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Now that the Boston Bruins 10-day All-Star Break is over, there is a lot going on surrounding Jim Montgomery’s team. In the latest edition of Bruins News & Rumors, a rookie 2023-24 season comes to an end in a surprising development, an NHL insider says Boston may be careful with their draft picks at this season’s trade deadline on March 8, a Bruins center trade target could be a top free agent target for the Black & Gold and more.
Matthew Poitras Has Season-Ending Surgery
One of the bigger surprises this season out of training camp was rook center Matthew Poitras who had a strong training camp and preseason and earned an NHL spot. He played so well that the Bruins could not send him back to the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and he remained in Boston. Over time, the physicality of the NHL took its toll on the 54th pick in the 2022 Entry Draft in Montreal and his season came to an end Wednesday.
After the morning skate on Thursday (Feb. 8), Montgomery spoke about the conversations that were had between Poitras, the team, and his parents. “Donny and I had talked with Matty, and Donny and Matt talked with his family and the people who advise him and everyone was on the same page that this is what would be best moving forward,” Montgomery said.
Boston announced that Poitras underwent a right shoulder open stabilization (Latarjey) procedure and the recovery time is approximately five months. This is a big loss for the Bruins, especially for a team that already is thin on center depth. This announcement a month before the trade deadline could force the hand of General Manager (GM) Don Sweeney to make a move for a pivot.
Bruins Call Up Anthony Richard
With Poitras down, the Bruins only have 12 forwards in Boston and they called up center Anthony Richard from the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL). In 41 games this season, the 27-year-old Richard has 18 goals and 18 assists. This is a curious call-up and it makes you wonder where Fabian Lysell stands in the organization. Sooner or later you would think that he gets his shot in the NHL.
Are the Bruins & Elias Lindholm a Match This Summer?
In his latest 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman wrote that the Bruins, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, are going to be careful at the trade deadline about training away future draft picks. They don’t have a first this season after the trade with the Detroit Red Wings at last season’s deadline that acquired Tyler Bertuzzi.
Friedman also reported that he thinks the Bruins made a run at Elias Lindholm before the Calgary Flames sent him to the Vancouver Canucks. Lindholm has yet to sign an extension and if he hits the free-agent market this summer, Friedman expects the Bruins to make a run at him. The Black and Gold will get an up-close look at Lindholm when they host Vancouver on Thursday night (Feb. 8) at the TD Garden.
Pastrnak Not Thrilled With NHL International Tournament
During the All-Star Break, the NHL announced that next season the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, a new international tournament set to take place from Feb. 12 to 20, 2025. Four countries, Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States will compete in the scheduled nine-day event, but David Pastrnak didn’t sound happy his home country of Czechia will not be part of the tournament.
“It’s a huge disappointment,” Pastrnak said. “I don’t know much I can say. Definitely not happy about it. I understand that it’s a quick turnaround. It’s next year. They probably didn’t have much time to make it a bigger tournament. But Czech isn’t there. So it’s always a lot of players left out, so I’m not gonna watch the tournament, to be honest. So just happy that the Olympics got accepted. Yeah definitely stings a little bit.”
Pastrnak will no doubt be playing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, but his frustration about the NHL International Tournament is real and no one can blame him.
Georgii Merkulov Nets Two Goals in AHL All-Star Game
Undrafted free agent Georgii Merkulov was the lone Providence player selected to the 2024 AHL All-Star Game on Feb. 5 in San Jose. The former Ohio State standout who signed with the Bruins after just one college season, had two goals and an assist in the round-robin-style tournament for the Atlantic Division.
Merk with an absolute RIP to start the finals!
— Providence Bruins (@AHLBruins) February 6, 2024pic.twitter.com/fHgwlnhdzw
In 41 games this season for Providence, he has 17 goals and 25 assists and is on pace to pass last season’s numbers of 24 goals and 31 assists. The P-Bruins begin the post-All-Star Break at home against the Hershey Bears on Friday night (Feb. 9).
What’s Next for the Bruins?
The Bruins will be looking to bonce-back from a dreadful performance against the Flames on Feb. 6 when they host the Canucks in the second game of their seven-game homestand. After Vancouver, the Washington Capitals come in on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 10) for a 3:30 puck drop.
