Here’s a comprehensive look at the 2006 Boston Bruins draft, which transformed the franchise in a single weekend of picks and one major trade. Other than 1979, there isn’t a more impactful single draft in team history, though 1980 was quite strong, along with 2014 more recently. Here you go- KL

The Boston Bruins franchise was in disarray at the conclusion of the 2005-06 hockey season and faced a crucial crossroads leading up to the entry draft being in Vancouver that June.

A year that began with promise with the return of NHL hockey after a lockout cancelled the 2004-05 big league campaign descended into chaos and despair when a series of big-money free agent signings went bust (Alexei Zhamnov, Brian Leetch, Dave Scatchard) and franchise face Joe Thornton was traded to San Jose before December for the kind of return that ultimately sealed Mike O’Connell’s (Cohasset, Mass.) fate as Bruins GM. O’Connell’s departure opened the door for one-time Harvard hockey captain Peter Chiarelli’s ascension as the B’s new chief of management and operations, but as the assistant GM of the Ottawa Senators, the job of riding herd over Boston’s 2006 draft and early phases of free agency fell to O’Connell’s interim replacement, Jeff Gorton.

 Thanks to a win by the Columbus Blue Jackets on the final day of the 2005-06 regular season, the Bruins slid into the fifth overall draft position (not affected by the draft lottery, won by St. Louis).  Two points are what separated the B’s from Phil Kessel and someone else (Derick Brassard went one selection later at sixth overall). Kessel may no longer be with the Bruins, but his impact will likely be felt in the years to come, even if the jury is still out on the players received from Toronto and then Dallas last summer.

The B’s former chief amateur scout and current director of player personnel, Scott Bradley, called 2006 a “historic” draft year and critical moment for the rebuilding of the once proud franchise’s sagging fortunes. Little did Bradley know at the time that his words would prove to be prophetic, and that just five years later, the club would reverse direction from the road to ruin to Stanley Cup glory in the very city the draft occurred, defeating the Vancouver Canucks in an epic seven-game championship series.

Boston’s selections in the second and third rounds were instrumental in the 2011 Stanley Cup championship and run to the 2013 Stanley Cup final: Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand, while No. 1 goaltender Tuukka Rask’s history is inextricably linked to the 2006 draft as well. Although Lucic was traded five years ago, Marchand has ascended to NHL superstardom, as has Rask, who could be in line to collect the second Vezina Trophy of his career after a shortened 2019-20 season. Marchand and Rask helped lead the B’s to within one win of the 2019 Stanley Cup championship, though they fell short at home to the St. Louis Blues.

Nearly a decade-and-a-half later, Boston’s 2006 draft is still making a direct and indirect impact on the team’s fortunes.

The Players

 Phil Kessel, F: 1^st round, 5^th selection, 5^th overall (University of Minnesota- WCHA)

Phil Kessel’s electrifying performance at the 2005 World Jr. Championship tourney in Grand Forks, N.D. seemingly made his top selection in 2006 fait accompli, but a year-and-a-half after making a definitive statement for Team USA, the Wisconsin native entered draft weekend in Vancouver on a slide. There are a multitude of alleged reasons for his falling stock, but in the case of some late birth year players, an extra year of hockey that allows scouts to prod, dig and find negatives in one’s game can be detrimental.

The B’s scooped him up at five, a major coup for the club (team sources claim they had Kessel ranked second on their list), at the time desperate to infuse pure speed and scoring to a moribund group of forwards of whom only Patrice Bergeron (coming off of his only 30-goal campaign to date) was notable. Kessel was a prized addition who would go on to make the team immediately and weather adversity in the form of testicular cancer at mid-season, earning him the 2007 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

By his third NHL season, Kessel emerged as a bona fide star, lighting the lamp 36 times in 2008-09 as the Bruins surged to the top of the Eastern Conference regular season standings. Unfortunately, after a playoff sweep of the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, they dropped a hard-fought, but ultimately crushing seven-game series to the underdog Carolina Hurricanes.

