Why 2023 Draft remains important to Bruins, even without first-round pick

Unless the Boston Bruins make a few more trades in the next 36 hours, they won't be very active in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Boston's first-round pick was used to acquire defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals on Feb. 23. The Bruins' second-round pick was part of the package that landed them defenseman Hampus Lindholm from the Anaheim Ducks before the trade deadline in 2022. The B's fifth-rounder was one of two draft picks they sent to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for forward Tyler Bertuzzi in March.

All of these moves paid dividends for the Bruins. Lindholm is a legit first-pairing defenseman and tallied a career-high 53 points last season. He finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting. Orlov, Hathaway and Bertuzzi were great fits on the 2022-23 squad, even though the Bruins' record-breaking season ended in disaster with a first-round exit to the Florida Panthers.

The Bruins' all-in approach to 2022-23 has left the franchise without many draft picks this year and moving forward. Boston is without a first-rounder until 2025, and it won't pick in the second round until 2026.

Despite the lack of a first- or second-round pick, the 2023 draft remains an important one for the Bruins. They own picks in the third and fourth rounds, and even though the chances of drafting a quality player in that range of the draft are lower than the first and second rounds, they can still be found.

In fact, the Bruins have done a pretty decent job in the third and fourth rounds over the last decade or so.

They selected center Brett Harrison in the third round (85th overall) in 2021. Harrison has developed nicely and tallied 69 points in 57 games between the Oshawa Generals and Windsor Spitfires last season. Jakub Lauko was a fourth-round pick in 2018 and could be a fourth-line forward for the Bruins next season. The two best recent examples of the Bruins finding useful players in the third and fourth rounds are Jeremy Swayman and Matt Grzelcyk.

Swayman is a top 15 goalie in the league and could be the team's undisputed No. 1 as soon as next season. He finished fourth in both save percentage and GAA in 2022-23. The University of Maine product was a fourth-round pick (111th overall) in 2017. Grzelcyk is a very good offensive defenseman who consistently drives puck possession and scoring chances at a high rate during 5-on-5 action. He has spent considerable time on the Bruins' No. 1 pairing alongside Charlie McAvoy. Grzelcyk was a third-round pick (85th overall) in 2012.

Danton Heinen was a fourth-round pick of the Bruins in 2014 and has scored 10-plus goals in four seasons. He has been a solid bottom-six forward for the Bruins, Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins in recent years.

If you go back even further, the Bruins selected Brad Marchand in the third round at No. 71 overall in 2006 -- the same year they drafted Phil Kessel (first round) and Milan Lucic (second round).

Looking at the league as a whole, there have been plenty of good players taken in the third and fourth rounds since 2010, including several key contributors to Stanley Cup-winning teams.

It's unfair to expect the Bruins to find a star like Brayden Point in the third or fourth round this week. But could they find someone like his Lightning teammate Anthony Cirelli, who has been a pivotal bottom-six forward and penalty killer for two Cup-winning teams? What about a solid two-way defenseman like Brett Pesce or Devon Toews? Toews was a top-four defenseman on the Colorado Avalanche squad that won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

The fact that the Bruins don't have many first- or second-round picks in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 drafts makes hitting on the selections they do own in the middle rounds even more important, especially when you consider that their group of prospects ranks among the league's worst. The Athletic's latest prospect pool rankings from January ranked the Bruins 30th out of 32 teams.

The Bruins don't have to hit a huge home run with their 2023 third- and fourth-round picks (although that obviously would be a huge help). They just need to get players who can be NHL regulars and fill specific roles.

Failing to draft well has hurt the Bruins' depth in many of their playoff runs over the last 15 years. Reversing that trend, beginning in 2023, could go a long way in helping the franchise enjoy plenty of success over the next 15 years.