Boston Bruins Organization Ready For Young Prospects To Challenge For Roster Spots Russell Maci

The Boston Bruins will open training camp in less than a week. After a tumultuous six months beginning at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, the new-look Bruins will finally all hit the ice together.

Only two players, David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy, have more than four full seasons with the Bruins since 2020.

On July 1, nine players signed deals with the Boston Bruins, ranging from splashy (Tanner Jeannot) to depth (Jordan Harris).

The roster at forward is filled with loads of options, yet there remain more questions than answers about what Marco Sturm’s lineup card will look like on October 8th.

If you asked Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney, it’s all by design. “That was by design all summer long.” Sweeney said Tuesday at the Boston Bruins Foundation Golf Outing, “We made a massive change in direction last year at the Deadline, and now we need to course correct. We need to take steps forward and get back to the level, as Marco talked about, the level and standard that we all expect here.”

The competition is wide open. Yes, the Bruins signed Michael Eyssimont, Jeannot, and Sean Kuraly to multi-year deals. However, there remain jobs in the lineup for grabs. John Beecher, for example, will be fighting off competition for his place.

Matthew Poitras, Fraser Minten, and Fabian Lysell all will be pushing very hard to make the opening night lineup. Depth players with NHL experience, such as Alex Steeves and Matej Blumel, figure to be heavy factors throughout training camp.

If Poitras, Minten, or Lysell want an opening-night roster spot, they’re going to have to earn it.

“The younger players, we're going to look for them to surprise us with taking lineup spots,” Sweeney said, “but what we've done is insulate our group of guys with a competitive group from the bottom up and allow some of this younger skill, hopefully from within, now and moving forward, is going to emerge. But we're going to be a much more competitive team and held to the standard that Marco was talking about the other day.”

As for Sweeney’s message to the younger players entering camp?

“Guys can go out and take advantage of opportunities… You've got to take somebody's job in this league.” Sweeney said, “It's just too hard not to think that you're just going to walk in and somebody's just going to give you an open chair. It just doesn't happen. So you've got to go out and earn it and take it and then just keep it and hold on to it for as long as you can and thrive. So they should be very excited about where camp is and the opportunities that sit in front of them.”

All this opportunity, but one thing matters more than anything to Sweeney. A return to being competitive and a return to winning. The questions of how do the Bruins get back to that level remain unanswered. Sweeney believes in the group he’s brought together.

“Well, if we stay healthy, I think we're going to be really competitive.” Sweeney said, “Ultimately, a standard's got to be risen in terms of how competitive we're going to be and the structure that he wants to play with.”

Competitive. Too often, and by Sweeney’s own admissions, the Bruins were not competitive last season, especially after the trade deadline.

“We were flat last year after we made the trades,” Sweeney said, “and rightfully so with some of the players that had departed and what they had meant for the organization.”

All the departures left a big void in Boston. Sweeney attacked a specific area to fill the holes. Feisty, hard-nosed hockey players who can not only provide a stable veteran force, but know what it means to be a Bruin and an NHLer. That’s why Sweeney splurged on July 1.

“Well, again, I pointed to a few players that the energy level they bring each and every day.” Sweeney said, “Mike Eyssimont, really hard player to play against. Tanner Jeannot, really hard player to play against. We also talked about a forward-thinking process of integrating younger players that do need space and time and protection to a degree in this league.”

There’s a ton of opportunity in Boston. Sweeney’s publicly declared it, and he wants to see guys force their way into jobs. That’s only going to make a more competitive camp, and if Sweeney’s plan works as intended, a far more competitive Bruins team.

Capitals Rookie Camp: Names to Watch, Battles to Follow

The Washington Capitals are headed for the coast for the next few days, as they'll take part in their annual rookie camp at McMullen Hockey Arena over in Annapolis, Maryland.

Washington's prospects will have on and off-ice training ahead of the team's official training camp, which kicks off in a week's time.

Here are the top players to watch, storylines and everything else to know.

