NHL Draft 2011: Bruins No-Nonsense Approach Helps Keep The Cupboard Stocked

When you're the defending Stanley Cup Champions, it's rare that the days leading up to the Draft are wrought with concern, and there's little agonizing to be done over who to pick, where to select them or how to move up to get that crown jewel.

At this point, all Chicago Blackhawks fans can collectively sigh.

For the newly-crowned champion Boston Bruins, there was even less fretting to be done heading into Minnesota - in part because Brad Marchand's shirtless antics had taken front and center, in part because there wasn't really enough time between victory parade and cross-country flight to Las Vegas and red-eye back to Minneapolis to spend working up a good fret, but mostly because they'd put themselves in position to come out of this draft perfectly okay, no matter who they got and when. 

The first team since the New York Islanders in 1983 to win the Stanley Cup and then pick in the top ten, the Bruins selected Niagara's Dougie Hamilton, a 6-5, 190-plus pound puck-moving defenseman with a shot as strong as his defensive stickwork and a vision as developed as his frame. 

Oh, they also picked in the top ten of the second round, too, thanks to clever maneuvering by GM Peter Chiarelli long, long ago (and it what seems like a galaxy far, far away). With the 40th pick, the Bruins selected Alexander Khokhlachev, a forward with a great shot - lacking for speed a bit, perhaps, but bringing a scoring touch to the organization that they'll surely be looking for in years ahead after players like Michael Ryder have come and gone. 

The rest of the draft was fairly non-descript, in part because it didn't need to be and in part because it was, well, the rest of the draft. At 81 the Bruins picked Anthony Camara, a gritty winger who can learn a lot from the likes of Milan Lucic; Brian Ferlin - a Florida native with hands befitting someone of his size and a skating style befitting one who manages the Bells of Notre Dame - came at 121; defenseman Rob O'Gara - a New York native currently playing in Milton, MA - came in the fifth round, and the Bruins finished stockpiling with goaltender Lars Volden from Finland, a big kid in need of a lot of polish.

It wasn't the flashy draft haul that Boston had last year - in part because there was no Tyler Seguin or Taylor Hall anywhere in the pool (and definitely no Jared Knight waiting for them in the second round), in part because the Bruins didn't have a pick high enough to get him if there was, but mostly because it didn't need to be. 

The Bruins, after all, weren't looking to do any rebuilding, or even restocking, with this draft - not with almost everyone from their championship roster guaranteed to come back, anyway. These Bruins are much more concerned with repeating. 

2011 NHL Draft, Day Two: Boston Bruins Draft Picks, Rounds 1-6

The 2011 NHL Draft is over, and the Boston Bruins came away with a hearty haul of fresh talent. Dougie Hamilton was the Bruins' first pick, No. 9 overall in the first round, and Alexander Khokhlachev was Boston's pick in the second round.

Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com and Bruins assistant GM Jim Benning offered their thoughts on the B's picks.

1) Dougie Hamilton (6-foot-5, 190-pound defenseman from Niagara taken with first round pick). Benning's thoughts: "We were really excited to get [Hamilton] at the 9th pick. You know he's 6-foot-5, he's a real good skater and he can handle the puck. Because of his wingspan and he's so long that he uses a long stick and he defends like Adam McQuaid, who likes to use his sticks to knock pucks down. Any time you can get a 6-foot-5 guy with his skill set, you are pretty excited. It's happened in the last couple of years where teams want scoring and they're stepping up and taking scorers early. Last year we'd seen it with [Cam] Fowler and [Brandon] Gormley kind of slip [in the first round]. Then this year maybe even Hamilton kind of slipped. I don't think it's a reflection on the player itself, but more that teams are looking to fill a need whether its center ice or scoring. We're just lucky to be in position where he ended up in our lap." (via NECN)

Here's the complete list of the Boston Bruins' draft class this year.

2011 NHL Entry Draft - Boston Bruins' Draft Picks

1. Dougie Hamilton (D - Niagara - OHL)
2. Alexander Khoklachev (C - Windsor - OHL)
3. Anthony Camara (:W - Saginaw - OHL)
4. Brian Ferlin (RW - Indiana - USHL)
5. Rob O'Gara (D - Milton Academy H.S, MA)
6. Lars Volden (G - Blues - Finland)

NHL Draft 2011: Dougie Hamilton May Not Be Ready For Boston Bruins

Dougie Hamilton became the newest member of the Boston professional sports community on Friday night after the Boston Bruins drafted him with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft.

