The Boston Bruins have made it clear that they have a defenseman knocking on the door of the NHL, but fitting him into the lineup is a lot easier said than done.
Don Sweeney has mentioned Frederic Brunet a few times this summer when talking about the Bruins’ blue line, including once unprovoked, and the new Providence Bruins coach went as far as to call him an NHL player.
It’s an uphill battle, though. The depth chart does not lean in his favor, and the Bruins have plenty of NHL experience ahead of Brunet on the blue line.
“[Frederic Brunet] has done a really good job. I think he’s put himself on our radar now to really push for an NHL opportunity,” Sweeney said before the draft. “He’s had the one [NHL] game, but you see his game continue to grow. He’s rounded out defensively. He values that part of the game, whereas before, when we first got him, it was go, go, go. But now we like the aggressiveness of the offensive blue line.”
Brunet, who will be 23 when the season starts, has developed well throughout his first three seasons in Providence. He finished the 2025-26 season with 36 points (12-24–36), leading all P-Bruins defensemen, and up from 25 (5-20–25) the season before. He spent a lot of time playing alongside Ty Gallagher and Victor Soderstrom and was named to the AHL All-Star Classic in January.
He’s demonstrated his ability to be a mobile, puck-moving defenseman and an option on the power play. Also, Sweeney noted his development on the back end, which is crucial for a defenseman taking the next step.
“You know, you see the League has certainly incorporated defense, especially the way teams play. Like, you have to have your defense involved and mobile enough, and he brings some of those attributes,” Sweeney added. “He’s been on a power play in Providence. That remains to be seen whether or not that will translate directly. But the mobility and his willingness to get up the ice and be involved, I think, is a real asset. And so we’re excited to see him take the next steps.”
That was not the only time Sweeney pointed toward Brunet taking the next steps. A week later, while discussing the improvements to the Bruins’ defensive core, he inserted Brunet into the conversation.
“We have to continue to evolve, everybody does. There’s only one winner, and nobody’s really copying that exact form, but there are bits and pieces that I think have to be malleable as a group, and that’s where our group is hopefully getting to,” Sweeney said after free agency. “[Frederic] Brunet is a good example, with mobility and puck skill that he’s applied in Providence, and how is that going to translate to the National Hockey League this year? There’s a good chance we’re going to find out.”
There’s a “good chance” we are going to find out, but there is no shortage of NHL defensemen in Boston. Brunet only has one game of NHL experience, and it was Game 82 of the dismal 2024-25 season. He is also one of six left-shots, creating even more competition for a spot on the Bruins’ blue line.
Trent Whitfield, who was named head coach of the Providence Bruins in late July, has been working with Brunet since he made the jump from the QMJHL. He has firsthand experience with the defenseman, and he hit him with a ringing endorsement during his first media availability.
“Freddy Brunet has come a long way from year one to now. Last year, [he] took huge strides. You know, was probably our best defenseman from day one right through the end of the season,” Whitfield said during his introductory press conference. “So he’s well on his way… now he just needs a little bit of runway in Boston, right, to get his feet wet. He’s going to have to learn that level, but he’s ready to go mentally, physically, his skill set. He’s an NHL player.”
Calling him an NHL player is one thing, but finding that runway will be much more difficult. Hampus Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov are locks on the left side of the blue line, and players like Mason Lohrei, Jonathan Aspirot, and Jordan Harris will all be competing for a spot come late September.
Brunet does not need to win a spot out of training camp for Sweeney’s “good chance we’re going to find out” to come true. Opportunities rise throughout the season, whether it be an injury or a needed shake-up, and his performance in Providence has put him in the conversation for when the Bruins need another defenseman.
There is not a straightforward path for Brunet to crack the lineup, but Bruins management knows they have a player ready to push for an opportunity. As the fall approaches, it’s up to Brunet to earn a runway with the Bruins and, down the line, lock down a full-time role.
