The Boston Bruins are certainly a team to watch incredibly closely between now and the 2026 NHL trade deadline. The Bruins currently hold the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and have just a two-point lead over the Washington Capitals. With this, the Bruins should be looking to make upgrades on their roster to help their chances of getting back into the playoffs.
The Bruins are entering the 2026 NHL trade deadline with two significant roster needs. The biggest need the Bruins must address is adding a top-four right-shot defenseman. They have yet to find a true replacement for Brandon Carlo since they traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins should also be aiming to add another top-six winger to their roster to boost their forward group.
With the Bruins having some important roster needs to address, they could be very busy over the next few days. Due to this, they are now being predicted to trade one of their most promising forward prospects.
Bruins Predicted to Trade Matt Poitras Ahead of Deadline
The Athletic recently released an article where they made one prediction for each NHL team ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline. When it came to the Bruins, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa predicted that the Original Six club would trade forward Matt Poitras by deadline day.
“Poitras was once a rising star. He made the team unexpectedly as a 19-year-old. He broke camp with the varsity again in his second season. But as a third-year pro, the right-shot center was assigned to the AHL at the start of the season. He’s made only three NHL appearances this year,” Shinzawa wrote.
Poitras has been creating plenty of chatter as a trade candidate with the deadline getting closer, so this prediction from Shinzawa is fair. Poitras simply may not be a long-term fit for the Bruins, as they have other young centers in their system like James Hagens, Fraser Minten, and Dean Letourneau. With this, it might be hard for Poitras to have a spot on Boston’s roster in the future, and he could be a good trade chip for the Bruins to dangle because of it.
With Poitras being a young center with good potential and skill, it’s likely that some teams would be willing to take a chance on him. Due to this, he could be a good prospect for the Bruins to include in a trade package to land an immediate upgrade as they push for the playoffs.
Bruins’ Poitras Could Benefit From a Fresh Start
When looking at how this season has gone for Poitras, it is fair to argue that he could benefit from a fresh start. The 2022 second-round pick has played in just three games for Boston this season, where he has recorded one goal and a plus-1 rating. Down in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, he has 10 goals and 31 points in 49 games. With this, he has taken a step back offensively from last year, as he had 17 goals and 41 points in 40 games for Providence in 2024-25.
Sometimes, a change of scenery can do a player some good, and that could very well end up being the case for Poitras if Boston moves him. It will be interesting to see if they do just that from here.
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