Marco Sturm made his thoughts on young players pretty clear earlier this week, which might've painted a picture of why Don Sweeney and Cam Neely were so high on bringing him in as a rookie head coach last season. He seems to hold the same opinion as the Boston Bruins' front office that the young players need to earn their spot in the lineup instead of being given everything right away, regardless of whether they earned it.
The entire narrative around this upcoming training camp is whether James Hagens or Matthew Poitras will earn their spot on the opening night roster. With all the depth forwards that Sweeney signed before last season, it's becoming increasingly unlikely that the front office will get rid of enough players to make it work for both of them, and maybe not even one of them.
The one player who could be affected by the roster crunch the most is Providence Bruins forward Dans Locmelis. The prospect has done nothing but impress at every level, and he has plenty of experience playing against professionals in three straight World Championships and last year's Olympics.
Locmelis had an impressive start to his AHL career in 2024-25 when he entered the Providence lineup at the end of the season and recorded 12 points in six games. Everyone knew he wouldn't continue at a two point per game pace in his actual rookie season, but 28 points in 43 games last season showed that he was more than capable of playing with the pros. Once he got injured at the Olympics and missed the rest of the season, the AHL Bruins never fully recovered.
Locmelis has an minimal shot of making the Bruins this upcoming season, and it's going to take him being one of the best forwards at training camp to do it. The one problem with fewer preseason games is that there aren't as many chances for Locmelis to prove himself, and even if he is the best player in those games, it'll be tough for Sturm and the front office to find a spot for him.
So, where does that leave him? The Elias Lindholm contract slotted into the third-line center role would be a great spot for Locmelis to eventually land, but the veteran is likely going to hold that spot down for awhile. Hagens and Poitras will get first dibs on any spots that do open up, and Dean Letourneau's eventual arrival isn't going to make things any easier.
Locmelis is the type of player I'd love to get a look at for the NHL level, and depending on injuries he could get some games this season, but it's tough to see him getting a full-time look anytime soon. It's another sad truth of the crowded bottom six Sweeney has built.
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