Mailbag: Is there room at center for Matt Poitras, and Fraser Minten?

To be featured in a future mailbag, submit questions on X @briandefelice_, @ThePuckUps, or email at info@puckups.com

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Thank you for reading, Kim, and for the questions!

Regarding Matt Poitras, and Fraser Minten, you're absolutely right in that nothing can substitute for NHL experience.

The question is, are they ready?

To your other point, if they are ready, where do they fit in a lineup that already has Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt, and Sean Kuraly penciled in as centers?

And yes, let's be real, James Hagens (rightfully so) is expected to be taking one of those top three center spots as a rookie at some point in the next calendar year.

But let's put Hagens aside for now, and deal with the present situation.

Thursday's Group A practice featured 25 players, nearly making up the final NHL roster.

Personnel, and line combinations from that session provided some enlightenment to your question.

Here's the full list of players featured in Group A on Thursday:

Forwards: Morgan Geekie, Elias Lindholm, David Pastrnak, Matej Blumel, Pavel Zacha, Viktor Arvidsson, Tanner Jeannot, Casey Mittelstadt, Matt Poitras, Michael Eyssimont, Sean Kuraly, Mark Kastelic, Marat Khusnutdinov, Fraser Minten, Alex Steeves

Defensemen: Mason Lohrei, Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Andrew Peeke, Nikita Zadorov, Henri Jokiharju, Jordan Harris, Victor Soderstrom

Goalies: Jeremy Swayman, Michael DiPietro (Joonas Korpisalo was absent due to family matters)

Here's the line combinations, and defense pairs put together among the list of players:

Line 1: Morgan Geekie - Elias Lindholm - David Pastrnak

Line 2: Matej Blumel - Pavel Zacha - Viktor Arvidsson

Line 3: Tanner Jeannot - Casey Mittelstadt - Matt Poitras

Line 4: Michael Eyssimont - Sean Kuraly - Mark Kastelic

Line 5: Marat Khusnutdinov - Fraser Minten - Alex Steeves

Pair 1: Mason Lohrei - Charlie McAvoy

Pair 2: Hampus Lindholm - Andrew Peeke

Pair 3: Nikita Zadorov - Henri Jokiharju

Pair 4: Jordan Harris - Victor Soderstrom

Goalies: Jeremy Swayman, Michael DiPietro

The Bruins final roster is expected to have 23 names on it made up of 14 forwards, 7 defensemen, and 2 goalies. As you can see, the above group of players featured 25 names made up of 15 forwards, 8 defensemen, and 2 goalies (DiPietro was filling in for Korpisalo).

This means that the Bruins are still going to be cutting a forward, and defensemen from this group.

Technically, there could be some players not mentioned above like John Beecher, Fabian Lysell, and Michael Callahan who were part of Group B on Thursday and that on Friday or going forward in general, the coaching staff could decide to switch them out with some depth players from Group A on Thursday - but in my opinion, there's stock in who made up the initial Group A on Thursday versus who didn't.

But in any event, back to Poitras and Minten.

Poitras appears to be in position to win an opening night spot for Boston, but it's looking like it may be on Casey Mittelstadt's right wing (at least to start).

Elias Lindholm isn't going anywhere with his full no-movement clause, and Pavel Zacha, and Mittelstadt are both under contract for two more seasons.

So unless Zacha, or Mittelstadt end up getting traded OR until Poitras shows that him being played at center is undeniable - right wing may be his ticket to the NHL in the short, and possible long term.

To your question about if I see them getting traded - I don't see the Bruins trading Zacha, or Mittelstadt unless they are blown away by an offer, or if the Bruins are once again sellers at the deadline and preparing for another bottom of the league finish.

But they aren't hoping that's the case - therefore it's probably not their current intention to trade them.

Now as far as Minten is concerned, it feels like if given the choice between making the Bruins as an extra forward versus being assigned to Providence and playing in all situations - fans should rather him be playing than not playing.

But yes even so, there is a clear log jam at center right now for Minten.

Earlier this offseason, it felt like Zacha was going to play 2nd line left wing, and Mittelstadt was going to be Boston's 2nd line center - leaving 3rd line center vacant for grabs.

But as camp has unfolded, the Bruins center depth has shifted with Zacha looking primed to be the 2nd line center, and Mittelstadt as the 3rd line center.

