Hockey

“They Want Him to Be Part of This Rebuild” – Bruins Eye Key NCAA Prospects

Published: Mar 30, 2025, 11:00 AM
3 min read
Updated: Jul 8, 2025, 11:45 AM
Fact checked by:
Sergey Demidov

With the NCAA hockey season nearing its Frozen Four climax in St. Louis (April 10 and 12), the Boston Bruins could be busy putting pen to paper on Sunday and Monday.

Two NHL sources and one NCAA Hockey source have confirmed to RG the Bruins are still “very much in the mix” for 24-year-old Cornell winger Dalton Bancroft, who just completed his junior season.

The Bruins are also pushing hard to sign Bancroft’s teammate, 21-year-old Big Red forward Ryan Walsh, whom they drafted in the 6th round (188th) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Cornell lost 3–2 in overtime to Boston University in the Toledo NCAA Regional Final on Saturday. Walsh just wrapped up his sophomore season.

The Bruins had two members of their hockey operations team at both Cornell games in the Toledo regional.

“I know they’re trying hard on both those kids,” an NHL source told RG on Saturday night. “They’ve been on Bancroft for a while, and obviously, Walsh is one of their own that they’d like to bring into the fold. I think with [Mike] Schafer retiring, there’s a really good chance that the kid decides to move on to the next level.”

Cornell head coach Mike Schafer was coaching his 29th and final season with the Big Red, and with Saturday’s loss, his retirement became official.

As for Walsh, the 6-foot-1, 188-pound center was a buzzsaw for the Big Red this season. He scored three goals and added two assists to help Cornell win the ECAC Championship and reach the Toledo Regional Final. That followed a regular season in which he posted 16 goals and 14 assists in 35 games.

“I’m told the Bruins really want him to become part of this rebuild right now—first in Providence and then to the show,” one of the sources said.

RG reported on Wednesday that the Bruins—along with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, and Tampa Bay Lightning—were targeting Bancroft. After posting 15 goals and 11 assists in 34 regular-season games, Bancroft added one goal and two assists in five ECAC playoff contests. He helped extend Schafer’s final run behind the bench with a 3–1 win over Clarkson in the ECAC Championship, then chipped in an assist in Cornell’s upset of Michigan State in the Toledo Regional semifinals. He also recorded an assist in the Big Red’s 3–2 overtime loss to Boston University.

NHL Reporter
James Murphy is a veteran sports journalist with 25 years of experience covering the NHL, NCAA and CHL, including two decades on the Boston Bruins beat. His work has appeared on NHL.com, NESN, ESPN Boston and more, and he’s made regular TV and radio appearances on NESN, ESPN, TSN and SiriusXM. A familiar face in the hockey world, Murphy has covered multiple Stanley Cup Finals, NHL drafts and playoffs, and now co-hosts The Eye Test podcast with Pierre McGuire, interviewing top NHL executives, coaches and players. He joined RG in 2024 after stints with Boston Hockey Now and LiveBarn.
Interests:
NHL

More RG Exclusive Interviews

Hockey
Interview
NHL Agent Thinks Owners Are Holding up Offer Sheets

An NHL player agent believes owners are one of, if not the biggest, reason the expected summer of offer sheets never happened.

7
08/01/2025
James Murphy
James Murphy
NHL Agent Thinks Owners Are Holding up Offer Sheets
Hockey
News Report
Jimmy Vesey Weighs KHL Offers as NHL Future Uncertain

NHL veteran Jimmy Vesey is exploring a move to the KHL, with SKA St. Petersburg emerging as a top contender for the 32-year-old forward.

4
07/29/2025
Daria Tuboltseva
Daria Tuboltseva
Jimmy Vesey Weighs KHL Offers as NHL Future Uncertain
Hockey
Analysis
Top 10 Greatest NHL Players of All Time According to AI

RG asked four AI models to rank the top 10 NHL players ever using a weighted formula. The results reveal both consensus and controversy.

16
07/28/2025
Quinn Allen
Quinn Allen
Top 10 Greatest NHL Players of All Time According to AI
Hockey
Interview
Beckett Sennecke Trusting Ducks’ Plan For His NHL Journey

Beckett Sennecke is coming off a dominant season and says he’s open to whatever path the Anaheim Ducks believe is best for his NHL development.

7
07/26/2025
Andrew Knoll
Andrew Knoll
Beckett Sennecke Trusting Ducks’ Plan For His NHL Journey
Prev
...
Next

Hockey Writers

Daria Tuboltseva
Daria Tuboltseva
Hockey Reporter

Daria Tuboltseva has worked as a sports journalist since 2014 and has specialized in hockey coverage since 2016. She’s reported from some of the world’s biggest sporting events, including the Olympic Games (Beijing 2022), the FIFA World Cup (2018), the IIHF World Championships (2016–2019, 2021), the IIHF World Junior Championship (2019), and every Gagarin Cup Final since 2017.

Her work has appeared in leading Russian sports outlets like Championat.com and Sport24, as well as on the official websites of the KHL and the Women’s Hockey League (WHL). Daria has conducted exclusive interviews with some of the sport’s most recognized names, including Alex Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr, Kirill Kaprizov, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Igor Shesterkin.

Beyond her writing, Daria brings extensive on-camera experience. She hosted NHL Today on Yandex.Efir and has produced powerful long-form projects such as the documentary Lokomotiv Crash and the series Hockey Country, featuring stars like Ovechkin, Malkin, Bobrovsky, Vasilevskiy, and Panarin. Her work has taken her to NHL games across North America and international events like the NHL Global Series in Europe.

In addition to her media career, Daria is a certified integrative nutritionist with a focus on sports nutrition. She works one-on-one with KHL players, helping them optimize performance and recovery through tailored nutrition plans. Her ability to blend media expertise with athlete support gives her a unique presence in the professional hockey world.

Daria publishes in both English and Russian and is the creator of the Telegram channel Coolest Game on Earth, where she shares insights, interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories from the hockey world.

Based in: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Languages: English, Russian

Meet All Our Experts
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Read our
Privacy Policy
.