Best Fits for Boston Bruins in the 2015 NHL Draft

The Boston Bruins were the Presidents' Trophy winner for the 2013-14 NHL season, but missed the playoffs in 2014-15. Missing the playoffs cost general manager Peter Chiarelli his job, and Don Sweeney was named his replacement.

With eight picks in the 2015 NHL draft, the Bruins are in a position to bolster their system. Boston is at a crossroads with limited cap space, an aging roster and some sizable holes, and the team has some thinking to do going forward.

Boston's first pick will be No. 14 overall, and here's an overview of some potential fits for the upcoming draft.

General Team Needs, Roster Breakdown

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Players Signed For Upcoming Season (via General Fanager)

Forwards

• Centers: David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Chris Kelly, Max Talbot
• Left Wingers: Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand
• Right Wingers: Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, David Pastrnak

Defense

• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg, Torey Krug and Kevan Miller

Goalie

• Tuukka Rask

Biggest Needs To Address Via Draft

1. Defense: The Bruins are going to do everything in their power to re-sign Dougie Hamilton, because he is their future leader on the blue line. Torey Krug is another solid option, but outside of him, the team is lost. Zdeno Chara is inching closer to retirement, Dennis Seidenberg is showing his age and Joe Morrow is the only notable defensive prospect in the minors. 
2. Wingers: On the wing, the Bruins have Lucic and Eriksson—who will be a free agents next summer—talented pest Brad Marchand and youngsters Reilly Smith and David Pastrnak. Taking a forward with the No. 14 pick is something that could happen, but Boston's need on defense is significantly greater.

Round 1, No. 14 Overall: Paul Bittner, LW

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Although the Bruins could take a center such as Pavel Zacha, Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor or Travis Konecny, it makes more sense to go after a winger like Paul Bittner. For a number of reasons, there's a good chance that 2015-16 will be the final season Milan Lucic spends in Boston.

The Bruins are a team that could be heading toward a downswing, and Lucic is poised to make a lot of money via free agency. At his peak, he is an effective, physical and offensive player, and players like him are not always easy to replace.

Paul Bittner is a 6'4", 202-pound winger who is going to get bigger, and he already has shown some potential. He finished the season with 34 goals and 71 points for the Portland Winterhawks, and he's a great skater and thinker.

NHL Central Scouting's John Williams (via NFL.com's Joe Yerdon) said this about Bittner:

"

He's going to be huge. He'll be a 220-pound guy. He's a smooth skater, really good hands and [can] make plays and good in tight along the wall. He protects the puck well and can retrieve pucks on the forecheck and obviously at that size the fact he's able to do those things, that's what people like.

He's not a power forward in the classic sense of 200 penalty minutes. With his size and strength and reach, he's tough to handle.

"

Bittner probably could spend another year in the WHL and some time in the AHL, but he is a player who can certainly have an impact for Boston.

Round 2, No. 37 Overall: Nicolas Meloche, D

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Defense is an area the Bruins need help in, and Nicolas Meloche is a rearguard with some significant upside. The Baie-Comeau defender stands 6'2", weighs 204 pounds and has a right-handed shot. He was the No. 40-ranked skater by CSS and tallied 34 points in 44 games.

Meloche plays a two-way game and relies on his strength and skating ability. He is an adept power-play quarterback, has good hockey sense and is one of the better defenders who should be available in the second round.

For some of his highlights, check out this YouTube video from HockeyPwns.

Round 3, Nos. 75 and 82 Overall

No. 75: Michael Spacek, RW

The Bruins have shown an affinity for players from the Czech Republic, and drafting this winger in the third round would continue the trend.

Spacek is the No. 5 overall prospect from Europe, and he finished the season with 12 points in 40 games with Pardubice and seven points in five games with Pardubice Jr. He earned a silver medal at the 2014 U18 World Championship tournament and tallied five points in five games with the 2015 tournament.

No. 82: Filip Ahl, LW

The Bruins' lack of wingers should prompt them to take Filip Ahl. The 6'4", 214-pound winger has some significant upside, and his biggest strength is his shot. He needs to work on his skating ability a bit, but he can get by on his offensive abilities for the time being.

He ended the season with 42 points in 34 in the SuperElit league, but only two points in 15 games with the SHL. Ahl is still a project prospect, but one with a decent frame to work with.

Late Rounds

The Bruins own a number of late draft picks, and they could use them on some of the following players.

Anthony-John Greer, LW

"AJ" was a freshman at Boston University this season and was ranked No. 69 by CSS. That puts him roughly into the fifth round or later, and it is around that time in which picks are made to fill a need or because of familiarity.

He is a 6'3", 204-pound left winger who tallied six points in 35 games, and it might be worth picking him based on his proximity to the team. He is projected to go pretty late in the draft, but there is reason to believe he could make a difference at the height of his powers.

Ryan Shea, D

The Bruins could also look at picking Northeastern commit Ryan Shea, as he is a skilled skater with some offensive upside. He started his career as a forward, but was later converted to defense.

There are no guarantees on what type of player he could turn into, but the connection to the Boston area may help in this situation. He will be a member of the Youngstown Phantoms for the 2015-16 season, despite being named to the roster for the 2014-15 campaign.

Draft order provided via DraftSite.com. Stats provided via NHL.com and Elite Prospects unless otherwise noted.