Training camp begins for the Boston Bruins in a couple of weeks, and there will be no shortage of storylines. One of the storylines is the number of defensemen and bottom-six forwards they are going to have. Nevermind the prospect players in those areas, but the Black and Gold have a slew of veterans in those areas they are going to have to make some decisions on.
It's not going to be easy for the Bruins just to send players down to the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) to clear roster spots for everyone. There is going to be waivers involved, and some players could be lost for nothing. With that said, here are three players who could be traded before camp begins in the middle of the month.
Matthew Poitras
Ok, let's just get the obvious right out of the way. Matthew Poitras is still not signed, and it's simple at this point for the Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney: either sign him or trade him. He has been given mixed signals since cracking the roster a couple of seasons ago, but he's been buried in the AHL.
He's NHL-ready and has proved that, and he has nothing left to prove in the AHL. If he isn't going to make the roster, then what is his future? If he hasn't already, he'll likely request a trade at some point. He could be someone used to address a need as a centerpiece of a trade. This is pointing toward another ugly ending between the Bruins and a top prospect.
Henri Jokiharju
Even with Charlie McAvoy's six-game suspension to begin the season, something has to give on defense with the large number of them under contract. It's bizarre. What was surprising was that the Bruins brought back Henri Jokiharju last summer after being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres at the trade deadline in March of 2025.
He was inked to a three-year deal with an AAV of$3 million and spent half of the regular season and most of the first-round playoff series with the Sabres watching from the ninth floor. Not an ideal situation to be paying a $3 million defenseman for half the season. That's too much money sitting in the pressbox. Cutting ties and moving on from him is a logical decision. However, as we have seen with Sweeney, there are not a lot of logical decisions.
Mikey Eyssimont
Something has to give with the forwards, especially with the bottom-six. Between veterans and prospects, there are a lot of players to choose from. Mikey Eyssimont is someone who is a trade candidate that some teams looking for a bottom-six grinder who is tough to play against could look to acquire. The Bruins roster is built with too many of those types of players. You can also add Alex Steeves in this spot, as well as maybe Sean Kuraly. If Poitras is indeed going to play for the Bruins this year, some people have to go.
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