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Bruins' Charlie McAvoy Shares First Picture After Facial Surgery
Boston Bruins star Charlie McAvoy resurfaced publicly for the first time since undergoing facial surgery on Thursday. The blueliner posted a Thanksgiving message alongside a family photo on Instagram in what became his first appearance since he went down injured in mid-November. McAvoy has been recovering at home after taking a deflected slap shot to the face during a Nov. 15 win against the Montreal Canadiens. The player thanked those who reached out following the injury and expressed relief to be home during the holiday. “Thanks to everyone who sent thoughts and prayers to us,” McAvoy wrote. “Feeling so grateful to be home and together this Thanksgiving.” McAvoy added a message for his son while mentioning his wife, Kiley, in the same post. “Most thankful for the glue that holds this family together and navigates us through every difficult time, we’re so lucky you’re ours @kileymcavoy,” McAvoy wrote. “Happy Thanksgiving to all.” Along with the message, McAvoy shared a family photo along with his wife and young son, marking the first time fans have seen his face since surgery. The Bruins placed the 27-year-old on injured reserve on Nov. 23, and head coach Marco Sturm said the priority remains rest and recovery. Sturm also confirmed McAvoy was recovering at home and not traveling with the team. While there is no set timetable for McAvoy's return, Sturm acknowledged the injury is serious enough to sideline the defenseman indefinitely. Meanwhile, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported the best-case scenario has McAvoy back in time for the February Olympics, where he is expected to play a major role for Team USA. Before the injury, McAvoy recorded 14 assists in 19 games and continued to lead Boston in ice time. After two weeks without their main defenseman, the Bruins still sit third in the Atlantic Division with a 14-11-0 record and 28 points through 25 games.
Jerry Jones claims Jets turned down absurd trade offer involving Micah Parsons, Quinnen Williams
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently revealed that he offered Micah Parsons plus a first-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for Quinnen Williams during training camp. Jerry Jones says Jets turned out incredible trade offer for Quinnen Williams “I wanted a one and Parsons for Williams,” Jones said on 103.5 The Fan. That seems like an absurd offer, but Jones left little up to interpretation. “A one and Parsons for Williams,” he repeated. Later, he added that the deal did not go through because the Jets “did not have the cap room to pay [Parsons].” Jones also said something similar to WFAA’s Ed Werder: “We tried at training camp with the Jets to basically make an exchange that was ready to go, heads up, with Quinnen and Micah and a one, and we didn’t get it done.” Parsons, of course, was instead sent to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The Cowboys later acquired Williams before the trade deadline for a package including a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Jones has slowly revealed more and more information about the Parsons trade since it was completed. During a September radio appearances on ESPN New York, Jones said that called the Jets regarding Williams when he was shopping Parsons before the season. The Jets were not interested, he claimed, because they “didn’t have the resources to entertain [the] conversation,” similar to his pronouncement on 103.5. If true, Jets made a big mistake If Jones’ latest revelation is true, that means two things. First, he was willing to sacrifice a massive amount of value to move Parsons and acquire Williams. Second, the Jets made a huge mistake in not accepting the deal. Although Williams is an excellent defensive tackle, Parsons is undoubtedly a better and more valuable player, even at a higher price point. This year, Williams has 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss this season; per Pro Football Focus, he ranks fifth among interior defenders with 40 pressures but 38th with a 12.1% pass-rush win rate. Parsons, meanwhile, has 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, plus 67 pressures and a 24.3% pass-rush win rate, both top-three marks among NFL edge-rushers. In his career, he has averaged 0.89 sacks and one tackle for loss per game; Williams’ per-game numbers are 0.41 sacks and 0.60 tackles for loss. Those numbers may not tell the complete story of either player, but it seems like the Jets should have taken Jones’ offer. Sure, they would have had to pony up for Parsons’ mega-extension, but they were already prepared to move on from Williams. Adding an extra first-round pick on top would also give the Jets an opportunity to add another starter — if not a star — on a rookie contract. That would help to offset the financial cost of acquiring Parsons. How realistic is Jerry Jones' claim? But Jones’ words should also be taken with a grain of salt. He has spent a lot of time trying to retroactively justify trading away Parsons, especially after using some of the resulting draft capital to acquire Williams. Claiming that the Jets were not interested in Parsons and a first-rounder for Williams serves to downplay the former’s value and boost the latter’s. The idea that the Jets could not afford to pay Parsons does not hold water, either. After his extension, the All-Pro edge-rusher’s cap hit in 2025 is just $9.97M. New York certainly could have designed a similar contract structure and absorbed Perhaps the Jets didn't want to commit so much money to Parsons as they were clearly contemplating a rebuild. Parsons would still be a cornerstone for that effort, but he may not have wanted to weather any losing seasons in the hopes of a future turnaround. But again, adding another first-round pick would have accelerated that process, and a core of Parsons, cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson seems like a solid foundation for the Jets to build from. That is an expensive trio, but having elite players at three of the sport’s most important positions is a good problem to have. Instead, the Jets declined the Cowboys’ initial offer for Williams before moving him and Gardner at the deadline as part of what appears to be a full-on franchise reset.
