Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney reveals the official direction the Boston Bruins are heading
Photo credit: Sportsnet
The Boston Bruins have gotten a facelift at the deadline, and push forward on their new path, is it one where GM Don Sweeney leads us to a Stanley Cup?
The Boston Bruins lineup is currently in flux, as they have moved talented players who have been part of numerous playoff runs out of the lineup.
Out of those players, the Bruins received younger talent, whom they feel has major upside in the NHL and haven't been able to be fully developed, or given the proper playing time.
«We're not out of it. It's just a hill to climb that's obviously more difficult than we expected, but it's still in front of them. So let's see if they can get it done.»
At least that's how GM Don Sweeney views the new guys in the Bruins lineup, as building blocks to something bigger for the team.
The Bruins have gone 2-2-0 since they sent Carlo, Marchand, Frederic, and Coyle packing to their new teams.
«We certainly lost quality people and quality players that have been well-established in this league and have gone off and will have immediate success and impact on their teams.
We just took a change of direction in terms of where we were,» Sweeney told Boston.com on Saturday of Boston's plan at the trade deadline. «Identifying what our scouts did a fabulous job of - identifying some players that are younger, that in a new environment and a new opportunity, they're likely to get a bump out of that.
«I think seeing Khusnutdinov going from short ice [in Minnesota] - now all of a sudden, playing 14-15 [minutes]. Casey wasn't really playing much power play. Now he's a primary part of that for us.
Even Jokiharju, for that matter, wasn't 19 [minutes] at the start of the year. So I think they're excited about it and it shows in the fact that they've gone out and played well.»
We just took a change of direction in terms of where we were,» Sweeney told Boston.com on Saturday of Boston's plan at the trade deadline. «Identifying what our scouts did a fabulous job of - identifying some players that are younger, that in a new environment and a new opportunity, they're likely to get a bump out of that.
«I think seeing Khusnutdinov going from short ice [in Minnesota] - now all of a sudden, playing 14-15 [minutes]. Casey wasn't really playing much power play. Now he's a primary part of that for us.
Even Jokiharju, for that matter, wasn't 19 [minutes] at the start of the year. So I think they're excited about it and it shows in the fact that they've gone out and played well.»
While Khusnutdinov and Mittelstadt may be building blocks, they're ancillary to David Pastrnak, Jeremy Swayman, and Charlie McAvoy who are considered the new "core" of the Bruins organization.
With these newest additions, the Bruins hope they can find themselves in playoff contention in the next few seasons.
Pastrnak will have to help shepherd the young players into the Bruins mindset, which we're sure he's heard plenty of motivational words and speeches from players like Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand over the years.
He's an exemplary Bruins player and should be able to impart the team philosophy onto players who still haven't found their home in the NHL and it's apparent that GM Don Sweeney believes that these can be players who can take the team to the promised land.
«Which is not easy, because he's still our star player. He's expected to go out and produce and perform, and all of a sudden you're leading as well. There's a lot more ownership on that, but he's had great people to tap into with [Patrice Bergeron] and [Zdeno Chara] and [David Krejci].
It's hard, because there's a void there. Brad was a phenomenal player here for us, and grew to be a leader himself in that same regard, and David is leading the same direction.»
It's hard, because there's a void there. Brad was a phenomenal player here for us, and grew to be a leader himself in that same regard, and David is leading the same direction.»
The Bruins will have to be a lot harder to play against if they're to course-correct during the 2025-2026 season.
They've been outshot on home ice 21-0 by the Bolts, and as a team who used to be the school bullies of the NHL, now look like the teams they used to beat on back in 2019, Columbus Blue Jackets anyone?
Players like Jeremy Swayman (.897) will have to step up their game next season in order to give the Bruins a chance at winning every game.
While Pastrnak continues to play his heart out, the Bruins as a unit haven't found their heart yet.
| POLL | ||
MARS 18 | 831 ANSWERS Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney reveals the official direction the Boston Bruins are heading Do you think that GM Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins is approaching the retool of the team in the right way? | ||
| Yes | 258 | 31 % |
| No | 573 | 69 % |
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