What You Need to Know About the First Player the Bruins Picked in the 2022 NHL Draft

What you need to know about Bruins' second-round pick Matthew Poitras originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins have made their first pick of the 2022 NHL Draft, and they targeted a huge position of need.

Boston selected Guelph Storm center Matthew Poitras with the No. 54 overall pick (second round).

2022 NHL Draft tracker: Here's every Bruins pick from all seven rounds

Poitras is listed at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds. He tallied 50 points (21 goals, 29 assists) in 68 games for Guelph last season -- his first campaign in the OHL. He is a quality playmaker and plays the game with tremendous pace. Poitras' skill set is well-suited for today's up-tempo NHL.

More on Poitras- sitting next to a scout based in Ontario who filled me in: High skills, hockey IQ, slick wheels. Needs to get stronger. Wall play is a big area he can improve by being more engaged physically. However- he brings needed offense & creativity to the system.

— Kirk Luedeke (@kluedeke29) July 8, 2022

The 18-year-old forward was ranked No. 45 among North American skaters by the NHL's Central Scouting. He was ranked in the 70s on most pre-draft lists (among all players).

The Bruins badly needed an infusion of depth and talent at center throughout their organization. Boston entered the draft without any top-tier center prospects, which isn't good given the age of captain Patrice Bergeron (36). 

Poitras won't make an impact at the NHL level next season. He'll likely going back to the Storm for another year in the OHL.