However, according to Hamilton and Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, he may not be ready for the NHL.

"I have no idea," Hamilton said when asked if he's ready for the NHL. "It just depends what the Bruins want to do and I'll be happy with whatever." (via WEEI)

Hamilton, who was born on June 17, 1993 and is six-foot-four, played the last two seasons with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL. This past season, Hamilton scored 12 goals and recorded 46 assists for 58 points. In addition, Hamilton registered 77 penalty minutes and had a regular season plus/minus of plus-35 in 67 games.

"I'd say he needs a little more development," Chiarelli said of the 6-foot-4, 187-pound blueliner. "He's still fairly skinny. He has to be stronger, but you never know. You never know how he'll have his summer, but my guess is that he's at least a year away." (via WEEI)

For more 2011 NHL Draft coverage, visit SB Nation and follow our StoryStream.

NHL Draft 2011 Prospects: Tomas Jurco Best Available On Day Two

One day down, one to go at the 2011 NHL Draft in St. Paul, Minnesota. In the draft's first round on Friday night, there was a strong international presence, as only four NCAA hockey players were selected.

Entering day two, which features Rounds 2-7 and begins at noon on NHL Network, there is plenty of talent left in the draft, but who are the best of the best?

Tomas Jurco is listed as the best available prospect according to ESPN's Gare Joyce entering the draft's second day. Jurco, who played with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL for the past two seasons, drew high praise from Joyce.

Jurco reminds scouts of Marian Hossa. He is an explosive skater with lots of skill and proved his value when the games mattered the most. Arguably one of the best players in the Memorial Cup field.

Check out Joyce's top ten prospects heading into day two here.

For more 2011 NHL Draft coverage, visit SB Nation and follow our StoryStream.

2011 NHL Draft Grades: Boston Bruins Get A Gift In Dougie Hamilton

Dougie Hamilton wasn't supposed to be available when the Boston Bruins' name was called in Friday night's first round of the NHL draft. 

Really, he wasn't even supposed to be available when the brand-new, old-fashioned Winnipeg Jets went two picks before him. 

But because Winnipeg the Ottawa Senators went off the board with their picks, there he was. All the talk of the Bruins drafting Ryan Murphy or Nathan Beaulieu quickly dissipated, and the Bruins had their man ("it was a no-brainer," said Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, who admitted that Hamilton was in the Bruins' top five before the Edmonton Oilers announced their first pick of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins). 

There were rumors that the Bruins might be trading the pick for Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis, a superstar offensive blue-liner who racked up 100 points with the Windsor Spitfires last season, but as Hamilton continued to drop down the board, the Bruins had less and less reason to make the move. 

And they didn't. And there was Hamilton, donning a Bruins sweater and taking pictures with Peter Chiarelli, Cam Neely and friends. 

Unlike Tyler Seguin last year, Hamilton probably won't make the team out of camp this year. He'll return to Niagara and the OHL, where he put up 12-46=58 totals and was a plus-35. He'll have another year to improve his game (Chiarelli said that he needs to gain some more strength to play at the NHL level).

Hamilton brings speed, vision, a strong breakout pass and the ability to quarterback a power play. At 6-foot-4 and 194 pounds, he also brings the element of size and physicality to a Bruins' defensive corps that gets small in a hurry after Zdeno Chara. 

It's tough not to give the Bruins high marks for getting Hamilton - but then, they did nothing other than drafting the best player available to get there. Hamilton himself has a high ceiling - his projected upside is a number-one NHL defenseman, but it'll take him some time to get there. He gets a B+ at this point, especially after struggling in the OHL Eastern Conference Championships last year when St. Michael's keyed on him and shut him down (2 points, minus-three), but Bruins fans should expect him to play at an A level once he acclimates to the NHL. 

2011 NHL Draft Results: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Picked No. 1 Overall By Edmonton Oilers, Dougie Hamilton To Boston Bruins

The first day of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft is over, and the Boston Bruins came away with OHL defenseman Dougie Hamilton with the No. 9 overall pick. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was drafted No. 1 overall by the Edmonton Oilers.

