We all know how the Boston Bruins are expected to make some big changes in the squad, especially with the Jeremy Swayman drama finally dealt with. However, it seems that the team is now expecting to see more from Matt Poitras’ development in the game with a much more promising note in his performances this season.

It is worth noting that Poitras was absent for the last five months of action that the Bruins had in the 2023-24 season after the latter had a shoulder injury that kept him out of the game since January 25. This season is the first time that he’ll play games, and he’s been impressive so far with those elite-level performances.

So far, head coach Jim Montgomery believes that they are seeing the best from Poitras this season, claiming that his 34th game in total and the first for this season is better than all of the previous 33 games played before his surgery. That says a lot about how Poitras is seen as one of the reliable pieces for the Bruins heading into the season.

A Special Player

Coming in as a surprise contributor for the Bruins at the age of 19 last season, Poitras was clearly an impressive player in his own right, tallying five goals and 10 assists before going down with an injury. So far, Poitras has done a great job of improving his game, and he is even looking a lot stronger, hungrier, and more skilled than when he entered the previous season.

“For his first game back in eight months, special,” Montgomery said. “I thought that’s the best game he’s played as an NHL player, including some two-goal games last year.”

It cannot be denied that Poitras is making his case as a special player for the Bruins this season. He did miss the first two games of the 2024-25 season with an undisclosed injury but showed up well when he helped the Bruins knock off a 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings last Saturday. That was the second overtime game for Poitras, and he did well to prove that he’s back on top of his game.

“Definitely builds the confidence,” Poitras said of his season debut. “Hopefully get the conditioning back a bit better than it was tonight, play whatever minutes are given to me and just keep doing my thing.”

A Center on the Rise

David Pastrnak claimed that he’s seen a big growth from Poitras this season, despite playing only one game so far. He did see the decisive decision-making skill from the Bruins youngster and it does seem that Poitras can continue developing into a reliable wing player for the team or even at the center spot in the long run.

“I think he’s going to be much better than last year,” Pastrnak said. “First of all, he has a little bit of experience from last season. He had a bad injury, which, on the other hand, gave him a lot of time to work and get stronger. For a young kid like him, summer is important. He had a good summer. So far, you can see he’s well prepared.”

Poitras is just starting out his story in the NHL, and it cannot be denied that the center is starting to make some noise in the game as he seeks to prove that he can thrive on the big stage and deliver elite-level performances in the long run.