Bruins Need to Make a Decision With Matthew Poitras

On June 29, 2026, the Boston Bruins tendered a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Matthew Poitras.

Poitras’ three-year entry-level contract, which paid him an average annual value of $870,000, expired at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. He played the majority of the 2025-26 season with the American Hockey League (AHL) Providence Bruins, recording 44 points (13 goals, 31 assists) in 69 games.

Poitras has played 40 more games in the AHL than the NHL, and has been a regular demotion for the Bruins the past two seasons.

Unlike Michael DiPietro, he hasn’t been so fortunate to earn another look in the NHL despite playing 69 games in the league already, recording seven goals and 27 points. He’s not eligible for arbitration, which lowers his leverage; the Bruins’ qualifying offer may push Poitras to the brink of early December.

That is because the July 15 signing deadline has already passed. The Bruins retain his rights since general manager Don Sweeney sent him a qualifying offer of $850,000 AAV.

However, if they’re promoting DiPietro, why wouldn’t they promote Poitras as well? He’s a hard-working depth piece who could be a difference-maker in the team’s top nine.

Is Poitras a Trade Chip?

ESPN’s Rachel Kryshak believes that Poitras is one Bruin forward who could benefit from a change of scenery. While this was written in May, the lack of urgency surrounding Poitras with the emergence of James Hagens has arguably made him expendable.

A team willing to develop him, staying patient as he improves on both ends of the ice, and give him opportunities to contribute offensively could have itself a middle-six center. 

Are Sweeney and the Bruins front office hoping to move off of a player whom they won’t let slide into a lineup spot over Sean Kuraly or Elias Lindholm, who has been a major disappointment in recent years?

Dobber Prospects believes he’s already got the makeup of a secondary-scoring option:

Hard-working two-way forward with the skill to capitalize on opposing mistakes. Already displays a lot of pro-level habits and projects as a reliable NHL forward with secondary scoring ability. If Poitras fails to sign before Dec., the Bruins will have to consider alternate routes of recouping value for the center.

The forward who was selected 54th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft has a lot of untapped potential, as a result of jumping between the AHL and NHL over the past few seasons. As a two-way forward, there are plenty of NHL teams that would pay a nice price for Poitras.

What kind of value could the Bruins recoup for Poitras? According to The Athletic‘s Fluto Shinzawa, the Bruins should seek a second-round pick.

According to an NHL director of amateur scouting, granted anonymity to discuss a player not under his team’s control, word may be out that Poitras is no longer a sure thing. If the Bruins consider him more of a trade asset than keeper, a one-for-one return would not necessarily improve the 2025-26 Bruins’ playoff push.

“I wouldn’t trade for him, personally,” the director said. “If they can recoup a second, that’s a win for me.” – From ‘What I’m hearing about Matt Poitras and Mason Lohrei’s trade value,’ The Athletic, 04/04/2026.

Bruins Need to Make a Decision

While Poitras seemed to have a bright future in Boston, questionable front-office decision-making is what could’ve led him to forgo signing his qualifying offer.

A troubling sign for the Bruins, who have learned from their mistakes by promoting DiPietro, but don’t trust Poitras enough to give him a spot on the wing in the NHL until he’s ready for an assignment at center.

Whether or not we see him wearing another team’s uniform in the future could come down to whether or not the Bruins feel that a trade would benefit him more than stashing him in Providence, where he’s continued to grow and show he’s NHL-ready.