Bruins start youth movement up the middle

With the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci and the departure of Tomas Nosek, the Bruins desperately needed young centermen to step up in training camp and they did just that.

Now comes the real test.

Both Matthew Poitras and John Beecher made the B’s opening night roster, and they unequivocally earned their spots. Judging from the lines at Monday’s Garden practice, Poitras will center a third line between Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic while Beecher will be on a fourth line between Milan Lucic and Jakub Lauko when the Chicago Blackhawks come to town to kick off the Centennial season.

While it seemed like the 19-year-old Poitras, the big story of the camp, had cemented his spot when he scored the game-winner in the B’s final preseason game at Madison Square Garden, it wasn’t quite as clear for Beecher. While he remained in camp after the final preseason tilt, Patrick Brown skated in the fourth-line center spot last Friday and it seemed like the B’s might go with the veteran.

But when Brown was placed on waivers on Sunday (he cleared on Monday), it was clear that Beecher had grabbed the role.

The B’s first-round draft pick in 2019 (30th overall), Beecher zeroed in on the spot left vacant by Nosek and won it with his size, speed and physicality.

“It was just staying true to my game,” said Beecher of his approach to camp. “At the end of the day they were looking for a fourth-line center who was plays physical and plays fast. That’s pretty much my game to a tee. I just wanted to come in here and put my best foot forward and I feel like I did that.”

Whether this remains Beecher’s lot in his NHL career remains to be seen. While he has an impressive pedigree (US National Team Development Program, University of Michigan), the Elmira, New York, native has always been on stacked teams and had to take a backseat to stars like Matty Beniers, Matt Boldy and Kent Johnson in those stops. He’s never been a prolific scorer. He had 9-14-23 points in 61 games for Providence last season.

Maybe more points will come with time, maybe they won’t. But right now Beecher is focused on his job he just won.

“At the end of the day, everyone likes to see the puck go in the net but it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t. There are so many different ways to help the team win. Whatever I can do each and every night is what I’ll do,” said Beecher.

The 22-year-old Beecher just wants to be the proverbial sponge. And it was no surprise that both he and Poitras were were the last ones off the ice in Monday’s practice.

“It’s just taking in all the experience,” said Beecher. “Obviously, you’re playing with the best players in the world here and each and every day you’re going to be pushed out there in practice. I’m just going to take advantage of every opportunity to get better, whether it’s after practice just working on little skills or little tweaks to your game, it’s just doing everything you can so maybe down the road you get your name called in a different spot and you can jump in that position and excel.”

Meanwhile, Poitras’ game has has oozed a level of maturity beyond his years. The slick playmaking Poitras exudes a quiet confidence without coming off as the least bit cocky. He’s ineligible to play in the AHL, so the B’s have a nine-game window to assess whether or not he’s truly ready for the NHL. He’s hoping to make it just as hard to send him back.

“I think I can come in here and try and make an impact. I know what type of player I am. I’ve worked hard and earned my chance to start up here. So I’m just trying to work hard every day to stay up here,” said Poitras.

But the teenager, who lived with a billet family while playing junior hockey in Guelph, admits he might not be quite ready to live on his own.

His cooking skills?

“I can do the stuff that has instructions on the box,” he said with a laugh.

So far, Poitras’ been a quick learner. …

Quick hits

The youth movement did not extend to the back end, at least not yet. After Monday’s practice, the B’s sent defenseman Mason Lohrei to Providence, putting the roster at 21 players. That presumably opened the door for the B’s to sign Danton Heinen, who remained in camp and practiced on Monday at the Garden. As of Monday evening, however, there was no deal in place. Heinen, looking for a second stint with the B’s, did have a good camp.

“He’s made the decision difficult,” said GM Don Sweeney. …

The B’s did not get to keep all their waived players. The Calgary Flames claimed forward A.J. Greer on Monday. Greer, who made the B’s out of training camp last year, had another good camp this year and made a final push for a roster slot with a solid game in the preseason finale. But Greer getting waived seemed like a fait accompli when the B’s signed Milan Lucic in the summer. Ironically, Greer will now be asked to fill the physical void in Calgary left by Lucic’s departure.

Brown, meanwhile, was sent down to Providence after clearing waivers.