Bruins Mocked To Select 'Puck-Possession' Winger To Bolster Offense

Boston Bruins

Bruins Mocked To Select 'Puck-Possession' Winger To Bolster Offense originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Bruins have the 23rd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and could land an impact prospect.

Boston won’t have an earlier pick as the Toronto Maple Leafs won the draft lottery and will pick first overall, as the Bruins owned their 2026 first-round pick, but it was top-five protected. Although Boston won’t be able to draft in the top-10, the Bruins still could land an impact prospect at 23rd.

Ahead of the NHL Draft, analyst Steven Ellis of DailyFaceoff revealed his first mock draft and had the Bruins selecting right winger Mathis Preston from the Vancouver Giants of the WHL.

“Preston would be a great pick here,” Ellis wrote. “Preston’s strong showing at the U-18s helped Preston boost his stock in a big way. He finished with six points in five games while being one of the team’s top all-around offensive threats.

“He was a puck-possession machine, and he consistently got the puck into high-danger areas. Preston is an undeniably talented player who could become a top-six threat down the line. Preston has a remarkable shot and often wastes no time firing in the back of the net from the slot. His shot looks NHL-ready right now.”

Preston projects to be a top-six forward in the NHL and add some scoring touch to the Bruins, which they could use. However, whether or not he would be able to jump into the lineup as a rookie seems unlikely.