With Kessel up for a new contract and big pay raise, the rumor mill began to swirl in the late spring of 2009 that he was unhappy in Boston, and the team was more interested in negotiating a “bridge” contract and not willing to grant a substantial long-term deal at big money. Although a trade with Toronto was nearly consummated in late June at the NHL draft in Montreal (things allegedly fell apart when the Bruins thought they were getting Toronto’s seventh overall selection [the Leafs chose center Nazem Kadri] in addition to veteran defenseman Tomas Kaberle), Chiarelli and Leafs GM Brian Burke continued to talk and in late September, Kessel became Toronto property (with a five-year contract worth $5.4 million per season, up from the $850,000 in each of his first three years) in exchange for a trio of high draft choices in 2010 and 2011.

In 2013, Kessel signed another long-term (8-years, $64 million) extension to remain in Toronto through 2022, but he wouldn’t come close to finishing that contract out there, dealt to Pittsburgh prior to the 2015-16 campaign.  As a member of the Penguins as a complementary piece behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Kessel helped his new team to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. He posted a career-best 92 point season in 2018 before being dealt again in 2019 to the Arizona Coyotes. On an $6.8M cap hit (the Leafs retained $1.2 million of his salary/cap figure when they moved him), Kessel tallied just 14 goals and 38 points in 70 games this season.

With the first of two top-round picks in 2010 and 2011, the B’s chose Tyler Seguin second overall when the Leafs nearly bottomed-out, and as a rookie, the ultra-skilled center played sparingly in Boston. With the team in a dogfight in the 2011 Eastern Conference Final, he came through with a two-goal performance that sparked a comeback and secured a critical victory. He posted a 29-goal, 67-point sophomore season, prompting the B’s to sign him to a big contract extension before the expiration of his ELC at the conclusion of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.

In 2013, Seguin was part of another run to the Stanley Cup final, but found himself embroiled in some on and off-ice controversies- he scored just once in 22 games and played far below what he was capable. On July 4, Chiarelli and the B’s traded him to Dallas in a deal that brought back numerous pieces and parts to Boston, none of which stuck past 2016. Seguin has gone on to have productive years with the Stars and signed a lucrative $9.85 million-per year extension through 2027. His response in the first year of that big contract? His lowest point total (50 in 69 games) since becoming a Star.

Jared Knight, whom the B’s drafted in the second round in 2010, wasn’t able to translate his junior potential into NHL success. After spending time in the AHL and the ECHL, he ended up playing in Denmark’s top pro league, scoring the Danish Cup championship-winning goal in 2017 and calling it a career.

The B’s drafted Niagara Ice Dogs defenseman Dougie Hamilton with the ninth overall selection in 2011, completing the Leafs trade and bringing in a legitimate 2-way presence with size, mobility and skill on the blue line. Three seasons into his NHL career, he was reportedly looking for a big raise and wanted out of Boston, so the B’s obliged, moving him to Calgary on the day of the 2015 draft, acquiring Calgary’s 1st choice (Zach Senyshyn) and a pair of 2nds (Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson- “JFK” and Jeremy Lauzon). Hamilton’s stint in Calgary last just three more seasons before he was on the move again- this time to Carolina in a multi-player deal involving defender Noah Hanifin. Hamilton posted 40 points in an injury-riddled 47-game season in 2019-20 for the Hurricanes, the best points-per-contest rate of his young career.

As for the Bruins, they are still waiting for Senyshyn to establish himself as an every day NHLer, while Lauzon is well on his way to becoming a solid, hard-nosed complementary role player on the Boston blue line. JFK played out his ELC after signing with the B’s late in 2017, and spending the next two seasons between the AHL in Providence and Boston. He played the 2019-20 campaign in Sweden, returning home rather than sign an extension. Although Boston still holds his NHL rights, the feeling here is that if he returns to North America, it will be with another club. He has battled post-concussion symptoms in his career to date, going back to his time in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers.

All of this goes back to Kessel, who until he went to Pittsburgh, was plagued by the paradox of having his most productive seasons result in poorer team results in Toronto. He silenced a lot of critics by going out and putting up 45 points in two playoff springs, adding a pair of championship rings to his resume. He’s always been an off-the-charts hockey talent, but as he ages, questions about his conditioning and commitment will continue to be raised, and his career-worst 38 points this past year will only inflame the situation.

