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Bruins’ Matt Poitras Still Unsigned Ahead of Training Camp
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- Bruins’ Matt Poitras Still Unsigned Ahead of Training Camp
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Boston Bruins are inching closer to the start of the 2026-27 season, but they still have some business to take care of before camp opens on September 16.
Matt Poitras is currently a restricted free agent, and as of August 20, he remains unsigned by the Bruins. The Bruins took the 22-year-old in the second round of the 2022 NHL draft. He cracked the NHL lineup at the start of the 2023-24 season and immediately impressed before an injury sidelined him.
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The Bruins issued Poitras a qualifying offer in June , but he did not accept before the July 15 expiration date. His entry-level contract carried an $870,000 cap hit, and the qualifying offer was set at $850,000.
Don Sweeney sees Poitras' next step as taking somebody's spot in the lineup, and that needs to be earned this fall.
"Yeah, I mean, Matty's played almost 70 games in the League. So from a readiness standpoint and taking somebody's job full time, that's the next step for Matty. You know, he's been a good player. He's been a productive player down [in Providence]. He's rounding out his game. Needs to, from an entry point," Sweeney said ahead of the draft. "We always talk about where players can have entry points. You know, maybe it's expanding his role from a penalty-killing standpoint and having an understanding of the defensive zone because he's always been an offensively tilted player. And sometimes you're not going to play in those roles, you know, when you first get there."
Poitras spent the last three seasons with the Bruins organization. The majority of the 2025-26 campaign was spent with Providence after he lost a training camp battle in Boston . He finished the past season with 44 points (13-31–44) in 69 games. In four playoff games, Poitras added another four points (1-3–4). He was called up to Boston for three games, and his lone point was a goal at the Stadium Series.
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Poitras has 27 points (7-20–27) in 69 career NHL games. During his rookie year, he had 15 points (5-10–15) in the 33 games he played before his shoulder surgery.
During his introductory press conference as the P-Bruins head coach, Trent Whitfield spoke highly of Poitras and his opportunity in Boston.
"You know, Potsy's had a little bit different of a path. But again, I think Potsy really did a good job last year," Trent Whitfield said. "I think it was hard. He was one of those guys that [it] was real hard on him, you know, to get sent down. We [had] a lot of good, hard conversations with him just to get his mindset in a good spot. It's always just going to be a matter of time with Matt. He's a great kid, really talented player. I'm real excited for his opportunity to come this year and to really make his mark up there in Boston."
The early knock on Poitras was his size and how that was going to translate to the NHL. It was a rocky transition, especially from the OHL, and the Bruins ultimately decided that Providence was the spot for Poitras to round out his game. He did. The numbers on the scoresheet may not jump out, but that's not what Poitras was in Providence for. Last season, he did not shy away from playing a more physical, two-way game. There were not one but two fighting majors, and while he did not get the best of Brandon Scanlin (HFD) in February , he got the takedown against Jack Devine (CLT) earlier in the season.
Whitfield, who has spent the last 10 seasons on the Providence bench, noticed the change in Poitras' physical game.
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"That's a tribute to him and the work that he's put in. That can't be understated. I mean, Potsy works hard. He really puts the work in. He's the first on the ice, the last guy off the ice almost every day. So, there's no issues with his work ethic," Whitfield said. "I think it was just always going to be just about getting a little bit stronger … to be a centerman at this level and then into the NHL, physically you have to be strong."
"You're playing against 6'3", 6'4", 215 lb. centermen in the NHL. If you're not strong, you're going to get taken advantage of at times up there. And I think that's a part of Potsy's game that's really changed, is his ability to get stronger."
There are a few other factors at play with Poitras this season, the first being that he is eligible for waivers. The Bruins lose the freedom to send him down at will, as Poitras would be exposed to the other 31 teams before reporting to Providence.
Poitras also does not have a guaranteed shot at the NHL . Cam Neely said he wants to "see some of the younger kids push for jobs," and Poitras falls right into that line. He has four centers ahead of him, and the Bruins have a surplus of depth forwards who can also play on the wing.
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There is less than a month until the Bruins gather in Brighton for training camp, and the camp is shaping up to be a pivotal one for Poitras' future in Boston. The first step is a contract. AFP Analytics sees him signing a one-year deal worth $850,000, the same value as his qualifying offer, and Kevin Paul DuPont of the Boston Globe suggested a $1 million AAV . It's a long way away, but Poitras has to sign by 5:00 PM ET on December 1 to play during the 2026-27 season.
Regardless of what the contract looks like, Poitras will enter Bruins camp with plenty to prove. The Bruins have seen Poitras develop in Providence, but as Sweeney said, it's up to him to take someone's job and earn a full-time spot.
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