Get to Know the Boston Bruins’ 2026 NHL Draft Class

BUFFALO –– The Boston Bruins welcomed seven new prospects to the organization this weekend through the 2026 NHL Draft, which took place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

“Certainly want to thank the staff for everything they’ve done, all the work that goes into the kind of hectic of today for us. We feel like we addressed some stuff here,” said Ryan Nadeau, the Bruins’ director of amateur scouting. “We were able to make a number of picks, probably more volume than we’ve had recently. We hit a few areas that we had targeted, certain players.” 

Get to know the B’s 2026 draft class below.

​Yuri Ivanov –– Second Round, 56th Overall

Yuri Ivanov, the 17-year-old goaltender, was the Bruins’ first selection at the 2026 NHL Draft after they traded their first-round pick (23rd overall) to the Utah Mammoth on Friday as part of the deal for JJ Peterka.

“Certainly we’re cognizant of the public lists and what’s out there, but for us, we’ve got to look at the attributes and value the players the way we value them. We had the opportunity to watch him play live a number of times,” Nadeau said. “We watched him on video, we tracked him. Certainly as the year went on, we got a little bit more excited about his game…We’re just really excited about where his game could get to.” 

Ivanov, who stands at 6-foot-2, 165 pounds, was ranked No. 10 amongst international goalies by NHL Central Scouting. The Moskva, Russia, native played the majority of the 2025-26 season in the MHL for MHK Spartak Moskva. Ivanov posted a 2.62 goals against average and .924 save percentage through 17 games.

Nils Bartholdsson –– Third Round, 88th Overall

Nils Bartholdsson is an 18-year-old forward (right wing) from Halmstad, Sweden. He spent most of the 2025-26 season with Rögle BK U20, of the Swedish U20 Nationell League, where he had 42 points (23 goals, 19 assists) through 32 games.

“Really competitive kid, plays a gritty type of game. Good at carrying pucks through the neutral zone, likes to get pucks on net,” Nadeau said. “Not shy about shooting, not shy about competing on pucks. Just a player type that we value. We are happy to be able to take that pick where we did.” 

Bartholdsson had a dominant playoff performance, logging 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in nine games, before getting called up to Rögle BK in the SHL for a few matchups. Bartholdsson is 5-foot-11 and 179 pounds.

Matvei Kotkov –– Fourth Round, 104th Overall

Matvei Kotkov, the 17-year-old forward, played the 2025-26 season in the MHL with Loko Yaroslavl. He had 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists) through 36 regular-season games. The Yekaterinburg, Russia native was Loko Yaroslavl’s playoff MVP, garnering 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in 18 games en route to winning his team’s fourth Kharlamov Cup. Kotkov is 6 feet and 183 pounds.

Oscar Olsson –– Fourth Round, 122nd Overall

Like Bartholdsson, Oscar Olsson played in the U20 Nationell League during the 2025-26 season. The Stockholm, Sweden native had 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) through 32 games with Örebro HK U20. The 18-year-old forward has good size, standing at 6-foot-4 and 187 pounds.

Jacob Vandeven –– Fifth Round, 157th Overall

Jacob Vandeven, 18, finished the 2025-26 season in the OHL, skating in eight games with the London Knights after signing a Scholarship & Development Agreement with the team in April. Before that, the 6-foot-6, 207-pound defenseman played in the GOJHL with the Komoka Kings and had 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) through 47 games.

Roberto Henriquez –– Sixth Round, 170th Overall

The Bruins traded their 111th overall pick (fourth round) to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 170th overall (sixth round) pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick from Winnipeg. With the 170th pick, Boston selected Roberto Henriquez. The 19-year-old goaltender, who was born in Bratislava, Slovakia, spent the 2025-26 season in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers. He had a 2.22 GAA and .921 SV% through 37 games. Henriquez (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) is set to attend Boston College to play NCAA hockey next season.

“We love his competitiveness. A kid who had a real strong year in Green Bay. Battles hard. Like the athleticism. Just a kid who made a jump from last year, who was on our radar pretty early with some play, with the way he can attack pucks,” Nadeau said. “We couldn’t go a draft without picking a BC guy.”

Cullen McCrate –– Seventh Round, 216th Overall

​Cullen McCrate, the right-shot defenseman, was the Bruins’ final pick at the 2026 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old from Adrian, Michigan, played the 2025-26 season in the USHL with the Fargo Force. McCrate had 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) through 61 games. He is committed to play NCAA hockey at Michigan State University.

Wait, There’s More

• The Bruins acquired Peterka from the Utah Mammoth on Friday in exchange for Boston’s 2026 first-round (23rd overall) draft pick and Florida’s 2028 first-round selection. Peterka is entering the second season of his five-year, $38.5 million ($7.7 million average annual value) contract.

• The Bruins also acquired forward Ivan Ivan from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Fabian Lysell. Ivan, 23, appeared in 66 games with the Colorado Eagles (AHL) during the 2025-26 season, recording 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points. General manager Don Sweeney on Ivan: “He’s played games, he’s got experience, he’s got versatility to his game. Here’s a player who has worked his way from an undrafted player, to a tryout, to an AHL deal, to playing the amount of games now he has on a really good team…A change of scenery for him will be welcome, and he’ll come and compete for a job here.” 

• Next up for the Bruins is Development Camp, which opens on Monday at Warrior Ice Arena. Sweeney said “the vast majority” of the 2026 draft class will be in attendance.