Boston made five selections, including four forwards, in Nashville
ByElaine Cavalieri and Eric Russo @Elaine_Cav & @erusso22 / BostonBruins.com
NASHVILLE -The Bruins made five selections during the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena, selecting four forwards and a defenseman. Here's a closer look at each of the picks:
Christopher Pelosi, Third Round (92nd Overall)
Last Team: Janesville Jets (NAHL)/Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
Position: Center
Height: 6 feet, 2 inches
Weight: 185 pounds
Shoots: Left
Birthday: March 6, 2005
Hometown: Sewell, New Jersey
Central Scouting Rank: 127th (North American Skaters)
Miscellaneous:
"I just got home from the rink, and I sat down to throw on the draft and I saw my name pop up right away, I was pretty pumped," Pelosi said when asked how he got the good news.
The 6-foot-1 centerman prides himself on his versatility, saying "l'm a pretty good offensive forward but I can also play in all three zones. I'm also able to use my stick in battles and stuff to fish that puck out and not get myself pinned along the wall."
Pelosi won't be too far from Boston come next fall, as he gets set to join the most recent NCAA National Championship team at Quinnipiac University.
"Everything was right there, right where you need it, the gym was brand new, the rink was right there, they had a shooting spot," Pelosi, who grew up playing against the son of Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold, on his decision to commit to the Bobcats. "It was everything I needed."
In terms of what the summer looks like for Pelosi, he remains focused on the future ahead.
"I'm just going to keep working hard and hopefully take some big steps this summer and prove a lot of people wrong," he said.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said that type of "conviction" was among the attributes that stood out when profiling the centerman.
"We think it's 200-feet in detail, a little bit of a different path over the course of the year," said Sweeney. "We like the conviction in the young man to sort of take the setback in stride and pick himself up and move forward and then realize that.
"I don't think that he necessarily thought he was going to be in the lineup every night and then [Sioux Falls] brought him up for a couple of games and next thing you know you can't get him out.
"He ingratiated himself in that way and just kept getting better and our guys just continued to appreciate it."
Beckett Hendrickson, Fourth Round (124th Overall)
Last Team: U.S National Under-18 Team
Position: Forward
Height: 6 feet, 2 inches
Weight: 174 pounds
Shoots: Left
Birthday: June 24, 2005
Hometown: Minnetonka, Minnesota
Central Scouting Rank:67th (North American Skaters)
Miscellaneous:
The 6-foot-1, 174-pound forward is following in his father Darby Hendrickon's footsteps by committing to the University of Minnesota. Darby played two years for Minnesota from 1991-93 before going on to play 11 years in the NHL, including four with the Minnesota Wild, for whom he has served as an assistant coach for the past 12 seasons.
"It's just so special to have him and I think he's done a really good job of putting no pressure on me," said Hendrickson. "I'm just really fortunate to have him as a father."
Growing up around the NHL locker room came with some perks for the younger Hendrickson, as he was able to see what it took to be an NHL player. Hendrickson added that he has played against Bruins prospects Mason Langenbrunner and Cole Spicer over the years and worked out at times with former B's first-rounder Johnny Beecher at the USNTDP. He is also a family friend of Providence blue liner Mike Reilly.
"I got to know Matt Boldy a little bit growing up and I know he's a young player," Hendrickson said of the Milford, Massachusetts native, who was drafted by the Wild in 2019. "But you grow up around guys like Mikko Koivu and those kind of guys, and you just kind of see how they are off the ice and how they take the time to go and talk to you and stuff…it's just so special to have my dad and I was very lucky to grow up going in the locker room."
Having a former NHLer and current coach as a dad also came in handy during the COVID-19 pandemic. With gyms and rinks closed, Hendrickson and his father would run sprints at the high school in town, saying that helped him stay in shape, as long as it wasn't too early in the morning.
"He works out at like 6 a.m. every morning and he tries to get me up sometimes, but that's a little too early for me," Hendrickson said with a smile.
Although a Wild fan at heart, Hendrickson is proud to be shifting allegiances.
"It's an honor," said Hendrickson, who added that he had a strong interview with the Bruins at the NHL Scouting Combine earlier this month. "I mean, you're just sitting there with your family and friends and there is just so much going through your mind and when it finally comes…I honestly have no words for it, it's just such an honor I'm so excited and I just couldn't be happier to join the organization.
"I think they are a class act organization and just walking out of [the Combine], I thought it was a really good interview. And I think that for me, personally, I just try to be myself in all interviews and I think I did a really good job at that.
"I try to bring some personality to them and stuff like that. So, I think it was a good interview."
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said that Hendrickson's "work ethic and high motor" stood out as the Minnesota native's calling cards.
