BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Bruins beefed up their defense corps Saturday in the National Hockey League entry draft for 18-year-olds, and General Manager Harry Sinden characterized it as a look ahead.
“Our future on defense should be excellent,” Sinden said in a telephone call from Detroit where the draft was held. “If things go as expected, we should have four outstanding defensemen in a couple of years.”
The Bruins, with two choices in the first round, selected defensemen Glen Wesley, 6-foot-l, 192 pounds, from Portland of the Western League, and Stephane Quintal, 6-3,220, from Granby of the Quebec League.
“We rated Wesley the best defenseman in the draft,” said Sinden, who obtained the overall third pick from Vancouver, along with winger Cam Neely in exchange for center Barry Pederson. “He is very close to being able to play in the NHL next season.
“We think he's an outstanding player. He does everything well. He's a good skater and he excels on the power play. He has a good shot and he's a Sood passer. If we had had the number one choice, we would have considered taking him.”
Wesley, who had 16 goals and 42 assists in 63 games for Portland, is the brother of Blake Wesley, who played for the Quebeck Nordiques last season and was a second-round choice of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1979.
Sinden said Quintal would probably play another year of junior hockey.
“He's not ready to play next year. He's one of the biggest players in the draft, but he's not just a big body. He has a chance to be a good defenseman in this league.”
Sinden said he projects Wesley and Quintal will join Ray Bourque, winner of the 1987 Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman, and Gord Kluzak, pending his recovery from knee surgery, as outstanding defense pairs for the Bruins in a couple of years.
He said Wesley's style of play resembled that of Denis Potvin, the offensive-minded All-Star defenseman with the New York Islanders, and Quintal's style is like that of Larry Robinson of the Montreal Canadiens, a stay-at-home defenseman who carries the puck well and uses his size.
Quintal had 13 goals, 41 assists and 178 penalty minutes in 67 games for Granby last season.
“We were surprised he was still around at the 14th pick (overall). We were looking for a forward at that point, but he was too good to pass up,” Sinden said.
The Bruins, who traded away their second-round choice, picked Todd Lalonde, a 6-foot, 195-pound left winger from Sudbury in the Ontario League in the third round and defenseman Darwin McPherson, 6-1, 195, from New Westminster of the Western League in the fourth.