Minten, offensively, isn't in any position to be beating out Mittelstadt for the 3rd line center any time soon.

Two years from now however, Zacha, Mittelstadt, and Kuraly all have contracts coming to an end so maybe until that time Minten gets a few games here and there at center from call ups, or due to injury.

Maybe he plays some wing as to at least get some NHL experience if it's clear he's too good for the AHL at some point.

Or as mentioned above, maybe there's trades at some point.

Things have a way of working themselves out.

If Minten (or Poitras) are undeniable, the Bruins will find a place for them.

I will just say ... Minten and Poitras are both still only 21 years old, and have only played a combined 77 regular season AHL games - so the case can be made that there really isn't a major rush for them.

They're development is still on a good pace, and as evidenced by at least one, if not both of them possibly making the team out of camp.

To your final question on Georgii Merkulov, it really is puzzling how camp has gone so far for him.

He's been completely lost in the shuffle especially with the acquisitions Minten, and Marat Khusnutdinov late last year, as well as AHL standouts Matej Blumel (he'll be making the Bruins) and Alex Steeves as free agents.

In fact, not only was Merkulov not included in the Group A session on Thursday, he wasn't even given an opportunity in to play in any of the preseason games prior too.

Blumel, Steeves, and even Fabian Lysell and Dans Locmelis were all given a chance to play in both preseason games prior to Thursday.

It feels like the Bruins went into camp not even truly considering Merkulov as an NHL candidate.

So why re-sign him?

Organizational depth is never a bad thing, and if they want Providence to have another strong team, he's a proven scorer at the AHL level.

As for why did Merkulov re-sign?

Maybe no one else around the league has much stock in him, and he still views Boston as his best chance to play NHL games? It's tough to say.

If opportunity in Boston continues to evade him, I wouldn't be surprised if he eventually decides to play in the KHL, or in Europe, rather than seeking a fresh start with another NHL organization where he may likely end up with their AHL team anyway.

If he can't crack Boston's lineup offensively, he probably won't crack one elsewhere.

Thanks for the question, Mark!

I'll repost here the forward lines from above that were featured in Thursday's Group A session which took place after your email to me:

Line 1: Morgan Geekie - Elias Lindholm - David Pastrnak

Line 2: Matej Blumel - Pavel Zacha - Viktor Arvidsson

Line 3: Tanner Jeannot - Casey Mittelstadt - Matt Poitras

Line 4: Michael Eyssimont - Sean Kuraly - Mark Kastelic

Line 5: Marat Khusnutdinov - Fraser Minten - Alex Steeves

Now what happened here, was that I forwarded your email to Bruins GM, Don Sweeney, and cc'd Head Coach, Marco Sturm, to let them know your thoughts on this.

Unfortunately, they didn't respond to me.

Can you believe that?

But i'm positive they saw it, because they have now put Poitras with someone who has a proven ability of making plays and producing at the NHL level in Mittelstadt (even though he has further proving to do, and hopefully a ceiling to still reach).

As mentioned in Kim's question, Poitras will be on the wing with Mittelstadt here as camp continues on - which may not be a bad thing as it may allow him to focus less on the defensive responsibilities of a center, and more on offensive transition, generation, and hopefully ... production.

Appreciate the question Aaron, you've been watching these games through the lens of a coach's eye.

Your observations are accurate but as for the nature of blame?

I think it's a combination of everything you mentioned in the lack of execution, and adapting to new systems - but there's also the league-wide element of there being little to no chemistry among preseason game rosters (especially early in camp) with them being a melting pot of NHL players, AHL players, and PTO player etc. all of whom are playing in game action for the first time in months.

So while yes, I agree with your assessment - particularly in much of the Washington game, and the 2nd period of the Rangers game - the sloppiness happens around the league during preseason games.

That said, if the Bruins ice more representative NHL lineups in their last few preseason games and the high danger chances against, and general defensive lapses are still vastly present, then we can revisit this question.

Either way, let's give them at least the full preseason to learn the new systems and see how well they execute with their final roster before getting too worried about their structure.

I will say, that I don't think that any defensive struggles so far this preseason have any correlation to last years struggles - there's a fair amount of different players (and healthier returning players), as well as new coaches working for the Bruins now compared to last spring.

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That does it for this week, thank you all very much for reading along and for participating!