Bruins Activate Matthew Poitras, To Reassign Michael Eyssimont

According to a team announcement, the Boston Bruins have activated forward Matthew Poitras from non-roster/injury designation. Because the Bruins had a full roster before the move, Boston will likely reassign forward Michael Eyssimont to the AHL’s Providence Bruins after clearing waivers this afternoon.

Poitras, 22, has been nursing a lower-body injury since September 22nd. Because of his injury, he finished preseason action with one assist in one game. Although the injury limited his preseason appearances, General Manager Don Sweeney confirmed before the start of the regular season that Poitras would “get an opportunity” at the NHL level.

His time with the Bruins has been bumpy, to say the least. Because of other injuries, Poitras made Boston’s opening-night roster for the 2023-24 season. He had a decent introduction, scoring five goals and 13 points in 27 games with a +3 rating, averaging 14:06 of ice time per game. In late December, Poitras joined Team Canada for the 2024 U20 World Junior Championships. Unfortunately, he would play only six additional games with the Bruins before shoulder surgery ended his rookie campaign in January.

Coming off surgery, Poitras again made the Bruins’ roster out of training camp. He performed poorly, prompting Boston to send him back to the minors for further development. He performed much better with the AHL’s Providence Bruins, scoring 17 goals and 41 points in 40 games with a +4 rating.

Last season, Poitras was almost exclusively with the AHL Bruins. It was another strong season, finishing with 13 goals and 44 points in 69 games with a +1 rating. In late January, after the Bruins ran into some injury trouble, Poitras was recalled for a three-game stint in the NHL, where he scored one goal.

Due to his inconsistent professional trajectory, Poitras’s role with the Bruins remains uncertain for the foreseeable future. He remained a restricted free agent for much of the summer until Boston eventually signed him to a one-year, two-way contract worth $850K at the NHL level on September 16th. Despite his past performance, the Bruins seem willing to give Poitras an extended opportunity in the NHL for now.

Eyssimont is expected to be reassigned to the Providence team as part of a roster change. The Bruins placed the five-year veteran on waivers yesterday afternoon, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed he cleared them a short while ago. Eyssimont is in the second season of a two-year, $2.9MM ($1.45MM AAV) contract signed with the Bruins. He scored eight goals and 18 points in 56 games last season.