This team is not going to win anything with Sweeney and Neely running the show.
I think they grossly mismanaged McAvoy's development and the whole defense structure after Chara and Krug departure.
Chara while aging and slow was still a great leader, had physical presence, grit, PK duty.
Krug was the PP1 QB
suddenly:
PP QB gone
slap shot and brain to utilize PP gone
physical presence gone
leadership gone
What did they do?
They surrounded McAvoy with junk in Gryz, Forbort, Zboril, Reilly. Next to them he looked like a Norris trophy winner and he got paid like one.
It was ok in the regular season but it did not work in the playoffs.
2021 won 1st round against Capitals then lost to Islanders
2022 lost 1st round to Hurricanes
2023 lost 1st round to Panthers
2024 won 1st round against Leafs by the skin of their teeth thanks to Pasta, then lost to Panthers.
So the reclamation project before the playoffs in 2022 was Lindholm that cost them a fortune.
Does Lindholm have a hard and accurate slapshot?
nope
Does Lindholm play physical?
nope
Does Lindholm have any grit?
nope
Is Lindholm a leadership type of guy?
nope
So now the Bruins are stuck with 2 guys on D who eat $16m of cap space with NMC/NTC and none of the issues on defense are solved.
Lindholm looks like Backes in progress and McAvoy is nowhere being elite.