BOSTON — The Bruins are expected to hunt for a centerman of the present when free agency opens on Monday. On Friday, they tabbed what they hope is a pivot of the future.

With the 25th pick at the NHL draft at the Sphere in Las Vegas, the B’s went big — very big — selecting 6-foot-7 Dean Letourneau out of St. Andrews College, a right-shot centerman from Braeside, Ontario. He’ll be going to Boston College in the fall.

“It feels awesome,” Letourneau told ESPN. "Going back to my college recruiting, I always wanted to stay in Boston, so it’s pretty special that I get to stay even longer. I’m really happy to be in Boston.”

The last time the B’s picked at 25 was 10 years ago, when they landed David Pastrnak. They can only hope to have the same success with Letourneau. Playing for the small prep school north of Toronto, Letourneau had eye-popping 61-66-127 totals in 56 games.

The B’s picked Letourneau after Utah traded up with the Colorado Avalanche to take center Cole Beaudoin. Whether or not Utah scooped up Beaudoin before the B’s could, GM Don Sweeney seemed pleased before heading up to the stage, where director of scouting Ryan Nadeau made the selection.

On Thursday, Sweeney hinted that the B’s might trade back in the draft to get more picks, but he kept the pick and added another centerman to the pipeline.

©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.