"The details of the game, the respect for the game, being the lifelong…I guess the son of a former NHL player and a coach, and he went through some challenges personally with the loss of a close friend, he spoke about that," said Sweeney. "[He] has empathy which I appreciate, along with a really strong work ethic.
"He had a little injury that might have affected a little bit of an opportunity for production, but sometimes at the Development Program guys get slotted in a bit. Let's be honest, the high-end side of that, the top two lines there are pretty skilled, but he's got a lot of details in his game that we appreciate.
"We even spoke about it at the Combine, it's things that his dad just reinforces that you have to have, and Darby was that way, so that resonated with us."
🎥 #NHLBruins fourth-round pick Beckett Hendrickson: "I mean, you’re just sitting there with your family and friends and there is just so much going through your mind and when it finally comes…I honestly have no words for it, it’s just such an honor. I’m so excited.” pic.twitter.com/sbSFO6ExEO
"This whole experience right now has been an absolute dream come true," said Walsh, who added he had strong and consistent communication with the Bruins and scout Jeff Barratt throughout the draft process. "I mean if you're looking at the Bruins, the history behind Boston and the team and everything is unbelievable. So, to be drafted by them is really an honor.
"There's a lot of emotions going through my mind right now, but all excitement and I'm really looking forward to getting to meet [everyone] and get going with the staff there."
While Walsh may not be the fastest on the ice, the 19-year-old is always going to try to make the right play and be poised with the puck. He likes to model his game after long-time NHL center Joe Pavelski.
"I think we have a very similar game," said Walsh. "He has good eyes for the puck, he has hockey awareness, he's a good passer. I also like to get to the dirty areas. He's a very good passer, one of the best in the league and I take pride in my passing, so that's also one of the aspects. He has great vision of the ice. That's a guy that I've always modeled myself after.
"I'm a playmaker, I have good IQ, that's one of my main assets and I'm a good passer. So, I'm definitely a playmaker. I'm not afraid to shoot the puck. If the opportunity is there, I'm definitely letting a shot go, but definitely like to set up other teammates and make the right pass.
"And I'm a 200-foot player, I take pride in faceoffs, and I'm very defensively sound in the D-zone. That's something I take pride in is you have to have good defense to create good offense."
As such, Walsh has made sure to look up to Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron as well.
"Oh, absolutely," said Walsh. "Look, he just won best defensive forward of the year, so that's definitely something I model my game after…definitely a big appreciation for him and he's won it four, five, six times now, I don't even know what it is.
"It's pretty crazy how consistent he is and if you look at the success that [the Bruins] just had, setting franchise records and everything like that, he's a big part of that. So, that's just another thing that proves that good defense leads to good offense."
In terms of things Walsh wants to improve on, he is starting with his skating. "I definitely started working on my skating a lot, definitely needs some improvements still, but that's one of my big points of emphasis," said Walsh. "There are always things to improve on, there's always someone better than you in every category. I've worked a lot on my shot, that's a big one as well."
Walsh will get the chance to build his game this fall when he takes the step to college hockey to join Cornell.
"I think one of the things I wanted to work on this year was my patience with the puck, just not throwing the puck away," said Walsh. "So, that was one of my main emphasis this year, just holding onto pucks, cutting back…I think I made big improvements there."
Sweeney said that the Bruins' area scouts were pleased with Walsh's choice to continue on to college hockey.
"Yeah, again, a little bit of a longer trajectory there, the area guys really feel strongly about his path," said Sweeney. "He's going to go to Cornell next year and, probably, as a young player make an impact there and to see the progression he made in one year in [the USHL], that speaks to us."
Casper Nassen, Seventh Round (214th Overall)
Last Team: Vasteras IK J20
Position: Forward
Height: 6 feet, 4 inches
Weight: 205 pounds
Shoots: Right
Birthday: April 11, 2004
Hometown: Norrtalje,Sweden
Central Scouting Rank: 138th (European Skaters)
Miscellaneous:
"You look at Nassan and the size and the shooting ability and just have to continue to apply the resources for him, so he continues to move along with his development," said Sweeney.
Kristian Kostadinski, Seventh Round (220th Overall)
Last Team: Frolunda HC J20
Position: Defense
Height: 6 feet, 5 inches
Weight: 214 pounds
Shoots: Left
Birthday: May 20, 2005
Hometown: Goteborg, Sweden
Central Scouting Rank: 62nd (European Skaters)
Miscellaneous:
"Kostadinski did play on the national scene, so he was seen by a lot of cross over people," said Sweeney. "Size is a thing that stands out, competitiveness. [European Scouting Coordinator P.J Axelsson] and [European scout Victor Nybladh] and our Swedish guys spending time with him, realizing that he knows that he has deficiencies and he's willing to work on them, and he has a great work ethic, so excited about it."
