Playing in the NHL is supposed to be difficult, just don't tell Matthew Poitras.

The Boston Bruins second-rounder arrived at training camp, outperformed all reasonable expectations, and won a spot with the team outright. Fast forward a few weeks into the season, and he's still right there in the middle of the Bruins lineup, performing like a seasoned veteran rather than a 19-year-old rookie.

That's not how this is supposed to work for players with Poitras' profile. In most cases, they go back to junior and then marinate for another year in the AHL before even getting a sniff of NHL action.

Poitras is just that far ahead of the curve. All he needed to prove he could hang in the NHL was an opportunity, and the Bruins were happy to grant him one. They've played him with some of the team's best f