Bruins Stash Matthew Poitras on IR After Brutal Preseason Practice Injury

The Boston Bruins just placed Matthew Poitras on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, because apparently, Boston is not allowed to have nice things down the middle without paying a physical toll.

Daily Faceoff reported the roster move, which stems from an injury the 22-year-old center picked up during a Tuesday practice session. He already missed Friday's preseason finale, and now he is officially shelved to start the year.

Poitras was fighting to prove he belongs in the big club's everyday rotation. Last season, he only saw three games of NHL action, managing a single goal and eight shots on net. The bulk of his year was spent grinding it out with the Providence Bruins in the AHL, where he racked up a highly respectable 44 points in 69 games.

Getting hurt in a Tuesday practice right before the season starts is the hockey equivalent of dropping your fresh cup of coffee on the sidewalk right outside the cafe. It is just brutal timing for a guy trying to cement his spot on a roster that desperately needs reliable center depth.

For anyone looking at Boston's early-season futures or daily fantasy lineups, this thins out their bottom-six options immediately. The Bruins are already coming off a mixed bag of preseason results, including a 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals and a 2-0 shutout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Now, the front office has to figure out the rotation before the New York Rangers come to town on September 30. Whenever Poitras is finally cleared to return, Boston will have to decide if he slides back into the NHL lineup or takes another bus ride down to Providence to shake off the rust.