Marco Sturm’s stance on young players has already set the tone for Bruins camp, and it points to a harder truth than the usual James Hagens vs. Matthew Poitras debate: the biggest squeeze may hit Dans Locmelis.
Sturm made his view clear earlier this week, reinforcing the same philosophy Don Sweeney and Cam Neely seemed to value when they hired him. Young players, in this setup, are expected to force their way in rather than be handed anything.
That makes the spotlight obvious heading into training camp. Hagens and Poitras are the names most tied to the opening-night roster battle, but Boston’s depth forward logjam is so tight that the Bruins may not be able to clear enough room for both. In fact, it may not even be enough for one of them.
Locmelis is the one who could get caught in the middle.
The Providence forward has kept showing he belongs wherever the competition gets stiffest. He’s logged experience against professionals in three straight World Championships and at last year’s Olympics, and his first stretch with the AHL Bruins was eye-opening.
After joining Providence late in 2024-25, he piled up 12 points in six games. No one expected that kind of pace to hold over a full rookie season, but he still finished with 28 points in 43 games, a strong sign he can handle pro hockey.
Then came the injury at the Olympics, which ended his season and left Providence without the player who had been giving them such a lift.
The problem now is opportunity. Locmelis has only a slim chance to make Boston this season, and it likely means showing up as one of the best forwards in camp. Even that may not be enough, especially with fewer preseason games to make a case and fewer chances to stand out in front of Sturm and the front office.
If there’s a path, it probably runs through the third-line center spot eventually. Elias Lindholm is penciled into that role for now, though, and he’s expected to keep it for a while. Hagens and Poitras would get the first crack at any opening, and Dean Letourneau’s eventual arrival only adds another layer to the crowd.
Locmelis feels like the kind of player worth seeing at the NHL level, and injuries could always create a window this season. But a full-time look right away?
That’s hard to picture. It’s the same old reality for a Bruins bottom six that Sweeney has packed tight.
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