The Bruins open their preseason with a look that is likely to be heavy on prospects, and that makes tonight’s matchup at TD Garden a real test for the younger players and the in-betweeners trying to force their way into future call-up conversations.
Boston’s preseason has been trimmed down to just two opponents over the course of a week, a wrinkle created by the NHL adding two games to the regular-season schedule. This year, the Bruins will see the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers. For this one, the visitor is essentially a mix of the Hershey Bears and Washington’s depth pieces, which is no small assignment.
That group has a reputation for being tough to handle. Hershey has long been one of the AHL’s powerhouses in the Eastern Conference, and Washington has kept adding to its pool of promising depth talent.
That includes young names like Lyndon Lakovic, the other Protas, and Cole Hutson, Lane’s brother. There is plenty of “jesus there’s MORE of them!?”
energy on the Capitals depth chart right now.
For Boston, this is the kind of night that can matter for players trying to separate themselves early. The NHL roster, at least from my perspective, looks locked in, with defense appearing to be the one spot where a young hopeful might still crack through.
Even with camp only five days old, this should tell the Bruins something. It’s a chance to see how the kids respond, and maybe a glimpse of what the P-B’s could look like down in Rhode Island. It may be mostly minor league Bruins hockey, but it is still a useful opening test.
In Other News...
Bruins Opener Just Became Crucial For Bostons Young Roster Hopefuls
With the preseason trimmed to just four games under the new CBA rules, the Bruins do not have much room to sort out their young roster hopefuls. Their opener against the Capitals takes on extra weight because it gives the staff an early look at several players trying to push their way onto the regular-season roster, with Charlie McAvoy, James Hagens, Frederic Brunet and Matthew Poitras all part of the evaluation.
For a team trying to balance immediate readiness with long-term upside, every shift matters a little more than it used to. The Bruins will use these first exhibitions to start separating players who can handle NHL minutes now from those who may need more time elsewhere, and with fewer chances to make an impression, the first game could shape some of the biggest decisions of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Camp Is Pointing JJ Peterka In An Unexpected Direction
Training camp has a way of clearing up the guesswork, and in Bostons case the early read on JJ Peterka has been a little different than some fans may have expected. Through the first three days, Peterka has been working on the right wing with Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha, while coach Marco Sturm has spent camp sorting through combinations rather than simply defaulting to the most obvious fit.
Peterka has said he feels comfortable in that spot, and the Bruins are clearly looking for a grouping that can sharpen the teams offensive efficiency. The longer those trios stay intact, the more they start to look less like an experiment and more like the shape of things when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Expose A Depth Forward To Waivers With One Roster Spot In Play
The Bruins have cleared another piece of their depth chart by placing forward Navrin Mutter on waivers, a move that opens the door for other NHL clubs to claim him before Bostons roster decisions tighten further. Mutter was acquired from Nashville last March and is heading into his first full season in the organization, with most of his professional experience coming in the AHL and ECHL.
For Boston, it is the latest reminder of how little margin there is at the bottom of the roster when one spot is still available and competition is ongoing. Mutter has not yet gotten into an NHL game, so his future now hinges on whether another team sees enough value to step in, or whether he ends up remaining in the Bruins system as the organization keeps sorting out its depth forward mix. [Read more 🡒]