The 2023-24 season has been a breakthrough year for the Boston Bruins’ prospect pipeline as several young prospects have seen significant time in the NHL, and two made the roster out of training camp. The success of the organization’s young players has been a big storyline this season, and the headliner of the group has been 19-year-old Matthew Poitras.
While the 2022-23 season made it clear that Poitras was the top center prospect in the Bruins’ pipeline, he still wasn’t expected to make the NHL this season. But after a great training camp and a good start to the 2023-24 season, he earned a permanent spot on the roster and has proven that he belongs in the NHL.
Road to the NHL Draft
Poitras was born on March 10, 2004 (after Patrice Bergeron made his NHL debut for a bit of context) in Ajax, Ontario. As one would expect when he started to show some real hockey potential, he was drafted into the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of the three major junior hockey leagues that make up the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). He was drafted 12th overall in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection to the Guelph Storm, but the following season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related: Coyle Proving to Be Sweeney’s Best Acquisition as Bruins’ GM
Latest News & Highlights
Poitras finally suited up for the Storm in his draft year, the 2021-22 season. He appeared in 68 games, registering 21 goals and 50 points. He cemented himself as a solid player, but didn’t necessarily have the wow factor yet.
Leading up to the draft, he was noted for his work ethic and strong, developing two-way play. But he wasn’t considered a very “explosive player” and had a pass-first mentality that made it hard to truly evaluate his scoring potential. He was ranked 45th amongst North American Skaters and most draft rankings placed him somewhere in the 40-60 range.
Poitras was selected where expected in the 2022 NHL Draft. The Bruins were up in the second round with pick number 54. He was their first selection of the draft and it didn’t come as a surprise that general manager Don Sweeney targeted a center, given the weakness at the position amongst the team’s prospects. Out of the six selections they had in 2022, three of them were centers. The other two were Cole Spicer and Dans Locmelis.
Breakout Season in Guelph
After being drafted, Poitras returned to play with the Storm in the OHL, but it quickly became apparent…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…