This season has been an up and down one for Boston Bruins prospect Matthew Poitras. Literally. After beginning the season in the NHL, he was sent down in November by the Black and Gold and former head coach Jim Montgomery.
Instead of sulking when he went down, the second-round pick of the 2022 Entry Draft went down to the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) and worked hard. He worked on his game in all three zones and racked up some impressive numbers.
When he was called back up in mid-January, he looked like a different player. He picked up seven of his 10 assists this season with Boston when he was recalled in three weeks, but before and after the 4 Nations Face-Off, he struggled. He took a huge hit from Brock Nelson (you could call it a cheap hit at the door to the bench) of the New York Islanders and avoided a serious injury.
One day before the NHL trade deadline on March 7, he was sent back down to the AHL before a flurry of moves by general manager Don Sweeney brought in some players who were added to the NHL roster. Since being back in the AHL, Poitras has made the most of it and continues to thrive after another impressive night on Friday night.
Bruins' prospect Matthew Poitras picks up a four-point night in P-Bruins win
In a 6-2 Providence win over the Hartford Wolf Pack on the road, Poitras continued his impressive production with two more goals and two assists. Fellow rookie Dans Locmelis scored his first AHL goal, off an assist from Poitras, and had three assists for a four-point night.
Poitras upped his AHL totals this season to 16 goals and 21 assists in 37 games. I know Captain Obvious doesn't need to tell you that it equals a point-per-game average, but regardless, he continues to impress. With two games remaining in a very difficult and disappointing NHL season for Boston, Poitras does not need to play anywhere other than Providence.
Poitras offers another interesting option next season for the Bruins in Boston. Sweeney acquired Fraser Minten from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Brandon Carlo trade, and he has looked good in a small sample size in the NHL. Could there be a training camp battle next September between Poitras and Minten for the third-line center spot? Who knows, but competition is always a good thing.
The good news for Providence is that they are going to the Calder Cup Playoffs later this month and they should get a lot of reinforcements from Boston when their season ends on Tuesday night at home against the New Jersey Devils, but one thing is for sure, Poitras has been impressing each night out with the P-Bruins.