The prospect pool for the Boston Bruins has been much maligned due to some poor drafting and a lack of high-level draft positioning. Therefore, General Manager Don Sweeney has had to entrust his advance scouting to hit on some lower-round draft picks to try and replenish the farm system. Drafts from 2017 and 2018 only have goaltender Jeremy Swayman and forwards Jakub Lauko and Curtis Hall to show for them. In 2019, the Bruins selected John Beecher, who is fighting for his first opportunity on the Bruins roster, as is 2020 second-round pick defenseman Mason Lohrei. But it is the drafts of 2021 and 2022 where the Bruins really need some top talent to develop. And one of those picks is turning heads in training camp already.
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The 2022 NHL Draft saw the Bruins select center Matthew Poitras from the Guelph Storm with the 54th overall pick. The 5-foot-11, 173-pound forward was a playmaker who Elite Prospects characterized as a player who “pre-scans, establishes body positioning, escapes out the back door, and then looks inside for teammates. Doesn’t just make the most direct play; he’s selective and generally balances risk and reward well. Wins positioning by getting low, using heel-to-heel steps to change the point of contact, and changing pace on incoming pressure.” It might have been Poitras’ lack of size that had him slide down to being the 20th center chosen in the draft. But since his name was called that night, Poitras has shown that he was a first-round talent.
Poitras totaled 95 points and came within two assists of a franchise record with 79 with the Storm last season and registered six points in six playoff games. On May 5, 2023, the Bruins committed to Poitras financially with a new three-year, entry-level contract worth a salary cap hit of $870,000. The Ontario native is now climbing the prospect charts in Boston and is rivaling forward Fabian Lysell and Lohrei for top honors in the organization.
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On Sunday night, in Poitras’ first taste of pro action, the skilled center scored the first goal of the game on the power play and showed some of the unique talents that he could bring to the lineup in the absence of the retired Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. The Bruins need Poitras to be a top-six center in the league, and all signs are pointing to that being a reality. Poitras finished with a goal and an assist in the 3-0 win over New York and won more than half of his faceoffs. Now the Bruins might have a difficult decision to make. It was almost a foregone conclusion that Poitras was headed back to Guelph after camp as he could not suit up for Providence of the American Hockey League. But the right-shot forward could play for Boston and fill a much-needed role as a center for the Bruins.
Poitras will have the night off Tuesday as the Bruins face the Buffalo Sabres but should see more action in the third preseason game. If all goes well, maybe Boston should just give the kid a chance out of camp to play for the parent club and expedite the development of their top young center.
Season 4. Episode 34. Marco? Polo? – Bruins Benders Podcast
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Last time I think that happened to a prospect where either send to juniors or keep him was Bergeron . Nothing to lose if the kid keeps improving. Nice surprise and shot in arm Bruins would need .