When the Boston Bruins drafted Matthew Poitras in the second round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, 54th overall, it was seen as a bit of a steal. He quickly worked his way into the Bruins' lineup full-time during the 2023-24 season before it was cut short with an injury.
Since that year, it has been a mixed bag of results for Poitras, where he has struggled to stick in Boston on a full-time basis. Last summer, Boston general manager Don Sweeney signed a handful of bottom-six forwards, which phased out a spot for Poitras. However, it wasn't just the veterans brought in, but also a trade that Sweeney swung at the trade deadline last March.
By now, you know about the fleecing Sweeney did to the Toronto Maple Leafs after sending defenseman Brandon Carlo to the Bruins division rivals in return for the Maple Leafs 2026 first-round draft pick, Top 5 protected, a fourth-round pick in last June's draft, as well, and prospect Fraser Minten. This season, Minten has been a big part of the Black and Gold's lineup, and it begs the question of whether he is going to be the reason that Poitras is phased out of Boston?
Fraser Minten's emergence creating roadblock for Matthew Poitras
When Poitras surged onto the scene a couple of years ago, he was seen as the next top-six center in waiting for the Bruins. Since his injury, it hasn't gone that way. He has spent the majority of this season with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL), but he was recently called up due to injuries to Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm. He scored a goal in Sunday night's Stadium Series game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on a nice backhander.
POTSY POTS A BACKHAND BEAUTY 👌 pic.twitter.com/NJExzcMhDn
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 2, 2026
However, what the future holds for Poitras when Lindholm and Zacha return remains to be seen. Minten playing the way he has is not what a lot of people saw happening this quickly. It leaves the question about what Sweeney does with Poitras, especially after Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet recently hinted at the Bruins and Poitras not being 100% happy with each other. Would that open the door to a trade of Poitras at the deadline or over the offseason?
It is an interesting situation. Did the Bruins bring him up as a showcase for the trade deadline? Maybe, maybe not, but it certainly creates more questions than answers.