Hamilton, who was born on June 17, 1993 and is six-foot-four, played the last two seasons with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL. This past season, Hamilton scored 12 goals and recorded 46 assists for 58 points. In addition, Hamilton registered 77 penalty minutes and had a regular season plus/minus of plus-35 in 67 games.

Below is the complete results from the draft's first round on Friday.

2011 NHL Entry Draft - First Round

1. Edmonton Oilers - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (C - Red Deer - WHL)
2. Colorado Avalanche - Gabriel Landeskog (LW - Kitchener - OHL)
3. Florida Panthers - Jonathan Hubredeau (C - Saint John - QMJHL)
4. New Jersey Devils - Adam Larson (D - Skelleftea - Sweden)
5. New York Islanders - Ryan Strome (C - Niagara - OHL)
6. Ottawa Senators - Mika Zibanejad (C - Djurgarden - Sweden)
7. Winnipeg Jets (formerly Atlanta Thrashers) - Mark Scheifele (C - Barrie - OHL)
8. Philadelphia Flyers - Sean Couturier (C - Drummondville - QMJHL)
9. Boston Bruins - Dougie Hamilton (D - Niagara - OHL)
10. Minnesota Wild - Jonas Brodin (D - Farjestad - Sweden)
11. Colorado Avalanche - Duncan Siemens (D - Saskatoon - WHL)
12. Carolina Hurricanes - Ryan Murphy (D - Kitchener - OHL)
13. Calgary Flames - Sven Bartschi (LW - Portland - WHL)
14. Dallas Stars - Jamie Oleksiak (D - Northeastern - Hockey East)
15. New York Rangers - J.T. Miller (LW - U.S. Under 18)
16. Buffalo Sabres - Joel Armia (RW - Assat - Finland)
17. Montreal Canadiens - Nathan Beaulieu (D - Saint John - QMJHL)
18. Chicago Blackhawks - Mark McNeill (C - Prince Albert - WHL)
19. Edmonton Oilers - Oscar Klefbom (D - Farjestad - Sweden)
20. Phoenix Coyotes - Connor Murphy (D - U.S. Under 18)
21. Ottawa Senators - Stefan Noesen (C - Plymouth - OHL)
22. Toronto Maple Leafs - Tyler Biggs (RW - U.S. Under 18)
23. Pittsburgh Penguins - Joe Morrow (D - Portland - WHL)
24. Ottawa Senators - Matt Pumpel (LW - Peterborough - OHL)
25. Toronto Maple Leafs - Stuart Percy (D - Mississauga - OHL)
26. Chicago Blackhawks - Phillip Danault (LW - Victoriaville - QMJHL)
27. Tampa Bay Lightning - Vladislav Namestnikov (C - London - OHL)
28. Minnesota Wild - Zack Phillips (C - Saint John - QMJHL)
29. Vancouver Canucks - Nicklas Jensen (RW - Oshawa - OHL)
30. Anaheim Ducks - Rickard Rakell (RW - Plymouth - OHL)

NHL Draft 2011: Dougie Hamilton Drafted By Boston Bruins No. 9 Overall

Dougie Hamilton, a defenseman from the Ontario Hockey League, has been drafted with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft on Friday night at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Hamilton, who was born on June 17, 1993 and is six-foot-four, played the last two seasons with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL. This past season, Hamilton scored 12 goals and recorded 46 assists for 58 points. In addition, Hamilton registered 77 penalty minutes and had a regular season plus/minus of plus-35 in 67 games.

In the postseason, Hamilton totaled four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in 14 games, recording 16 penalty minutes in the process.

During his rookie season in 2009-10, Hamilton tallied three goals and 13 assists for 16 points, 36 penalty minutes and a plus/minus of minus-8. He weighs 193 pounds and shoots with his right hand.

For more 2011 NHL Draft coverage, visit SB Nation and follow our StoryStream.

NHL Draft 2011: Boston Bruins Have Seven Picks In Friday's Draft

The 2011 NHL Entry Draft begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Friday night at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Boston Bruins have seven picks, including the No. 9 overall pick.

Boston, which won its first Stanley Cup in 39 years this past season, is looking to add depth on defense, as well as bolster the power play. With a top ten pick, the Bruins will certainly have good options for both.

