All eyes in Boston are going to be on Frederic Brunet when training camp opens.
The Bruins are getting close to the 2026-27 season, and while the blue line already looks crowded, Brunet has pushed himself into the conversation in a real way. He is not just another name in camp. The 23-year-old defenseman has earned a longer look, and Boston may have to decide whether it wants to keep him in the mix rather than risk losing him on waivers before the season.
That waiver wrinkle matters. Brunet now needs waivers to be sent down to Providence, which gives the Bruins a reason to think hard before trying to stash him in the AHL. For a player who has steadily improved over the last few seasons with the Providence Bruins, that puts him squarely on the watch list.
His 2025-26 season with Providence is a strong case for why. In 65 games, Brunet put up 12 goals, 24 assists, 36 points and a plus-18 rating. For a 6-foot-2 defenseman, that kind of production stands out and gives Boston something to seriously weigh as camp decisions get closer.
Brunet was a 2022 fifth-round pick, and the next step is obvious: show he can be an NHL-caliber defenseman. That chance is there, and it makes his camp performance one of the more interesting storylines for Bruins fans.
Over his four seasons in Providence, Brunet has played 183 career AHL games and recorded 19 goals, 56 assists, 75 points and a plus-43 rating. Those numbers tell the story of a player who has been building momentum, and now the Bruins have to figure out whether that momentum carries him onto the opening night roster.
In Other News...
Bruins Just Made Their Matt Poitras Decision More Interesting
Matt Poitras is staying in the Bruins organization a little longer, and the new contract says plenty about where things stand with one of the clubs more intriguing young forwards. Boston signed the 2022 second-round pick to a one-year, two-way extension, a move that keeps him under team control through the 2026-27 season while leaving his immediate role flexible as the Bruins sort out their roster picture.
Poitras has already logged 69 NHL games with Boston, but last season also sent him back to Providence for a long stretch, a reminder that his path to a full-time job still isnt settled. With the Bruins 2026 training camp roster and preseason schedule now in view, his standing becomes one of the more interesting items to watch as camp approaches and the competition for spots starts to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Leadership Call Is Coming With One Huge Question Attached
Bostons leadership picture got a little clearer at training camp when general manager Don Sweeney said the Bruins will have a captain in place before the season begins. It is a notable step for a team that has leaned on a broader leadership group in recent years, and it puts an official end date on the waiting as camp opens and the roster starts taking shape.
The obvious name in the mix is David Pastrnak, who remains the expected front-runner, but the bigger takeaway is how smoothly the room appears to be handling the conversation. Charlie McAvoy said there would be no friction if the job goes another way, underscoring a collaborative approach that should make the decision easier to manage even if the choice itself still carries real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Face A Pavel Zacha Decision That Just Got Tougher
The Bruins next big roster conversation has shifted from the ice to the contract table, with Don Sweeney acknowledging that the club is still talking with Pavel Zachas representatives about an extension. Boston has valued Zacha as part of its center group, and the discussion now comes with the added pressure of a payroll picture that keeps tightening as salaries rise across the league.
Under the new NHL collective bargaining agreement, the Bruins no longer have the same long-term flexibility they once did with their own players, which changes how they can structure deals for Zacha and other centers. Sweeneys comments made clear that the team is weighing more than one contract issue at once, and the length of the offer may be just as important as the money when it comes to getting something done. [Read more 🡒]