The Bruins hold the No. 23 pick in the NHL Draft. Follow live updates.

When the 2026 NHL Draft begins at 7 p.m. Friday, we’re almost guaranteed to hear Gavin McKenna’s name called first when the Toronto Maple Leafs make the first pick.

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But which players will follow him? We’re tracking the NHL Draft as it happens. The Bruins make their first selection at No. 23 and enter the draft with eight selections over two days.

You can watch the festivities, which are being held at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center, on ESPN on Friday.

Follow live updates below.

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By Jim McBride, Globe Staff

The Bruins have had 10 first-round selections since Don Sweeney took over as general manager in 2015. Only James Hagens was a top-10 pick. Of the other nine, only Jake DeBrusk (No. 14 in 2015), Charlie McAvoy (No. 14 in 2016), and Trent Frederic (No. 29 in 2016) have made a dent on the varsity roster.

Despite multiple chances, five of the remaining six haven’t been able to find footing in Boston.

In 2015, a little more than a month after being named GM, Sweeney traded veterans Dougie Hamilton (to Calgary) and Milan Lucic (to Los Angeles), resulting in the Bruins having the Nos. 13, 14, and 15 picks in that draft.

DeBrusk was sandwiched by Jakub Zboril (76 career games played, none since 2022-23) and Zach Senyshyn (16 career games, none since 2021-22). In 2017, defenseman Urho Vaakanainen was taken 18th. He’s played 221 NHL games, but just 31 with the Bruins. Two years later, Boston chose Johnny Beecher at No. 30. The center was waived last season after 11 goals and 22 points in 136 games. In 2021, Fabian Lysell was taken 21st. The winger played a dozen games in 2024-25 (goal, 3 points) but was sent back to Providence at the end of camp last September.

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Dean Letourneau (No. 25) and Hagens were taken in 2024 and ′25, respectively. Letourneau is heading back to Boston College for a third season, while Hagens is poised to compete for a varsity job this summer.

The lack of success among first-rounders is certainly not limited to the Bruins, but is among the chief complaints of the franchise’s fan base.

Sweeney has heard it.

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By Cam Kerry, Globe Staff

The Bruins moved their own fourth-rounder (No. 120) and the rights to Boston College’s Andre Gasseau to the Sharks for picks 104 and 157. In dealing enforcer Jeffrey Viel to Anaheim, the Bruins acquired the Ducks’ fourth-rounder, which was originally Detroit’s.

Boston also owns Tampa Bay’s fourth-round pick from a deal made last year, for their 2025 fourth-rounder.

The Bruins acquired Lukas Reichel from the Canucks at last season’s trade deadline for their sixth-round pick.

Here’s where the Bruins are scheduled to make selections:

• First round: 23rd
• Second round: 56th
• Third round: 88th
• Fourth round: 104th (from Sharks via Panthers), 111th (from Red Wings), 122nd (from Lightning)
• Fifth round: 157th (from Sharks via Canadiens)
• Sixth round: None
• Seventh round: 216th

By Cam Kerry, Globe Staff

Casey Mutryn, F, 6-3, 203, (USNTDP, USHL)

The pride of Norwell, Mutryn broke out with a line 14-23—37 in 55 games for the US National Team Development Program U18 team. Mutryn played at St. Sebastian’s and for the Boston Jr. Eagles and has long been lauded for his leadership and competitiveness, which comes now with a burgeoning offensive game. He’s jumped from a second-round grade to someone who could sneak into the first round. He’s committed to BC.

Rian Chudzinski, F, 6-1, 190 (Moncton, QMJHL)

Another product of St. Sebastian’s and the Boston Jr. Eagles, the Needham native transferred to Dexter Southfield before making the jump to the “Q”. The move proved fruitful, as Chudzinski had 21 goals and 38 points in 54 games. Chudzinski hunts loose pucks with ferocity, using his physicality and motor to wear down opponents. Mocked as a third-rounder, Chudzinski will play at BU.

Myles Brosnan, D, 6-0, 183 (Dexter Southfield)

On a team with top-end talent up and down the roster, Brosnan was the best player. Dexter coach Dan Donato utilized Brosnan as a puck-moving maestro, able to walk the line and distribute in every zone. A 7-44—51 line in 30 games for the Shields, not including stops with USNTDP U18 team and Sioux City Musketeers, earned him Globe All-Scholastic honors. The Winchester resident will play at Harvard.

