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Bruins mock draft: Boston lands ‘top-four presence’ with perfect mentor
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- Bruins mock draft: Boston lands ‘top-four presence’ with perfect mentor
The Bruins won't pick in the Top 10 of next month's NHL Draft unless they swing a trade.
Though they owned the rights to Toronto's first-rounder, that pick was top-five protected, and the lottery balls didn't bounce Boston's way. The Maple Leafs will both keep their pick and select No. 1 overall.
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So where does that leave the Bruins?
Don Sweeney and company only have one first-rounder now and are slotted to pick at No. 23. In a mock draft at The Athletic, the Bruins use that pick on Adam Goljer, a right-handed defenseman from Slovakia.
"Goljer is trending up with teams after a strong worlds and the Bruins haven't picked a defenseman in the first round in a decade," Corey Pronman wrote. "Goljer skates well, breaks up plays effectively, and makes a good first pass, even if he doesn't project as a major offensive driver. He projects to become a dependable top-four presence on the Bruins' blue line."
Goljer is already listed at 6-foot-3 and weighs 194 pounds. As a 17-year-old, Goljer played for Dukla Trencin in the Slovak Extraliga last season, scoring four goals and adding seven assists in 43 games.
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If the Bruins do opt to draft Goljer, Zdeno Chara should prove a valuable resource. Chara, now a hockey operations advisor and mentor in Boston, is considered the greatest Slovakian defenseman of all time.
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