Matthew Poitras will get all the runway he deserves to stick with the Boston Bruins this season. An injury cut his training camp short, but the team placed him on injured reserve, and Don Sweeney reiterated in his press conference on Monday that they will give the young center a chance once he is healthy. According to Elliotte Friedman's season-opening 32 Thoughts blog, the team doesn't have many other options.
Poitras will have to go through waivers if he returns to the AHL, and as many expected, Friedman believes that teams are waiting to see if that happens. If the insider is saying that, there is nearly a 0% chance the forward will get through, and the front office knows sending him down risks losing him for nothing. After everything the player and team have been through together, that would be a disaster.
The good news is that if teams are willing to wait and see whether he has to pass through waivers, they may be willing to send some assets the Bruins' way to acquire him. While trading assets is obviously not as good as getting a player for free, at least one team may value him enough to give a return.
One thing to watch while Poitras recovers is Sean Kuraly's play. The veteran struggled in the preseason, and if Poitras is going to steal a spot, it'll likely be his on the fourth line. Another concern is Elias Lindholm's health, who seems one bad bump on the boards away from missing time with a back injury.
If Poitras ended up between James Hagens and Marat Khusnutdinov, with Fraser Minten moving up to the top line, it could be the perfect fit to keep Poitras in the organization.
Matthew Poitras' cloudy Bruins future
When Poitras signed the one-year deal at the start of training camp, it didn't bode well for his future. The contract felt like a prove-it opportunity, but credit where credit is due, he proved that he was worthy of a spot before his injury.
After seeing how he played in training camp and his lone preseason game, it would be even more unfortunate to see Poitras leave the organization. He's added a new dynamic to his game that he hasn't had before, and as a high-energy guy who can add offense and play up and down the lineup, he's a net positive for the Bruins.
Another idea out of camp that could make a Poitras trade more manageable is the play of Dans Locmelis. If the Bruins do decide it is time to move on and find a trade partner for Poitras, they do have Locmelis as a worthy replacement.
It'll be intriguing to see what Poitras makes of his opportunity once healthy, but if we heed Friedman's small warning, he isn't out of the woods as a trade candidate just yet.
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