We're officially less than a month away from the start of the preseason (the Bruins open up their preseason September 21 as they host the Washington Capitals) which means it's time to start thinking about what players may, or may not, be donning the Bruins' new threads for the 2025-2026 season. While not every player on this list is going to make the roster, nor is their play indicative of how their season will go, it's still fun to see some young guys and new acquisitions take the ice in the Black and Gold.
Fraser Minten, C (3-2-5 in 21 NHL games in 2024-25 in TOR and BOS)
Fraser Minten came over to Boston as part of the trade that sent Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline last season. While he didn't have a large impact on the team (1-0-1 in just 6 games in Boston), I found him to be enjoyable to watch in the few games he played in, showing some willingness to throw the body around with 7.99 Hits/60 (for context,
Nikita Zadorov's Hits/60 last season was 7.87. I would like to see him block more shots (bottom 9 in BkS/60 on the B's last season), and his face-off percentage (42.1 in games with BOS) could use some improvement, but I like where his game is at, given he just turned 21 last month.
Matthew Poitras, C (1-10-11 in 33 NHL games in 2024-25 in BOS)
Matthew Poitras took a small step back in points production last season, with the same assists as his first year but four fewer goals. Poitras put on nearly 10 pounds last offseason and looked visibly larger in the head and neck area following his shoulder injury that shortened his 2023-24 campaign. This did not help keep him on the Bruins roster, starting the year in the NHL before going down to the AHL in November and then coming back up in January before getting sent back down in March.
I was certainly scratching my head both times he got sent down, particularly once the B's threw in the towel at the deadline. September will be an important month for Poitras, so keep an eye on how he looks with another opportunity to crack the NHL roster this fall.
Jackson Edward, D (1-6-7 in 31 AHL games in 2024-25 in Providence)
Jackson Edward is fun to watch. He only played in one preseason game last year, but I had the opportunity to see the 2022 7th round pick play for the London Knights in the OHL during the 2023-24 season. He stood out to me as a solid defender that was eager to get into the action offensively. I'd be surprised if he made the NHL roster out of the preseason, and there are quite a few names ahead of him on the list of injury call-ups, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep your eye out for the 21-year-old defenseman this September.
Viktor Arvidsson, LW (15-12-27 in 67 NHL games in 2024-25 in EDM)
The Bruins acquired Arvidsson in a trade for a fifth-round pick from Edmonton on July 1st, and is essentially the only notable addition to the Bruins forward group (and maybe even the roster as a whole) this offseason. Arvidsson has 30-goal potential, getting 31 in 2016-17, 29 in 17-18, and 34 in just 58 games in 18-19, but he only broke the 20-goal mark twice after that stretch, most recently during the 2022-23 season.
Arvidsson only has this season on his deal, so he could be flipped at the deadline, but keep an eye out this preseason to see how he slots in to the Top 6. I'm personally interested in seeing if the B's try to slot him across from David Pastrnak to try and take some pressure off the only scoring threat Boston has left.
Fabian Lysell, RW (1-2-3 in 12 NHL games in 2024-25 in BOS)
If we thought last season was make-or-break for Lysell, this season is really make-or-break for the young forward, if he's even in the organization. The 21st overall pick in 2021 is yet to make any impact at all on the NHL roster, and honestly, wasn't that impressive in Providence either, with just 40 goals in 162 games played.
Unless there was some insane improvement this offseason, I'm not convinced he makes the roster for opening night. If that's going to be the case, it would be wise of GM Don Sweeney to move Lysell before it becomes too apparent that he still isn't good enough for the NHL. If he is in the organization for the whole preseason, be sure to watch him whenever he's out on the ice.