Matt Poitras has earned his spot on Bruins' opening roster -- and beyond

BOSTON -- Matt Poitras has been the talk of the Bruins preseason. That hype will follow the 19-year-old into the regular season.

With another solid performance in Boston's preseason finale on Thursday night, Poitras has locked down his spot on Boston's opening night roster. Poitras lit the lamp again Thursday for his team-leading third goal of the preseason, netting Boston's go-ahead goal in the third period of a 3-1 win over the Rangers in New York. 

The centerman got himself open in front of the net and put home a nice feed from Trent Frederic to put the Bruins ahead for good just over a minute into the final frame: 

Poitras wrapped up his preseason with three goals and a pair of assists over five games. He also won over 55 percent of his faceoffs, including a 4-for-5 night from the dot Thursday.

It was only five preseason games, but Poitras made many things clear over the last few weeks: He's got the speed, he's got the smarts, and he's got the finish to do it all at the pro level. After Thursday's win, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery essentially locked Poitras into a spot on Boston's opening night roster. It would be hard not to pencil him in after the teenager made such an impact throughout the exhibition season. 

"Yeah, I mean, it certainly looks that way," Montgomery said after Thursday's victory. "He's earned the right to stick around for a while, that's for sure."

A 2022 second-round pick, Poitras is coming off an incredible year in the OHL. He logged 79 assists (second in the league) and had 95 points overall in 63 games for the Guelph Storm, displaying a knack for playmaking. That was on full display during Boston's exhibition season, and Montgomery was most impressed with Poirtras' ability to control the puck.

"He just seems to be in the right spots," the head coach said. "He has the puck a lot because he's always in the right support position. And then when he gets the puck, his poise with the puck -- he's calm beyond his years with the puck."

For a team that didn't have any clear-cut succession plan for the likes of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, it's refreshing to see a young centerman making things happen for the Bruins. Poitras spent Thursday night centering Boston's third line, with Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie on his wings. That's where he'll likely play when Boston opens the regular season next Wednesday against the Blackhawks.

If the Bruins like what they see out of Poitras in the early parts of the season, there's a good chance he'll remain in Boston for the long haul. The B's can keep Poitras for nine games without burning a year of his eligibility, but he's not eligible to play in the AHL because of his age. So after those nine games, Boston will have to keep him in the NHL or send him back to the OHL.

But for a team that lacked any juice at the center position heading into the preseason, Poitras made the preseason worth watching. He showed promise to eventually evolve into a top-six player for Boston with his offensive skillset, and the teenager has provided some hope at the center position for the future.