The B’s don’t have a great deal to show for Kessel in the grand scheme, but they made the right pick and had some things happened differently, could have had a 80-90-point winger on their club at a time where a championship caliber core was in their prime.

What did the scouts say:

“As pure a natural sniper as you’ll find anywhere who can score in such a variety of ways…Blazing speed, quickness, lateral agility and hands are all magical…Circles like a shark ready to explode into its prey…devastating shot with a blurry fast release and uncanny accuracy…just average size, but plays well in traffic and is feisty.”- Red Line Report, 2006 NHL Draft Guide; 2^nd overall out of 291 players ranked.

“People are suggesting that Kessel didn’t have a good year. I don’t look at it this way. He stepped on the ice with 21 and 22 year-olds. Phil is not a big guy, and when you step on the ice with guys who are four and five years older than you in some cases, there’s an adjustment period to the physical part of the game. He wasn’t able to freewheel and do some of the things that he’s done in the past. I certainly believe he’ll be able to do that in the future as he catches up age-wise. As he gets into the flow of things physically and gets stronger, he’s going to go right back to being the explosive, dynamic player he’s always been.”- Ron Anderson, Chicago Blackhawks amateur scout, as told to ChicagoBlackhawks.com, June 16, 2006

“(Kessel) plays at such top speed, that he sees the ice really well. To play with him, you have to be a pretty good player, and you’d better be able to skate. In some instances, he didn’t have people who could keep up with him.”- Jeff Gorton, assistant GM, Boston Bruins to New England Hockey Journal, July 2006

 Who the Bruins targeted ahead of Kessel:

Nicklas Backstrom, C Brynas (Sweden)- Taken 4^th overall by Washington.

In a well-known YouTube video, Gorton approached Capitals GM George McPhee on the draft floor when Washington was about to go on the clock with an offer of Boston’s 1^st (5^th overall) and 2^nd (37^th overall) selections to move up one spot from five to four. When McPhee asked Gorton who the B’s were targeting, Gorton responded with a quiet but audible: “We want the Swede.”

The resulting exchange McPhee had at the Caps draft table made it clear how much Washington valued Backstrom. As a result, the Capitals passed on another early second-rounder (they would take Michal Neuvirth and forward Francois Bouchard back-to-back at 34 and 35) while passing on the chance to own the 37^th choice and six total picks (4, 23, 34, 35, 37 and 52)  in rounds 1-2. From Washington’s perspective, sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make.

Backstrom has been one of the Capitals’ greatest players in franchise history and along with Alex Ovechkin, the face of that team since he came into the league. The Capitals overcame decades of disappointment in 2018, winning their first Stanley Cup with a big impact from Backstrom’s 23 points in 20 games.

Yury Alexandrov, D: 2^nd round, 7^th selection, 37^th overall. (Severstal Cherepovets- Russia)

 The Bruins were hoping for a re-do on the disastrous selection of Swedish defenseman Lars Jonsson in 2000 when they passed on signing the seventh overall selection and as compensation, received the seventh pick of the 2006 draft’s second round.

In taking the slick puck-moving Russian d-man in Alexandrov (who turned 18 on draft day in Vancouver), Boston was getting a highly-touted player who ended up being a lot of sizzle, but not much steak. In perhaps what served as the tipping point for the club’s aversion to taking Russian players early in drafts from 2007 until they picked Alexander Khokhlachev 40^th overall in 2011, Alexandrov’s lack of success in Boston cannot be ascribed to any one factor, but could have been a far costlier draft mistake than it was.

From 2006-09, the B’s struggled to keep the lines of communication open with their first of two second-round picks in the draft, and given that Chiarelli was not yet on board in Boston when the choice was made, Alexandrov was essentially left to his own devices in the Russian elite pro league (which became the Kontinental Hockey League or KHL in 2008) with Cherepovets. However, a chance exchange with a Russian contact connected to Alexandrov’s agent resulted in him coming over to Boston for the 2009 prospects development camp, and we was signed by the B’s a year later.

Unfortunately for Alexandrov, he struggled to adapt and adjust to the North American game and demands on playing zone-oriented defense. Although he showed the promise of his vision and excellent passing ability in flashes, his average skating and lack of a physical game doomed him to mediocrity, and he returned to the KHL after just one year in the AHL with Providence.

