"We are going to be competitive": Don Sweeney makes surprising comments on the upcoming season
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Training camp is officially beginning for the Boston Bruins tomorrow, and there are some Bruins prospects that will be pushing for a roster spot this season.
Entering the season, the Boston Bruins have plenty of players that will be fighting for a roster spot, especially after the Bruins signed nine different players to new deals this off-season.
Sweeney recently revealed that this was planned, as he wanted players to feel challenged to make the NHL roster.
«That was by design all summer long.» Sweeney said Tuesday at the Boston Bruins Foundation Golf Outing, «We made a massive change in direction last year at the Deadline, and now we need to course correct. We need to take steps forward and get back to the level, as Marco talked about, the level and standard that we all expect here.»
Fraser Minten, Fabian Lysell, and Matt Poitras are all players that will be pushing for a roster spot.
Sweeney comments on Bruins prospects pushing for a roster spot
Sweeney stated that there is a good chance that some prospects make the roster on opening night.
«The younger players, we're going to look for them to surprise us with taking lineup spots,» Sweeney said, «but what we've done is insulate our group of guys with a competitive group from the bottom up and allow some of this younger skill, hopefully from within, now and moving forward, is going to emerge. But we're going to be a much more competitive team and held to the standard that Marco was talking about the other day.»
Don Sweeney wants his prospects to go out and take advantage of the opportunities they are going to have.
«Guys can go out and take advantage of opportunities You've got to take somebody's job in this league.» Sweeney said, «It's just too hard not to think that you're just going to walk in and somebody's just going to give you an open chair. It just doesn't happen. So you've got to go out and earn it and take it and then just keep it and hold on to it for as long as you can and thrive. So they should be very excited about where camp is and the opportunities that sit in front of them.»
Don Sweeney believes the Bruins are going to be competitive once again
If the Bruins are a healthy team this year, he believes they will make it back to the playoffs and being a competitive team once again.
«Well, if we stay healthy, I think we're going to be really competitive.» Sweeney said, «Ultimately, a standard's got to be risen in terms of how competitive we're going to be and the structure that he wants to play with.»
Last season the bruins were terrible, and a big part of this had to do with the Bruins being sellers during the NHL trade deadline.
«We were flat last year after we made the trades,» Sweeney said, «and rightfully so with some of the players that had departed and what they had meant for the organization.»
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