Top Ten Boston Bruins Prospect Profiles: No. 4 Cooper Simpson
Boston Bruins On SI continues its series taking a look at the Top 10 prospects in the organization.
An All-USHL selection a year ago, Cooper Simpson gives the Bruins’ prospect pool a dynamic forward with the upside to be a consistent scoring threat when he eventually reaches the NHL.
Quick Facts:
Position: Left Winger
2025-26 Team: Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
2026-27 Team: North Dakota (NCAA)
Draft: 2025 Round 3, #79 overall
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 183 lbs.
Nationality: American
NHL ETA: 2028-29
Age: 19
When the Bruins selected Cooper Simpson in the third round of the 2025 draft, he was still relatively untested at the upper levels of junior hockey. The Minnesota-born forward split time between his high-school, Shakopee, and Tri-City in the USHL in both 2023-24 and 2025-26. but with only 40 games of juniors under his belt scouts and the public were yet to come to a consensus on the prospect. It didn’t take long in Simpson’s post-draft year to prove himself as a potential mid-round steal, as he blossomed into one of the top forwards in the nation’s top junior hockey league in his final season before departing for North Dakota.
Not many players in Simpson’s age group can put up offensive production at the level of the third rounder, who led all 18 year-olds with 34 goals, 40 assists, and 74 points during his first full USHL season. When the puck is on his stick, Simpson has a deep array of tools that make him tough to defend. His speed and puckhandling, both in tight spaces and open space, make him difficult to contain and allow the forward to create space and generate opportunities. His shot has both the placement and power to beat goaltenders, ranking inside the top-five in the USHL in goals en route to being a first-team all-league selection a year ago. Simpson’s vision and passing ability separates himself from other young wingers as he consistently sets up open teammates in high scoring areas.
The biggest concern for Simpson comes when the puck is not on his stick. Defensively, the tape shows poor positioning in the defensive zone and a general lack of effort in focus, he often appears to be trying to get a jump on the play going back towards his team’s offensive end and can leave his team vulnerable defensively. When he is in the offensive end he takes possessions off and does not draw the level of attention one would expect based on his points total. Despite posting 74 points for Youngstown last season, his +/- was just +5 for the USHL’s best regular season, ranking 12th among the 17 skaters on the Phantoms that appeared in at least 30 games.
If Simpson can develop more consistency possession to possession in the offensive end and improve enough to not be a defensive liability, the winger could be a top-six forward who consistently eclipses the 50 point mark. Expect him to eventually be a mainstay on the powerplay, he was a driving force behind the USHL’s second most efficient powerplay. The most likely timeline for Simpson to turn pro is after the 2027-28 season, giving him two years with North Dakota. From there he’ll have an opportunity to get a taste of professional hockey, likely in Providence before making his NHL debut the following season. A dominant freshman season could push the timeline up but if the college game exploits weaknesses in his game, it could be a much longer road to professional hockey and eventually Boston for Simpson.
Boston Bruins Prospect Profiles:
No. 4 Cooper Simpson
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Chris Vogel contributes to both Boston College and Boston Bruins On SI, and is also play-by-play broadcaster for ACC Network Extra and Hockey East on ESPN. He’s a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and got his master's degree at Boston College, where he served as the radio voice of Boston College Women’s Hockey on WZBC 90.3; the flagship radio network of Boston College Women’s Athletics. He’s the host of the “All Things Hockey” podcast, and covers women’s college hockey for College Hockey On SI.