The B’s dealt Alexandrov’s rights to the New York Islanders (along with prospect Marc Cantin) at the 2012 trade deadline.  The move served to shed contracts, allowing Boston to bring veteran Brian Rolston back to the team, where he finished out his NHL career with a first-round seven-game series defeat at the hands of the Capitals.

Alexandrov closes out a sad chapter in Bruins draft history…the team missed on seventh and 37^th picks in 2000 and 2006, getting a grand total of zero games between the two players they picked. If there is a silver lining, the team did get a short-term return with Rolston, and the decision to take Alexandrov over Lucic did not come back to bite the B’s.

What did the scouts say:

“Ultra smooth and calm with the puck with fabulous vision and passing skills…Crisp and decisive- moves the puck quickly…Plays a very fluid, intelligent, mistake-free game at both ends.” – Red Line Report, 2006 NHL Draft Guide; 21^st overall out of 291 players ranked.

 Milan Lucic, LW: 2^nd round, 20^th selection 50^th overall. (Vancouver Giants- WHL)

 The Vancouver native was greeted like a conquering hero at the General Motors Place when the Bruins called his name in the second round, but few had an inclination that he would become the kind of impact player he has developed into while wearing the spoked-B. Few, that is, save for the man who is most responsible for Boston’s decision to draft Lucic: Scott Bradley.

 That Lucic is a Bruin today speaks to the personal misfortune of Bradley, who was diagnosed with cancer before the 2005-06 season and had surgery, which kept him home in Vancouver instead of the normal global travel that top amateur scouts for NHL clubs engage in so they can see as many prospects as possible. Bradley instead saw far more games of the hometown Vancouver Giants of the WHL, where he came to notice a raw, rough-around-the-edges forward who was far more brawn than skill (or speed) at the time, but only appeared to be scratching the surface of what would prove to be immense power forward potential.

Acquired with a draft choice Boston received from the Edmonton Oilers as part of the 2006 trade deadline deal that sent fan favorite Sergei Samsonov out west, Lucic was not even invited to the B’s veteran/main training camp that fall, as he returned to the Giants after participating in several days of rookie camp practices and scrimmages in Wilmington, Mass.

A motivated Lucic posted a 30-goal season under then-coach Don Hay, then followed it up with a Memorial Cup championship (as host city club after losing the WHL championship to Medicine Hat) and tournament MVP honors.

While with the New England Hockey Journal, we were among the first to get on board with Lucic’s potential, publishing this write up just days after the 2006 draft:

“Scouts are almost unanimous in their praise of Lucic, who plays a high-energy, yet disciplined game on the ice. He loves to hit opponents hard and often, and relishes any challenge to drop the gloves and fight for his teammates. Unlike some one-dimensional enforcer types who lose sight of what is most important in hockey, Lucic is a prized commodity for any era: he plays a powerful, physical game with a mean streak, but also has the skill and intelligence to skate a regular shift. He can beat opponents with his fists one minute, but is involved in his club’s offense the next.”

If there was any hedge on projecting the rising star’s impact it was with how quickly he established himself in the NHL. At age 19, Lucic attended his first Boston main training camp and never played another amateur or minor league game afterwards, establishing himself as a rookie in 2007-08 and going on to earn instant cult status for his rugged playing style and willingness to take on any comers with his fists.

He helped his team win the 2011 championship in his home city of Vancouver, and then was key in Boston’s run to the final series two years later before the wheels came off against Chicago. His 19 points in 22 playoff games that spring was a career-high for him.

By the end of 2015, he had one year remaining on his contract and the Bruins knew that they would likely be unable (and unwilling) to meet the high price that Lucic was sure to command on the open unrestricted free agent market in 2016. So, on draft day 2015, Don Sweeney wheeled Lucic to Los Angeles for the Kings 1st-round pick (Jakub Zboril– 13th), goaltender Martin Jones and defenseman Colin Miller.