Arch Manning has defining performance of college career in win over Texas A&M
In the biggest game of his college football career so far, Texas quarterback Arch Manning grew into the superstar he was touted to be with the nation watching. No. 16 Texas (9-3) earned a huge rivalry win over No. 3 Texas A M (11-1) in Austin on Friday in large part thanks to the second-half play of Manning. Manning was only 8-of-21 for 51 yards in the first half, and the Longhorns trailed the Aggies 10-3 at the break. Texas had an opportunity to kick a field goal and cut the A M lead to four at the break, but an intentional grounding penalty incurred by Manning took that opportunity away. Arch Manning lights up the scoreboard in second half But with the help of a Texas defense that rattled TAMU QB Marcel Reed in the second half, Manning and the 'Horns scored 24 second-half points in a winning effort. Texas' first drive of the second half netted three points, but a strike from Manning to Ryan Wingo on the next UT possession gave the Longhorns the lead and gave Manning some confidence. After another defensive stop, Manning led a six-play, 83-yard TD drive to put the Longhorns up by 10. After Texas A M responded, Manning did as well, running away from the Aggie defense on a 35-yard scoring sprint that ultimately served as the deciding blow. In the end, it was Reed — the more experienced and consistent of the two quarterbacks — that made the back-breaking mistake, throwing an interception deep in Texas territory on a drive that looked poised to end with points. The victory was a team effort for Texas, which will await Saturday's slate of games and beg for several playoff contenders to lose to have a shot at the 12-team playoff field. But it was Manning who would be the face of it. Manning went 14-of-29 for 179 yards and a touchdown through the air and added 53 yards and a score on the ground. The win serves as the biggest moment of Manning's young UT career. Going into Saturday, Manning's sophomore season was marred by inconsistent play. A career day against Arkansas was contrasted by middling performances against Ohio State and Georgia. Standout efforts in wins over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma were overshadowed by no-shows against UTEP, Kentucky and Florida. But Manning rose to his greatest challenge on Saturday, delivering a win in a rivalry game that nobody in the state of Texas — whether they wear burnt orange or maroon — will soon forget.
Dallas Cowboys' chances of beating Lions just increased with an update the NFL world will hate to hear
The 6-5-1 Dallas Cowboys are looking to extend their win streak to four in a row next Thursday when they take on the 7-5 Detroit Lions on primetime television. Though the Lions are known as one of the best teams in the conference, they are struggling to be consistent on offense, and the defense has serious problems, too. There are a lot of factors that go into Detroit's biggest issues on offense, which was known as one of the scariest units in the league not that long ago. But it all starts with the trenches, where they simply haven't been the same. The Lions' offensive line's struggles reached the point where they had to draw former second-team All-Pro center Frank Ragnow out of retirement. However, Ragnow's return is over before it even got a chance to get going. Lions announce Ragnow failed his physical ahead of Cowboys matchup On Saturday, the Lions announced Ragnow's activation to the 53-man roster isn't happening after he failed his physical. "The medical exam revealed a Grade 3 hamstring strain that will keep him from participating for the remainder of the regular season," the team's statement reads. "For that reason, Frank will not be rejoining the Lions." It was already unlikely Ragnow would play in Week 14 due to his inactivity this year. However, the Lions are reaching must-win territory, so it wasn't out of the question. This update confirms it. It's a disappointing update even though it helps the Cowboys' chances of winning. You never want to see a star's return get ruined before it even starts. But it is what it is in football. With that being said, there's no denying it's an objectively positive development for a Dallas team starving for any break it can get as it tries to make the playoffs. Cowboys' rising DL will face struggling Lions OL Over the last few years, the motor driving the Lions' success was its offensive line. Now that it's struggling, Jared Goff's play is showing flaws, and the run game has been inconsistent. On the other side, the Cowboys' defense is quickly improving. Since Quinnen Williams' arrival via trade, Matt Eberflus' unit has shown an ability to pressure the quarterback and stop the run. While it hasn't been perfect, it's that interior defensive line that's sparked quality play. The Cowboys are 3.5-point underdogs against the Lions heading into Week 14 but this advantage in the trenches could position them to pull off a third consecutive upset. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*'); This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Nov 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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