Draft season is getting into full swing, with the NHL Combine having taken place in Buffalo. The Boston Bruins have two picks in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft after acquiring them in trade deadline deals this season with the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche, giving them picks 51 and 61. Unless a projected first-round goalie or defenseman slips that far down in the draft, expect general manager (GM) Don Sweeney and the front office to target forwards with both of these picks.
The Bruins’ need for scoring was on full display throughout the 2024-25 season, and while any second-round pick is highly unlikely to make the roster for the 2025-26 season, it’s still a good idea for the team to continue on focusing on filling out their pipeline with high-potential scoring forwards.
While Sweeney’s first-round woes are well-known throughout the hockey world, he has had quite a few successful picks in the second round throughout his tenure as GM, starting with Brandon Carlo in the 2015 NHL Draft. Other notable second-round selections include Matthew Poitras, Mason Lohrei, Ryan Lindgren, and Jeremy Lauzon.
With the Bruins’ history of success in the second round, it will certainly be interesting to see what they do with two picks in this draft. There are certainly some intriguing names that are predicted to go somewhere in the middle to late second round of the draft.
William Horcoff
The son of Shawn Horcoff, a retired Canadian NHL player who played 15 seasons for the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, and Anaheim Ducks, William Horcoff was born Jan. 23, 2007. He represents the USA on the international level, and in 2024-25, made the jump to the collegiate level, playing for the Michigan Wolverines. He’s known for his physical play, already standing at 6-foot-4, 181 pounds at 18 years old. He’s a left-shot center who is strong on the forecheck and defensively sound, something the Bruins continue to need.
This season, he appeared in 18 games for the University of Michigan, registering four goals and 10 points. He also appeared internationally for Team USA at the U18 World Juniors, putting together a solid performance with two goals and four points in seven games. He’s a product of the US National Development Program, similar to Charlie McAvoy and Johnny Beecher.
NHL Central Scouting has him ranked 24th among North American skaters. In draft rankings, he’s been ranked as high as 30 and as low as 56, and is definitely someone the Bruins will want to keep an eye on. There are a lot of raw skills to be excited about with him, though not quite polished and developed enough yet to get into the first round. But with the right development, he could turn into a solid NHL player, and Michigan is certainly a great spot for prospects to refine their skills.
Matthew Gard
Canadian Matthew Gard was born April 7, 2007, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Last season, 2023-24, he joined the Western Hockey League (WHL), playing for the Red Deer Rebels. He’s shown positive growth in his junior career, growing from seven goals and 18 points in 2023-24 to 19 goals and 36 points in 2024-25.
He’s shown promise at both the center and the wing, which is another aspect that the Bruins are going to be interested in as they continue to need positions up and down the forward lines. Gard is ranked 37th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. There’s decent variety in where he’s placed in various mock drafts, but mainly seems to be expected to go somewhere in the late 50s, 60s range of the draft.
One of the bigger areas of concern with his game that may give the Bruins’ front office pause is concerns about his goal-scoring depth. Given Boston’s recurring issues with consistent scoring over the past few seasons, it may put some hesitation to bring in a prospect with some questions around his scoring cap.
Eddie Genborg
Eddie Genborg is a Swedish prospect born on April 20, 2007, in Trollhättan, who has spent his junior career playing for Linköping. He is another big prospect, standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 192 pounds, and knows how to play a physical game. He’s already gained some professional hockey experience playing in the top league in Sweden, the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He did not have a huge offensive impact, but was used as a role player and gained praise from his coaches.
He’s a left-shot left-winger and would fill a Bruins’ need to bring in more wingers. Like Gard, there are some concerns about his offensive ceiling. But he is strong on the forecheck, and hopefully, as he gains more strength and experience at the professional level, there is reason to be excited about his potential.
Genborg is the sixth-ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting, and most seem to anticipate him going somewhere in the 40s, which would take him off the board by the time the Bruins pick at 51. Still, if he slips down the draft board, he could be a really strong pick with Boston’s first selection in the round.
Mason West
Mason West, an Edina, Minnesota native, was born Aug. 3, 2007. He’s a two-sport athlete, also serving as the quarterback for his high school football team. He has primarily played high school hockey, but also appeared in 10 games in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the Fargo Force. He’s going the NCAA route, but is still deciding between Michigan State and Boston College.
West is certainly garnering attention for his size, currently standing at 6-foot-6. He’s also a natural shooter, which is something that will certainly pique the interest of the Bruins. He’s predicted to go somewhere in the 50s, so he should still be on the board by the time Boston picks at 51.
Forward Talent Pool
While the primary focus and attention are rightfully on the Bruins’ seventh-overall pick, there should still be excitement and anticipation around the second-round selections. Having two picks in the second round may prove to be very beneficial for Boston in the years to come.
Unlike the first round, it is often harder to anticipate who will go when and where in the later rounds of the NHL Draft, and there are a lot of different factors that could be at play. For the Bruins, though, their primary focus should be getting the best available forward prospects with their second-round picks and continuing to build out their forward prospect pool.
