Bruins' Prospect Brunet Emerging as NHL Option - The Hockey Writers - Bruins Prospects

The Boston Bruins may have a new face on their blue line next season. Frederic Brunet, the club’s fifth-round pick from 2022, just signed a two-year extension worth $875,000 annually. The 22-year-old was set to become a restricted free agent this offseason, but general manager Don Sweeney got ahead of things and took care of housekeeping a little early. For the Bruins, this deal presents a lot of value, especially if Brunet can translate his AHL success to the NHL level.

The 22-year-old left-shot defender has 11 goals and 28 points through 55 games with the Providence Bruins this season, but his offensive output doesn’t even begin to tell the story of how effective he’s been on a nightly basis for his squad. Brunet is a big, skilled defender who skates well and impacts the game in all three zones for his team. The double-digit goal total is more of a bonus layered on top of a well-rounded game.

Frederic Brunet Boston Bruins — Frederic Brunet has been excellent with the Providence Bruins this season and his play earned him a two-year contract extension. He should be firmly in the mix to make the Boston Bruins roster next season. (Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports)

The biggest obstacle standing in Brunet’s way is that the Bruins have an abundance of depth on their left side. The right-sided defenders on the team include Charlie McAvoy, Henri Jokiharju and Andrew Peeke. On the left side, though, the team has Hampus Lindholm, Jonathan Aspirot, Nikita Zadorov, Mason Lohrei and Jordan Harris. The imbalance has forced the team to play Lohrei on the right side as of late, with Peeke, Harris and Jokiharju rotating through the final spot on the blue line.

This offseason, the Bruins should be very active in the free agent and trade markets as they look to add some more right-handed depth on the backend. This further complicates things for Brunet as he competes for a spot in a lineup that seemingly features four locks who are also left-shot players. Still, he should find himself in the mix during training camp next season as a player who could make some noise. If the Bruins suffer any injuries to left-shot players, Brunet should be on the short list to earn some minutes.

Brunet Provides Cheap Depth for the Bruins

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound defender has yet to play any games during the 2025-26 season, but did make his NHL debut last season in a 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils. In that game, he logged 14:23 of ice time and recorded two shots on goal, five blocks, one takeaway and one hit. Getting a look last season means he’s already on the radar for a call-up should the Bruins fall victim to a plethora of bad injury luck.

It’s too early to tell who will and who will not be on the opening night roster next season, but some change feels inevitable from this current group of players. If nothing else, Brunet’s contract makes him an intriguing option for the team over the next two seasons as he continues to develop within the organization.

Plain and simple, the Bruins need to be better defensively next season if they want to get the most out of head coach Marco Sturm’s system. While the front office will likely address its lack of right-handed defenders again this summer, Brunet could still find himself competing for a depth role if he makes a compelling case for himself in the preseason.