Bruins draft pick Matthew Poitras looks up to these NHL veterans originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins unsurprisingly targeted a center with their second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and Matthew Poitras was the choice.
Boston selected the Guelph Storm center at No. 54 overall. He tallied 50 points (21 goals, 29 assists) in 68 games for the Storm last season.
2022 NHL Draft tracker: Here’s every Bruins pick from all seven rounds
Poitras told reporters Friday, including Matt Porter of The Boston Globe, that he looks up to Tampa Bay Lightning centers Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli.
A skilled, gritty forward? That sounds like the type of center who excels in the Bruins’ system.
If Poitras develops into a player who’s even 85 percent of Point, that would be a solid outcome for the Bruins. Point, a third-round pick in 2015, is capable of scoring at a point-per-game rate and often raises his performance during the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 78 points in 76 career postseason matchups.
Point is an elite player, so Cirelli is probably a better comp for Poitras. Cirelli is a solid second- or third-line center with a strong two-way skill set. He’s also one of the Lightning’s most important penalty killers.
Poitras’ mix of offensive skill and a high hockey IQ should give Bruins fans hope that he can make a genuine impact at the NHL level in a few years. He definitely needs to get stronger, but that’s a pretty common objective for 18-year-old kids being drafted.
