The Bruins have a simple roster choice in front of them, and it starts with Sean Kuraly.
Boston’s reunion with Kuraly last offseason made sense as a feel-good move. He came back as the kind of fourth-line center fans remembered well from his first run in black and gold, then returned to Columbus without any drama when his time in Boston ended. Now he’s back in the mix again as part of a depth group that also includes Tanner Jeannot and Mark Kastelic.
That trio has done more than just survive in 2025-26. They have chipped in a little offense, defended well, and given Marco Sturm a line that has been steady enough to leave alone. But if the Bruins are serious about making room for their next wave, Kuraly is the name that opens the door.
A move like that would matter most because of the squeeze at forward. James Hagens and Matthew Poitras both need space, and the current lineup makes that difficult. One trade could change that quickly.
A possible top six already has Fraser Minten centering David Pastrnak and JJ Peterka, with Pavel Zacha sliding down to handle a veteran role between Hagens and Morgan Geekie. That setup would push Elias Lindholm, Casey Mittelstadt, and Marat Khusnutdinov into a third line that could win a lot of its matchups.
The problem comes lower in the lineup, where Poitras does not have an obvious home. Kuraly, Kastelic, and Jeannot fit as the fourth line for now, but if Kuraly were dealt, Poitras could step into that spot between the two power forwards. He could also move to the wing if Khusnutdinov’s place opened up.
That still leaves Boston with a decision on the 13th forward spot, where Alex Steeves, Michael Eyssimont, and Lukas Reichel would be fighting for one place. The front office may already be preparing for the possibility that two of those players end up burning NHL contracts in the AHL, with Steeves and Eyssimont looking like the likelier assignments. Reichel, meanwhile, appears to be more of a future piece if Sturm can get something out of him.
In the end, the Bruins have to choose between keeping another familiar depth forward or clearing space for the younger players who need it. If Poitras is going to get a real shot at a full NHL season, this is the kind of move that makes it possible.
In Other News...
Bruins Head Into Camp With One Roster Doubt Still Unsettled
As training camp draws closer, the Bruins still have a familiar-looking question hanging over the middle of their lineup. Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, Fraser Minten and Sean Kuraly form the current top four down the middle, but the group still does not give Boston an obvious No. 1 center, and that uncertainty is part of what makes the coming weeks so important for the rosters shape.
The latest reminder came when the NHL Network unveiled its top 20 centers for the upcoming season without a Bruins player on the list, a notable omission for a team trying to reestablish itself among the leagues better clubs. There is also the separate matter of Matthew Poitras, who remains unsigned as camp nears, leaving Boston with one more unresolved piece in a position group that already lacks a clear answer at the top. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Need Lukas Reichel To Become The Answer At Center
Lukas Reichel arrives in Boston with a familiar kind of appeal for a team looking to solve a long-running question down the middle: enough talent to dream on, enough uncertainty to keep the price reasonable. The Bruins brought him in last March and have spent the months since viewing him as a possible middle-six center, the sort of low-cost swing that can pay off if the former first-round pick finally finds steadier production after uneven stretches with Chicago and Vancouver.
Reichels next step matters because the Bruins still need someone to seize that center role and make it look permanent, not temporary. There is at least some organizational comfort in the setup, with head coach Marco Sturm and other German players in the picture, and Boston is clearly hoping that familiarity helps bring out a more complete version of the player they think is still in there. The question now is whether this is the environment that finally turns potential into something the Bruins can actually rely on. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Camp Battle Could Reveal What Boston Really Values Up Front
Training camp is about to tell the Bruins a lot about where they stand up front, and the most interesting questions may come in the bottom six rather than on the blue line. Boston has a surplus of defensemen, but the forward group features a real battle for spots among players trying to carve out defined roles, with Lukas Reichel set to compete alongside veterans and prospects such as Mikey Eyssimont, Alex Steeves, James Hagens and Matthew Poitras.
The shape of that competition matters because the Bruins still have to settle their roster before the season opener against the Rangers on Sept. 29. For a team looking to sort out its identity, these decisions will say plenty about what it values from its depth forwards, whether that means experience, energy or the kind of upside that can force its way into the lineup. [Read more 🡒]