Know the new guys: Scouting reports on each of the Bruins’ 2022 draft picks

I like to think I’m generally plugged in on what’s happening in the hockey world, particularly the goings on with the Bruins.

However, I won’t pretend to have any idea about draft-eligible kids, so any analysis of the Bruins’ 2022 Draft is going to be based purely on quoting other peoples’ work.

(I suspect this is the case for the vast majority of people, but who knows...maybe everyone really is an expert in Latvian draft prospects.)

With that in mind, when the fine folks at Neutral Zone reached out with an offer to share scouting info on the kids chosen by the Bruins, I jumped at the chance.

As a scouting service, the people at Neutral Zone have been following these kids for years in preparation for their draft eligibility, so it’s no stretch to say they know more about these kids than any of us.

All evaluations featured in this article have been provided by Neutral Zone, the premier amateur hockey recruiting site. If you would like to read additional scouting reports on NHL Draft selections and see more historical scouting reports on the draftees, you can subscribe to their site here. You can use the promo code SBNation25 to get 25% off your purchase.

You can learn more about Neutral Zone’s star rating system here.

How does Neutral Zone grade prospects?

• A: Low Risk to Make an NHL Impact; High probability of playing NHL games before 22 years old.
• A-: Low to Moderate Risk to make and NHL Impact; High to Moderate probability of playing NHL games before 22 years old.
• B+: Moderate Risk to make an NHL Impact; moderate probability of playing NHL games before 22 years old.
• B: High Risk to make an NHL impact; moderate to low probability of playing NHL games before 22 years old.
• B-: Low probability of playing NHL games before 22 years old; some NHL potential
• C+: Low probability of playing NHL games but has some NHL potential
• C: NHL Draft consideration but unranked in our final list

Without further delay, let’s see what they had to say!

Round 2, Pick 54 C Matt Poitras, Guelph (OHL)

• Ranked 87 in Neutral Zone’s NHL Draft Final Rankings Top 305, 4.50 star rating, NHL Grade: B

To “B”: As a puck carrier he can play with the pace required in the NHL. He plays a 200′ high compete game that can be utilized on lines two through four in an NHL lineup. 67% of his shots hit the net. At all times he is a high-effort player who keeps his feet moving and draws penalties.

Not to “B”: He won 46% of his puck battles. He was not relied on to be a penalty killer during 2021-22. He is on the receiving end of 1.14 hits per game. He attempted 215 shots during the 2021-22 season with 75 of them coming from outside of the house.

Round 4, Pick 117 C Cole Spicer, USA U-18 (NTDP)

• Ranked 193 in Neutral Zone’s NHL Draft Final Rankings Top 305, 4.25 star rating, NHL Grade: C+

“C” me: He scored 20 goals in 58 games while averaging 14:27 of TOI for the US NTDP team. In 2021-22 he attempted 157 total shots. Three of his goals were power-play goals. His puck battle winning % rose from 40% in 2020-21 to 55% in 2021-22. He averaged under 13:00 of TOI at the U18 World Championships and had three goals and two assists.

“C” me not: After putting up huge offensive numbers before the US NTDP he was not a key offensive member for Team USA. Listed at 5’10” and 174 pounds he scored thirteen of his goals from the top of the crease and another five from between the hash marks. Can he be as effective in that area in the NHL?

Round 4, Pick 119 C Dans Locmelis, Lulea (SWE)

• Unranked in Neutral Zone’s NHL Draft Final Rankings Top 305, 4.00 star rating, NHL Grade: C+

“C” me: He was an assistant captain on Latvia’s U18 team finishing with one goal and three points in four U18 WJC-1B games. He was a member of Latvia’s U20 WJC-20 D1A team. He had 18 goals in 44 J20 Nationell regular-season games. He played two games in the SHL. He was a member of both special teams units averaging 2:47 of power-play time and 1:19 while shorthanded. He won 55% of his puck battles. Fifteen of his goals came from within feet of the crease and four of them came while on the power-play. As a puck carrier, he keeps his feet moving in all three zones and fights through traffic to get to the scoring areas. He draws penalties.

“C” me not: He was -5 in four games at the U18 WJC-1B. During 2021-22 he was on the receiving end of 0.93 hard body checks per game. He attempted 217 total offensive zone shots during 2021-22. He missed the net 43 times and had an additional 48 shots blocked. Eleven of those blocks came from the left face-off circle while on the power-play.

Round 5, Pick 132 D Frederic Brunet, Rimouski (QMJHL)

• Ranked 232 in Neutral Zone’s NHL Draft Final Rankings Top 305, 3.75 star rating, NHL Grade: C+

“C” me: He is a former 4th-round QMJHL selection who was drafted 65th overall in 2019 and blossomed this year into a 46-point defenseman for Rimouski. At 6’2″ he has an NHL frame to continue building on and he has an excellent skating base. He won 56% of his puck battles.

“C” me not: During 2021-22 he attempted 373 total shots. He had 110 of them blocked with 44 of those blocks coming while on the man advantage.

A single-game report from January 2021: Brunet is another young player on Rimouski’s roster who is showing improvement as the season progresses. In this contest, the big defenseman skated well, displayed sound awareness at all times in the defensive zone, and used his solid positioning to keep the puck from danger areas. During the first period, he was the lone Oceanic back on an Armada two-on-one. Recognizing the puck carrier intended to shoot, Brunet used his long reach to get his stick in the shooting lane and deflect the puck safely over the glass. On multiple occasions he used this same reach and positioning to block or intercept cross-ice passes in the Rimouski zone.

Round 6, Pick 183 G Reid Dyck, Swift Current (WHL)

• Unranked in Neutral Zone’s NHL Draft Final Rankings Top 305, 3.75 star rating, NHL Grade: C

A single-game report from February 2022: Dyck played well in his last game against Medicine Hat, making 26 of 28 saves in a 7-2 win. He looked big and confident all night, making many Grade A saves right from the start. He played with some edge in his game, as he competed and battled for every puck while moving around with authority in his crease. Another trait that stood out was his awareness of potential threats around the zone, communicating well to his teammates to tighten their coverage when time allowed. It was great to see Dyck get rewarded with a solid win after some tough results from his team over the past few months, as he will look to string together more strong performances and rack up some wins in the final stretch of the season.

Round 7, Pick 200 D Jackson Edward, London (OHL)

• Unranked in Neutral Zone’s NHL Draft Final Rankings Top 305, 4.25 star rating, NHL Grade: C

“C” me: He has an NHL frame right now at 6’2” and 194 pounds. He ends the cycle quickly and averages 0.89 hard body checks per game. He won 56% of his puck battles. He is a bit of an inside-edge skater, but he has a smooth pivot and shows explosiveness through body contact. In the defensive zone, he maintains net-side positioning and has the awareness to knock rebounds to the corner rather than back into the slot.

“C” me not: He is a former 2020 2nd round OHL Priority Draft selection who had six assists in 54 regular-season games. He attempted 102 even strength point shots during the 2021-22 season. He had 37 of those blocked and missed the net an additional 26 times. He will play a defensive role in the NHL, but he will need to continue developing his puck skills along the offensive blueline and he will need to improve his first touch to be an asset in the transition game required in today’s NHL.

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We’re grateful to Neutral Zone for sharing their insights with us, and by extension, with our readers.

If you’d like to stay current on all things scouting and future draft picks, you can subscribe to their site here and get 25% with the promo code SBNation25.

Any of your thoughts on the Bruins’ 2022 Draft change after reading these reports, or are you firmly in “wait and see” mode?