Bruins to find out draft fate in Monday’s lottery

On Monday night we ll find out if the Bruins will be happy with where they re picking in June s draft or very happy The National Hockey League will hold its draft lottery and depending on the outcome the B s can pick between No or No By virtue of their fifth-worst finish the B s have the fifth-best shot at landing the top pick They have an chance at landing the top pick an chance at getting the second pick a chance at the third pick no chance of picking fourth a chance of staying put at the fifth pick a chance at dropping to sixth and a chance at picking seventh Should the B s land the top pick the consensus best athlete available is Erie Otters OHL defenseman Matthew Schaefer a -foot- -pound do-it-all D-man who was on his way to spectacular season - - in games when he suffered a broken collarbone at the World Junior Championships in December But his play was promising enough to put him at No on majority of draftniks boards While any company can use a defenseman who draws comparisons to Miro Heiskanen like Schaefer has the B s imperative to draft and develop a No centerman is the largest part pressing organizational need Whether or not Michael Misa will turn out to be that top line center the left-shot pivot had a stunningly good season for the Saginaw Spirit OHL when he posted - - totals in games though he did have a disappointing playoff - - and minus- in four games If the B s win the top pick it would not be a shock if they decide to take Misa If they land the second pick it s a good bet that Misa s still there After that he ll be gone There are still intriguing pivots remaining after Misa however There is of program Boston College s James Hagens He began the year projected as the top pick but was overtaken by others There is particular concern about his size - and his ability to work in inside ice but he was also just years old when the college season started and there is no denying his elite skill level He had - - totals in games as an Eagle freshman He may not project to be a transformational contestant but he ll be a top-six forward If you advised Bruins fans at the start of the season that they d have a shot of landing Hagens they would have been quite happy A athlete who has gained traction down the stretch has been Moncton Wildcat QMJHL center Caleb Desnoyers helped no doubt by Moncton s rampage through the Quebec league s playoffs With Desnoyers leading the way - - in regular season games - - in playoff games Moncton has swept two series and won the other one in five games Winning matters and Desnoyers contributes to that goal at both ends of the ice There s no doubt the B s brass has seen plenty of him given that he s a teammate of Bruin draftee defenseman Loke Johansson sixth round Center Anton Frondell Djurgardens Sweden is the top-rated European and may be more NHL-ready than largest part prospects by virtue of the fact that he s already playing with men in Sweden s second division After battling through certain early season injuries he had - - in games with Djurgardens and has good size -foot- pounds though he s not the fleetest of skaters He s played wing as well and one comparable for Frondell has been Gabriel Landeskog Like the greater part Swedes he s strong defensively If it s big centermen you like there s Brandon Wheat Kings WHL Roger McQueen -foot- pounds Though McQueen remains highly rated he missed greater part of the season with a back injury which no doubt would be a red flag for the majority teams When healthy he has produced He had - - totals in games once he returned and in - he had - - in games The B s must hit on this pick wherever it falls and this might be too big a chance to take On top of that they selected the same body type last year in BC centerman Dean Letourneau After being the Canadian Hockey League Rookie of the Year in Brantford Bulldog OHL center Jake O Brien followed that up with a strong season - when he posted - - totals in games He s slender at -foot- pounds but he has a good two-way event One concern is that over half of his production points came on the man advantage He might be a reach at No if the B s drop to that spot but given their need for a center O Brien could attract the B s at that spot One more name to keep in mind Porter Martone He s not a centerman but he s a commodity the B s consistently covet power forward At - pounds the Brampton Steelhead right wing had an excellent OHL season posting - - totals While his truculence may not be that of say Tom Wilson he does use his size to get to hard areas of the ice He also rose late with TSN s Bob McKenzie rating him third behind only Schaefer and Misa Whatever pick the lottery gives them the B s should get a good prospect But keep in mind there is not a Macklin Celebrini in this draft It s a strong bet the prospect they draft will remain just that at least for another year