The Boston Bruins are not expected to take part in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday night in Nashville.
Unless they make a trade to acquire a first-round pick, the Bruins will have not made a selection in Round 1 in four of the last six drafts, including each of the last two (2022 and 2023). The Bruins also don't own their 2024 first-round pick unless it falls inside the top 10.
The B's made a decision in recent years to mortgage draft capital to win in the short term. It was the right move, but now the bill has come due.
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The Bruins could still jump back into the first round, though. There are a bunch of teams with multiple first-round picks Wednesday night, and perhaps they might be interested in trading one in exchange for multiple assets.
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Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has been a busy man this week. He's already completed multiple trades. Could he make another to get his team a first-rounder Wednesday night?
"Difficult task on the doorstep (of the first round), but we've had some conversations," Sweeney told reporters in Nashville on Tuesday afternoon.
"I don't necessarily know if there will be a lot of traction between now and then, you just never know. We've had some opportunities, but obviously we made a move (Monday) that sort of put us in pause motion for a little bit in terms of regrouping and how we're going to fill out the rest of the roster as a result of losing two quality individuals."
The Bruins don't have a lot of ammo to acquire a first-rounder. Their prospect pool ranks among the weakest in the league, and they don't have many early picks in upcoming drafts they could dangle, either. Boston doesn't own a first-rounder until 2025, and it doesn't own a second-rounder until 2026.
The 2023 draft is loaded with high-end talent, so if there's a year to make a bold move back into Round 1, this would be a good one. But the Bruins would be better served using their best trade assets to acquire NHL-ready talent and veterans who can impact the team as soon as next season.