Sascha Boumedienne
2024-25 Team: Boston University (NCAA)
Date of Birth: Jan 17, 2007
Place of Birth: Oulo, FIN
Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 183 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Defenseman
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2025 first-year eligible
Rankings
Boston University has been producing a considerable number of future superstars in recent memory. Lane Hutson and Macklin Celebrini are among the favorites for the 2024-25 Calder Memorial Trophy, but there are still more skilled players coming through the program.
Many of their top players have already gone through the NHL Draft and are on the verge of making the jump to the professional game, but one of their youngest players, freshman Sascha Boumedienne is entering the draft for the first time.
Boumedienne is touted as an offensive defenseman who projects as a top power-play option in the very near future. With players such as Cole Hutson and Tom Willander on the roster, there was little pressure on the youngest player in college hockey to perform at a high level right out of the gate.
Playing alongside Willander, Boumedienne became more of an impact player offensively as he gained familiarity and confidence at the collegiate level. In 40 games, the blueliner had 13 points as a freshman. While he didn’t immediately become one of the top contributors in the NCAA like Lane or Cole Hutson, Boumedienne has the skill to become a top collegiate player as he continues to develop.
Sascha Boumedienne, Boston University (Photo credit: Matt Woolverton)
Boumedienne’s skating is one of his greatest strengths, however, he still needs to improve in a few areas. His mix of speed and size allows him to be a key player in transition, however, he needs to use his frame to his advantage more consistently at the collegiate level. He’s improving defensively, but if he’s going to become a reliable 200-foot player rather than a power play specialist, he’ll need to continue improving considerably.
Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide
Despite being born in Finland, Boumedienne is a Swedish national and represented his country at the U18 World Championship, where he quickly broke the single-tournament scoring record for a defenseman. He recorded 14 points in the first five games of the tournament, before being held off the scoresheet against the United States and Canada. Eventually, he would be named as the tournament’s best defenseman.
Sascha Boumedienne – NHL Draft Projection
Given his struggles early in the season, Boumedienne is a bit of a toss-up heading into the draft. Before his performance at the U18s, he was considered a fringe first-round pick by some, with many analysts putting him early in the second round. Now, his strong performance for Sweden should be enough to convince a team to take a flyer on him late in the first round.
Quotables
“He fired quickly off the rush after gaining the middle, evaded pressure, and supported plays deep in the offensive zone. Playing a physical brand of defence, he controlled the front of the net. He also got beat wide and made some shaky plays at the point. His projection continues to look similar as in college. A potential No. 4, Boumedienne needs to solidify his habits, develop his mobility, and settle into a more defensively-oriented game with some puck-moving elements.” – David St. Louis, Elite Prospects (from ‘April 26th, 2025 – USA U18 vs. Sweden U18,’ Elite Prospects – 4/28/25)
“Sascha Boumedienne is a defenseman with significant upside due to his combination of size, mobility, and offensive instincts. While there are areas of his game, particularly his defensive play and physicality, his potential to impact the game at both ends of the ice makes him a compelling candidate for the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.” – Neutral Zone
Strengths
Brings high-end offensive production
Above-average skating ability and speed
Great combination of speed and size
Joins the rush, creates offensive chances in transition
Effective one-timer and wrist shot
Under Construction – Improvements to Make
Needs to use his big frame and embrace physicality.
Remain calm under pressure, don’t rush decisions while being pressured.
Needs to improve defensively; he improved significantly late in the season, but needs defensive consistency.
NHL Potential
Boumedienne appears to project as a second-pairing offensive defenseman who could be a key piece of a team’s second power-play unit. While he’ll need to continue improving defensively in order to be an effective 5-on-5 player at the NHL level, he’s unlikely to become a reliable penalty killer unless he completely revamps his game defensively.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 3/5, Reward – 4/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense – 7/10, Defense – 5/10
Awards/Achievements
Boumedienne won a bronze medal at 2024 Gretzky Hlinka Cup. He was then named best defenseman and named to the All-Star team at the U18 World Championship while winning a silver medal.
Interviews/Links
YouTube: NHL Draft Prospect Sascha Boumedienne Talks Five-Point Game, Tom Willander And BU At U18 Worlds
YouTube: USHL Alumni: Sacha Boumedienne BU Hockey Frozen Four Interview
Sascha Boumedienne Stats
Videos
What an absolute shot by #5 🤯@Trekronorse leads 4-1 in the second #U18MensWorlds #SWESUI pic.twitter.com/72VB8uHJ11
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) April 23, 2025
MIH: BU GOAL – Sascha Boumedienne breaks up a 2-on-1 at one end and then scores off the ensuing rush to give BU a 2-1 lead.
Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/LzbErAEoKF@hockey_east | @NESN | @espn#GoBU pic.twitter.com/vhhhncscnB
— BU Game Day (@BUGameDay) March 15, 2025
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