average NHL-level ability, while anything below that indicates a skill set beneath NHL standards—all relative to the player’s role. These ratings aren’t static; they will evolve as players refine different aspects of their game. Additionally, not all categories carry the same weight in the final rankings.

The Bruins may not have an abundance of elite prospects, or any for that matter, but that’s not the focus here. What matters is that there are still promising players in the pipeline, even if they project as middle-six or bottom-six contributors. Those roles are crucial to any NHL team’s success, and in that regard, the Bruins appear to be doing just fine.

There has been some movement over last season both because new players are added thanks to the 2024 draft or acquired via trade and because some players just did not have the season expected of them or did not show improvement.

Some of the players who dropped in the rankings might raise eyebrows, but with first timers Matt Poitras, Will Zellers, and Fraser Minten all cracking the top five—as well as Dans Locmelis taking a leap—it was a necessary shakeup. Take Georgii Merkulov, for example: he’s slid from second to sixth since last season. That’s not a reflection of poor performance, but rather a testament to the rise of newcomers and Locmelis’ breakout.

Conversely, a few players saw their stock tumble. While potential still holds some weight in these rankings, it shouldn’t overshadow actual performance. Brett Harrison is a prime example—despite still having traits that hint at NHL upside, he’s struggled to establish himself as a full-time AHL player over the past two seasons. Potential is promising, but without tangible progress, it loses value—and in Harrison’s case, there’s now enough of a track record to justify his drop down the list.

I took a more measured approach with Dean Letourneau. While other rankings may place him higher based on his upside and long-term project status, I weighed that cautiously. Like with Harrison, potential alone isn’t enough—there needs to be some visible progress. Once Letourneau begins to show that development, he’ll earn his climb up the rankings.