The Boston Bruins have been near the bottom of the prospect rankings lists for the last few seasons due to picking lower in the draft and trading away high draft positioning for playoff reinforcements.
There have been some swings and misses in recent drafts for General Manager Don Sweeney as well, which has attributed to a somewhat barren prospect pool. Lately, this trend is potentially swinging upward with the emergence of forwards Matt Poitras and John Beecher and skilled defenseman Mason Lohrei. Now the Bruins will need some recent draft picks to progress to climb the ladder in farm systems around the National Hockey League.
In last year’s draft, the Bruins were without a first or second-round pick and did not select until round three at pick number 92. With that selection, Boston chose a big left-shot center playing for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound forward has been the Stampede’s best player this season, with 19 goals and 31 assists in 50 games. In fact, Pelosi’s 50 points are the most for a Bruins prospect in a season in the USHL since Mason Lohrei collected 59 points in the 2020-21 season.
Pelosi possesses an excellent shot and can get to the net-front area with consistency. The center’s skating ability is improving, and his frame continues to fill out. As a third-round pick, Pelosi is projected to possibly have an NHL career now, and that is good news for an organization that will need him to pan out. Pelosi just turned 19 years old and will head to Quinnipiac University for the 2024-25 season, where he will play against top competition. His former teammate Beckett Hendrickson, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 draft by Boston, is just two points away from 50 as well. Hendrickson was recently traded to the Dubuque Fighting Saints and will attend the University of Minnesota next season. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound forward formed a dynamic duo with Pelosi and played on the top line for Sioux Falls before Hendrickson’s departure.
With just a couple of weeks left to the season, Pelosi and Hendrickson are in the top 25 in scoring in the USHL and will be preparing for the playoffs soon. Both young players are showing a lot of promise and could make the 2023 draft a good one for Sweeney and the Bruins.
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