The Boston Bruins rolled past the Philadelphia Flyers 5–1 on home ice Tuesday, moving to 2–0 in preseason play. But at this stage, the scoreboard is secondary. What matters now is assembling the strongest roster possible — and nights like this help clarify who’s pushing their way into the conversation.
I’ll zero in on the bubble players — who’s standing out, who’s pushing, and how the lineup is shaping up — starting with the forwards.
Mikey Eyssimont delivered a strong showing, scoring twice and playing with plenty of edge. From puck drop to the final horn, though, he didn’t drive play quite the way Matthew Poitras did in the opener. Still, he offered more than Alex Steeves on this night. Right now, it’s shaping up as a three‑man battle for the 13th‑forward spot — Poitras, Eyssimont, and Steeves — and Eyssimont kept himself firmly in that conversation.
Dans Locmelis put together a solid outing, but he still appears a step behind that trio in the race for a roster spot. Coming off surgery and carrying waiver‑exempt status, the most realistic path has him opening the season in Providence — and potentially being one of the first call‑ups when the Bruins need help.
Ivan Ivan, Brendan Gaunce and Brian Halonen are Providence bound.
The Casey Mittelstadt–Pavel Zacha–JJ Peterka trio was easily the most effective line on the ice, and it wasn’t particularly close. The concern came from the Morgan Geekie–Elias Lindholm–David Pastrnak unit, which struggled to generate much until Marco Sturm flipped Geekie and Peterka in the third period. That adjustment immediately changed the rhythm — and underscored just how impactful Peterka was throughout the night.
Frederick Brunet followed up his strong opener with an even better performance in game two. There wasn’t a meaningful area of his game that dipped — his puck retrievals were crisp, his positioning sound, and his exits clean. He also flashed confidence and poise at the offensive blue line, rounding out a night that showcased just how polished his game is becoming.
Connor Clifton had a mixed night. His pairing with Nikita Zadorov never really found its footing, even though Zadorov, individually, was strong at both ends of the ice. If you’re looking at Brunet and Clifton as bubble players right now, Brunet clearly came out ahead in this one. They should both get one more preseason opportunity.
Maxence Guenette was not very good and will be Providence bound.
Hampus Lindholm and Will Borgen put together a strong, cohesive performance. They looked in sync throughout the night, defending with structure and poise while also generating clean, timely looks in transition. At this stage of camp, they might be the one pairing you can pencil in with confidence.
As for Borgen, his play is a reminder of why you never take the word of opposing fan bases as gospel — in this case, Rangers fans. Supporters rarely speak glowingly about players once they leave their organization, and Bruins fans have been guilty of the same. His game on this night spoke far louder than any outside noise.
Cuts could come quickly now — anywhere from later today (Wednesday) to as late as tomorrow — as the staff starts tightening the roster picture.
Waivers are a different conversation entirely. NHL rosters must be finalized by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 29, which means Monday is the latest a team can place a player on waivers. If you’re trying to slip someone through, timing becomes everything — when you expose a player can be just as important as who you expose.
One wrinkle with waivers that often gets overlooked: a player can be waived, clear, and still remain on the NHL roster for up to 10 cumulative games or 30 days. That flexibility could factor into how the Bruins navigate the Charlie McAvoy suspension. They could waive a defenseman, keep him on the roster throughout McAvoy’s absence, and then assign him to Providence once McAvoy returns — all without requiring another trip through waivers.
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