Old offseason news has a way of circling back around in the NHL, and Thursday’s Bruins roundup had plenty of that flavor. Boston’s prospect work kept rolling, Trent Whitfield is set to take over behind the Providence bench, and around the league the familiar drama of star-player departures, contract regrets, and roster questions kept bubbling up.
The Bruins’ prospect rankings were wrapped up earlier this week, but the system still has more names worth tracking. This time, the focus turned to seven more skaters - four forwards and three defensemen - who still have room to grow in their development. And that won’t be the final word on Bruins prospects this week, either.
There was also a coaching change on the way in Providence. Mark Divver reported that Trent Whitfield will be named the next head coach of the Providence Bruins. Whitfield has spent the last 10 years as an assistant coach, and he’s now set to join a familiar line of P-Bruins head coaches who previously held that same role.
Around the league, the Mitch Marner saga is still dragging on. Marner left Toronto over a year ago, but the conversation hasn’t gone anywhere. On Wednesday, his agent, Darren Ferris, went on a podcast and didn’t soften his stance, saying the Maple Leafs “never protected” their hometown kid and former star.
Brady Tkachuk’s exit from Ottawa is getting fresh attention, too. Senators GM Steve Staios said on a podcast this week that he saw the signs Tkachuk wanted to leave. Staios added that there were “some things that were out of our control that we were trying to deal with.”
In New Jersey, the Devils appear ready to lean into a three-goalie rotation next season, with Jake Allen likely to be the No. 1. Allen said he’s prepared for the job and for working with young goalie Nico Daws.
There was also a blunt assessment of Jacob Trouba’s new deal. The Athletic rated the ex-Rangers captain’s contract - 4x$8.25M with San Jose - as one of the worst in the league, and John Kreiser dug into why it landed there.
Elsewhere, the Penguins were tagged with a harsh outlook in Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s headline: “The Penguins Will Be ‘Miles’ Behind the Competition This Season.” Chicago got a blast from the past with Patrick Kane signing a two-year deal with an $8 million cap hit and a full no-move clause, returning to the team he played for from 2007-23 and helped win three Stanley Cups with. Kane is set to speak to Chicago media this afternoon.
Colorado Hockey Now took its first swing at projecting the Avalanche’s 2026-27 lineup after their summer changes. Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov weren’t included, though Lysell was listed as a player with a chance to make his case in training camp.
And for something a little lighter, Ryan Whitney turned in a strong showing on last night’s Celebrity Family Feud.
In Other News...
Former Bruins First Round Pick Is Already Becoming Edmonton's Problem
Trent Frederics name is already showing up in an uncomfortable place for Edmonton, and it is the kind of reminder Bruins fans know well. Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic included the former Boston forward on his list of the 10 worst NHL contracts heading into the 2026-27 season, a notable turn for a player who once arrived in Boston as a first-round pick and later moved on to the Oilers.
Frederic has had a full season to settle into his new role in Edmonton, but the early returns have not done much to quiet the concern around the deal. He played 74 games last season with modest production and a negative plus-minus rating, and the contract already looks like the sort of commitment that can become a problem quickly if the on-ice impact does not rise to match it. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Goalie Situation Is More Crowded Than Most Fans Realize
The Bruins spent the offseason quietly widening the net in goal, adding to a pipeline that already stretches from the NHL roster down through college and Europe. Boston has brought in Simon Zajicek, Luke Cavallin, Max Lundgren and Jiri Patera, while also continuing to develop other options in the system, giving the organization a much deeper group than most fans probably realize.
Joonas Korpisalos departure on July 1 opened a lane on the depth chart and made Michael DiPietros path to the backup job look cleaner, but the picture is still bigger than one roster spot. The Bruins are also set to carry Kyle Chauvette as their emergency backup goalie this season, another sign that the club wants every layer covered as it heads into the year with confidence in the work being done by its goalie development group. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Poitras May Be The Bruins Breakout They Have Needed
Matt Poitras has already given the Bruins a glimpse of why they remain intrigued by his upside, even if the path has been uneven. After appearing in 33 games in each of his previous two seasons, he was limited to just three NHL games in 2025-26, a reminder that Boston still has not settled on exactly where he fits. When he has been in Providence, though, the offensive touch has been hard to miss, and that has kept him in the conversation as one of the organizations more interesting young forwards.
The Bruins are still looking for the kind of internal jump that can change the feel of a season, and Poitras is the sort of player who could help answer that need if the development keeps trending the right way. His AHL track record suggests there is more to unlock, and Boston is hoping that by 2026-27 he can grow into a regular top-nine role rather than remain a player the team shuttles in and out of the lineup. For now, the question is less about whether the talent is there and more about when the Bruins finally get enough of it at the NHL level. [Read more 🡒]