BOSTON BRUINS GENERAL MANAGER DON SWEENEY
Opening remarks…
“Good day, everybody. I thought it was a good opportunity to just clarify a little bit, because I know you guys asked Joe [Sacco], rightfully so, in regards to Hampus [Lindholm] and his return to play and his timeline, and probably a follow-up with Charlie [McAvoy]. Hampus, unfortunately, is unlikely to return for the rest of the season. You know, as everybody knows, he had a significant knee injury, fractured his patella, and had surgery. There was no real definitive timeline. I think we were pretty open about that, and really didn't want to peg a timeline on it, because of the complexity of the injury. He's going to have a follow-up next week to remove a little bit of the hardware, because it created some irritation as he was going through the rehab. Again, the healing process has gone long and gone well. He'll have no setbacks moving forward. That being said, it's going to take a little more time for him to heal naturally. And we just don't want to put a timeline on when he'll be back to 100% so I think it's more constructive to allow him to not continue to push the way he had been pushing, and to let it heal a little more naturally. As far as Charlie, very happy to report that Charlie's doing better, out of the hospital, as you saw in his attendance to the Four Nations, and doing better at home with Kiley [McAvoy] and Rhys [McAvoy]. Again, no timeline in regards to his surgery and his shoulder, but again, doing much, much better. And we're very grateful and appreciative to Dr. [Peter] Asnis and the medical staff that took care of Charlie.”
On the possibility of surgery for the original injury to defenseman Charlie McAvoy...
“No, I don't think so at this time, but again, we'll let the healing, you know, take place, and allow the infection stuff to make sure it's gone, and it'll be reevaluated. It's unlikely the nature of that injury, but you know, again, I’ll let Dr. Asnis and Charlie determine course of action and the timeline necessary for him to fully heal.”
On how the Boston Bruins felt regarding the care of defenseman Charlie McAvoy...
“Again, the care that Charlie received here is what's most important from the standpoint of where his health is at now, and that's all that really matters. Dr. Asnis’ team, as I stated, did a great job.”
On if the injury to defenseman Charlie McAvoy was preventable...
“Yeah, again, I'm not going to talk and get into any more details in terms of Charlie, I gave you the update in terms of how Charlie is doing, and that's what we're grateful for.”
On the if recent injuries will change his strategy for the NHL trade deadline...
“Well, I think historically, we've been pretty aggressive. You know, when our team's been in a position, I think we'll take a much more cautious approach as we approach the deadline. That being said if there are opportunities to improve our team now and certainly moving forward, whether that's positional shifts or other teams are trying to identify that we may have a strength at, we will look at all opportunities to improve our team now, but more importantly, moving forward. I mean, it's just stuff that happens during this period of time, and it may plant a seed for the draft and beyond, but there'll be a lot of conversations with people asking what possible moves we can make. We're just going to take a little more cautious approach in terms of as being aggressive as we have been in the past.”
On wanting forward Brad Marchand to be a lifelong Bruin...
“That’s always been my ultimate goal. We've been in negotiations with Brad [Marchand] and communicating with him throughout the year. We'll have to have a conversation now that the 4 Nations is over and sit down with Brad and his representatives and have a clearer path in the next two weeks as to what his final outcome will be.”
On defenseman Charlie McAvoy continuing to play after getting injured in the 4 Nations Face-Off...
“Again, we're beyond all that. If Charlie wants to make comments, you know, when he does come back and return to play, in terms of anything else, we gave it a specific timeline, gave the health of the player as it relates to now. And I think that's all that needs to be said. And we're grateful for the care that he got and how he's feeling now.”
On the possibility of trading veteran players...
“I think I was pretty clear that we're going to look at all opportunities, whether it's to improve our club now or with an eye towards moving forward. Our veteran players have proven they're good players. You know, is everybody having a career year, no, but that being said, they can help us and they can help other teams. That's why you receive calls, and unfortunately, as part of the job, you have to make calls at this point in time of the year, and a lot of them, so that's just what's going to happen over the next couple weeks. That's why I was clear in my intention to be somewhat cautious, but to explore what may present now for us, as well as moving forward.”
On needing answers from UFA and RFAs before the NHL trade deadline...
“We’ve been in discussions. I think I have a pretty clear idea as to where most of those players sit. We have a timeline for some that's different than others, as it relates to UFA [Unrestricted Free Agent] and RFA [Restricted Free Agent] and we'll address those as I just mentioned. We'll address the Brad one. So, everybody's a little bit in the same boat at this point in time, that it's unlikely that we'll move forward with things other than maybe Brad's, but you never know, because obviously it takes one phone call, and things change around.”
On the fan reaction to the 2024-25 season...
“I mean, in a small sample last night, we did not play well in the first period. It's what you love about the Boston fans. And to be perfectly honest with you, the same people will be cheering that... You know, when [Morgan] Geekie scored to tie the game late, they wear their heart in their sleeves. They support the heck out of our club. And that's what we're very, very grateful for. It's a results-oriented business, and you have to know that coming in here, and you have to love it and appreciate it and understand it, because that's just what the blue-collar fan base in Boston is going to require of you as a player.”
On how to deal with injuries that occur during the 4 Nations Face-Off...
“I mean, the injuries are generally, unfortunately, going to happen. You know, the high stakes that you quickly realize the pace of play. It was a terrific event. You know, the players were so invested from the very onset, it was an incredible opportunity, personally, to be amongst those players, to be amongst the staff that I had a chance to work with, the coaches I had a chance to work with. And the NHL did a terrific job, and the fans supported the hell out of it, across, really everywhere watching hockey. It elevated the attention of watching hockey for a lot of different reasons, but most important because the quality of play was at such an elite level.”
