There was a time when Matthew Poitras was one of the hottest rising stars in the NHL. The Bruins had seemingly found a steal by landing Poitras in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft. His ceiling seemed to beckon a place among the Bruins’ next batch of greats.
However, injuries and a relatively stagnant development curve have delayed Poitras’ eventual emergence as an NHL star. While Boston recently recalled the 21-year-old back to the big club, there are no guarantees this time around.
In fact, it seems as though Poitras’ days are numbered in Boston. In a January 30 piece in The Athletic, Harman Dayal and Chris Johnston looked at unexpected players who could be on the trade block. Poitras was among them.
It’s not that the Bruins are actively shopping him. It’s that his time with the Bruins might be nearing a breaking point.
As Dayal and Johnston noted, Poitras is no longer on track to be the Bruins’ top center prospect. That role has gone to Fraser Minten. Depending on how you look at Minten, he’s no longer a prospect. He’s a full-fledged NHL center.
That said, the presence of Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha, two solid if unspectacular centers, leave little room for Poitras. It wouldn’t make sense to drop Poitras in as a fourth-line center. But without a clear-cut slot for him in the middle-six at least, it doesn’t make much sense to let Poitras play fourth-line minutes.
That’s why his recent call-up could be the last chance Poitras gets in Boston. If he can prove that there’s more to his development, the Bruins will find a way to give him playing time. Otherwise, he could be an interesting project for a team looking to give Poitras a fresh start.
Bruins should find plenty of suitors for Poitras
Dayal and Johnston made a strong point about Poitras. The evident scarcity of high-end, young centers in the league could make Poitras an attractive option. As such, the Bruins should have no trouble finding suitors for the still very young pivot.
That said, it may be a little premature to speculate who could jump into the mix for Poitras. It may also be a bit too soon to determine what the Bruins could realistically get for Poitras. Perhaps a hockey trade might be out there somewhere. Boston has been looking for a right-shot defenseman. Maybe there’s a team out there with a young right-shot blueliner who has hit the wall. That sort of swap could be beneficial for both sides.
Otherwise, Poitras could be the main piece in a larger deal for a veteran piece the Bruins have been looking for. This entire discussion is hearsay at this point, of course. But Boston could have an interesting piece that might lead to an unexpected blockbuster.