Matthew Poitras is still waiting on his next Bruins chapter, but one of the people who knows him best just delivered a strong endorsement.
The 2022 second-round pick remains unsigned as August begins, and Boston fans have been watching closely to see what general manager Don Sweeney will do with the restricted free agent. The question all summer has been simple: keep Poitras in the fold, or include him in a larger move to address a major offseason need?
For now, the trade chatter appears to have cooled. Unless something unexpected materializes soon, Poitras looks more likely to be in camp than on the move - assuming he signs. And if he gets there, he should have a real shot to compete for a job, according to Trent Whitfield, his former assistant coach with the Providence Bruins, who was recently named head coach of the P-Bruins.
“It was always just going to be a matter of time with Matty. He’s a great kid, really talented player.
I’m really excited for his opportunity to come this year to really make his mark up there in Boston,” said Whitfield, per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. “Potsy works hard.
He puts the work in. He’s the first on the ice and last guy off the ice almost every day.
There’s no issues with his work ethic. It was always going to be about getting a little bit stronger.”
Whitfield’s view lines up with the idea that Poitras has already done the heavy lifting at the AHL level. Like a lot of Bruins prospects before him, he has also been stuck behind veteran additions who can crowd out younger players when the NHL roster gets built out. At this point, keeping him in Providence would seem to do more harm than good.
Poitras already showed he could handle the NHL stage when he made Boston’s roster as a 19-year-old in 2023-24. His season was cut short by an injury and surgery in February, but the signs were there that he belonged. Since then, his play in the AHL has only reinforced that case.
The Bruins have made very few moves this offseason, especially up front, which only sharpens the focus on Poitras. If there’s a year for him to push his way onto the roster, this looks like it. And if he can’t crack the lineup now, it may be time to seriously wonder whether Boston is the place where he’ll ever get his NHL runway.
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