The NHL will hold the Draft Lottery on May 5, 2026 and there could be repercussions for the Bruins.
The Bruins currently hold Toronto’s first‑round pick, which is top‑five protected. If the Maple Leafs land inside the top five, Boston would instead receive Toronto’s first‑rounder in 2027 or 2028. Should the Leafs’ 2027 pick fall outside the top ten, the Bruins would automatically get the 2028 selection. But if that 2027 pick lands in the top ten, Toronto can choose whether to send the 2027 first to Philadelphia (from a previous trade) or to Boston, with the other team receiving the 2028 pick.
Florida’s 2026 first‑round pick, moved to Chicago Blackhawks, carries top‑10 protection. If the Panthers finish inside the top ten, the Blackhawks would instead receive Florida’s 2027 first‑rounder—pushing the Bruins’ acquired pick from the Brad Marchand trade back to 2028. If Florida lands outside the top ten, Chicago gets the 2026 pick as originally structured, and Boston would receive the Panthers’ 2027 first‑rounder.
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The NHL, NHLPA, and CHL have opened formal discussions on revising the long‑standing NHL–CHL agreement to allow 19‑year‑old CHL players to be assigned to the AHL—a notable shift from the current rule that forces 18‑ and 19‑year‑olds either back to junior or onto an NHL roster. With momentum building toward a resolution ahead of next season’s new CBA, the remaining sticking points center on whether the exemption will apply only to first‑round picks and how many junior‑eligible players each NHL club will be permitted to stash with its AHL affiliate.
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After 25 seasons in Bridgeport, the New York Islanders are set to relocate their AHL affiliate to Hamilton, Ontario beginning in 2026–27, marking the long‑anticipated return of professional hockey to the city. The move—announced alongside Oak View Group and pending AHL Board of Governors approval—will shift the franchise into the newly renovated, 18,000‑seat TD Coliseum, a $300‑million upgrade that positions Hamilton as a major AHL market once again. The Islanders organization publicly thanked Bridgeport fans for their decades of support, while framing the relocation as a long‑term strategic fit for both the club and the revitalized Hamilton venue.
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Social media has been buzzing with calls to bring up Fabian Lysell, and criticism over how the Bruins have handled his development only grew louder after the club recalled recently acquired Lukas Reichel. In fairness to Lysell, he’s been unavailable, sidelined from the Providence lineup with a concussion.
The arguments have been all over the map—from “Lysell sucks” to “keep prospects away from Ryan Mougenel” to “the Bruins can’t develop forwards.” The reality is there’s plenty of blame to go around, and that includes Lysell himself. It’s easy to sit behind a screen, claim to watch every game, and insist he looks NHL‑ready, but only a small handful of people outside the organization truly know what’s being asked of him in practice, in video sessions, and on the bench—and whether he’s meeting those expectations (or even trying to).
It’s also misguided to pin everything on Mougenel. Player development is only a small part of his mandate—his primary job is to win games. If fans want to assign blame, why isn’t more of it directed toward Adam McQuaid, who oversees player development? Or toward Parker MacKay and Ben Smith? Even Zdeno Chara, the organization’s celebrated “mentor,” is part of that ecosystem. If Chara—one of the most respected leaders the sport has ever known—saw a real issue, he wouldn’t hesitate to address it. By now, he’d have stepped in. The only figure who seems to escape criticism is Mike Dunham, and that’s largely because he’s earned it—his work with the goaltenders has been consistently excellent.
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While much of Boston’s front office was spotted at the Boston College game Friday night, the Bruins were also doing some cross‑over scouting in the OHL, taking in the North Bay–Brantford matchup in Brantford. If you’re looking for clues as to who might have drawn their attention, Caleb Malhotra is the most logical target—especially with that Maple Leafs pick potentially putting him right in their draft range. But it’s worth pumping the brakes before drawing any big conclusions. This is simply the Bruins doing their due diligence, nothing more at this stage.
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The Bruins’ due‑diligence tour continued Saturday as the staff headed up Highway 400 to catch the Niagara–Barrie matchup. Realistically, the trip almost certainly centered on Niagara winger Ryan Roobroeck, as he’s the only clear first‑round‑caliber prospect in that game. Even then, it’s hard to envision him lining up with Boston’s own first‑round pick.
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That trip sparked an interesting conversation about Ty Gallagher—enough that I ended up tweeting: I don’t know about you, but I think Gallagher has shown more than enough in Providence to turn that AHL deal into an NHL contract.
One could make the argument that he has been Providence’s best defenseman this season. Benchrates calculates his contribution as tops among Providence blueliners.
| PLAYER | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | P/GM | BENCHRATES |
| Frederic Brunet | 60 | 11 | 19 | 30 | +18 | .50 | $399,300 |
| Victor Soderstrom | 49 | 8 | 20 | 28 | +16 | .57 | $392,300 |
| Christian Wolanin | 46 | 7 | 18 | 25 | +9 | .54 | $387,200 |
| Ty Gallagher | 33 | 7 | 12 | 19 | +10 | .58 | $435,300 |
Gallagher joined Providence following his college year with Colorado College on an ATO and signed a two-year AHL contract beginning this season. One has to ask what the Bruins are thinking and whether another NHL club may show some interest in signing him. Gallagher is an unrestricted free agent at the NHL level and can sign with any team despite the AHL contract.
This and That
Pavel Zacha is two goals shy of 150 career goals and 7 points shy of 300 career points and 5 games shy of 700 career games.
Casey Mittelstadt is 2 games shy of 500 career games and 6 goals shy of 100 career goals.
Nikita Zadorov is 8 games shy of 800 career games and 20 minutes shy of 1000 career penalty minutes.
Elias Lindholm is 2 assists shy of 400 career assists and 2 goals shy of 250 career goals.
Once a season, Morgan Geekie drops a post on X that’s guaranteed to make you smile—if not laugh outright. He was back in form on Saturday.
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Dom - Hockey 