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A stronger Matt Poitras is ready to stake claim on Bruins’ roster

Posted on by angelo

Bruins

“I think this year is just going in a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger, kind of picking my spots a bit more.”

Matt Poitras returned to the frozen sheet at Warrior Ice Arena for Development Camp on Monday. (Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff)

Matthew Poitras turned 20 years old less than four months ago.

But the playmaking center entered the Bruins’ dressing room at Warrior Ice Arena as the team’s elder statesmen on Monday — at least as far as NHL reps are concerned.

Even though he’s still one of the youngest players at Boston’s development camp, Poitras has a leg up on the rest of his teammates in that he’s already established himself as a promising contributor at hockey’s highest level.

But after spending most of the spring on the mend following season-ending surgery in February, Boston’s top prospect isn’t planning on going through the motions during the team’s four-day camp.

“I’m just trying to come in and still do my thing,” Poitras said. “I’m a bit older. This is my third camp now. So try and lead and just make sure our standard is being held up. Just try and be there for everybody.”

Beyond trying to set the tone for the rest of Boston’s latest crop of prospects, Poitras is focused on making this summer a proper springboard into what could be a fruitful 2024-25 campaign with the Bruins.

Despite going under the knife in February to correct his ailing shoulder, Poitras was a full participant in Monday’s skate at Warrior — showing no restrictions when he came to snapping pucks into twine.

“I feel good, no pain or anything. … Obviously, you don’t want to rush things,” Poitras said from his shoulder. “It’s still the start of July and we’ve got two more months until camp starts, so no need to rush anything.”

Poitras’ playmaking poise and vision allowed him to shatter his previous developmental timeline last October — dodging an assignment back to junior hockey after showcasing his talents during preseason play and Boston’s first nine regular-season matchups.

For an extended stretch of October and November, Poitras was seemingly primed to make a legitimate run at a top-six spot — scoring 13 points in his first 27 games while averaging 14:06 of ice time per contest.

But be it the taxing schedule, increased competition, or the physicality that presents itself at hockey’s highest level, the rookie forward soon hits a wall.

After slamming his shoulder onto the ice following a collision with Coyotes defenseman Sean Durzi on Dec. 9, Poitras played another eight games — recording three points and averaging 11:18 of ice time — before getting shut down for the rest of the year.

“I needed to put on a bit of size,” Poitras said of his offseason priorities. “I came into camp last year definitely undersized. There were some bigger guys that maybe I couldn’t hold my own against as much.

“So I think this year is just going in a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger, kind of choosing my spots a bit more — because sometimes I’d take some big hits that aren’t necessary and kind of hurt me and maybe that’s why I didn’t get a chance to finish the season.”

Even with his shoulder procedure initially hindering some of his offseason work, Poitras has already added eight or nine pounds since his rookie campaign came to a premature end.

While he doesn’t profile as a bruising presence in the heart of an NHL lineup, that added weight might be the difference between a patented reverse hit and a bone-crunching collision into the end boards.

“I feel a bit stronger. …I want to be able to win those one-on-one battles because I’m a guy who likes to have the puck up in the zone,” Poitras said. “So that’s kind of where it stems from.”

Poitras still has more goals to set for himself before training camp opens in September. Beyond adding even more muscle, fine-tuning his craftsmanship in the faceoff dot (43.7 percent last season) stands as a top priority.

The 2022 second-round pick might still hold court as Boston’s most promising forward prospect. But a featured role with the Bruins this winter is far from a guarantee — with an assignment to Providence an option if he doesn’t leapfrog other pivots during preseason action.

But after trudging through such an extended stretch of the ice, Poitras is welcoming the challenge in front of him.

“I’ve been in the offseason for basically almost five months now,” Poitras said. “I’m excited to get through the summer — still gonna take it day by day — but I’m excited to get to camp and get into playing games.”

Dean Letourneau making a big impressionnot

Poitras offered up a succinct scouting report on Boston’s 2024 first-round selection in Dean Letourneau.

“He’s a big dude,” Poitras said of the 6-foot-7 center.

Even though Monday’s opening skate for Boston’s development camp primarily focused on skills, Letourneau’s skating talents were evident — with the Boston College commit not looking like a player necessarily encumbered by his larger frame.

Of course, the true barometer this week for how Letourneau will fare against elevated competition will come on Thursday during the team’s full-squad scrimmage — where the 18-year-old forward will look to hold his own against fellow prospects four of five years older than him.

“It’s sunk in a little bit,” Letourneau said Monday of getting drafted by Boston just a few days earlier. “I’m finally here and the dream is just starting now. So I just have to keep working every day to make it come true.”