Bruins Roster Squeeze Just Put Recent Additions On The Bubble

The Boston Bruins narrow down their roster as they prepare for opening day by making strategic cuts to finalize their team lineup.

With opening night three days away, the Bruins are trimming their camp roster and getting closer to the 23-man group they’ll need by Monday afternoon.

On Saturday, Boston placed Alex Steeves and Lukas Reichel on waivers. If both clear on Sunday, they’ll head to Providence. Ty Gallagher is also on his way down, and he’ll report to P-Bruins training camp.

Steeves’ Bruins run has been a quick one to track. He signed a one-year, $850,000 deal last summer after four seasons trying to break into Toronto’s lineup, then spent the start of training camp in Providence before becoming one of the first forwards recalled during the 2025-26 season. He debuted against the Maple Leafs, his former team, and scored in his second game.

In 33 games, Steeves put up 14 points with Boston, including a pair of two-goal performances, and that earned him a two-year extension carrying a $1.625 million cap hit. He played 10 more games after that and finished with 16 points overall, scoring 9 goals and adding 7 assists.

His AHL track record is a lot longer and a lot louder. Across 256 games with Providence and Toronto, Steeves has 224 points. He also owns the Marlies’ franchise record with 105 goals and finished second in the league with 36 goals in 2024-25.

Reichel arrived at the 2026 trade deadline for the cost of a sixth-round pick, started in Providence, and wasted no time producing there with six points in four games. He then scored in his Bruins debut and ended the regular season with three points in 10 games for Boston.

A former first-round pick at No. 17 in the 2020 NHL Draft, Reichel signed a one-year extension over the summer worth $950,000. He spent the 2025-26 season with three different organizations, beginning in Chicago before moving to Vancouver and then Boston. In the AHL, he has 135 points in 198 career games with Rockford, Abbotsford, and Providence.

Both Steeves and Reichel suited up for two preseason games, but neither recorded a point.

Gallagher, a seventh-round pick at No. 217 in the 2021 NHL Draft, is heading into his second full season with Providence. He had 20 points in his first year there and spent a good portion of the season paired with Frederic Brunet.

He is in the final year of his two-year contract with Providence. Gallagher did not play in any of the four preseason games, though he was listed as the seventh defenseman in the first and third contests.

The Bruins also had several players clear waivers and remain on the move to Providence: Brendan Gaunce, Brian Halonen, Jordan Harris, Jiri Patera, and Billy Sweezey.

That leaves Boston with 28 players in camp: 17 forwards, nine defensemen, and two goalies. The Bruins open the regular season Tuesday against the New York Rangers at 8:00 PM, and NHL teams must submit their 23-man roster by 5:00 PM ET Monday. Players have to be waived by Sunday at 2:00 PM to clear before that deadline.

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