Bruins' draft pick among storylines to watch over final four games originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins’ season is nearing its conclusion.

The B’s have just four games remaining on their regular season schedule, including next Tuesday’s finale against the New Jersey Devils in Boston.

The Bruins halted their 10-game losing streak with an impressive 5-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes at TD Garden on Saturday night, then followed it up with a 6-3 loss to the Sabres in Buffalo on Sunday. The B’s have a 31-38-9 record entering Monday.

Even though there will be no playoff hockey at the Garden for the first time since 2016, there are still a couple of interesting storylines to follow over the next eight days.

Here’s a look at what Bruins fans should be watching for in the final stretch of the 2024-25 season.

First-round draft pick positioning

With each week that passes, the Bruins’ odds of winning the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery have improved. That’s what happens when you lose nine of your last 10 games late in the season.

The Bruins are officially eliminated from playoff contention and entered Monday with the worst record in the Eastern Conference — a spot they haven’t found themselves in since 1997. As a result, Boston has the fourth-worst record in the league and the fourth-best odds of winning the No. 1 pick.

Here are the Bruins’ lottery odds right now, per Tankathon:

• No. 1 pick: 9.5 percent chance
• No. 2 pick: 9.5 percent
• No. 3 pick: 0.3 percent
• No. 4 pick: 15.4 percent
• No. 5 pick: 44.6 percent
• No. 6 pick: 20.8 percent

There’s a 34.4 percent chance the Bruins earn the No. 1, No. 2 or No. 4 pick. The last time their own first-round pick was in the top four was the 1997 draft, when the B’s selected future Hall of Fame center Joe Thornton with the No. 1 overall pick.

The Bruins’ margin for error is slim, though. They share the fourth-worst record with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Seattle Kraken are just one point above both teams. The Sabres, Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins are all just three points above the Flyers and Bruins.

One or two wins for the Bruins over the final week of the season could result in them moving from the fourth-best lottery odds to the sixth-best, and that would be a very bad outcome for Boston.

The No. 1 goal for the Bruins through next Tuesday’s finale should be to lose games and get the best lottery odds possible.

David Pastrnak’s quest for 100 points

The one bright spot amid this awful Bruins season has been the play of David Pastrnak. His on-ice performance and leadership have been tremendous.

Pastrnak has 13 points in the last six games, including a five-point night against the Hurricanes on Saturday that saw him score a hat trick to reach 40 goals for the fifth straight season. On Sunday against the Sabres, Pastrnak became the first Bruins player ever to tally a point on 10 straight goals scored by the team, per NESN.

The superstar right wing now has 97 points (40 goals, 57 assists) through 78 games. He’s three points away from his third consecutive 100-point season. At this rate, it would be pretty surprising if Pastrnak didn’t reach the century mark.

One interesting development the last month or so has been the chemistry between Pastrnak and center Elias Lindholm. The Bruins hoped these two forwards would form a strong chemistry on the top line when Lindholm was signed last summer, but for whatever reason, it just wasn’t a fit early in the season.

But since the beginning of March, Pastrnak and Lindholm have played 104:09 minutes together at even strength, and the Bruins have a 162-88 lead in shot attempts, a 73-44 advantage in shots on net, an 82-37 edge in scoring chances and a 15-11 goal differential during that ice time, per Natural Stat Trick.

This recent success between Lindholm and Pastrnak is something for the Bruins to be encouraged by heading into next season.

Morgan Geekie’s value going up

The only interesting contract situation for the Bruins this summer involves Morgan Geekie. The veteran forward has tallied career highs with 51 points and 29 goals. His 22 assists are tied for a career high.

If Geekie does score 30 goals, he’ll be the first Bruins player not named Pastrnak, Brad Marchand or Patrice Bergeron to do it since Loui Eriksson in the 2015-16 season.

Geekie has posted career highs in goals and points in back-to-back campaigns with the Bruins. His emergence as a likely 30-goal scorer is a fantastic development for the B’s, but it also could cost them a pretty penny.

The good news for Boston is Geekie will be a restricted free agent, so he can’t hit the open market and the team can match any offer he receives.

Geekie’s current contract is a two-year, $4 million deal. He deserves a huge raise from the $2 million AAV he’s been earning. Will it take between $4-5 million to sign Geekie long term? Maybe more than $5 million? It will be fascinating to see how this unfolds.

Geekie has made himself a key part of the Bruins’ future as a productive, versatile forward who’s just 26 years old.

Fraser Minten getting valuable experience

Minten was the prospect acquired by the Bruins as part of the Brandon Carlo trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs just prior to the March 7 trade deadline.

The 2022 second-round pick is a well-rounded center who is responsible defensively, kills penalties and has an improving offensive skill set. He scored a hat trick for the AHL’s Providence Bruins shortly after the trade.

Minten made his Bruins debut Saturday versus the Hurricanes and played well. The Bruins are desperate for help at center, so it’s important that Minten not only proves he belongs in the NHL but also make a meaningful impact at both ends of the ice. That’s why the reps he’s getting toward the end of the season are so valuable.

In an ideal world, Minten would be the Bruins’ No. 3 center next season, but there will be plenty of competition for that role.