3 Last-Minutes Roster Moves the Bruins Need to Make Before the Season

3. Give Matthew Poitras a Roster Spot

Talented prospects enter the preseason with some buzz and Matthew Poitras was no different.

Drafted 54th overall in 2022, Poitras was electric with the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Storm last season, leading his teammates in assists (79) and points (95) while finding the back of the net 16 times.

After a performance like that, it wasn't surprising that fans wanted to see what he could do in Beantown.

Fast forward to the 2023-24 preseason and the 19-year-old has lived up to the hype. He leads all Bruins with four points in as many games and has scored twice, including a game-winning goal. Poitras has spent time on both special teams units while also playing top-line minutes with captain Brad Marchand, who went as far as comparing the rookie to Mitch Marner.

Even though Marchand might be biased, that's still high praise.

After losing Krejci and Marchand in the offseason, the Bruins need an exciting difference-making center like Potras in the lineup. Do I expect him to light up the league in the regular season? Maybe not, but he'll only get better with more opportunities against NHL-level competition.

Poitras being 19 means the Bruins can't send Poitras to the AHL. Instead, they have nine regular-season games to decide whether to keep him or return him to the Storm. Playing in the OHL would be a waste of his talent and wouldn't help his development, so I trust Sweeney to make the right call.

Judging by Poitras' play thus far, it's a no-brainer to at least start him in Boston and see what happens.

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