The pipeline that was supposed to produce the next top Bruins’ center has barely produced a trickle in the last decade.
Tyler Seguin was dealt away in a still controversial trade. Ryan Spooner never took the next step. Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson returned home to Sweden and hasn’t played since 2021. It’s still anyone’s guess what Jack Studnicka will be, but the B’s decided it was time to move on.
Could Matt Poitras and Brett Harrison be the ones to finally reopen the B’s centerman spigot? There’s no question they need some infusion of talented youth at the pivot position. Whether or not Patrice Bergeron and/or David Krejci retire this summer, the end of the line is in sight.
To think either Poitras or Harrison could or should contribute to the 2023-24 Boston Bruins would seem a stretch. But if they continue on their promising paths they set for themselves in the Ontario Hockey League, then they may not be too far away, given the opportunity that should still be there for them in a year’s time.
While Harrison, a 2021 third-round pick (85th overall) is a year older, Poitras, 19, is slightly ahead of him on the buzz-o-meter, both from his excellent year in Guelph and what he’s been able to show at this week’s Development Camp. After his first OHL season in which had 21-29-50 totals in 68 games, the right-shot Poitras flashed his pure setup man tendencies in nearly doubling his first-year output with 16-79-95 in 63 games.
Because of his age, he’ll have to go back to junior if he doesn’t make the NHL roster. But Poitras, the B’s second-round pick in 2022 (54th overall), has jumped into the top tier of B’s prospects.
“He’s a smart hockey player. An elite brain,” said assistant GM-Player Personnel Jamie Langenbrunner. “His skating got knocked a lot going into the draft, which knocked him down. But we saw a brain with growth potential. We saw that step last year with his production that, on a lower team was extremely high end. You’ve seen snippets all year, every day, his ability to play in space, his ability to create space, his elusiveness. He buys time for himself. He has that knack where he can look guys off and find lanes. The next step we’re try to push on him is similar to Fabian (Lysell) — shoot the puck a little bit more. He can shoot the puck, but he’s definitely a pass-first guy. If he can tilt that just a little bit that other way, it will give him a little bit of a leg up moving forward. But we’re very happy with that player.”
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Poitras conceded he needs to look for his shot a little bit – and he’s shown that he’s got a good one this week — but there was also the feeling that he was a little bit snake-bitten in his goalscoring attempts as well.
Poitras also got a taste of what’s expected of him at the next level after being on the ice with Bergeron in training camp last year.
“Just being at camp last year, just practicing with him and seeing how he never quits on a drill. He’s got the strongest stick. I was coming up the ice and he just lifted my stick. I thought my stick was going to fly out of my hands,” said Poitras with a chuckle. “Just things like that and watching the Bruins a lot more this year more after being drafted by them, just seeing the way he moves around the D-zone, it seems like he’s never in a rush to do anything. He’s just calm, so maybe that’s something I need in my game — just a sense of calmness in the D-zone, not running around too much.”
Harrison is a different type of player. At 6-foot-3, 184 pounds, the left-shooting Harrison doesn’t need to be told twice to shoot the puck. Between Oshawa and Windsor last season, he had 34-35-69 totals in 57 games.
Langenbrunner said he expects Harrison will start on the wing in Providence primarily because it would afford him the best chance to play up in the lineup, but suspects he’ll get time at both center and wing.
“Offensively, lots to like. He’s going to need to continue to work on some of the off-ice stuff to improve his strength and really dial that in,” said Langenbrunner. “His shot is a weapon. He can score from a lot of places. And similar to Matty, he’s got a knack for finding spaces. He has the ability to get himself open and he has some slipperiness to him.”
As you would expect – and hope – neither player is ruling himself out for big league work this year.
“Obviously it’s a dream of mine to play in the NHL and you see some opportunities maybe opening up,” said Poitras. “But I’m just going to keep working hard for the camp, be ready and in shape, try to give my all and try to make their decision difficult to cut me.”
Harrison looks at the uncertainty surrounding Bergeron and Krejci and sees opportunity.
“It definitely motivates me,” said Harrison. “Obviously around Boston, it’s still up in the air with those guys, so there’s spots open and I’m trying to battle, work my way up. I’m hoping to start the year in Providence and just keep working my way up. If I can get a couple of games in Boston, that’s definitely one of the things on my mind. I’m not satisfied just playing in Providence this year. I’m definitely pushing to get on the big club.”
After wearing a red non-contact jersey the previous two days in Development Camp, Lysell was a full participant in Thursday’s session.