Last season, Matthew Poitras had the best training camp for the Bruins prospects. In the end, he made the Opening Night roster and in the end, he played so well that the front office and Jim Montgomery had no choice but to keep him in Boston. The 54th overall pick in the 2022 Draft earned his spot as a third-line center.
This past season, the 20-year-old played in 33 games for the Bruins with five goals and 10 assists, but it was his impressive speed and skill that was most noticeable. His season was cut short in February after shoulder surgery cost him the rest of the season, but he should be ready for training camp next month and ready to go in season No. 2.
For a while, Lysell held the top spot in the Bruins prospects rankings, but he was passed last season by both Lohrei and Poitras and Lohrei proved to get the nod over both. He played well early in the season in Boston but was sent back to Providence, but he came up in February after an injury to Hampus Lindholm and had three assists against the Edmonton Oilers in an overtime win.
He played well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers, even scoring a goal in a Game 1 win over Florida. He is a big reason why Sweeney let Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort leave in free agency this summer as he's ready to slide in at the third defensive pairing on the left side full-time. He leaves little doubt as to who the top prospect is with the Bruins.