Jones was soon traded to San Jose for the Sharks’ 1st-rounder in 2016 (Trent Frederic) and Sean Kuraly, a transaction that continues the Cam Neely trade tree. Kuraly doesn’t score in volume, but dating back to his first taste of the NHL playoffs in 2017, he’s managed to score in the clutch. Frederic is a low-ceiling/high-floor prospect who has size, speed and toughness- he could end up being a fan favorite in Boston if he can establish himself as an every day roster player.

Miller, who was up and down in two seasons with the Bruins, was the player lost to the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draft. He posted a career high 41 points in the VGK inaugural season and run to the 2018 Stanley Cup final, but dipped in 2019 and was moved to the Buffalo Sabres.

All in all, Lucic gave the Bruins what they needed when they needed it. And, as his body started to show signs of wear and tear, the team smartly moved him when his value was still high. He had a solid 55-point season with the Kings, turning it into a lucrative free agent deal with Edmonton and old GM Chiarelli in 2016, but after a solid first season, Lucic’s game went south quickly. Now on the Flames, he is a shell of his former self- still tough and willing to play hard, but on the wrong side of 30 and his lack of speed/pace holding him back in the never faster NHL.

The recent setbacks aside, nothing should detract from what Lucic provided the Bruins in his hey day, capped by a championship for the first time in 39 years.

 

What did the scouts say:

“Broad-shouldered and ultra-tough winger who plays with a nasty edge…aggressive, angry style and is always looking for the big open-ice hit…very tough fighter- when he gets hit, he gets mad and just punches harder…a lumbering skater but has decent straight-line speed…slow acceleration and no lateral agility…surprisingly good hands and can finish in close.” – Red Line Report, 2006 NHL Draft Guide; 87^th overall out of 291 players ranked.

 “He’s a unique player that I think does a lot of the little things right. His hockey sense is a lot better than a lot of people think and he’s the type of player that’s going to go through the wall for you. Milan’s going to be a player. He knows what he needs to work on, but he’s got such good hockey sense and the work ethic to go with it.”- Bruins amateur scouting director Scott Bradley to the New England Hockey Journal, 2006

Did you know:

Lucic was ranked as the 13^th player in the “mid-round sleepers worth a look” category in Red Line Report’s 2006 NHL draft guide. The player listed just two spots later at 15 was current Bruins farmhand Carter Camper, who scored his 1^st NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators late in the 2011-12 season, but hasn’t been able to crack the Boston roster since.

 Brad Marchand, LW: 3^rd round, 8^th selection, 71^st overall (Moncton Wildcats- QMJHL)

It’s an improbable tale: a small, skilled and abrasive winger and third-round pick rising from junior standout and productive AHLer who started out on Boston’s fourth line a decade ago, to NHL super star and 100-point scorer. Although it wasn’t that simple, the general feeling is that since the day he arrived (after some turbulence at the end of the 2009-10 season as a spare part/call-up) Marchand has been a significant contributor to the B’s winning ways since the dawn of the 2010-11 regular season.

The Nova Scotian and speedy sparkplug rose to prominence during the 2006 postseason, when he helped lead the Moncton Wildcats to the QMJHL championship. Although the club came up short to the host Quebec Remparts at the Memorial Cup, the B’s liked Marchand’s upside enough to move up in the third round (they traded their fourth-round selection) to grab him.

Although Marchand was an at-times polarizing figure in junior, traded first from Moncton to Val-d’Or and then to his hometown Halifax Mooseheads where ended up disappointing in an underachieving playoff run, the abrasive winger also shined in helping Team Canada to a pair of World Jr. Championship gold medals in 2007 and 2008.

After turning pro and joining the Providence Bruins for the 2008-09 campaign, Marchand made a seamless transition. As had been the case throughout his junior career, elevated his play in the 2009 postseason, leading the team in scoring en route to a conference championship series appearance. His Boston career started slowly, as he notched just one assist (in his first NHL game) in 20 appearances while seeing spot duty on the fourth line and not even getting a shot on the depleted 2010 B’s playoff roster.

That set the stage for a spectacular resurgence during Boston’s 2010-11 Stanley Cup season, as Marchand worked his way onto the second line from the bottom unit, scoring 21 goals and adding 11 more in the playoffs. Marchand saved his best for last, as he was Boston’s most visible and productive player in the Stanley Cup final against Vancouver.

