Matt Poitras is poised to make his return to the Bruins’ lineup after recovering from an undisclosed injury that sidelined him during the end of training camp and the first two games of the regular season. The 20-year-old forward has drawn attention from Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, who indicated that Poitras is “close” to returning and could participate in Saturday’s game against the Kings, contingent upon his performance in Friday’s practice.
For Poitras to be reactivated into the 23-man roster, a corresponding roster move will need to take place. During Friday’s practice, Poitras skated on the third line as center, flanked by Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau. Frederic filled the center position in the initial games alongside Max Jones against Florida and Riley Tufte against Montreal. However, both Tufte and Jones have not had notable impacts, making them candidates for a potential waiver as they could be sent to the Providence AHL team. Tufte is viewed as the more probable option for demotion, as Jones may attract claims from other teams.
Poitras has not played since January 25, when he underwent shoulder surgery that interrupted a promising start to his career characterized by a standout training camp last year, earning him early fan support. In his debut season, he recorded five goals and ten assists in 33 games.
Last year, Poitras was not eligible for AHL placement, but this season, the Bruins could assign him to Providence without risking waivers if he does not perform as expected. However, he expressed his determination to prove himself worthy of staying with the team. “I want to be here,” he stated last month. “I want to be able to show that I belong here and they don’t really have a choice. They gotta keep me here.”
Working through his recovery, Poitras focused on strength training during his time off, and he has returned at a weight of 181 pounds, feeling enhanced in terms of physicality. “I definitely feel stronger and not to the point where I added weight and I slowed down,” he noted. “I’m the same speed if not a bit faster. The extra weight might help in those corner battle situations.”