The Boston Bruins are heading into their final game of the preseason on Friday night against the Washington Capitals. The Bruins are 2-1 in their three exhibition games so far, with the lineups changing each night.
Boston released the lineup for Friday night’s game against Washington and it is pretty close to what their roster will likely look like come next Tuesday’s regular season opener against the New York Rangers.
There are 10 locks on offense and four on defense: David Pastrnak, JJ Peterka, Casey Mittelstadt, Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm, Morgan Geekie, Mark Kastelic, Tanner Jeannot, Marat Khusnutdinov, and Fraser Minten are the forwards, and Mason Lohrei, Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and Will Borgen are the defensemen.
So, the bubble spots may be decided Friday night. The players looking to prove their worth to make the roster out of camp are James Hagens, Dans Locmelis, Connor Clifton, and Jonathan Aspirot.
Hagens and Locmelis Forcing Bruins to Make Tough Decisions
Hagens and Locmelis have both played well enough in the preseason that they may be forcing some older players out of the equation. Sean Kuraly, Alex Steeves, Mikey Eyssimont, and Lukas Reichel were all bottom of the lineup/depth players for Boston in the 2025-26 season. Though they are all valuable in their own respective ways, Hagens and Locmelis bring upside that the others don’t.
Hagens was bound to be a bubble player with a high chance to make the roster in a “prove it” role during the preseason. He has proved it, as he scored six goals in two games during the prospect showcase and has been skating with the middle-six in the preseason games.
Hagens is an immensely talented forward, who excelled at Boston College and was picked seventh overall in the 2025 Draft. He has the potential to be a long-term stalwart in the Bruins lineup, so the sooner they get him used to NHL speed, the higher his upside will be long-term.
Locmelis has been an underrated prospect in Boston’s system for years now. He was drafted in the fourth round back in 2022, and after two productive seasons at UMass, he’s fit into every level he’s played at since, including the AHL, Team Latvia at the Olympics and the World Juniors.
His chance of making the roster is lower than Hagens solely because he is waiver exempt while guys like Kuraly and Eyssimont aren’t.
Aspirot and Clifton Looking to Carve Roles on Defense
Boston’s defense will start the season shorthanded as Charlie McAvoy will serve a six-game suspension from last season’s playoffs to begin the campaign. In his absence, Aspirot and Clifton will likely make the roster to start the season, though they’ll be competing for the final spot for when McAvoy returns.
Aspirot was a surprisingly productive player for the Bruins last season, spending a lot of time with McAvoy on the top pair as the B’s dealt with injuries. Clifton on the other hand, spent the first five seasons of his professional career in Boston before splitting time with the Penguins and Sabres the last couple of years.
Bruins Release Lineup for Final Preseason Game: Is it a Preview of Who Will Make the Team?