Top Ten Boston Bruins Prospect Profiles: No. 8 Chris Pelosi
Boston Bruins On SI is starting a new series which will take a look at the Top 10 prospects in the organization.
The first forward featured in the ranking is Chris Pelosi, a standout center for Quinnipiac who is likely to turn pro after the upcoming season and potentially make it to Boston sooner rather than later.
Quick Facts:
Position: Center
2025-26 Team: Quinnipiac Bobcats (NCAA)
2026-27 Team: Quinnipiac Bobcats (NCAA)
Draft: 2023 Round 3, #92 overall
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 196 lbs.
Nationality: American
NHL ETA: 2027-2028
Age: 21
Pelosi was one of the more criticized mid-round selections in the 2023, as the Bruins selected the unheralded center from the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede in the third round after he posted just 19 points in 43 games. The concerns over his lack of offensive output were quickly erased as the center blossomed to nearly a point-per-game player for the Stampede the following season, posting 55 points, including 21 goals, in 56 games. A similar trend continued in college, posting 24 points in 38 games as a freshman for Quinnipiac before missing point-per-game status by just a point once again as a sophomore, with 34 points on 18 goals and 16 assists in 35 games.
Offensively, Pelosi provides a commanding net front presence and uses his six-foot-two frame to win battles and get himself in position to screen the netminder or use his above-average hand-eye coordination to deflect pucks from close range. In addition to his work near the cage, Pelosi has a knack to get his shot off towards the net, even from tough angles and situations. His shot will never be described as near the top of the league but certainly won’t hold him back at the next level and is more than serviceable for a bottom-six forward. One of the biggest strengths of the 21-year-old’s game lies in the face-off dot, finishing in the top three on the Quinnipiac roster in face-off wins each of his first two seasons in the navy and gold.
Welcome to #USCS, Chris Pelosi!#ThePeakOfHockey pic.twitter.com/rPe9VlWxId
— U.S. Collegiate Selects (@USCollegeSelect) December 4, 2025
The Quinnipiac center will benefit from some more time to develop and round out his game before being tested on the NHL stage. The next 24 months will be crucial to the 21-year old's development on the defensive end as he continues to round out as a two-way forward, Pelosi needs his defensive instincts to catch up to his physicality to help mask a slight deficiency in skating speed. It’s that lack of top-end speed that will make it that much harder to make the jump to the NHL and be an impact player.
Pelosi is a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect who is positioned to carve out a long professional career but lacks the top-end physical tools to be a top-line or above average top-six center. His ability to contribute on special teams and in the face-off dot, paired with a physical style of hockey, should see the New Jerseyan slot in as a bottom-six forward, potentially as a quality third-line center on a team with playoff-level depth. He’ll spend the 2026-27 season at Quinnipiac, his fourth with the Bobcats, before deciding to turn pro or use his final season of collegiate eligibility. An ideal path for Pelosi would be a productive season at the NCAA level before a taste of AHL play in the spring of 2027, before potentially splitting time between Providence and Boston in 2027-28.
Boston Bruins Prospect Profiles:
No. 8 Chris Pelosi
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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.