Bruins extend GM Don Sweeney

[Rebels57]

This league is broken. It's because of the owners.

 

[Ulysses31]

ppl b hyper critical, bruins have a solid roster and been competitive up until this year

 

[Number8]

Needed some good news this week. lol

Oh I think you're going to need a whole lot more than Don Sweeney getting a two year extension to perk up your summer.

 

[Clode]

Thanks I hate it

 

[USGRANT]

 

[chrisab123]

Gotta keep that 30-32 prospect ranking intact.

 

[McGarnagle]

Hot take time

Don Sweeney is a great GM, one of the best in the game. He's great at finding value players, always builds a great bottom six and d core. He's worked wonders with the cap and people were saying the Bruins were due to collapse due to the core aging out since 2018, and he not only kept things afloat but put together the best team of the decade. And at the deadline he went all in on that team. For a bunch of reasons that team didn't get it done in the playoffs, which is primarily on the coach and players. But Sweeney is not to blame for that at all and if he didn't go all in on the deadline it would've been a mistake.

In a cap world you can't keep everything going forever, and this year everything they'd leveraged for years caught up to them. And instead of trying to patch things up and be mediocre enough to complete for a wild card and one and done, he had the guts to aggressively tear down everything that wasn't bolted down. Marchand, Carlo, Coyle, Frederic. And he collected some good talent and draft picks (and got the first rounder for Marchand to convey). Shut down the injured players, and they put themselves in position to get a high pick (then got f***ed over by the NHL' bullshit lottery system).

Next year might be another DNQ, but with some good futures to work with, expiring cap space, having an elite RW and #1D locked up long-term, and hopefully hiring a new coach who isn't a piece of shit, they could be back on the rise soon enough, and I for one do trust Don Sweeney to lead that rebuild.

 

[Nicko999]

Love this

 

[TheBeard]

Getting what he did at the deadline was huge. Honestly, this team should have been better had Swayman decided not to become Blaine Lacher.

 

[TheBeard]

Why? He gave up Marchand for peanuts when Marchand would have happily re-signed. Now he's likely going to lead Florida to the finals and maybe a cup. Great job there.

They're gonna get a first for him and guess what, they could still re-sign him if they wanted to.

 

[jmon1313]

Why? He gave up Marchand for peanuts when Marchand would have happily re-signed. Now he's likely going to lead Florida to the finals and maybe a cup. Great job there.

Marchand wanted 3 or 4 years 7m+ a year.

 

[Mr Nogatco]

Repulsive character and repulsive in his role.

What about his character is repulsive?

 

[AslanRH]

Didn't even have to retain on Coyle, that alone is worth another year or two

 

[crowi]

I think he's a pretty good GM all things considered. I do wonder if it would be time for new vision with Bruins going to re-tool if not re-build.

 

[Brookbank]

Bergavin is better

I'm honestly not sure why this is getting the laughs. Bergavin didn't lose that many trades. His body of work in MTL wasn't cringe tier

 

[Babajingo]

View attachment 1039675

Signed a Bruins fan

 

[NobleSix]

Pretty obvious sign that they're not rebuilding and are just going to do a "retool" aka kidding yourself and delaying the inevitable

 

[BruinsFan37]

Hot take time

Don Sweeney is a great GM, one of the best in the game. He's great at finding value players, always builds a great bottom six and d core. He's worked wonders with the cap and people were saying the Bruins were due to collapse due to the core aging out since 2018, and he not only kept things afloat but put together the best team of the decade. And at the deadline he went all in on that team. For a bunch of reasons that team didn't get it done in the playoffs, which is primarily on the coach and players. But Sweeney is not to blame for that at all and if he didn't go all in on the deadline it would've been a mistake.

In a cap world you can't keep everything going forever, and this year everything they'd leveraged for years caught up to them. And instead of trying to patch things up and be mediocre enough to complete for a wild card and one and done, he had the guts to aggressively tear down everything that wasn't bolted down. Marchand, Carlo, Coyle, Frederic. And he collected some good talent and draft picks (and got the first rounder for Marchand to convey). Shut down the injured players, and they put themselves in position to get a high pick (then got f***ed over by the NHL' bullshit lottery system).

Next year might be another DNQ, but with some good futures to work with, expiring cap space, having an elite RW and #1D locked up long-term, and hopefully hiring a new coach who isn't a piece of shit, they could be back on the rise soon enough, and I for one do trust Don Sweeney to lead that rebuild.

I don't know if I'd go quite that far, but anyone that looks at the final standings of this year and says "lol why resign him" is ignoring that it was largely by design. You don't gut the team like that and not expect to finish near the bottom of the standings. I'll give him credit for having the guts to cut bait and sell, rather than try to sneak into a wild-card.

I'll also give him credit for pushing all-in in 2023, the effects of which are still being felt (a 2nd and a 4th in the upcoming draft).

But his drafting has been very hit or miss (mostly miss) to say the least, and he's never managed to get a true top-6 winger/center thru free agency or trades that you can build around.

Do agree that there's no such thing as a "lame duck" GM, so a 2-year extension does seem like a short leash. The team will rebound this coming year (or the next depending upon the plan, but really don't want them wasting peak Pasta years) and he'll get another extension -- or he'll get fired.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Great signing. He built an excellent core of Barzal, Connor, and Eriksson-Ek.

And got rid of those losers Bruce Cassidy and Jim Montgomery!

 

[McGarnagle]

And got rid of those losers Bruce Cassidy and Jim Montgomery!

Bruce is a great coach but had a shelf life and lost the room. Monty is a loser and a piece of shit who quit on the team.

 

[BostonBob]

Great signing. He built an excellent core of Barzal, Connor, and Eriksson-Ek.

I bet somebody once who told you that you were a very funny person.......they lied.

 

[Goatlender]

I bet somebody once who told you that you were a very funny person.......they lied.

You’re adopted

 

[BostonBob]

You’re adopted

Dad ????

 

[BostonBob]

Looking back at this season's trade deadline even the most ardent Sweeney haters will have to admit that he did a great job.


OUT
Trent Frederic ( to Edmonton ) 50% retained ( $1,150,000 ) for this season
Max Jones ( to Edmonton )
Justin Brazeau ( to Minnesota )
Charlie Coyle ( to Colorado )
Marc McLaughlin ( to New Jersey )
Brad Marchand ( to Florida ) 50% retained ( $3,062,500 ) for this season
Brandon Carlo ( to Toronto ) 15% retained ( $615,000 ) for this season and next 2 seasons

2026 5th round pick ( to Colorado )



IN
Max Wanner ( from Edmonton )
Jakub Lauko ( from Minnesota )
Marat Khusnutdinov ( from Minnesota )
Casey Mittelstadt ( from Colorado )
Will Zellers ( from Colorado )
Henri Jokiharju ( from Buffalo )
Daniil Misyul ( from New Jersey )
Fraser Minton ( from Toronto )

2025 2nd round pick ( from St. Louis via Edmonton ) 51st overall
2025 2nd round pick ( from Carolina via Colorado ) 55th overall
2025 4th round pick ( from Philadelphia via Toronto ) 100th overall
2026 1st round pick ( from Toronto ) top 5 protected, top 10 protected in 2027 and unprotected in 2028
2026 4th round pick ( from Edmonton ) pick was later traded to Buffalo for Henri Jokiharju
2026 6th round pick ( from Boston via Minnesota ) pick was originally sent to Minnesota for Pat Maroon
2027 or 2028 1st round pick ( from Florida )

 

[HofT]

They rewarded Sweeny for eliminating the Leafs in the playoffs again.