For a lot of NHL teams, the first preseason game is just the first step in shaking off the rust. For the Bruins, it may be something closer to an audition.
The league’s exhibition calendar has been trimmed down to four games, and that has changed the whole feel of camp. There’s less runway for coaches to sort through young players, and less room to ease veterans into game shape.
By the final one or two preseason contests, the lineup should look a lot like what Boston plans to ice against the New York Rangers in Game 1. That makes Saturday afternoon’s opener against the Washington Capitals a key early test for a handful of roster hopefuls.
Boston’s first preseason roster reflected that reality. It was a very young group, with Charlie McAvoy included among the baby Bruins only because he has to serve a six-game suspension to open the season. That means the preseason matters for him in a different way: he needs game reps so he can be ready to go once his suspension ends and he reaches Game 7.
Among the players worth tracking, James Hagens stands out right away. He came into camp with a shot at the NHL roster, though his place was not seen as guaranteed by everyone.
He has already helped his case with a six-goal performance in the Rookie Games, and he has spent much of camp on a line with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov. If that group clicks in this game, it could be hard to imagine Boston breaking them up when opening night arrives.
Frederic Brunet is in a different kind of spot, but the stakes are just as real. He is expected to line up with McAvoy on the top pair, giving him a chance to turn practice chemistry into something more meaningful in a game setting. Of all the young players in the lineup, Brunet may have the most to gain from looking steady next to a star defenseman who needs a dependable partner.
Matthew Poitras is another name to keep front and center. He is expected to skate with Attilio Biasca and Lukas Reichel, two wingers who are also in the spotlight here.
That trio could end up being the one Boston wants to evaluate most closely. If they don’t do much to stand out, Poitras could find himself in a tougher position, especially with both wingers already looking like strong AHL candidates and Providence’s training camp set to begin Monday.
There is also a possible ripple effect depending on how the night goes. If Hagens has a rough time against NHL competition and Poitras looks sharp, Poitras could get another crack Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers while Hagens remains the one fighting to stay in the mix. However it shakes out, this opener could end up being the only real chance for some of these players to prove they deserve another look.
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Young Bruins Get A Big Chance With Camp Jobs On The Line
With training camp jobs hanging in the balance, the Bruins are heading into a preseason matchup that should tell them plenty about which young players are ready for a longer look. Boston is using the game to evaluate prospects in a setting that feels a little closer to real hockey, while also giving an early glimpse of what the Providence Bruins roster could look like if a few of those names are headed there first.
Across the ice will be a roster built mostly from Hershey Bears players and Washington depth pieces, which makes this less of a showcase and more of a measuring stick. For the Bruins younger skaters, it is a chance to turn camp reps into something more meaningful, and for the organization, it is one more data point before the decisions start getting a lot more serious. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Camp Is Pointing JJ Peterka In An Unexpected Direction
Training camp has a way of clearing up the guesswork, and in Bostons case the early read on JJ Peterka has been a little different than some fans may have expected. Through the first three days, Peterka has been working on the right wing with Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha, while coach Marco Sturm has spent camp sorting through combinations rather than simply defaulting to the most obvious fit.
Peterka has said he feels comfortable in that spot, and the Bruins are clearly looking for a grouping that can sharpen the teams offensive efficiency. The longer those trios stay intact, the more they start to look less like an experiment and more like the shape of things when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Expose A Depth Forward To Waivers With One Roster Spot In Play
The Bruins have cleared another piece of their depth chart by placing forward Navrin Mutter on waivers, a move that opens the door for other NHL clubs to claim him before Bostons roster decisions tighten further. Mutter was acquired from Nashville last March and is heading into his first full season in the organization, with most of his professional experience coming in the AHL and ECHL.
For Boston, it is the latest reminder of how little margin there is at the bottom of the roster when one spot is still available and competition is ongoing. Mutter has not yet gotten into an NHL game, so his future now hinges on whether another team sees enough value to step in, or whether he ends up remaining in the Bruins system as the organization keeps sorting out its depth forward mix. [Read more 🡒]