Ryan Murphy is expected to be one of Boston's top targets in the draft. In two seasons with the Kitchener Rangers, Murphy has 32 goals and 86 assists. This past season, Murphy posted career bests in goals (26) and assists (53) for 79 points and had a plus/minus of plus-22.

Murphy had two goals and nine assists for 11 points in seven postseason games this season. In 2009-10, Murphy totaled five goals and 12 assists in 20 playoff games for Kitchener.

Below is a list of all of the Bruins' draft picks. To view the complete order in this year's draft, visit NHL.com.

2011 NHL Entry Draft - Boston Bruins - Draft Picks

Round 1: No. 9 overall (from Toronto)
Round 2: No. 40 overall (from Minnesota)
Round 3: No. 81 overall (from Phoenix Coyotes)
Round 4: No. 121 overall
Round 5: No. 151 overall
Round 6: No. 181 overall.
Round 7: No. 183 overall (from Florida)

For more 2011 NHL Draft coverage, visit SB Nation and follow our StoryStream.

NHL Draft 2011: Boston Bruins Like Ryan Murphy With Ninth Overall Pick

With the NHL Draft beginning Friday night at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, all eyes will be on the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins as they will pick ninth overall. The Bruins will reportedly look for defense with the pick, specifically Canadian born CHL player Ryan Murphy.

All reports here indicate he will not get past the Boston Bruins at No. 9. Murphy also made a trip to test and interview with the Bruins and the word is that Peter Chiarelli and company came away with everything they wanted to see and hear to not only draft him -- as we suggested in our final mock draft -- but also expect him to be in the lineup at age 18. (via ESPN Boston)    

Murphy last played for the OHL's Kitchener Rangers, were he posted an impressive sophomore season.  He scored 26 goals and added 53 assists in route to scoring a total of 79 points during the 2010 season.  

Last season, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli and company chose 19-year-old Tyler Seguin with the second overall pick. Like Murphy, Seguin was also a highly-touted player from the CHL.  

For more Boston Bruins coverage, visit our team page and blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

2011 NHL Draft: Boston Bruins Looking To Bolster Power Play In Draft

Most people know by now that the Boston Bruins didn't possess the world's greatest power play during their Stanley Cup run. Quite the opposite, actually. Boston had a 16.2 percent success rate on the power play in the regular season and converted on only 11.4 percent in  the postseason.

Naturally, the Bruins may try to address their power play needs in Friday night's NHL Draft.

So what do the Bruins need? They don't need a draft anyone who'll be expected to make a difference immediately, or even necessarily in the next couple of seasons. They want a power play quarterback, but neither Marc Savard nor his on-ice clone is walking through that door anytime soon. (via Stanley Cup of Chowder)

Ryan Murphy, Nathan Beaulieu, Sven Baertschi and Jamie Oleksiak are the prospects most tied to the Bruins in the building to the draft, according the Stanley Cup of Chowder, which analyzed the group on Thursday.

For more Bruins coverage, visit our team page and blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

NHL Draft 2011: Bruins Looking At Puck-Movers Beaulieu, Murphy On Eve Of Draft

While the Bruins aren't limiting their options, they brought two puck-moving defensemen - Nathan Beaulieu and Ryan Murphy - they've been said to be quite pleased with over the weeks leading up to the draft in for interviews this evening according to a tweet from NESN's Naoko Funayama

Both Murphy and Beaulieu are North American players - the kind that General Manager Peter Chiarelli is generally fond of in the draft - and the Bruins have been linked to them in numerous mock drafts of late.

No word on who the other two prospects the Bruins brought in has been given, but it stands to reason that they were probably both forwards, since the team lost their best offensive forward in Joe Colborne when they traded him away to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle in February. 

Murphy had 26-53=79 totals in 63 games for Kitchener (OHL) last year, while Beaulieu had 12-33=45 totals in 65 games for Saint John (QMJHL). 

NHL Draft 2011: Boston Bruins' Status Unchanged On Eve Of Draft

With draft weekend upon us, it must be awfully quiet over on Causeway Street these days; the Celtics holding pat with their less-than-favorable draft picks, the Bruins lacking the urgent need for a player or role to be filled as they have in so many years past. 

