The new wrinkle in this season’s NHL training camp is that aspirational players have barely any time to make an impression before the regular season starts. The preseason has essentially been cut to two weeks and four games, with an 84-game regular season on tap under the new collective bargaining agreement between the NHLPA and the league’s owners.
It’s been an adjustment for everybody across the NHL this month, and that goes doubly so for a team like the Boston Bruins where serious roster battles are going on at both the defensemen and forward positions. A smile crept across Marco Sturm’s face when he was asked about the brevity of training camp following Tuesday night’s 5-1 preseason win over the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden and facing the prospect of playing real NHL regular season games in less than a week.
“The first three or four days felt normal, but I even reminded my guys after the second period that ‘[you guys] have one more period and then one more game and that’s it!’ So they needed to just get going and play the right way because of that short camp,” said Sturm. “Yeah, it’s interesting. It’s a challenge for sure, not just for the coaches but for the players too. The players like it, but deep down they don’t mind practicing and playing a few more games before the season starts because they need it too.
“I don’t know. I can’t change anything, but it’s definitely challenging for all of us.”
This season's truncated training camp has made it even more important for young players to make a good impression in a short time, and 23-year-old Frederic Brunet is making the most of his chances. The young D-man has played in both preseason games thus far and has played exceedingly well in both contests, including a pair of assists in Tuesday night’s win over Philly with two point shots that created scoring chances at the front of the net.
Brunet looks a lot better to start this game and love already seeing the D attitude change of just firing everything on net#NHLBruins | @OnlyBruinsPod pic.twitter.com/iMug49R0pq
— Brett 'Don't Call Him' Howie (@bretthoward_) September 22, 2026
Perhaps most impressive was that Brunet did it on Tuesday night while playing in a defensive pairing with young blueliner Max Guenette after skating with Charlie McAvoy in Sunday’s preseason opener. There was no veteran D partner to fall back on, and instead Brunet was the guy who had to lead the way against the Flyers, as he absolutely went out and did.
Brunet also finished a