According to coach Jim Montgomery, the decision to have rookie center Matt Poitras undergo surgery to fix his
damaged right shoulder was not taken lightly by anybody involved. Finally, the decision to get the operation now was
about placing Poitras in a position to succeed in the future.
“There was a lot of discussion about what was best for Matt Poitras,” Montgomery said following the Bruins’
morning skate on Thursday. “I think in the end, (GM Don Sweeney) and I talked with Matty, and then Donny and
Matty talked with his family and the people who advised him, and everyone agreed that this was the best thing for
him going forward, because he’s 19.”
One of the reasons Poitras made the squad in the first place was his ability to win battles along the boards and his
willingness to venture into difficult areas of the ice, despite being a highly skilled centreman. However, his age did
not lie. It’s a brutal sport, and if you’re 19, you’re likely to be at a physical disadvantage versus a 27-year-old
defenseman.
“I’m looking at what’s going to help him the most looking forward,” Montgomery said. “He knows he can play in the
league, he knows he can succeed in the league, he knows his brains, his skill level, and all of that, and he knows the
areas where he needs to improve to gain that man strength and stamina required to be a player with whom we don’t
have to do maintenance so that he can play full-time next year. Because he’s an important part of what we’re doing
going forward.”
“If we waited, it would affect his ability to grow stronger,” Montgomery explained. “If we waited until the conclusion
of the playoffs, it’s a five-month (recovery), and then he’ll come back with no training, strength growth, or power
development until the middle of November, and then he’ll have to catch up. “We didn’t think that was fair to him or
the best thing for the Bruins going forward.”
Montgomery said Poitras will heal and rehab in Boston. In fact, he stated the player was already at TD Garden on
Thursday morning to check in after having surgery on Wednesday.
