(Photo Credit: Danielle Parhiskaran / Boston Globe Staff)

By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44

The wait is almost over. After a lengthy offseason, hockey will return to TD Garden tomorrow evening, when the Boston Bruins open up their 2025 preseason schedule at 5 PM Eastern time against the Washington Capitals.

Typically, the first game of the preseason features a lot of players destined for the American Hockey League; however, this year, that’s not the case. So, who is playing for Head Coach Marco Sturm tomorrow?

Forwards

With David Pastrnak missing the first few days of training camp with tendinitis in his knee, the Bruins have rotated Viktor Arvidsson and Dans Locmelis in Pastrnak’s usual spot with Morgan Geekie and Elias Lindholm. Arvidsson is on the game day roster for tomorrow night, while Locmelis is not, and it’s a reasonable assumption that Arvidsson might get some time with those two tomorrow.

While one of the B’s top prospects won’t play tomorrow, all three of Fabian Lysell, Fraser Minten, and Matt Poitras are on the roster. Lysell has had a solid camp so far by most accounts and will look to build on it against Washington. Last preseason, Lysell impressed against the Caps with a goal off a rocket of a wrist shot.

Elsewhere, Tanner Jeannot, Matej Blumel, and Alex Steeves may make their unofficial Bruins’ debuts tomorrow. Providence’s captain Patrick Brown, is also on the roster, as are his teammates from last season, Riley Duran, and Jeffrey Viel.

Defensemen

Marco Sturm began camp by pairing Nikita Zadorov with Henri Jokiharju and Hampus Lindholm with Andrew Peeke. However, it appears that tomorrow night Sturm will get his first look at something different. Both Zadorov and Peeke will dress tomorrow night, but Jokiharju and Lindholm will get the night off.

Mason Lohrei and Charlie McAvoy are also expected to play tomorrow, with those two being partnered together at practice. Freddy Brunet, Victor Soderstrom, and Billy Sweezey are also on the roster. Both Brunet and Soderstrom are believed to be serious candidates for the vacant seventh defenseman role.

Goaltenders

Michael DiPietro will likely get his first chance tomorrow to stake his claim in a potential backup Goaltender battle. The Windsor, Ontario, native is the reigning American Hockey League Goaltender of the Year, and would require waivers to be assigned to the minors this season. Luke Cavallin and Simon Zajicek are also on tomorrow night’s roster.