After proving himself in the clutch, Marchand continued to steadily rise in prominence not just on his team but across the league. Since 2016, he’s been among the NHL’s most productive forwards, putting up 357 points over that span. He’s battled suspensions and heavy criticism for some of his disruptive antics, but in the end, Marchand continues to prove his worth as a Boston core player and fan favorite.

Like Ken Linesman three decades earlier, Marchand has been more productive and earned a championship to boot, posting 646 points and counting in his NHL career, all of it spent in the Black and Gold.

What did the scouts say:

“We saw (Marchand) at the Memorial Cup and he was real successful. He tries so hard all the time. He’s got some skill and can really shoot the puck. He’s the kind of guy we think can work out with us.”- Gorton to New England Hockey Journal, July 2006

“I don’t know that Boston really wants him to be a Steve Ott or a Sean Avery-type guy. I think it’s part of his game. It’s an intangible in his game. He [ticks] guys off so much. He doesn’t pull any punches with the stuff he says. In saying that, with guys like Ott and Avery, you’re going to have to back it up. He’s had two fights this season. He’s a tough kid. It’s not like he’s going to shy away from it.”- Rob Murray, former Providence Bruins head coach, to Boston Globe, March 2009

2006 draft factoid:

Marchand and Lucic share the distinction of being the most productive players selected in their respective rounds of the ’06 draft, and it isn’t close.  Lucic’s 521 points are some 150 more than the next highest scorer, Artem Anisimov, drafted by the Rangers four spots later. Marchand’s 646 points outpace Cal Clutterbuck’s 236, and Marchand has done it in 73 fewer NHL games.

Andrew Bodnarchuk, D: 5^th round, 5^th selection, 128^th overall (Halifax Mooseheads- QMJHL)

 This childhood friend of Marchand’s left the Maritimes for the New England prep hockey scene. A standout at St. Paul’s (of B’s GM Sweeney is also an alumnus) in Concord, N.H. before deciding to pursue the major junior route over the NCAA, Bodnarchuk instead skated for his hometown Halifax team for three seasons.

Although undersized, Bodnarchuk forged a solid reputation as a gritty presence in junior with a penchant for moving the puck effectively and being a fine leader and team guy.  He posted an impressive 16 goals and 57 points in Halifax the year after being drafted, and turned pro along with Marchand for the 2008-09 AHL season.

Bodnarchuk’s mobility, smarts and edgy play earned him a brief, five-game callup to Boston late in the 2009-10 season, where he and Marchand were able to enjoy their first taste of the NHL together.

A ‘tweener who appears to be a rock solid player at the AHL level, but does not have the skill set to thrive as an NHL regular, Bodnarchuk was not tendered by Boston following the 2011-12 season and signed with Los Angeles. He played 37 NHL games between Columbus and Colorado from 2015-17. He has spent the previous two years playing in Germany’s top pro league.

What did the scouts say:

“Bodnarchuk’s an excellent skater and an aggressive player for his size or lack thereof. He gives an honest effort at all times, but lacks the physical strength to play the kind of style he wants.”- Kyle Woodlief, chief scout and publisher, Red Line Report to New England Hockey Journal, July 2006.

 

 Levi Nelson, C: 6^th round, 5^th selection, 158^th overall (Swift Current Broncos- WHL)

After Alexandrov, Nelson was the only other true draft miss from Boston’s Class of 2006.

A rugged forward coached by former Bruins defenseman Dean Chynoweth, Nelson brought an energetic, physical style despite lacking top-level hockey skills and sense. Described by one scout as a player you could wind up and send into the corners to obliterate opponents,  Nelson did not have an abundance of size (6-0, 195) or upside when the B’s drafted him as a project with their final selection.

Nelson spent two largely unremarkable seasons in Providence as a checking forward before being dealt to Tampa Bay for the rights to Juraj Simek.

He played pro in Europe before finishing his career in the UK with the Sheffield Steelers in 2018.

One for the road: 

 In one of Boston’s most critical trades of the last 25 years, Gorton, acting as the team’s top decision maker with Chiarelli still technically employed by the Ottawa Senators, pulled the trigger on getting Tuukka Rask from the Toronto Maple Leafs on draft day.

