Bruins Appeared To Have Clear Motive For Latest Roster Move

When the Bruins recalled Matthew Poitras from Providence in late January, there was a case to be made that the 20-year-old should never play in the AHL again.

Well, Boston sent Poitras back down to Providence on Sunday morning. But the roster move pretty clearly wasn’t any sort of indictment on the talented wing.

Saturday afternoon’s home loss to the Vegas Golden Knights marked the Bruins’ final game for quite a while. With the NHL regular season about to be paused to accommodate the 4Nations Face-Off, the Black and Gold won’t play again until Feb. 22 when they host the Anaheim Ducks.

So, by putting Poitras back with the P-Bruins, Joe Sacco, Don Sweeney and company ensured the second-year pro would have the opportunity to see live action amid the NHL’s break. Providence will play three games (Feb. 14, 16 and 21) before the Bruins return to action following the highly anticipated international tournament.

Boston also sent Michael Callahan down to Providence alongside Poitras, so the 25-year-old defenseman similarly will have the chance to keep his skills sharp before the Bruins resume their push for a Stanley Cup playoff spot.