Boston Bruins sending struggling prospect to AHL was a no-brainer

At the trade deadline last Friday, Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney brought back some players getting a shot with the Black and Gold. They’ll likely get a longer shot at getting a look for next season and with that comes the need to move players around. One of those players is prospect Matthew Poitras.

The second round pick in the 2022 Entry Draft, Poitras was sent down to the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) and was there for practice on Monday. It appears that it wasn’t just a paper transaction to have him on the P-Bruins roster for the AHL postseason. With Boston fading from the Eastern Conference playoff picture, it was smart to have him play some more in April and May.

Interim Boston coach Joe Sacco said on Monday that he had a message for Poitras when he was sent down. 

Bruins coach Joe Sacco reveals why Matthew Poitras was sent to the AHL

Providence is in the midst of a playoff race where they are battling for seeding, but in the overall big picture, sending Poitras down is not the worst thing in the world for him. Like earlier this year, he has an opportunity to go down and get more confidence in his game looking ahead to 2025-26.

“With Matty, the message is — he had surgery last January — so he didn’t really get to play from January on with us," said Sacco. “Right now, when you look at the way the games are played, there’s just not a lot of room out there. The ice gets tighter, space becomes less available. It’s just something that he’ll continue to work on in his game, trying to find and create space for himself.

“He did some good things, but right now, I think he’s a guy that needs to be playing, too. So, he’s not going to be here and not play.”

Poitras had last season cut short with shoulder surgery and that was a tough blow to not only him, but also the team. He came back this year and made the roster again out of training camp, but was sent down in November under former coach Jim Montgomery.

He had played well in his return, but as time has gone on, Sacco is right, he needs to play. He’s not getting the minutes he needs in Boston and by going down to Providence, he gets top-line minutes and the chance to get his confidence back up.

This off-season is a big one for Poitras who needs to hit the weight room to build up his body to be able to take the physical pounding the NHL is on a nightly basis. He is a key piece to the future and any confidence he can gain from playing in Providence is only going to help.