Bruins Assign Matt Poitras And Michael Callahan To AHL
The Boston Bruins announced that they’ve assigned forward Matt Poitras and defenseman Michael Callahan to the Providence Bruins of the AHL. The moves mirror what many other NHL teams have done leading into the 4 Nations Face-Off by assigning younger players to the AHL to give them an opportunity for more playing time. There is a possibility the moves could be paper transactions as well, but the next two weeks will flush that out.
Poitras has dressed in 26 games this season with the Bruins, posting a single goal and 10 assists with a -3 plus/minus rating. In the AHL, the 20-year-old has been nearly a point-per-game scorer, tallying eight goals and 12 assists in 23 games. The Ajax, Ontario native spent last season in Boston as well, suiting up in 33 games and registering five goals and 10 assists.
The 25-year-old Callahan saw the first NHL action of his career earlier in the season, dressing in eight games, while going scoreless with nine blocked shots, four hits and a -2 plus/minus rating. In the AHL, Callahan is having an All-Star campaign in his third season with Providence, posting a goal and five assists in 35 games. The Franklin, Massachusetts native has never posted much in the way of offense throughout his professional career but has provided elite defensive work for Providence this season, as evidenced by his All-Star nomination.
Boston returns to NHL action on February 22nd against Anaheim and is likely to make roster moves before their return from the break.
Bruins Announce Matthew Poitras Is Staying In NHL
The Boston Bruins have announced that Matthew Poitras is staying in the NHL. The team was faced with the decision of whether or not to send Poitras back to the Guelph Storm of the OHL, as he’ll spend a year of his contract if he plays in one more NHL game. The rookie is currently tied for sixth on the team in scoring, with five points in his nine games on the season.
Matt Poitras has emerged as one of the most exciting parts of Boston’s early season, establishing himself as a standout during training camp and earning an NHL role over 190 NHL game veteran Jesper Boqvist or top prospects John Farinacci and Fabian Lysell. And Poitras has certainly run away with the opportunity, scoring consistently and recording a 52.76 CF% and 55.23 xGF% – both strong underlying statistics, especially for a rookie.
Poitras is one of two rookies on the current Bruins lineup, with fourth-line man John Beecher playing in his inaugural year as well. Beecher hasn’t found the same stride that Poitras has, rocking a sole assist, nine penalty minutes, and a -3 through his first nine NHL games. Beecher has held onto his role in light of injuries to other depth forwards, including Milan Lucic and Jakub Lauko. The underscoring of top AHL options has also helped Beecher out – as Farinacci only has five points and Lysell only four in their first seven AHL games this season.
Boston making a firm decision on Poitras is exciting to see, especially as they’re faced with a slew of questions about their defense. Matt Grzelcyk went down with an injury of his own, and Charlie McAvoy is facing suspension, effectively removing the team’s top defense pairing. They’ll need to make call-ups from the AHL to ice a full blue line for their next game.