Matthew Poitras Undergoes Shoulder Surgery; Out Five Months

The Boston Bruins have announced that rookie center Matthew Poitras will be out for approximately five months after a successful shoulder surgery on Wednesday.

“Matthew Poitras underwent a successful right shoulder open stabilization (Latarjet) procedure today, February 7,” Boston Bruins Medical Director Peter Asnis said in a press release from the team on Wednesday night.

“The surgery was performed by Dr. Thomas Holovacs at Massachusetts General Brigham Hospital. The expected recovery time is approximately five months.”

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney had this to say on the decision to essentially end Poitras’ season after 33 games.:

“Matt has been an important part of our team’s success thus far, and he will be missed. Our medical staff made the recommendation for Matt to proceed with the surgery rather than continue playing with an unstable shoulder and risking further damage. Everyone involved supported the decision as to do what was best for him at this time. Matt is just starting his Bruins career and is a key part of our future.”

Matthew Poitras returned to the Bruins’ lineup on Jan. 20 after missing four games thanks to a shoulder injury suffered in the Bruins’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Coyotes on Jan. 9. However, he didn’t play in the Bruins’ 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in their final game before their bye week and NHL All-Star break. Poitras skated with the team when they returned for practice on Sunday but was not in the lineup for the 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.

Poitras made the Boston Bruins roster out of camp. He impressed out of the gate and was, at times, used on all four lines and depended on in some crucial situations. As the season went on, though, the wear and tear, as well as the speed of the game seemed to catch up to the `19-year-old rookie. Poitras was loaned to Hockey Canada for the World Junior Championships, but Canada lost in the quarterfinals and Poitras had an average showing at best. He returned to the Bruins in early January before going down with an injury on Jan. 9. The Bruins’ 2022 second round (54th overall) had five goals, ten assists, and a +4 plus-minus rating.