The Bruins took to the ice for their first two skating sessions of 2024 training camp on Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena. The nearly four-hour practice round included two separate groups.
While Swayman’s ongoing contract dispute still stands as the top storyline hovering over the Bruins, Thursday’s practices presented several noteworthy moments as the rest of Boston’s roster starts ramping up for the new season.
Unlike last fall, the Bruins have options when it comes to determining Matt Poitras’ next steps.
As the 19-year-old center stacked strong days on the ice in 2023, the Bruins had to weigh keeping the promising prospect in the NHL ranks — or returning him to his junior team, the Guelph Storm.
Poitras’ poised play made the decision easy for Boston last October. But rather than send him back to junior competition, Boston now can assign Poitras to the Providence Bruins out of the gate in 2024-25.
There’s a compelling case for Poitras to marinate in the AHL ranks for at least some portion of the upcoming season. A stint in Providence could give him heavy minutes and the runway required to get back up to speed after major shoulder surgery in February.
But after shredding any conventional developmental timeline last season, Poitras’ mindset remains unchanged going into year two with Boston.
“I want to be here, and I want to be able to show that I belong here, and that they don’t really have a choice — you gotta keep me here,” Poitras said Thursday.
As unexpected as Poitras’ push for the NHL reps was last season, his efforts to once again crack Boston’s roster out of camp will be more daunting in 2024. Even as Poitras enters a new season with higher expectations and much-needed seasoning, Boston does have options at the pivot position this year.
The free-agent signing of Elias Lindholm gives Boston a top-line pivot, while Charlie Coyle is expected to lock down the 2C spot.
Even with Poitras in the running for the third-line center spot, he’ll have to battle with fellow youngster Georgii Merkulov, PTO candidate Tyler Johnson, and incumbent roster players who can play down the middle in Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie.
As such, Poitras opened practice on Thursday playing on the wing, skating with Frederic and Cole Koepke. Poitras’ playmaking capabilities might make him a natural center, but Jim Montgomery stressed that a simplified role out of the gate in 2024-25 could get Poitras playing to his strengths immediately.
“He’s an offensively gifted player,” Montgomery said. “You get to spend more time as a winger, get out into the neutral zone, creating offense, than you do as a center. It requires less, especially with the way we play — [we] require the center to do a lot of work down low. It takes away from your ability to extend your shifts and do something on offense.”
Poitras, who played wing for the entirety of his age-16 season in the OHL, said he has no qualms about moving to wing — especially if it helps him stick with Boston this season.
“I played wing in the past, and I’m comfortable there,” Poitras said. “Obviously it’s a little bit less skating than center. So maybe reserve a bit more energy for playing offense, which is where I like to hold on pucks down low, and have more energy for that. I’m ready to play wherever.”
Another step forward for Poitras would be a welcome sight for a Bruins roster trying to usher in a youth movement, especially up front. The now-20-year-old forward thrived through the first two months of the 2023-24 season, scoring 13 points in his first 27 games while averaging 14:06 of ice time.
But be it the grind of an 82-game campaign, the increased competition, or the painful growing pains that come with battling against players 30-plus pounds heavier than him, Poitras wore down.
After hitting the ice hard on his shoulder following a collision with Coyotes defenseman Sean Durzi on Dec. 9, Poitras only played eight more games with Boston before going under the knife.
Seven months removed from the procedure, Poitras has no limitations out on the ice, with his extended recovery timeline giving him time to bulk up over the summer.
More than 10 pounds heavier from where he was last fall, Poitras feels sturdier on his feet with Boston — and more prepared for the grind that awaits if he hits the ice for Boston’s season opener against Florida on Oct. 8.
“There’s always pressure,” Poitras acknowledged. “Coming to camp this year, there are a bit different expectations. … I’m just going to come in and do my thing every day.”
With Swayman not on the ice amid his stalled contract talks with Boston, the Bruins are forging ahead for now with a reworked goalie grouping headlined by veteran Joonas Korpisalo and rookie Brandon Bussi.
Don Sweeney and Swayman’s representatives have a few weeks to bridge the gap on negotiations. But, Montgomery, goalie coach Bob Essensa, and the rest of his staff must operate with the next-man-up mentality for now, with Korpisalo currently slotted into the top spot on the depth chart.
“I just go day-by-day,” Korpisalo noted. “That’s been my motto for every year. Of course, you have to look ahead, but right now, just head down, put the work in and get better.”
In an ideal scenario, the only question mark surrounding Boston’s goalie group this fall would have been who will win the backup spot behind Swayman.
Even with nine years of NHL reps under his belt, Korpisalo is coming off one the worst years of his career as a starter in Ottawa, with an unproven rookie in Bussi offering plenty of appeal as a cost-controlled asset who Boston may not be keen on trying to send through the waiver wire this fall.
But Korpisalo isn’t dwelling on what could suddenly be a heavier workload out of the gate, especially if Swayman remains unsigned entering October.
“I mean, it doesn’t change my job. And quite frankly, I just want to focus on my job,” he noted. “Of course, [Swayman’s] a great guy. I get to work with him before the camp. Great guy. Great goalie. Yeah, just focusing on myself.”
The Bruins also have another four goalies in training camp: Michael DiPietro, Ryan Bischel, Nolan Maier, and Kasimir Kaskisuo.
Boston added Kaskisuo on a professional tryout contract (PTO) Thursday, with the 30-year-old Finnish netminder appearing in 13 games with Laval (AHL) last season. The former Minnesota Duluth product went 7-4-0 with a 2.90 goals against average and a .909 save percentage last season with Laval.
Be the first to comment