Frederic Brunet got the kind of first day at Bruins training camp that turns heads fast.
Boston opened camp with Brunet skating next to Charlie McAvoy, and that immediately lit up the conversation around whether the young defenseman had already played his way onto the opening-night roster. Brunet entered camp with that exact mission in mind, and with this being his first year facing waivers if he doesn’t make the team, the Bruins have every reason to give him a real runway.
Still, that first pairing should not be read as a final verdict.
McAvoy’s role on Day 1 is tied to the realities of a short camp, not necessarily a permanent lineup decision. The Bruins need to use the limited time they have to build chemistry, but McAvoy is also set to miss the first six games because of a suspension. That makes it harder to treat any opening-night pairing as locked in.
Brunet said the moment caught him by surprise.
“I found out probably 30 minutes before practice, it was a pretty good feeling honestly. Especially on the first day, you’re pretty nervous, and then you see you’re playing with McAvoy, one of the top three defensemen in the NHL.”
“We had… pic.twitter.com/bkMuPwO3ok
- Bridgette Proulx (@bridgetteproulx) September 17, 2026
There is still plenty to like about the fit. Brunet has shown major growth in the AHL, and the Bruins are clearly giving him a chance to learn from one of their best players throughout camp.
If the two look strong together, there’s at least a real path toward something more down the line. But a promising first day is not the same thing as a guaranteed roster spot.
Sturm sounded encouraged after watching Brunet.
"As a coaching staff, we always talk after every practice ... we all thought Brunet had a pretty good day. Skating pretty good. ... It was nice to see." pic.twitter.com/ZsIXBLHVHW
- Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) September 17, 2026
One possible route for Boston would be to keep Brunet as the seventh defenseman while McAvoy sits out the first six games, then figure out the rest once McAvoy is available again. That would give Brunet time to settle into the NHL without forcing the Bruins to rush a bigger decision.
Day 1 also offered a look at how the backend could take shape for opening night. Hampus Lindholm and Will Borgen skated together and look like the leading candidate for the first pair while McAvoy is out. Behind them, Connor Clifton’s return has people looking at a more physical second pair with Nikita Zadorov, and that combination appears to be in the mix after the first day.
Jonathan Aspirot and Mason Lohrei also worked together, with Lohrei on the right side. Don Sweeney has already discussed Lohrei’s ability to handle that spot, and it looks like Boston is planning to use him there at times this season.
That leaves Jordan Harris and Henri Jokiharju on the outside looking in for now, which fits the early shape of camp. Brunet could still fill a seventh-defenseman role on opening night, and the rest of the defense picture can sort itself out from there.
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