Stop me if you've heard this before, with the Boston Bruins, they would like to have more young players make the roster out of training camp for Opening Night against the New York Rangers. Yeah, I know, easier said than done and I'll believe when I see it.
Anyway, Fraser Minten had a major breakout 2025-26 season that earned him a huge payday with a seven-year deal with a seven-plus-million AAV. Marat Khusnutdinov had a good first full season in Boston after being acquired from the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline in March of 2025 as part of the Justin Brazeau deal.
James Hagens and Matthew Poitras (still unsigned at the time this article is being written; he remains unsigned) are potentially two other players who could be in the mix for a roster spot. If they are going to make the roster, veteran Nikita Zadorov had a message for the younger players.
Bruins veteran Nikita Zadorov drops message for younger players ahead of training camp
When on-ice practices begin on Thursday, the prospects will have a short amount of time to make an impression on the coaching staff. Nikita Zadorov had a message for the prospects who are trying to make the roster this season.
It’s not guaranteed that they’re going to have a spot,” Zadorov said, per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. “Every player is equal in this room. You’ve got show up to camp, you’ve got to work hard, you’re going to have your opportunities to earn that. If not, somebody else will take your job. It’s not like we’re expecting young guys to just come in and being gifted everything. You’ve got to work for it. We’ve got young kids. There’s opportunity for them to go grab it and it’s going to make our team better.”
Well, if we're being honest, Minten could very well end up in the top six, but at worst, he'll be the third-line center once again. It is hard to believe that Khusnutdinov, unless an injury occurs, isn't on the roster out of camp. That leaves Hagens and Poitras as the ones who will likely be fighting for one of those last spots.
One of the training camp battles that fans will be looking forward to is with the youngsters, and they are going to have a short amount of time to prove that they belong. Hagens started with a good showing at the Prospects Showcase in Buffalo on Sunday, but there is a lot more work to be done beginning on Thursday.
On defense, youngster Frederic Brunet will face an uphill battle to make the roster with nine other blueliners looking to stay.
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