On the shortcomings of the roster…
“Yeah, I mean, I'm going to have to unpack a lot of where we fell short in the context of our depth, as it relates to, you know, Charlie and Hampus going down. You know, we didn't get off to the same start that we would have liked and preferred what we have in the past. You know, when Joe [Sacco] took over, did a very good job in the early going, you know, we had things going in the right direction. We took a turn in late January, but more importantly, early February, we just started to play more porously than we should as a group. We were chasing offense a little bit, defensively we started to give up some things. You can't do that. And as the games get tighter, and you realize, even in the 4 Nations, you realize the scoring chances are minimum players are playing, you know, behind and above and we just didn't do a good enough job collectively as a group. So, we started to spring some leaks in that, and that usually shows up in your depth, and that's probably where the shortcomings sit right now. You know, as players that didn't get off the great starts, got their games going, and then we just didn't maintain it after that period of time. So, we've got some areas that we certainly need to address, and that falls on me.”
On if he regrets having a lack of draft picks due to previous trades…
Well, I think I referenced it that I'm going to be cautious as it relates to the draft. Do we make moves that acquire and restock? Can we find players that are a little further along and identify them properly? All the above are all parts of the equation that it's really, it's not about keeping you up, it's just about where the wheels spin. As a general manager, you're trying to improve your hockey club overall and improve organizational depth, so we have to do a better job and that's what will be tasked going forward.”
On why there has been a lack of impact from forward Elias Lindholm...
“Well, Elias [Lindholm] got off to a slower start, started really in training camp where he wasn't 100% healthy, didn't find the continuity with a couple different linemates, but has settled in and done a good job overall of being a bit more of a match up. It frees up Pavel [Zacha] and David [Pastrnak] to be a little bit more offensively tilted in zone starts and such. So, it's going to show up in your production. It shows up in everybody's when you're in the matchup role and you're getting more defensive zone starts and again, even playing Matty Poitras in that same sense, you've got to toggle in terms of where the players are going to play. And Elias has done a good job there. Penalty killing-wise, is as advertised. Our power play overall hasn't been very effective. It's not just on one man. So ultimately, it's on the five-man units to continue to improve. And you know, he's, he's taken ownership, to his credit, he's taken ownership that he hasn't had the overall year that he’d like to, I think he's had an uptick, you know, in terms of how his play has been. And we expect more. So, you know, it's a mutual disappointment at this point from the standpoint of how he would like to perform. But he's not going to stop trying, improving, and acclimating to our, to our roster, and getting better. And you know, he's on that, and it's good on him.”
On forwards Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak not practicing...
“Well, Brad’s been given a little more time off, coming off 4 Nations, and David's playing a lot of hockey. You take advantage of two days, two days, every once in a while, to dispel players and allow him to be at his best. He'll be back on the ice tomorrow.”
On how the salary cap affects the approach to the NHL trade deadline...
“Again, I don't think we're going to be overly aggressive. That being said, if a player, you know, moving forward with us presents, you know, from a cap perspective, this year and next year, then you know, we're going to look at that. You know, injuries have already taken its toll in terms of being an LTI for a period of time. We float in and out at this time, but you just have to wait. I mean, obviously Charlie's [McAvoy] out as well, so you have to have the bodies and the flexibility. But we're not going to be overly aggressive in terms of giving up this for the reference to draft picks to acquire people in that nature. But I just can't sit here today and say that I won't do something that I want to do something that will improve our club now and moving forward.”
On forwards Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov getting opportunities to play in Boston...
“Yeah, if they're playing well, you know, they're going through a good playoff positioning stretch down there, both those two players are contributing nightly basis and working through they both played up here. You know, if their game merits it, they're going to get a good opportunity to play yeah.”
On receiving calls regarding players and being viewed as a potential trade partner…
“Well, I think human nature generally pick up the phone when people are jockeying. Calls outgoing and incoming are pretty consistent this time of the year throughout the league. I think everybody's indicated necessarily where they are at but that's the nature of the job. So, it'll continue. The volume will continue to pick up.”
On how position in the wild card race affects decision-making…
“Well, it's pretty hard to shut off the competitive nature in me, to be perfectly honest with you. And I think our guys in the same way battling back last night to get one, hopefully, try and get two points. You're only a point or two out. They've got a couple games in hand, and a couple of games we left points in the table, going into the 4 Nations that really would have helped us in the playoff push. All those factor into it. We're right there. You know, the guys have an opportunity if they want to go out and prove that they're playoff capable, obviously, with two [defensemen] down, and other guys have to step up and assume minutes they might not like to in a healthy environment. But it's, it's opportunity. You know, for other guys, that's how I have to look at it. And. It's how we have to present it to the guys, and the coaches are being realistic in their game plan and outlook and trying to get guys hold guys. Joe wasn't happy after the first period, and you saw an uptick in our play last night. So that's an indication of a coach that is going to continue to push these guys to level of what they're capable of doing and go out and find the results.”
On the interim status of Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco...
“It’ll be a conversation for the offseason.”
guys real ….had the balls to sit Marchand and it’s a footnote (he deserved it) Brad plays with a lot of emotion and when you live like this you can go off the tracks
.Seriously,it's just a really bad job.