The Bruins, whose draft loot from the past few years has included Patrice Bergeron (2003); Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand and Phil Kessel (not to mention Tuukka Rask for Andrew Raycroft, 2006); Joe Colborne, Max Sauve, Jamie Arniel and Michael Hutchinson (2008); Jordan Caron and Lane MacDermid (2009); and of course, Tyler Seguin, Ryan Spooner and Jared Knight in 2010, don't have an immediate need, but have the luxury of being able to draft based on what they anticipate needing in a couple of years, and will likely do just that. 

Ryan Murphy and Nate Beaulieu continue to be high on the list for Boston, with Sven Baertschi also being considered. 

For more Bruins coverage, visit our team page and blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

NHL Draft 2011: Boston Bruins, League Draft Order

For many teams (see the Ottawa Senators and their 12 picks), need will dictate what they do in this weekend's NHL Entry Draft. Not for the Boston Bruins, whose Stanley Cup-winning team is all but intact for the 2011-12 season and whose system is well-stocked to keep replenishing the success of its parent.

The Bruins pick seven times in this year's draft, including ninth overall, with the last pick they received from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Phil Kessel. 

2011 NHL Entry Draft - Boston Bruins - Draft Picks

Round 1: No. 9 overall (from Toronto)
Round 2: No. 40 overall (from Minnesota)
Round 3: No. 81 overall (from Phoenix Coyotes)
Round 4: No. 121 overall
Round 5: No. 151 overall
Round 6: No. 181 overall.
Round 7: No. 183 overall (from Florida)

The entire first round draft order shapes up like this: Round 1

First Round

1. Edmonton
2. Colorado
3. Florida
4. New Jersey
5. NY Islanders
6. Ottawa
7. Winnipeg
8. Columbus
9. Boston (from TOR)
10. Minnesota
11. Colorado (from STL)
12. Carolina
13. Calgary
14. Dallas
15. NY Rangers
16. Buffalo
17. Montreal
18. Chicago
19. Edmonton (from LA)
20. Phoenix
21. Ottawa (from NSH)
22. Anaheim
23. Pittsburgh
24. Detroit
25. Toronto (from PHI)
26. Washington
27. Tampa Bay
28. San Jose
29. Vancouver
30. Toronto (from BOS)

For a complete list of picks, check out NHL.com and their draft order page here. 

NHL Draft 2011: Peter Chiarelli, Bruins Content With No. 9 Overall Pick

Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli made his weekly appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich show on Wednesday, and was asked about his take on the 2011 NHL Draft.

The Bruins own the No. 9 overall pick in the first round, which they acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the trade that sent Phil Kessel north of the border.

"We pick at nine and it's a deep draft. It's not top-heavy. There's not like two or three definite picks in the top three. We could wind up with a player that was ranked No. 1 at certain points of the year. There are three or four defensemen that will all be good NHL players that we're looking at. It'll be exciting because we're in a good spot where there's players that we want. We may try and move up but depending how it goes, a player that we don't expect that we're going to get may fall into our lap." (via The Bruins Blog)

For more Bruins coverage, visit our team page and blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

NHL Draft 2011: Bruins May Be Interested In CHL's Nathan Beaulieu

Peter Chiarelii and the Boston Bruins reportedly have interest in Nathan Beaulieu of the Canadian Hockey League, according to New England Hockey Journal.  Beaulieu was part of the Saint John Sea Dogs team that won the Memorial Cup this year.

In addition, Beaulieu was solid at the NHL scouting combine in Toronto ,despite having hardly any preparation time.

"I had a lot of interviews the past couple of days, and most of the teams said not to worry about it and just work hard," Beaulieu said after completing his testing. "It's not necessarily how you score in the gym but how you play on the ice, so I think that was the biggest thing, and obviously you have to come in and work hard no matter what the situation is." (via New England Hockey Journal)

Beaulieu had 12 goals and 33 assists (45 points) and a plus/minus of plus-44 in 65 games with St. John last season, and would bring a lot to the table for the B's considering that he is a "skilled two way defender," according to the Hockey Journal. 

With nice size at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and very good skating ability, the 18-year-old is rising on draft boards as the kind of player who has a lot of appeal for the NHL's 30 teams.

For more Bruins coverage, visit our team page and blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

NHL Draft 2011: Bruins In A Fine Place With Draft Less Than A Week Away

Not ten days after his team won the Stanley Cup, Peter Chiarelli will approach the podium at the Xcel Center in St. Paul to announce who the Bruins will select with their ninth overall pick - the second top-ten pick in two years for the team. 

