The Boston Bruins had a very busy and productive weekend.
After selecting five forwards and two defensemen in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, general manager Don Sweeney signed forward Marat Khusnutdinov to a two-year contract extension and signed defenseman Michael Callahan to a one-year, two-way contract, the team announced Sunday.
Khusnutdinov made an immediate impact upon joining Boston by tallying two goals in his first four games donning the Spoked-B. And even though it was a relatively small sample size of 18 games, the Bruins rewarded the 22-year-old Russian forward with a contract through the 2026-27 season with an annual cap hit of $925,000. He appeared in 75 games during the 2024-25 campaign with Boston and Minnesota, recording five goals and seven assists for 12 points.
Callahan skated in 17 games with Boston in 2024-25, scoring one goal, and appeared in 45 games with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate in Providence, recording one goal and eight assists for nine points. The 25-year-old left defenseman’s cap hit is $775,000.
During the draft, the Bruins focused on adding high-end talent to their farm system with the seven selections Boston had on Friday and Saturday.
Here are the seven picks:
James Hagens, Center, First Round, Seventh Overall
The Boston College center is an electric skater, puck handler and passer. Hagens is extremely elusive in open ice. He makes a ton of difficult plays on the move and is a high-end playmaker.
A scouting report at Elite Prospects describes Hagens: “He layers pucks through tricky seams, hooks and slips feeds around pressure, and improvises on the fly with lightning-quick processing, punching away from threats and funnelling play to the inside.”
William Moore, Forward, Second Round, 51st Overall
A scouting report at Elite Prospects describes Moore: “Does a bit of everything, from high-end plays right down to the finest details. In his best games, he manipulates defenders with driving crossover rushes, lands look-off passes, crashes the net, and puts on a down-low clinic with possession. He drives wide, gets the defender to follow, and then instantly cuts inside for a better look.”
Liam Pettersson, Defenseman, Second Round, 61st Overall
A scouting report at Elite Prospects describes Pettersson: “Pettersson is a treat to watch when he has the puck on his stick. He is a shifty skater with slick mobility in all directions and combines it well with smooth, deceptive hands. He keeps his transition play clean, breaking the puck out effectively through cross-lane feeds and executing stretch passes with ease.”
Cooper Simpson, Forward, Third Round, 79th Overall
A scouting report at Elite Prospects describes Simpson: “An explosive skater, Simpson blends pace, puckhandling, and separation shooting to overwhelm opposing defenders and goaltenders. He boasts a diverse deke package, executes plays in both tight and open space, and uses deception masterfully around the crease. His shot is highly adaptable – slinging catch-and-release efforts with precision and unleashing a lightning-quick wrist-fold release.”
Vashek Blanar, Defenseman, Fourth Round, 100th Overall
Blanar was born in Vail, Colorado before moving to Czechia. In 2023-24, he played in 28 games as captain for Hässelby Kälvesta HC of the Swedish J18 Division 1 League, collecting 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points.
Outside of the stats above, there is not much information available on Blanar. “An NHL-sized defenseman who has put up decent offense at the lower Swedish levels for a big defenseman. Raw, with a long wait,” per Dobber Prospects.
Cole Chandler, Forward, Fifth Round, 133rd Overall
A scouting report at Elite Prospects describes Chandler: “Cole Chandler is a worker capable of pursuing the puck, engaging opponents defensively, and making quick and smart passes to teammates. There are a lot of subtle skills in his game — proactive contact, quick reads and reactions on loose pucks and pass receptions, slip passes through pressure.”
Kirill Yemelyanov, Forward, Sixth Round, 165th Overall
A scouting report at Elite Prospects describes Yemelyanov: “Yemelyanov plays the game like a true centre, having the supportive, physical, and playmaking elements needed to shine in that role. He roams the defensive zone, stopping in the right spots and providing assistance to his defencemen, before launching the attack with short passes. Attacking through the neutral zone, he stays connected with teammates, skating over and under players and east-west, filling available gaps and entering the offensive zone with control. There, he continues to show the same distribution and ability to move away from the puck.”
With Free Agency opening at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see how Sweeney adds to the NHL roster, if at all.
Three of the most notable free agents are Mitch Marner, Nikolaj Ehlers and former Bruins captain Brad Marchand.
This article was initially published on Substack on June 29, 2025.
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