Corey Pronman details what to expect from the Boston Bruins’ new prospects and how they fit into the farm system.
2024 Draft Grade: C+
I liked what the Bruins did at the draft this season given how few picks they had. Dean Letourneau is full of potential. Even if there is a lot of uncertainty in how he’ll perform at higher levels, he has the tools to be a top-six NHL forward if his development goes well. Jonathan Morello was one of my favorite mid-round picks. He is a clear NHL athlete along with Elliott Groenewold, and I could see one of them playing NHL games.
Advertisement
Draft Class
25. Dean Letourneau, C, St. Andrew’s College (PHC)
February 21, 2006 | 6′ 7″ | 214 pounds
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Player comparable: Michael Rasmussen
Analysis: Letourneau was a dominant player at the prep level this season and one of the very best pro prospects to come through St. Andrew’s College. His toolkit is rather unique. He skates very well for 6-foot-7. That he has a legit offensive touch to go with his feet is what makes him so appealing for his pro projection. He can dangle defenders at full flight and create a lot of scoring chances. Letourneau isn’t a high-energy compete and some scouts question his effort at times, but he gets to the middle well enough and isn’t afraid of using his body. The debate on Letourneau will be how real his offense is. The athleticism is obvious, but is he actually NHL smart or does he have NHL scoring ability? It’s so hard to pinpoint at the low level of competition he faced all season. He could be Tage Thompson, but he could be Joe Colborne or Riley Tufte. I think he ends somewhere in the middle.
Thoughts on the pick: Boston takes a big swing at 25, pun intended, on one of the most purely talented players in the draft. Letourneau is 6-foot-7, skates well for a big man and has legit skill. If he hits, he has the potential to be a top-six center. But it’s so hard to gauge his hockey sense and compete given he played prep hockey all season. Time will tell how it goes for him, but he’s a very good player and worth the gamble at 25.
110. Elliott Groenewold, LHD, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
February 4, 2006 | 6′ 2″ | 201 pounds
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Advertisement
Analysis: Groenewold didn’t post huge statistical numbers for Cedar Rapids this season but still looked very good for them. He was also a part of USA’s World Jr. A Challenge roster. Groenewold is an excellent skater. He has a smooth and powerful stride that easily picks up speed. He escapes pressure and skates pucks up ice like an NHL player. His pure puck game is just OK. He’s not a true playmaker by any means, but he can make an OK first pass and that he can make plays on the move gives some assurance that he can play in the pros. He’s a very good defender due to how quickly he closes on pucks but whether he’ll have even a little bit of offense is what makes me unsure if he’ll be an NHL player.
154. Jonathan Morello, F, St. Michael’s Buzzers (OJHL)
July 31, 2006 | 6′ 3″ | 192 pounds
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Morello didn’t have a huge season in the OJHL after a strong 16-year-old campaign, but he was an important part of his World Jr A. team for Canada East. Morello is an excellent skater, and if he makes the NHL it’ll be due to his feet. He has a technically smooth stride and a ton of power from his legs. Morello attacks with speed and gains the zone often with the puck due to having a solid skill level. Whether there is going to be a ton of offense in his game at higher levels is the question. He has good hands and can shoot the puck, but he lacks vision with the puck and doesn’t have a ton of offensive creativity. As an average-sized forward, I don’t see a clear NHL role for him yet, but he has the tools to be a bottom-six forward if he plays well off the puck against better players.
186. Loke Johansson, LHD, AIK J20 (J20 Nationell)
December 14, 2005 | 6′ 3″ | 214 pounds
Advertisement
Beat writer’s analysis
The Bruins checked off multiple boxes in Las Vegas. Their first move was picking the 6-foot-7 center Letourneau at No. 25, the pick that cost them Linus Ullmark and required them to take back Joonas Korpisalo. The franchise’s work with Justin Brazeau, another skilled right-shot forward, played a part in bringing Letourneau into the organization.
Letourneau was originally headed to the USHL in 2024-25. But after Will Smith left Boston College following his freshman season, the Eagles accelerated Letourneau’s timeline. The 18-year-old should get plenty of reps for coach Greg Brown, who saw both Smith and Cutter Gauthier sign their NHL deals. BC will be a good place for Letourneau to develop details such as strength on the puck, checking and competing. They were not necessarily priorities at St. Michael’s College, where Letourneau’s size and skill took over.
“He’s going to face a much steeper depth of lineups and quality competition,” general manager Don Sweeney told reporters in Las Vegas on Friday. “That’s going to be the adjustment.”
As for Groenewold, Morello and Johansson, time will determine whether they develop into possible NHLers. The Bruins have been short on volume of picks because of previous trades. In that way, Groenewold, Morello and Johansson were critical to resupplying a shallow prospect pool.
(Photo of Dean Letourneau: Jeff Speer / Getty Images)
