The Boston Bruins are likely to lose a former highly rated prospect in the near future. General manager Don Sweeney currently has a bit of a roster headache to deal with heading towards the 2026-27 season. Instead of needing an extra signing or two, Boston has a plethora of NHL-ready players to sort through.
The Bruins have a positional logjam at the left side of defense (we’ll get to that later), as well as at forward. Because of the situation, Sweeney will have to make some difficult decisions before the new campaign begins. A trade or two in the coming weeks could be likely. Nevertheless, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman believes that Boston may very well lose a forward on the waiver wire.
Pronman has included Matt Poitras in his newest list of players who are likely to be claimed by other teams on waivers. According to the reporter, the 22-year-old forward is skillful and smart, but is somewhat undersized. “On top of his frame, he lacks NHL foot speed and isn’t overly physical,” writes Pronman. “He has played NHL games and has NHL skill, but seems like more of a depth forward without adding more elements to his game.”
The Boston Bruins previously selected Poitras in the second round of the 2022 draft. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler previously rated the forward as the team’s third-best prospect in January 2023. While Sweeney and the Bruins have given him a chance in the NHL, Poitras has mostly been stuck in the AHL. The center/winger has 85 points in 109 games with the Providence Bruins over the last two seasons.
Boston Bruins Could Also Opt to Trade Matt Poitras
Interestingly, Poitras is still a restricted free agent. The youngster most recently finished off a three-year, $2.85 million deal with the Boston Bruins. The two sides were previously linked to a short-term extension earlier this summer, yet an agreement has not been finalized. As a result, the forward’s future in Beantown is very much in the air.
The Bruins did issue Poitras a qualifying offer back in June. Nevertheless, the former prospect rejected the proposal. Sweeney praised the youngster earlier this summer and claimed that “taking somebody’s job full time” is essentially the next step in his career. He, however, is not projected to make Boston’s NHL roster to start the upcoming season, according to Daily Faceoff.
The Boston Bruins could look to trade Poitras before potentially placing him on waivers. In fact, the Edmonton Oilers were recently linked to the forward. Edmonton is one of several teams actively looking to grab a young, NHL-ready forward as an insurance policy for their roster.
Boston Signs Young Forward to Long-Term Extension
Poitras is not the only Boston Bruins player linked with a move out of town. RG’s James Murphy recently reported that Mason Lohrei is drawing interest from other teams. Lohrei is one of several left-sided blueliners on Boston’s roster. The lefty was previously linked to the Calgary Flames when Sweeney attempted to acquire right-handed defenseman Rasmus Andersson earlier this year.
One Bruins star set to remain with the team for the foreseeable future is Fraser Minton. The young forward just agreed to a seven-year, $50.4 million ($7.2 million AAV) extension with the club. Minton was acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2025.
Bruins Projected to Lose Forward Before NHL Season Starts