As the Boston Bruins began training camp at Warrior Ice Arena last Wednesday, one camp battle that was looming was with the Black and Gold's forwards, mainly the bottom-six. However, things were going to shake out with a handful of forwards for a few spots.
One of those forwards who is on the bubble is veteran Mikey Eyssimont. He signed a two-year contract in the summer of 2025 and will be entering his second year in Boston. However, he is going to be in a battle for a roster spot and made an impression on Tuesday night in Boston's 5-1 preseason win over the Philadelphia Flyers. After the game, second-year head coach Marco Sturm praised the veteran forward.
“He’s been good. He’s been very focused throughout camp, every day,” Sturm said, per Belle Fraser of BostonBruins.com. “Plays with pace, plays with grit. He’s been really good. This kid has been around in the league for a little bit, too, now. I think he realizes now he also needs to step up his game because he wants to make the team. And that’s good. He’s going to make it hard on me – and that’s exactly what we want. We wanted to have good competition here in training camp, and that’s exactly what he’s doing right now.”
Bruins have difficult forward decisions looming
When it comes to the forwards that break camp in Boston, it's going to be some fascinating decision with some of them for Sturm and his staff. However, when push comes to shove, there is a serious case for Matthew Poitras and James Hagens to make the roster over some of the veterans.
Here's why. Let's start with Hagens. He's NHL-ready. Sending him to the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) would be a waste of time. He has proven to be one of the better playmakers on the Bruins and a very good third-line forward right now. It won't be too long before he's in the top 6.
Then there is Poitras. He signed a one-year deal last week for this season and is not too far behind Hagens in terms of being one of the better Black and Gold playmakers. Maybe the biggest reason he needs to make the roster is that he needs waivers to get to the AHL, something he would be unlikely to be able to clear. Losing him for nothing would be difficult for fans to swallow.
When it comes to the final roster spots up front, Alex Steeves and Eyssimont could be in trouble going up against Hagens and Poitras. Judging by Sturm's comments, the competition is good, but he also sounds like he's making the case to keep him in Boston, which would create some anger within the fanbase if he's kept over the younger players. Buckle up.
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