Dans Locmelis entered Boston Bruins camp with a real shot to force his way onto the opening-night roster, but the picture is getting clearer now that Matthew Poitras has already seized his preseason opportunity.
After Locmelis turned heads in the two Rookie Camp games, there was plenty of reason to wonder whether he could keep that momentum rolling against NHL competition. He looked ready in those outings, even if the level of opposition wasn’t the same, and the early camp combinations only fueled the buzz around him.
Locmelis has been skating alongside Tanner Jeannot and Michael Eyssimont, two depth forwards already on the Bruins’ roster, which says plenty about how close he is to the NHL level. Marco Sturm appeared to be taking an early look at possible pairings, and one early setup even had Locmelis with those two NHL players while Poitras skated with two AHLers. At that point, it looked as if the Latvian center might be sitting ahead of Poitras on the depth chart.
The Bruins’ preseason opener changed that. Poitras got the first game of the exhibition slate and made the most of it, putting himself in position to start the season in Boston.
That creates the tricky part for Locmelis: even if he matches Poitras stride for stride from here, the decision may still lean toward Poitras because he isn’t eligible to avoid waivers. In practical terms, Locmelis probably needed Poitras to stumble in camp to have a real path to breaking with the Bruins.
That doesn’t make Locmelis’ camp any less important. If he doesn’t crack the roster right away, he still has a chance to leave a strong impression in the preseason and put himself in line for a call-up later in the year. He would not be the first young player to get squeezed out by the numbers above him and still work his way into the picture down the road.
There’s also a path for that to happen if Casey Mittelstadt moves on. Mittelstadt seemed to have one foot out the door earlier in camp with some of his comments, and it would not be surprising if he ends up on the trade block at some point this season to avoid losing him for nothing at year’s end. If that happens, Locmelis could quickly become the next name in line.
Even if he doesn’t start the season in Boston, the Bruins still look to have something real in Locmelis. His blend of skill, tenacity, and two-way play gives him a legitimate NHL future, and if the center group eventually includes James Hagens, Dean Letourneau, Fraser Minten, and Dans Locmelis, Boston will be in good shape. If Poitras joins that mix too, even better.
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Bruins May Be Near A Tough Call On Matthew Poitras
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For the Bruins, the issue is less about talent than fit, and that makes it a tricky call. Poitras still profiles as the kind of young player another team could circle if he becomes available, which is why this situation matters beyond camp inventory. Boston will have to decide whether to keep trying to carve out a place for him or accept that the roster may no longer have a clean path forward. [Read more 🡒]