Names To Watch

Ryan Leonard — Obviously, all eyes will be on Ryan Leonard, who's poised to break out in his true rookie season this year. The 20-year-old got a handful of NHL games at the end of last season, as he was caught in a whirlwind transition from the NCAA to the big club. Now, with a full summer of rest and training, along with time to reflect on what it takes to make it in the Show, Leonard's back and hungry for more. If his informal skates say anything, he's ready to show what he can do — and rookie camp will be just the start.

Andrew Cristall — After nearly making the Capitals roster out of camp last fall, Andrew Cristall returned to juniors on a mission, and ended up bidding farewell to the league in the best way possible: by dominating it. He led with 142 points in 57 regular-season games, and then added 41 points in 19 playoff outings to close out his WHL career. Now, he's headed to the pros regardless, and the next few weeks will decide whether that's in D.C. or in Hershey. Cristall has gotten bigger, faster and stronger while pushing his game forward, and obviously, rookie camp is a good first step in the right direction.

Ilya Protas — The younger brother of Aliaksei Protas stunned in his rookie campaign in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires, with 124 points in 61 regular-season games and 20 points in 12 playoff games. He's expected to start the year with the AHL's Hershey Bears, but is a dark horse for a roster spot; the 6-foot-5 forward is still growing and has the strength and promise that Aliaksei does, so all eyes will be on him to see what he's done with his offseason.

Lynden Lakovic — Washington's first-round pick from this year's draft, Lakovic possesses a great deal of promise and potential. Standing at 6-foot-5, he possesses a large frame and a wicked shot, but it's his skating and sneaky-good playmaking ability that make him fun to watch on the ice, too. Keep an eye on him as he looks to showcase his skill on the ice after a full summer of training following his 27th overall selection.

Eriks Mateiko — Eriks Mateiko is one of the more interesting names to watch for Washington going forward. The 6-foot-6 forward is coming off a strong year in the QMJHL where he had 41 points in 27 games, and he also burst onto the scene with a stunning five-goal performance at World Juniors. He carries a lot of upside for D.C., so look for him to keep making an impact.

Storylines

Promising Blue Line — The Capitals will see a lot of high-potential defensemen take the ice, as Ryan Chesley, Cam Allen, Leon Muggli and David Gucciardi lead a promising group of blueliners attending camp. Chesley and Gucciardi both finished their collegiate careers and went pro at the end of last season, and will be strong additions to the Bears' defense corps this season as they continue their journey to the NHL.

Also going pro is Cam Allen, who dealt with off-ice issues last season and is eager to get back to playing and showcasing his talent for Washington. Leon Muggli, the team's second-round pick in 2024, is also looking to impress following his post-draft year.

Hershey & South Carolina Signees — Rookie camp is also a good welcome-to-the-NHL experience for a lot of the organization's depth signings. Stan Cooley and Nolan Krenzen, who attended development camp, signed with the South Carolina Stingrays. John Fusco, Lynden Breen and Kaden Bohlsen all signed AHL deals with Hershey for the upcoming season.

More 2025 Picks On Display — Beyond Lakovic, the Capitals will get to see a number of their other 2025 draft picks take the ice, including Jackson Crowder, a checking forward who looks up to the likes of Tom Wilson, and rising German winger Maxim Schafer.

Forwards: Kaden Bohlsen, Lynden Breen, Stan Cooley, Andrew Cristall, Jackson Crowder, Lynden Lakovic, Ryan Leonard, Eriks Mateiko, Terik Parascak, Ludwig Persson, Ilya Protas, Miroslav Satan Jr., Maxim Schafer, Alexander Suzdalev, Patrick Thomas

Defensemen: Cam Allen, Ryan Chesley, John Fusco, David Gucciardi, Nolan Krenzen, Leon Muggli

Goaltenders: Chase Anderson, Seth Eisele

Friday, Sept. 12

Start of Capitals Rookie Camp

10:30 a.m. – Goalie ice (McMullen Hockey Arena)

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Practice (McMullen Hockey Arena)

Saturday, Sept. 13

No on-ice session

Sunday, Sept. 14

10:30 a.m. – Goalie ice (McMullen Hockey Arena)

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Practice (McMullen Hockey Arena)

Monday, Sept. 15