Bruins
“I think his game is in a better place right now. He’s a guy that deserves an opportunity, based on his play.”
It was a busy day on the NHL transaction wire for the Bruins, with Boston announcing five total roster moves ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The good news? The Bruins recalled young forward Matt Poitras, who has spent more than two months developing his game down in Providence.
The bad news? Two other lineup regulars in Boston have landed on injured reserve, headlined by top-pairing defenseman Charlie McAvoy.
Here is the full list of Boston’s moves from Tuesday morning:
- Forward Matt Poitras and defenseman Mike Callahan have been called up from Providence.
- Defenseman Charlie McAvoy and forward Mark Kastelic have been placed on injured reserve.
- Defenseman Hampus Lindholm has been moved to long-term injured reserve.
The Bruins are also awaiting word on the status of Charlie Coyle, with the veteran forward tabbed as a game-time decision for Tuesday’s game against Tampa Bay due to illness.
Regardless of Coyle’s availability, Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco confirmed that Poitras will be a lock for the lineup on Tuesday in what will be his first NHL game since Nov. 9. He skated on a line with Trent Frederic and Oliver Wahlstrom during morning skate.
“From all reports I’ve received, his game is in a good place right now,” Sacco said of Poitras. “He’s playing well. He’s creating chances offensively. He’s putting points on the board, so his production has increased down there. I think his game is in a better place right now. He’s a guy that deserves an opportunity, based on his play.”
One of the top young talents in Boston’s prospect pipeline, Poitras has seemingly turned a corner after getting sent down to the AHL this fall to gain consistent reps.
The 20-year-old forward struggled to find his footing this season, scoring a goal and posting four points over 14 games before being assigned to Providence.
Be it the expected growing pains that come from competing at the NHL level or the lingering effects from shoulder surgery last year, Poitras hasn’t been able to build off the promise he showcased as a rookie in 2023-24 (15 points in 33 games).
But, an extended stint in Providence seems to have done the 2022 second-round pick some good. In 23 games with the P-Bruins, Poitras has scored eight goals and posted 20 points while logging heavy reps on both Providence’s top line and top power-play grouping.
While Poitras isn’t expecting to receive those same 17-19 minutes a night with Boston this year, the skilled playmaker believes that earning those opportunities in the AHL has him feeling much better about his overall approach in the offensive zone.
“I think for me, I just got on the ice a lot more,” Poitras said of the benefits of his time in Providence. “More practices, more reps, and I just kind of get that confidence back that I felt like I was playing with maybe at the start of this year and last year.
“Just kind of just go in there, have fun and work hard and kind of let the rest of the stuff take care of itself. So I think it’s just to get that confidence back. Got a lot of puck touches, and I think that was very beneficial for me.”
While the return of Poitras now gives Boston an intriguing talent further down on the depth chart, the loss of McAvoy stands as another blow for an already banged-up D corps. Sacco noted that McAvoy is expected to sit out at least the next two games.
“Charlie has been dealing with a nagging injury for the last little while here,” Sacco said. “He’s going to be shut down for the next couple of games and then we’ll reevaluate him after the game in Ottawa and see where he is next week.”
With McAvoy sidelined and Lindholm now on LTIR, the Bruins rolled with a top pairing of Nikita Zadorov and Andrew Peeke on Tuesday, while Callahan — a Franklin native — could also be in the mix for his NHL debut.
“He’s more of a stay-at-home defenseman. He’ll be a guy who can hopefully give us some hard minutes,” Sacco said of Callahan. “A reliable, steady defenseman, who can be hard to play against and protect the front of our net.”
While Lindholm’s LTIR designation might sound ominous, it’s a move retroactive to Nov. 12 — meaning that this is more of a cap-related measure, rather than a disheartening sign that the veteran defenseman is still weeks away from returning.
Lindholm has skated before Boston’s practices this week as he works his way back from a lower-body injury.
Kastelic has been sidelined since suffering an upper-body injury last Thursday while fighting at the end of Boston’s road loss to the Lightning. Kastelic’s IR designation is retroactive to Jan. 9, meaning that he could play on Saturday against Ottawa if he’s cleared by the weekend.
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