The Boston Bruins could face yet another NHL Draft complication. In earlier posts, the situation involving the potential loss of the 2026 first-round originally belonging to the Toronto Maple Leafs has been explored.
While Boston won’t lose the pick necessarily, the conditions could lead that pick to get punted down the field. Well, the Bruins face another situation with another first-round pick.
This time, the potential draft complication involves the Florida Panthers. But first, a little context.
When Boston traded Brad Marchand to the Panthers last season, the return was a conditional 2027 second-round pick.
What was the condition?
If the Panthers won two rounds in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, and Marchand played in at least 50% of those games, the pick would convert into a 2027 first-round pick.
The Panthers won the Cup, and Marchand played in every game throughout that round. The pick became a first-rounder. Not a bad deal for the Bruins to say the least.
However, most folks didn’t read the fine print (there’s always the fine print). The pick is top-10 protected. And guess what? The Panthers are having a terrible season this year. Now, this year doesn’t influence the pick in question as that’s a 2027 first-rounder. But what if the Panthers bottom out next year? If the Cats suddenly descend into rebuild territory, the Bruins could find themselves having to wait to use their pick.
Another Team Has Claim on Bruins’ Pick
By virtue of conditions, the Panthers actually have another team with a claim on their original 2027 first-round pick.
Last season, the Panthers pledged their 2026 first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in the deal that sent defenseman Seth Jones to South Florida. The deal seemed straightforward. The Panthers looked rock solid to finish strong this season. No one thought the Panthers would be in Lottery Pick territory.
But here they are. That 2026 pick is also top-10 protected. As such, the Panthers could recover their pick this season. While projections show the Cats picking 11th, they could move up into the top 10. That would allow the Panthers to recover their 2026 first-rounder and send their unprotected 2027 pick to Chicago.
Meanwhile, the Bruins end up getting an unprotected 2028 pick.
That’s quite a conundrum that the club faces. They could lose their 2026 first from the Toronto Maple Leafs and their 2027 first from the Panthers.
But there might be a silver lining.
Boston Could Have Two Solid First-Rounders in 2028
Even if the Bruins missed out on the 2026 and 2027 first-rounders, the club could end up with two solid first-rounders in 2028. Assuming the Leafs and Panthers continue on their downward trajectory, Boston could end up with two unprotected first-rounders. If, let’s say, the Leafs and Panthers end up picking in the top 10 in 2028, the Bruins could have two top-10 picks in 2028.
While 2028 may seem like a decade away, it might not be the worst thing in the world. The Bruins will need to replenish their prospect pool at some point soon. They managed that last season with the picks they got. The club will have more picks this year. But those two additional first-rounders in 2028? They could very well set up the Bruins for success down the road.