Will Young Players Get Opportunity With Bruins?

Young players have started to make a name for themselves with the Boston Bruins, but played a majority of the 2024-25 season in the AHL.

Now, with a new season, will they get a chance to crack the NHL roster?

Matthew Poitras skated in 33 games during the 2023-24 season, showing a lot of promise during that time. The 21-year-old scored five goals and 10 assists but was sidelined due to a right shoulder injury.

The following season, Poitras had a shaky start to the year, prompting the Bruins to demote him to their AHL affiliate in Providence. He played 33 games during that season in the NHL, but didn’t have as many opportunities.

In the AHL, the forward played in 40 games, tallying 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points.

The Bruins had another promising young player in Fraser Minten, who played a majority of last season in the AHL.

Minten was acquired before the 2025 NHL trade deadline in a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Boston sent away defenseman Brandon Carlo for Minten on top of a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

Instead of going to Boston, Minten was sent to Providence, where he played 11 games, scoring three goals and four assists. The Bruins called him up towards the end of the season, where he skated in six games, scoring a goal.

Head coach Marco Sturm hinted in an interview with Boston.com’s Conor Ryan that players like Minten and Poitras could get an opportunity in Boston to start the season.

“If they play good enough, then I don’t have a problem with playing them. I want them to have success,” Sturm told Ryan. “But if not, maybe they’re not ready yet, and maybe they have to learn the hard way. Hopefully, we do have some spots available. And I think it sounds like some of the guys have a really good opportunity. I really hope they grab it, because I want them to grab it. I want that competition in our lineup, especially with those young guys. I’m a big believer in that we want to play a fast-paced game, and you kind of need those young legs too, so hopefully some guys will come through.”

Frederic Brunet and John Farinacci were called up at the end of the season, and could also be prospects that the Bruins could give a chance to.