With a bevy of high picks in the last two drafts — nine selections in the first two rounds — the Bruins have made a couple of choices that appear to be gambles. The most controversial at the time of the selection was Zach Senyshyn.

Taken with the 15th overall pick in 2015, the right winger had yet to play a top-six role in juniors with Sault Ste. Marie and was coming off 26-19-45 totals in a 66-game campaign — decent, but not the numbers of the typical mid-first-rounder.

But Senyshyn’s 2015-16 season with the Greyhounds demonstrated that the B’s hunch might have been pretty good. Time will tell if he was the correct pick — Kyle Connor and Mathew Barzal, two players the B’s passed on with the pick, had monster seasons for their respective teams (the University of Michigan and the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL) — but Senyshyn did produce with the opportunity he was given. The 19-year-old notched 45 goals with 20 assists in 66 games.

“I was really kind of excited to change my role with the Greyhounds and take on the offensive load for my team, be a top guy for them and take on more of a leadership role,” Senyshyn said last week. “It was a really exciting time for me. I think I learned a lot this past year. I took away some things that will help me going into my second camp.”

Senyshyn missed Bruins development camp in July after a bout with mononucleosis put him “flat on his back” for a couple of weeks. But he feels like he’s back to 100 percent. The Nepean, Ontario, native has been working out with some of the Ottawa Senators — including Kyle Turris, Erik Karlsson and Marc Methot — and is eager to start camp. He plans to arrive in Boston a week ahead of the Sept. 15 start of rookie camp to take a few twirls with some of the veterans at Warrior Ice Arena.

On the fast track

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Senyshyn’s best attribute is the one most sought in today’s NHL: speed. His highlights from last season showed up regularly on YouTube. But making it to the NHL takes a lot more than simply beating opponents one-on-one with superior jets, which is what Senyshyn frequently does in the Ontario Hockey League. Thanks to regular chats with B’s development coaches Jay Pandolfo (now a bench assistant for the B’s) and Jamie Langenbrunner during the season, he’s well aware of that.

“I definitely need to improve my game away from the puck and work on my puck protection skills as well as stopping and starting and staying in the play. I’ve talked a lot with the Bruins’ staff this year and have really assessed my game and looked at my game as a whole and really try to evaluate myself to try and make the Bruins this year,” said Senyshyn, who found input from Pandolfo and Langenbrunner invaluable.

“They were able to watch my game and give me feedback, which was awesome, especially those two guys with their experience in the NHL and as coaches,” he said. “It was a great experience being able to talk with them and just be able to hear what they see out there.

“I have my certain strengths. I use my speed well. But there’s a lot of things I need to work on. It takes a complete game to play in the NHL. And over the course of the year, that was the number one goal.”

An uphill battle

It won’t be easy for the youngster to make the team this season. The B’s have their share of right-shot wingers in David Backes, David Pastrnak, Jimmy Hayes, Riley Nash and Tyler Randell, plus a left-handed shooter who can play both sides in Frank Vatrano. But if a pedigreed player such as Senyshyn proves he’s ready to go pro in training camp, then you can best believe the B’s will figure out a way to set a table for him.

And while he admits some of the criticism that came his way on draft day “lit a little fire under him,” his motivations are more positivity-based.

“I don’t focus on the people that don’t like the pick. I just want to prove the Bruins right for taking me there,” he said. “I think that I was able to show what I had to offer and what I am as a player. But it’s all about improving. It’s not really about that draft day where you’re picked. It’s what you do after that. I think that the best thing I could for the Bruins in stepping up and taking me there is to work every day on what my game has and what my game needs to prove them right instead of focusing on all the people who didn’t think that was a good pick.”