The Bruins are back at training camp, and the questions come in bunches.
Boston hits the ice on Thursday, but before that, Don Sweeney and Marco Sturm are set to speak this afternoon. That gives the Bruins a chance to address the biggest camp themes right away: the team’s push for “speed and skill,” where James Hagens fits, and how the club sorts through a crowded group of centers and defensemen.
There’s a little extra intrigue on the blue line, too. Boston has too many defensemen on the roster, but Charlie McAvoy’s suspension opens a lane for someone to step into a bigger role over the first six games of the regular season. And with JJ Peterka now in the mix as a new top-six option, Sturm and his staff have some real lineup choices to make before the season opener on September 29.
The Bruins’ press conference from Sweeney and Sturm will be livestreamed on the Bruins + TD Garden mobile app at 2:00 PM ET.
Around the league, the new CBA officially changed the contract landscape at midnight, and teams moved fast to get business done under the old rules. PuckPedia broke down the most significant shifts, including contract term, signing bonus and contract structure, the EBUG system, and roster emergency exception rules.
One of the biggest names to cash in was Massachusetts native Ryan Leonard. The Capitals signed him to an 8x$10.5M deal that keeps him in Washington through 2035. Leonard has 46 points in 84 career regular-season games, along with one assist in eight playoff games.
Leonard’s former BC teammate Cutter Gauthier also landed a long-term contract, agreeing with the Ducks on a 6x$13.5M deal. ESPN reported that the former Eagle is slated to make $19.5M in the first year of the contract. Gauthier is entering his third full NHL season after a 41-goal, 69-point campaign.
Washington kept spending, too, locking up forward Justin Sourdif on an 8x$6.35M extension. Chris Patrick acquired Sourdif for a second and a sixth-round pick last summer, and the 36-point forward now has 36 points in 82 career NHL games.
Montreal had another busy day as well. Arber Xhekaj signed a one-year, $1.5M deal and stays with the Canadiens on a “show me” contract. The 25-year-old defenseman has played 230 games for Montreal, and he remains the only undrafted defenseman in NHL history to go straight from the CHL to the NHL without time in the AHL.
The Canadiens also reached an extension with Alex Newhook, who signed for four years at $5.5M per season. That deal keeps the 25-year-old forward in Montreal through the 2030-31 season.
In Carolina, Jordan Staal got a one-year extension that carries a $900k base salary, $4M in signing bonuses, and up to $5.1M in performance bonuses. The 38-year-old captain is under contract through the 2027-28 season and can make up to $10M next season.
New Jersey took care of one of its own new additions, signing Luke Evangelista to a 5x$7.25M contract instead of going the full eight years. James Nichols reported more details on the front-loaded salary structure.
Detroit named Shawn Horcoff as interim GM, giving him the authority to make personnel decisions, negotiate contracts, and handle day-to-day business. Horcoff has been with the organization as an AGM since 2022 and previously served as GM of the Grand Rapids Griffins. Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned as camp opens.
Chicago made its own headline by naming Connor Bedard captain. At 21, he becomes the 37th captain in Blackhawks history and takes over from Nick Foligno. Only Jonathan Toews was younger when he wore the C in Chicago.
And in Winnipeg, the Connor Hellebuyck situation still hasn’t moved. Darren Dreger said on TSN Insider Trading that he does not expect the gold-medal-winning goalie to be at training camp this week, adding that “trade interest has been minimal” since the draft and that talks with Buffalo have cooled off.
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 🡒]