Don Sweeney admits to the media he's fumbled a blockbuster

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Joshua Deeds
July 1, 2024 (5:56 PM)

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The Boston Bruins were in a unique position in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, they could've moved back in the draft and acquired a better player.

Instead they stuck with the 25th overall, they received from the Linus Ullmark trade and draft 6'7" Center, Dean Letourneau.

However, Sweeney freely admits they had chances to move back in the draft but didn't even consider the possibility of doing so:

«When Dean was still on the board,» Sweeney told reporters, per team-provided video. «We had several opportunities to slide back. We saw a couple of teams do that same thing in terms of where the draft was heading. Our guys from Day 1 were excited that he may be there. Again, you can never just be focused on one player, but I think had he not been there, we might have been supportive of a move back.»

Letourneau could've went to another team, as many other NHL teams were eager to trade down in the draft, including the Philadelphia Flyers at one point.

Instead, the Bruins stuck with the status quo, and got their guy.

Letourneau, was the Bruins 1st round selection in 3 years, since the 2021 NHL Draft where they chose Fabian Lysell, considered to be one of Boston's best prospects currently.

The 6'7" forward will play at Boston University in the fall, making it a stress-free situation for the team as Letourneau will be local.

However, you don't know what could've happened should the team tried to utilize their negotiating skills to move up in the draft, that much sooner.

In total, the Bruins drafted two centers and two defensemen. Here's a recap of all the Bruins' picks from the 2024 draft.

First round, No. 25: Dean Letourneau, C, St. Andrews College (Canadian prep school)

Fourth round, No. 110: Elliott Groenefold, D, Cedar Rapids (USHL)

Fifth round, No. 154: Jonathan Morello, C, St. Michael's Buzzers (OJHL)

Sixth round, No. 186: Loke Johansson, D, AIK Junior (Sweden)

Source: NESN
Don Sweeney Reveals How Close Bruins Were To Trading Pick

Source: NBC Sports Boston
2024 NHL Draft: Bruins make four picks, add size to prospect pool