Five prospects to watch during Bruins development camp

After making seven picks during the 2026 NHL Draft, the Bruins will corral some of their top prospects for the club’s annual development camp — held from Monday, June 29 to Thursday, July 2 at Warrior Ice Arena.

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Nearly 30 players will take part in the camp, with Don Sweeney noting on Saturday that a “vast majority” of Boston’s 2026 draft picks will be present for the four-day showcase.

Even with a few noteworthy absences, including top prospect James Hagens, there are still several intriguing players worth keeping tabs on in Brighton.

Dean Letourneau

James Hagens might pace Boston’s prospect pool as a potential top-six talent whose skating and playmaking prowess will be welcome on the Bruins’ retooling roster.

But there’s a valid case to be made that a 6-foot-7 pivot like Dean Letourneau boasts the highest ceiling in Boston’s system — especially after taking a major leap forward as a sophomore at Boston College.

Boston took on plenty of risk by selecting Letourneau in the first round of the 2024 Draft, with some of the fears about his ability to capitalize against elevated competition validated after a daunting first year with the Eagles.

After dominating at the prep level (127 points in 56 games at St. Andrew’s College), Letourneau tallied zero goals and just three assists over 36 games as a freshman. Those growing pains gave way to a dominant sophomore campaign, with the 20-year-old center scoring 22 goals and 39 total points in 36 games.

If Letourneau takes another step forward as BC’s top offensive threat, he could punch his ticket to the pro ranks next spring — and establish himself as one of the more coveted prospects in the league, given his blend of size and scoring touch.

“A lot of people said that Dean wasn’t worth that swing,” Don Sweeney said of Letourneau in May. “And he did all the work, he put himself in a situation, and hopefully he’s just going to continue to go there and take advantage of it.”

Cooper Simpson

Boston’s burgeoning prospect pipeline has been headlined over the past year by skilled forwards like Hagens, Letourneau, and Will Zellers (18 goals, 34 points as a freshman at North Dakota).

Expect Cooper Simpson to enter into that conversation, with the 2025 third-round pick spending most of the last year shredding opposing defenses in the USHL.

The 19-year-old forward made an immediate impact, ranking second in the USHL with 34 goals and 74 total points over 60 games with Youngstown. Simpson’s blistering shot was on display during last year’s Development Camp, but his offensive creativity and hands make him a talent with 25-goal upside in the pros.

The skilled winger will join Zellers on a loaded University of North Dakota squad this fall.

Max Lundgren

With reigning AHL MVP Michael DiPietro either due for a promotion in Boston or a fresh start elsewhere, Boston needs to reshuffle its goalie corps down in Providence.

Šimon Zajíček — who just signed a one-year extension with Boston — is expected to secure a greater role in Providence, but Lundgren is also a name worth watching in the coming years.

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Boston signed Lundgren to a one-year, entry-level deal in March after posting a dominant season with Merrimack.

The Angelholm, Sweden, native led the eighth-seeded Warriors to their first Hockey East title in program history this spring — earning tournament MVP honors after posting a shutout in the semifinal round against UMass before turning aside 49 shots against UConn in the championship game at TD Garden.

Over the full season, the 24-year-old Lundgren posted a 21-16-2 record with a 2.55 goals‑against average and a .920 save percentage with the Warriors.

Given Boston’s track record of developing netminders under the tutelage of Bob Essensa and Mike Dunham, Lundgren is a prospect whose stock could soar.

Plenty of eyes will be fixed on players between the pipes during Development Camp, especially with Boston also selecting two netminders in the 2026 NHL Draft in Yuri Ivanov (Round 2, No. 56 overall) and Roberto Henriquez (Round 6, No. 170 overall).

Nils Bartholdsson

Nils Bartholdsson might hold the highest upside among skaters in Boston’s 2026 NHL Draft class.

Bartholdsson — taken in the third round of Saturday’s draft (No. 88 overall) — impressed in Sweden’s under-20 league with Rogle BK, scoring 23 goals and 19 assists in 32 regular-season games. He continued his strong play during the postseason with nine goals and 17 points in nine games.

Only 2026 first-round pick Alexander Command (No. 12 overall) outproduced Bartholdsson as an under-18 skater in Sweden’s under-20 league this past season.

He’s a bit undersized at 5 feet 10 inches, but Bartholdsson’s shot and nose for the net had Sweeney drawing comparisons between him and Viktor Arvidsson — a fellow Swede who has tallied 219 career goals despite his smaller stature.

“Really competitive kid, plays a gritty type of game,” Bruins director of amateur scouting Ryan Nadeau said of Bartholdsson. “Good at carrying pucks through the neutral zone, likes to get pucks on net. 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.”

Elliott Groenewold

The Quinnipiac Bobcats will be a team to watch for Bruins fans this winter, especially with Rand Pecknold’s squad anchored by a pair of intriguing prospects in defenseman Elliott Groenewold and forward Chris Pelosi.

There’s a lot to like about Groenewold’s floor in the pro ranks as a minutes-eating, no-frills blueliner who could push for regular reps professionally within the next year. The Vermont native earned ECAC Best Defensive Defenseman and All-Conference First Team honors in 2025-26 — leading all of college hockey with a plus-39 rating.

He’s not flashy, but Groenewold should have a long pro career as a steady D-man who can move the puck cleanly and snuff out scoring chances via a few heavy checks and an active stick.

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