Gorton sent 2004 Calder Trophy winner Andrew Raycroft, who had struggled in the disastrous 05-06 season, to Toronto for Rask, the 21^st overall selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. As a Leaf, Raycroft posted one 37-win (non-playoff) season before losing his starting job to Vesa Toskala in 2007-08. He last played in the NHL for the Dallas Stars in 2011-12 and is a hockey analyst on NESN and solid social media presence.

According to Bradley, the B’s had targeted Rask the year before with their top pick, only to see Toronto snag him just one spot before Boston. They subsequently took defenseman Matt Lashoff (who along with Martins Karsums brought Mark Recchi, Dennis Seidenberg and Matt Bartkowski back to Boston in two separate deals) but never lost sight of the goal of acquiring Rask.

With Eddie Belfour on the outs, then Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. was looking for a more established veteran goaltender, and moved on Raycroft, reportedly offering Boston the choice between Rask and Justin Pogge, another Leafs prospect who was named the 2006 WJC MVP after a dazzling performance for Team Canada.

Boston chose wisely and got their man a year after initially targeting him.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Did you know? 

The man who sent Rask to the Bruins- John Ferguson Jr.– has been the team’s director of player personnel since 2014 and GM of the AHL’s Providence Bruins since 2016. He joined the B’s organization after helming San Jose’s pro scouting department from 2008-14.

You know the old saying…if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

 

The Scouts:

  Although Sean Coady was Boston’s Director of Pro Scouting and Player Development at the time, the focus of  the 2006 NHL Entry Draft was firmly in the realm of the team’s amateur scouting staff.

 Director of Amateur Scouting: Scott Bradley

The son of longtime Bruins scout Bart Bradley, Scott grew up around the team and earned his place in the organization by working his way up the ladder as a regional scout in Western Canada beginning in 1993. By 1997, Bradley was Boston’s chief amateur scout, a position he held through 2008, when he was promoted to the director of player personnel position, allowing the team to leverage his skills to bridge and coordinate the efforts between Boston’s amateur and pro scouting staffs.

Bradley, who was named assistant GM of the Bruins in 2014, remains to this day one of the most known and respected members of the NHL scouting fraternity.

 Amateur scouting staff:

 Nikolai Bobrov, Director of European Scouting

Adam Creighton

Otto Hascak

Mike McGraw

Tom Songin

Svenake ‘Sven’ Svensson

 

 The Grade: A+

Aside from 1979 and 1980, no other Bruins draft has provided the kind of impact players to the team’s core along with the long-term potential to continue paying off as the 2006 class.

In Kessel, Lucic and Marchand, the B’s hit on three out of four picks in the top-75. Although they didn’t maximize Kessel’s return, they hit on 2 of the 3 picks they acquired for him.

When you throw in Rask, who wasn’t a pick in 2006, but was a part of that draft’s overall success, one could make the argument that over a two-week period in late June/early July the Bruins did their most important work in terms of drafting, while signing Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard as unrestricted free agents. Although Savard’s career ended much too soon, the team put nearly every key core piece of a championship roster and perennial contender over a 14-day window.

 

 Remember when…2006

 

U.S. President: George W. Bush (43^rd)

 

Prime Minister of Canada: Paul Martin (21^st), Stephen Harper (22^nd)

 

Average cost of gallon of gas: $2.99

 

  Stanley Cup Champions: Carolina Hurricanes

 

Super Bowl Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers

 

World Series Champions: St. Louis Cardinals

 

NBA Champions: Miami Heat

 

Wimbledon Champions: Roger Federer/Amelie Mauresmo

 

NCAA Hockey Champions: Wisconsin Badgers

 

NCAA Football Champions: Florida Gators

 

NCAA Basketball Champions: Florida Gators

 

Kentucky Derby Winner: Barbaro

 

World Cup (soccer): Italy

 

#1 (highest gross) film of 2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

 

#1 Pop Single during 2006 NHL Draft: Hips Don’t Lie- Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean

#1 TV Show: American Idol (Fox)

Cost of a 30-second Superbowl ad: $2.5M