By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
Matthew Poitras has been a subject of debate amongst Boston Bruins fans ever since he burst onto the scene in training camp in the Fall of 2023. On the one hand, he is an exciting infusion of youth, speed, and skill on a Bruins team that has lacked all of that at the Center position for the past few seasons. On the other hand, his production and durability at the NHL level, albeit in a relatively small sample size, have left more to be desired, and moves by the front office could indicate they aren’t sold on him as a long-term option in Boston.
Off the back of an impressive preseason performance, as well as Boston being heavily depleted down the middle after the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, Poitras made the Bruins’ opening night roster for the 2023-24 Centennial season at just 19 years old. His abbreviated rookie season flashed his electric playmaking potential, with 5-10-15 in 33 games, but also showed that he was not yet ready for the physicality of the pro game, as his season was cut short due to shoulder surgery.
He made the opening night roster once again to start his sophomore campaign, but was sent down to Providence early and shuffled back and forth throughout the season. Whenever he got the opportunity to play with Boston, he struggled to build much momentum, recording 1-10-11 in an equivalent 33 games to his rookie year. Despite producing at a point-per-game pace in the American Hockey League, it became apparent that the Bruins brass weren’t overly impressed with Poitras’ play, or that of fellow prospect Fabian Lysell.
Several acquisitions over the past year have also cast a pall over Poitras’ future with the Bruins. Much of his early momentum with Boston stemmed from being the only viable Center prospect in the organization at a point when they were utterly starved for depth at the position, but that’s no longer the case. Elias Lindholm, Casey Mittelstadt, and Fraser Minten are firmly entrenched down the middle in the Bruins’ lineup, leaving Poitras to either play the wing or compete with several others for the fourth line role. Even in Providence, Dans Locmelis profiles similarly to Poitras as a playmaker, but with greater size at the same age.
Despite seemingly falling out of favor with the front office, moving on from Poitras at this stage of his career would only make sense if he’s involved in a larger acquisition. His profile as a still-developing 21-year-old Center with another year on his entry-level contract could attract sizeable interest on the trade market, perhaps in a package for a big fish to jumpstart the Bruins re-tool. Using Chris Johnston’s offseason trade board from The Athletic as a reference, here are a few players Boston could target in a deal involving Poitras:
Marco Rossi (MIN) – Rossi has been one of the hottest names on the market heading into the offseason, both in potential trades and via offer sheet. Drafted 9th overall by Minnesota in 2020, Rossi battled health issues in the early going but has now fully gotten off the ground with the Wild. His age-23 season proved to be his breakout campaign, posting 24-36-60 in a full 82 games to finish his entry-level contract.
Despite the breakout, the Wild don’t seem to be convinced and have been shopping Rossi to other teams ahead of his restricted free agent status. Poitras would be a sensible piece in a potential package from the Bruins, which would turn their Center depth from average to a strength. Minnesota would be swapping an established second-line Center with a cost-controlled developmental piece, so there would need to be more thrown in to entice them to accept.
J. J. Peterka (BUF) – Another potential partner for a Poitras trade would be the Buffalo Sabres, and their pending RFA J.J. Peterka. The Sabres have seven RFAs looking for new deals this summer and $23m of cap space to work with. They won’t be able to keep them all and could be forced to move one or two to recoup some assets, especially if they aren’t keen to re-sign. Peterka is coming off a career high 27-41-68 in 77 games and, like Rossi, is one of the top names on the market.
Whether by trade or by offer sheet, Peterka won’t come cheap, and Buffalo isn’t keen on letting him go, having already turned down several offers at the trade deadline. Poitras could be an enticing piece to bolster the Sabres’ center depth, but the Bruins would have to throw in other assets to get Buffalo to bite.
Nikolaj Ehlers (WPG) – Ehlers is a bit of a curveball on this list, seeing as he is due to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. However, Johnston has noted that a trade may not be out of the question if he can’t agree to a new deal with the Jets. Winnipeg wants to keep Ehlers as a “Jet for life”, but if he is intent on testing the market, Winnipeg could get ahead of the curve and trade him to a prospective buyer first to avoid letting him walk for nothing.
The Jets are already facing heavy attrition this summer, with Ehlers among seven forwards on expiring contracts. They could mitigate some losses by bringing in Poitras as an insurance option with growth potential.
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