Matt Poitras is officially part of the Boston Bruins' plans, in both the immediate future and long-term. But in Poitras' eyes, this is just the beginning.
BRIGHTON, Mass. – Fans who wanted to see the Boston Bruins announce that they were keeping Matt Poitras in the NHL rather than sending him back to the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday when Boston confirmed that the 19-year-old was here to stay.
The only person who didn't? Poitras himself.
"For me, I'm still going to try and play with the pressure and play with the mindset that I'm trying to make the team," Poitras said on Tuesday. "I'm still trying to stick around here for the rest of the year. Just [because] I'm playing my 10th game, doesn't mean I'm going to be here for the rest of the year, so for me, it's just keep working hard, keep doing the little things."
If the Bruins sent him back to Guelph before his 10th game, which will come on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and if he were not to play another NHL game this season, the first year of his entry-level contract would roll over into next season.
Despite Tuesday's significant news, it was business as usual for Poitras and the rest of the team as they focus on the upcoming schedule.
"I haven't talked to him about it, to be honest," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. "I just told him about tomorrow's game and what he needs to do, and what he needs to do better on the power play."
Now, Poitras is slated to be the Bruins' first-line center on Thursday, skating between Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak.
"Those two guys are two really skilled players," Poitras said. "For me, it's kind of easy. It's just finding little spaces, and they'll be able to move in, make plays and feed me the puck, and I'll give it right back."
Poitras has three goals and five points through nine games, but is struggling at the face-off dot with a 42.0 winning percentage.
He also had a rough turnover deep in the Bruins' zone to Aleksander Barkov that led to a Sam Reinhart goal in Boston's 3-2 overtime win against the Florida Panthers on Monday, displaying his room for growth.
"I don't want to let one mistake crumble me and affect my game," Poitras said. "I'm glad the coaching staff and my teammates had confidence in me, and I could just keep playing and playing my game."
With Boston missing several key players both up front and on defense, these next few games will be another crucial step in the young forward's development.