Young Bruins forward to stick around with the team
Head Coach Jim Montgomery officially announced Matthew Poitras will remain with the team and not be sent back to juniors. Montgomery said “he’s sticking around.”
This decision had to be made prior to Poitras playing in his 10th NHL game. Poitras has done nothing but impressed. The 19-year-old made the team after displaying strong skills across the board. He put up five point in five games while winning over half of his face-offs.
Through nine games this season he has another five points to go along with moving up in the lineup. On Monday night against the Panthers he recorded a season high 18:42 of time on ice.
By keeping Poitras, they will burn his first year of his entry level contract. In the OHL last season he put up 95 points (16 goals, 79 assists) in 63 games with the Guelph Storms. He added six more points in six playoff games as well.
“We had asked at training camp for some surprises this year and he certainly did that in spades,” said Bruins president Cam Neely. “He’s not hurrying up, moving it, dumping it, getting rid of it. He actually gets in the offensive zone and buys some time, finds the quiet ice, and makes some plays.”
When asked if Poitras reminded him of anyone, Neely was a bit hesitant to put additional pressure on the youngster, but said maybe a little bit of David Krejci.
Krejci, like Poitras was known for making the right play at the right time as he collected 555 assists in his NHL career.
Captain Brad Marchand compared Poitras to Maple Leafs Mitch Marner in training camp and continued his praise after the 4-3 win last night. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s gonna have a very long career. He does all the right things on and off the ice to be a good pro. It’s very impressive to see at his age.”
Follow Matt on Twitter @Bstrong415
For additional Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, MLB and NFL content follow Beyond the Monster on Twitter @BeyondtheMnstr.
