Some NHL draft picks bloom later than others.
One former Boston Bruins fourth-round pick is finally finding his way in a big way so far this hockey season at the NCAA level for Quinnipiac University.
That player: Elliott Groenewold.
The Bruins took Groenewold with the No. 110 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He had just completed a season in the USHL with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
Since then, Groenewold has entered into his third season with Quinnipiac. He had 12 points in year one and 20 points in his sophomore season.
The right-shot defenseman has started this season on a better pace than that, and it should have the Bruins’ attention.
Elliott Groenewold Update
Groenewold was given a shoutout by Daily Faceoff prospect writer Steven Ellis, who evidently has been paying close attention to the beginning of the college hockey season.
The stats look good for Groenewold so far with five assists through five games, and his play has matched that fast start.
“Having someone like Ethan Wyttenbach to pass the puck to doesn’t hurt,” Ellis writes. “But Groenewold is off to a hot start, with a pair of multi-assist efforts kicking off his season. He’s averaging more than 20 minutes a night while being Quinnipiac’s primary offensive force from the blueline. He has never been known for putting points on the board, but he did show some promise with a seven-goal, 20-point sophomore campaign a year ago.”
Whether or not Groenewold’s offense arrives could be the key to what his NHL upside looks like.
Elliott Groenewold’s NHL Future
The Bruins won’t rush Groenewold to the NHL. They’ll want to see him show this improvement all the way through this season, and then they can assess whether he needs another college campaign before a chance in the AHL or NHL.
But so far this season, Boston has to be encouraged.
“A fourth-round pick in 2024, Groenewold is praised more for his defensive game and willingness to land a massive hit with his pure muscle,” Ellis writes. “Groenewold’s added offensive confidence has to make the Bruins feel good right now, though. We’ll see how long this hot streak lasts.”
Players taken in the fourth round don’t often turn into stars, but the key to having strong depth can often be making those mid-round picks turn into players you trust on the ice. Groenewold is at least moving in the right direction on that potential path down the road for the Bruins.
Bruins’ 4th-Round Pick Shining at Quinnipiac