If there is one thing to take away from the Boston Bruins' offseason so far, it's that there is no shortage of defensemen entering training camp. Now, camp doesn't officially begin until the middle of September, but there need to be some subtractions one way or another.
Charlie McAvoy is going to miss the first six games, serving a suspension for his slash on Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson at the end of Game 6 back in May. However, despite missing McAvoy to begin the season, there are just too many players for too few roster spots. On Wednesday, the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) introduced Trent Whitfield as their next head coach. He touched on a couple of subjects, including defenseman Frederic Brunet.
Trent Whitfield gives Bruins defenseman Frederic Brunet a vote of confidence
One interesting name to watch when the Bruins open training camp on defense is Frederic Brunet. If there is someone who has watched his development, it's Whitfield, who was an assistant coach with the P-Bruins for the last decade. He gave him a ringing endorsement.
“He was probably our best defenseman from day one right through the end of the season,” said Whitfield. “He’s well on his way. Now he just needs a little bit of runway in Boston … he’s ready to go. Mentally, physically, his skillset, he’s an NHL player.”
A fifth-round pick in the 2022 Entry Draft, Brunet made his NHL debut at the end of the 2024-25 season that saw the Black and Gold miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He played 14:23 against the New Jersey Devils. However, he's coming off a season where he had 12 goals and 24 assists with a plus/minus of plus-18. I know there's nothing to read into that, but it shows how far his development at the AHL level has come.
The 22-year-old Brunet is a left-shot, and that side is loaded right now for the Bruins. Is there a trade coming? Maybe, as Mason Lohrei is the most likely player to be moved and would draw the most interest. Could he be part of a bigger move that addresses one of Boston's remaining needs?
However, the backend shakes out, there are going to be plenty of options for second-year head coach Marco Sturm. Brunet will be at the center of those decisions. If they try to send him to the AHL, there is a chance they could lose him. That's not something that Boston wants to risk; there's just too much upside.
Add us as a preferred source on Google