The Boston Bruins entered the preseason with a distinct lack of center depth that was highlighted by the retirements of long-time Bruins’ legends Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Fast-forward to the end of the preseason and it would appear that the Bruins actually have some early-season options at center given the impressive audition showcased by 2022 second-round pick Matthew Poitras.
When the Bruins drafted Poitras, he was coming off of a 21-goal, 50-point season in 68 games with the Guelph Storm. He’d return to the OHL for the 2022-23 season, his second in the league, and he’d break out with 16 goals and 95 points in 63 games; all of the draftable traits that he displayed in his rookie season were evident but also yielded positive results on the score-sheet.
This was also true for Poitras during the 2023 NHL preseason when he continually turned heads due to his poise and production. Despite being 19 years old without a single game of NHL experience to his name, Poitras looked every bit the part of an NHL player as opposed to a prospect just getting his feet wet. This would translate to five points, including three goals, as well as a faceoff percentage eclipsing the 50% mark after playing in five of the team’s six preseason contests.
Poitras was also used in a variety of roles, ranging from a top-six center option to centering the team’s third line; the results didn’t vary.
The production on the stat sheet alone would be worth looking at for Poitras, but it really was just the way he performed from shift to shift that made him seem like such an undeniable option to at least start the season in Boston. When asked about it, head coach Jim Montgomery seemed to agree.
“It certainly looks that way,” Montgomery said. “He’s earned the right to stick around for a while, that’s for sure.”
Montgomery would be very complimentary of Poitras following the Bruins following the team’s win against the New York Rangers on Thursday.
“He just seems to be in the right spots,” Montgomery said. “He has the puck a lot because he’s always in the right support position. And then when he gets the puck, he’s poised with the puck—he’s calm beyond his years with the puck.”
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Poitras came into camp looking for a spot on the NHL roster, just as every player in the same opportunity would, but he showed out in a way that now seemingly makes it impossible for Montgomery to avoid giving him at least a few games of real NHL game action.
“For me, I think it’s just being comfortable,” Poitras said after the game. “And knowing that I can make plays out here and I can play out here. Having good confidence and knowing that I can have the ability to play at this level.”
Poitras Options Do Not Include AHL This Season
The Bruins face a tricky decision with Poitras this season.
He can’t be sent down to the AHL for further game refinement and a potential mid-season call-up, leaving him with two options: the NHL or a return to the CHL. However, if he returns to the CHL, he won’t be able to come back to the NHL until the conclusion of his OHL season.
It’s highly likely that the Bruins will choose to keep Poitras in the NHL to start the season. In this scenario, they’ll be cautious about his entry-level contract, considering it a nine-game audition. If Poitras plays in a 10th game this season, his entry-level contract would kick in, effectively burning one season even if they later sent him down. If he plays in just nine games and then goes back to Guelph, his entry-level deal would slide one season.
It should be noted that though nine games may not seem like a lot, it actually makes up over 10% of the regular season; a lot can be determined in that time.
If Poitras maintains his NHL-level performance during the regular season opportunity and earns a full-time spot, it won’t be seen as a burned contract year but rather as a value year due to his entry-level cap hit. This is especially true given the Bruins’ salary situation as a whole for the 2023-24 season.
Poitras has made life interesting for Montgomery and should he continue to produce, he’ll give the coach options heading into the season. Beyond just deciding whether or not he should make the roster, the team must also determine where he’d factor into the lineup. The ideal situation would be Poitras getting a look alongside Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk to start the season as a member of the Bruins’ top-six, but Charlie Coyle also looks more than deserving of that role; the two should have a good healthy competition early.
Realistically, various line combinations will be used throughout the season and it would be foolish to expect the early lines to stick all season long due to performance, injury and a combination of the two.
Poitras pushing for a spot this preseason is an excellent problem for the Bruins to have. The follow-up decision that will come shouldn’t overshadow how impressive Poitras has been and how deserving he is of this opportunity; the rest will figure itself out.