The Bruins’ first preseason look did exactly what it was supposed to do: sort out the edges of the blue line. And if Sunday night against the Washington Capitals told us anything, it’s that Boston would be making a huge mistake if it leaves Frederic Brunet out of the opening-night picture.
Charlie McAvoy was the only Boston defenseman who really looked like he had his game under control. Beyond him, the group never quite separated itself.
That included Brunet, McAvoy’s partner, who finished stronger than he started but still didn’t have a night that screamed for attention. Even so, the larger point from the game was hard to miss: Brunet is the one fringe defenseman the Bruins can’t afford to gamble with.
The reason is simple. If he doesn’t crack the roster, Boston risks losing him on waivers. And after watching Sunday’s game, letting a defenseman with Brunet’s upside slip away for nothing would be a brutal outcome.
Boston already has six names that feel locked in unless something changes late: McAvoy, Nikita Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm, Will Borgen, Mason Lohrei, and Connor Clifton. That leaves Brunet, Jordan Harris, Henri Jokiharju, and Jonathan Aspirot fighting for the final spots. Because of McAvoy’s six-game suspension, two of those four are going to be on the opening-night roster.
Harris, Jokiharju, and Aspirot all have cases to make. Each gave Boston some useful moments last season.
But Sunday was a reminder that the Bruins should not be treating Brunet as optional. If Don Sweeney ends up keeping Jokiharju, Harris, or Aspirot over him, that would be a major misstep.
Brunet’s value isn’t about what he is right this second. It’s about what he can become.
VORP - Value Over Replacement Player - is the kind of measure that helps explain why. It captures how much better a player is than the easy-to-find depth option, and Brunet’s ceiling is simply more appealing than what Boston would be getting from the others.
That matters because there will be defensemen available on the waiver wire this season who can probably match, or even top, what Harris, Aspirot, or Jokiharju bring to the table. Sunday’s game backed that up.
Aspirot was a little steadier than he was last season, but the same issues kept showing up: slow puck decisions and a habit of getting pushed around. Jokiharju and Harris had some decent advanced numbers, but the eye test said what the numbers couldn’t hide - they don’t look like an NHL defense pair.
The low point came when Harris and Aspirot couldn’t get the job done on the penalty kill on Washington’s go-ahead goal in the third period. That was the kind of sequence that underlined the argument for taking a chance on the waiver wire if needed, because Boston might be able to find someone who can actually clear the crease.
The Bruins may want to treat this as a true camp battle, and they are clearly trying to compete right now. But if they’re serious about the long game too, Brunet has to be part of the plan. That means giving him the chance and sending some of the other depth defensemen to Providence.
In Other News...
Bruins May Have Found A Real Backup Battle Behind Swayman
The Bruins opened preseason play with a win over the Capitals, and the night did more than just give Boston a first glimpse at its lineup. After a 2-2 tie in regulation, the game moved to a shootout, where Michael DiPietro handled the late pressure and helped the Bruins leave with a little early momentum. It was also one of the first chances to see how the new NHL equipment and uniform compliance rules would be enforced in game action.
For a team trying to sort out the depth chart behind Jeremy Swayman, DiPietros performance stood out for all the right reasons. He turned aside 29 shots before the extra session, giving Boston a steady presence in net while the Bruins looked for answers in a game that had the feel of more than a routine exhibition. James Hagens provided the finishing touch in the shootout, and for a team with questions to answer in goal, that kind of start is exactly the sort of development worth watching a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Poitras Is Making The Bruins' Opening Night Picture Interesting
Matthew Poitras gave the Bruins an encouraging early look in their first preseason game, and it was the kind of performance that tends to catch a coachs eye this time of year. The young center looked sharper and more engaged, showing better physicality and positioning while handling himself well against veteran competition, a notable step for a player trying to carve out a real role in Bostons lineup picture.
Alex Steeves was part of the same competition, but Poitras made the stronger case on the night and added some intrigue to the roster battle up front. With opening night still ahead, Boston has a decision to make about how much it wants to lean on his development, and whether his preseason push can translate into a spot as an extra forward or even a fourth-line center. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Prospects Just Made Bostons First Roster Cuts Much Harder
The Bruins preseason win over the Capitals came with more than just a shootout result to sort through. Boston got encouraging looks from several young players, with James Hagens, Marat Khusnutdinov, Matthew Poitras and Frederic Brunet all turning in performances that helped push the conversation well beyond the scoreline. For a team trying to shape its opening-night group, that kind of showings from prospects can make an already complicated camp feel even more crowded.
Matthew Poitras and Frederic Brunet, in particular, gave the Bruins something to think about as roster decisions start to tighten. With lineup spots at a premium and the club already having to account for Charlie McAvoys suspension, Boston may need to keep more depth around than it otherwise would, especially on defense. The result is a tougher first-round of cuts than the Bruins likely wanted, and one that could drag a few more young names deeper into the mix. [Read more 🡒]