BOSTON – Matthew Poitras’ rookie campaign ended sooner than he’d hoped.
The 2022 second-round draft pick tallied five goals and 10 assists in the first 33 games of his rookie campaign with Boston in 2023-24 before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery back in February.
Poitras, however, is ready to get his game back on track and is taking the ice with the organization’s prospects this week during Bruins Development Camp at Warrior Ice Arena.
The Ajax, Ontario, native said his body is feeling back to normal.
“I’m feeling good, and my shoulder is feeling good, doing everything, like shooting,” Poitras said after getting off the ice from the first session of camp. “I feel good. There’s no pain or anything.”
There was a new level of excitement for Poitras heading into Development Camp after missing the last few months of the season.
“I’ve been in the offseason for almost five months now so I’m pretty excited to get through the summer,” he said. “I’m still going to take it day-by-day, but I’m excited to get to camp and get into playing games.”
Attending his third Development Camp, Poitras has found himself in a leadership role for the week.
“I just try to kind of come in and still do my thing,” said the 20-year-old. “I’m a bit older, this is my third camp now, so I can kind of try and lead and just make sure our standard is being held; just try and be there for everybody.”
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward earned a spot on Boston’s Opening Night roster after an impressive training camp last fall, and hopes to make physical improvements throughout the offseason.
“I think for me, it’s still just putting on some more strength, getting faster and getting stronger,” said Poitras. “I wasn’t too great on the [face-off] dot last year, so if I want to be a center, I need to use these next couple of months to work on that.”