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Will Manchuso, F, 6-0, 192 (St. Mark’s)

Manchuso first stood out as an instinctive wrecking ball on Concord-Carlisle’s first line. He made the jump to prep hockey two years ago and saw his stock take off. In 30 contests, he posted 32 goals and 25 assists. Just a junior, who is committed to Dartmouth, Manchuso plays with pace and physicality, yet his most impressive trait is a cannon of a shot. NHL Central Scouting ranked Manchuso 104th among North American skaters.

Brian McFadden, D, 6-5, 183 (Thayer Academy)

Armed with a long reach, McFadden’s shutdown play is a nightmare for opposing forwards. He eliminates space and uses his body well. The Holbrook resident, who spent the 2023-24 season at Catholic Memorial, totaled 20 points in 29 games for the Tigers and has committed to Northeastern.

By Cam Kerry, Globe Staff

The Bruins made seven picks in 2025, headlined by BC forward James Hagens at seventh overall. Hagens recorded 23 goals and 24 assists in 34 games for the Eagles before signing a tryout deal with the Providence Bruins and appearing in six games. He signed his three-year, entry-level contract with Boston and played a pair of games in the regular season and three in the playoffs.

Will Moore and Liam Pettersson, a center and a defenseman, were Boston’s second-round selections. High school forward Cooper Simpson was selected in the third round. Vashek Blanar, Cole Chandlerm and Kirill Yemelyanov rounded out the picks.

By Jim McBride, Globe Staff

If the Bruins hold on to their first-round pick, here are five possibilities who could fit at No. 23:

Piiparinen is a 6-foot-3-inch, 203-pound, puck-moving, right-shot defenseman from Finland.

Nadeau’s take: “Skates really well, had a strong year starting off at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup for Finland and then playing a lot of league games, and Tappara is one of the best organizations over there. So, real good experience, played World Juniors for them, finished the year on their U-20 team, and then at the U-18. So, real good player, moves around the ice well, defends hard. He has a lot of good pro attributes.”

Another right-shot defenseman with good size (6-2, 194). He’s from Zdeno Chara’s hometown: Trencin, Slovakia.

Nadeau’s take: “Slovak kid who is kind of similar [to Piiparinen] in a sense of started the year at the Hlinka Gretzky with a strong showing, played pro most of the year, World Junior, and then finished at U-18. Kid who’s heavily involved, helps to run the play, will defend, has a pretty good shot, solid with the puck, just does a lot well.”

Sticking with the right-shot defenseman theme, Gudmundsson has length and room to add muscle on his 6-3, 190-pound frame.

Nadeau’s take: “He didn’t play for Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup but then was a mainstay on the rest of their international events, really played himself up their lineup too at the end of the year. He ended up on their top pair. He’s got some length, moves around the ice pretty well, keeps it fairly simple with the puck, but does have some ability at the blue line, strong defender.”

A 6-3, 205-pound center who just completed his first season at Miami (Ohio). The Muscovite is responsible in all three zones.

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Nadeau’s take: “Really strong, big kid, has some detail, was able to play a top-six role and a real tough conference in the [National Collegiate Hockey Conference]. Started the year off with some scoring and being involved offensively. It got a little bit harder as the year went along for him offensively, but the details never went away in his game. Always played hard, was really a real strong point for Miami through the middle of the ice all year.”

It’s likely a long shot that Boston College’s Hemming, a big (6-4, 205), powerful left wing, will be hanging around at 23, but strange things happen on draft night. The Finn won’t turn 18 until August.

Nadeau’s take: “He jumped into [BC’s] lineup around Christmastime, played well, big kid, has some physicality, decent skillset, gets up and down the ice. Obviously we see him a lot in Boston when everyone knows we have a bunch of kids there so really fit in well with their group, maybe probably didn’t score as much as we were expecting coming off of Hlinka Gretzky, but it’s so hard in college, as most people know, especially this year with all the CHL kids that moved in, that college games and particularly some of those strong conferences like Hockey East, it’s not easy for a kid as young as him.”

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