Or he might announce that he's traded the pick. 

Or he might announce that he's auctioned it off. 

Or he might just wave it callously over the heads of fans and management alike in Montreal, Tampa, Vancouver and Philadelphia. 

But whatever he does with it, next year's outfit is going to be in pretty good shape. 

The Bruins are losing only Mark Recchi to retirement - Marc Savard may not be far behind him, but that's still very much up in the air, Michael Ryder and Tomas Kaberle are the team's two lone UFAs, and only Brad Marchand has earned himself a pay raise (which he'll get as the team's lone RFA).

So Chiarelli - who's been careful to protect his team's draft picks before shipping them out, as Broad Street Hockey notes - and the Bruins have the opportunity to take a chance with this pick, the last remnant of the Phil Kessel trade with Toronto. 

They could draft a puck-moving defenseman - Ryan Murphy rates high on this front - or could go after a shut-down guy like Northeastern's Jamie Oleksiak. Or they could take a chance on another high-powered winger like Tyler Seguin in Drummondville's Sean Couturier or Kitchener's Gabriel Landeskog - of course, neither forward is projected to be around when Boston's ninth pick is up, but Chiarelli also has the option to package picks or players and move up.

The emergence of Jared Knight, Ryan Spooner and Jamie Arniel last preseason has afforded them such a chance. Yury Alexandrov may well be the shut-down defenseman they need, and Steven Kampfer and Matt Bartkowski are both able puck-movers, regardless of whether or not the team resigns Kaberle.

The one thing Boston was short on was depth at goaltending, but the acquisition of Anton Khudobin made up for that.

Whatever happens, Chiarelli will likely take the best available player with his ninth pick and allow the prospect time to develop at whatever level he plays at before calling him up to Boston in a couple of years. 

2011 NHL Draft TV Schedule: Versus, NHL Network To Broadcast Draft

The 2011 NHL Draft begins on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. EDT, and will be carried on both Versus and the NHL Network.

NBC and Versus served as the home of the Eastern and Western Conference Championships, as well as the 2011 Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks.

Draft coverage begins at 7 p.m. on Versus, while the NHL Network will air its NHL Network Draft Round 1 Recap starting at 10:00 p.m. EDT.

On day two of the draft, the NHL Network will re-broadcast Round 1 of the Draft at 2:00 a.m. EDT on Saturday morning and again at 8:00 a.m. EDT. At 11:00 a.m., the NHL Network will have live coverage of Rounds 2-7.

Boston, which won the 2011 Stanley Cup, has six picks in the 2011 NHL Draft, with their first selection the ninth overall. The Bruins pick next at No. 40 overall in the second round and then have the No. 81 overall pick in the third round. For more on the Bruins' draft picks, click here.

For more Bruins coverage, visit our team page and blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

NHL Draft 2011: Boston Bruins Own No. 9 Overall Pick, Six Others

The 2011 NHL Draft begins on Friday night, with the Boston Bruins owning the No. 9 overall pick and six other picks in the seven-round draft, which takes place at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Boston, which won the 2011 Stanley Cup in seven games against the Vancouver Canucks, has the fortune of having a high draft pick despite their success. The B's acquired the first round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for their top pick in 2010 - which the Bruins' used on sensational forward Tyler Seguin- and a 2010 second round pick.

Toronto also received Boston's 2011 first round pick, which is the 30th overall based on the Bruins' playoff success. In addition, Boston has five more picks through the sixth round, but does not have a selection in the seventh round.

The Edmonton Oilers own the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, with the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Atlanta/Winnipeg Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Bruins, Minnesota Wild, Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flame and Dallas Stars rounding out the top 14 picks, respectively.

Here is a look at the Bruins' selections in this year's draft.

2011 NHL Entry Draft - Boston Bruins - Draft Picks

Round 1: No. 9 overall (from Toronto)
Round 2: No. 40 overall (from Minnesota)
Round 3: No. 81 overall (from Phoenix Coyotes)
Round 4: No. 121 overall
Round 5: No. 151 overall
Round 6: No. 181 overall.
Round 7: No. 183 overall (from Florida)

For more Bruins coverage, visit our team page and blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.