The Bruins, back at draft headquarters on Causeway Street for a second day, chose 6-foot-3-inch center William Moore on Saturday afternoon with their first pick in the second round (No. 51) of the NHL Draft in Los Angeles.
Moore, headed to Boston College this fall, was one of six choices the Bruins made on Day 2 of the draft, following Friday night’s selection of talented BC center James Hagen (No. 7 overall).
For the two days, the Bruins totaled seven selections — their largest draft haul since 2015 — and five came in the top 100. They also hadn’t had that many swings in the top 100 (of 224 across seven rounds) since that ill-fated ‘15 draft.
All seven picks, including one each from Sweden, Czechia, and Russia, are expected to be on the ice Monday in Brighton for the start of the club’s four-day development camp at Warrior Arena.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a little bit of volume,” said general manager Don Sweeney. “It didn’t stop us from trying to move back or up in the draft to target some players we felt we might be in position to take rather than just the volume of things. But the excitement’s there. You could tell our scouting staff in general, with such a disappointing season, there was energy in realizing that we have to take advantage of the missteps the club had.”
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A lanky (180 pounds) center with smooth hands, Moore played last season with the US National Team Development Program.
“Over the past couple of years, I gained a lot of strength,” Moore told the Globe Saturday. “I still have a lot of room to grow, but I think overall that’s translated to puck protection, more power in my stride — just going to keep going, keep building and hopefully develop into the player that I know I can be.”
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An accomplished piano player, Moore won the Little Mozarts International Competition, playing “Polonaise in G Minor.”
Is there a correlation between hockey and piano?
“I think there is,” said Moore, noting he played piano for years before taking up pucks. “It brings a lot of creativity to my game. I think hands-wise, I am very skilled with the puck. And I think I have a lot of finesse, and have that on the keys, too.”
As a toddler, an acute lymph node infection rendered Moore temporarily deaf.
“It makes it seem like I was dealing with severe adversity, when I don’t even remember it — I was like 2 or 3,” Moore told the Athletic this spring. “I was deaf at some point but that got fixed pretty quickly.”
“I’m so excited,” added Moore, noting the idea of going to BC was his reason to choose college as a path to the NHL. “I’m sure, as you know, the BC campus is next level, the coaching staff is unbelievable. The players, the whole group there in general is next to none, and their development plan is perfect for me. I’m just going to be happier. Awesome.”
With their second pick in Round 2, No. 61 overall, the Bruins grabbed Liam Pettersson, a free-wheeling Swedish defenseman (6-2/175) whose game is centered on the puck.
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“A treat to watch when he has the puck on his stick,” per eliteprospects.com. Played junior (Vaxjo Lakers) last season, with a line of 6-15–21 in 39 games.
Pettersson, talking with the Globe by phone from Sweden, said he was unaware the Bruins had interest in him, adding that he was thrilled to be coming to Boston. He is also an avid golfer, with a four handicap.
After dishing their No. 69 slot to the Canadiens, for picks 79 and 108, the Bruins used the first of those choices to take Minnesota high schooler Cooper Simpson, a left wing who split last season with between his hometown Shakopee High School and USHL Tri-Cty.
Simpson is an “explosive skater” with strong stick skills, according to eliteprospects.com. As a senior, he led the Sabers with better than 2 points per game (49-34–83 in 31 games).
Vashek Blanar, a 6-4 defenseman who played last season in Sweden, was the Bruins pick at No. 100.
Blanar, who originally used the family name Richards (his mother’s maiden name), played junior hockey the last two seasons in Sweden, most recently with Troja-Ljungby. He was born in Eagle, Colo., and moved to Czechia at age 4, his parents eager to return to family and friends.
Blanar, who has committed to play at least one more season in Sweden, will fly to Boston on Sunday. Growing up, he was a big Milan Lucic fan.
“Loved his game … power forward, and you know, kind of rat,” said Blanar, speaking to the Globe from home via phone.
He said the Bruins played in the first NHL game he ever watched and remain his favorite team.
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“Pretty sure I still have a Bruins hat,” he said, “from when I was 4 years old.
The Bruins opted to wheel their No. 108 pick, gained in the swap with the Habs, to Tampa Bay for the Lightning’s fourth-round pick next June.
Cole Chandler was the Bruins pick at No. 133. A left-shot center, (6-2/176), from Bedford, Nova Scotia, he played last season in the Quebec League (Shawinigan) and figures he’ll return there for at least one more season.
“I’m just trying to live in the moment,” said Chandler, asked what he felt was a reasonable career path in his pursuit to play in the NHL. “Stay present and get better each day — I don’t think there is a certain time I expect to make that jump.”
Nova Scotia in recent years has delivered a number of elite players to the NHL, including the likes of Sidney Crosby, Brad Marchand, and Nathan MacKinnon.
“I think it’s just being a kid from the Maritimes,” Chandler offered when asked about Nova Scotia developing such elite talent. “We’re a different breed over here.”
The Bruins’ final pick (No. 165) was another left-shot center, Kirill Yemelyanov, from the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv junior team. Yemelyanov collected 13 goals and 23 points in 35 games last season.
Jim McBride of the Globe Staff contributed to this report from Los Angeles.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com.