Management Don Sweeney

[Dennis Bonvie]

People know that you can be critical when you disagree with the decisions made or with a lack of ability to close deals
And then
Complimentary when the opposite happens
Right?

I've always said that Sweeney has been a mixed bag as a GM. Good at signing contracts, drafting late and acquiring College free agents.

He's struggled at being able to move out cap when required and he's squandered the talented core's prime years by not finding the complimentary pieces that other teams seem to be able to add at will. He's also treated Bruins fans like morons and handled the Mitchell signing like a criminal. There were real reasons to want him (and Cam) fired and I haven't even touched on them all.

So all that said - there's THIS deadline. There's the cap management that allowed for these moves to happen without having to cut off fingers in the process. Firing Cassidy (as angry as it made everyone who wasn't me) was the right move and bringing in Monty was the right replacement. Getting the Pasta deal done for the TDL announcement gives the team the right boost at the right time. However we managed to get here, Sweeney deserves major credit for forging probably the best roster I've ever had the pleasure of watching in my time as a Bruins fan.

Bruins management deserved a lot of shit. And now they deserve a lot of love. Both can be true.

And a little luck can go a long way.

Not sure if this season happens if last year's version of Ullmark were still playing here.

 

[EverettMike]

And a little luck can go a long way.

Not sure if this season happens if last year's version of Ullmark were still playing here.

You know how before Opening Day they'll run an MLB team's season through a computer ten thousand times to get the average expected wins, but one of those pretend seasons will have every single thing go right leading to a hypothetical record of like 114 wins?

The Bruins are actually having that happen right now in real life and it's incredible.

Just don't think about the 2001 Seattle Mariners, okay?

 

[missingchicklet]

My feelings on Sweeney while he has been GM: DS is like the uber-rich uncle that disappoints you with mediocre birthday gifts during your childhood, then gives you a Ferrari on your 16th birthday,

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

If they don't win this year it will either be on the players, bad luck, or the simple fact that things can happen in a seven game NHL playoff series when two good teams play. (Especially when random goalies can get insanely hot at the right time and steal a series.) If they don't win it will NOT be on Sweeney. He has put them in as good a spot as humanly possible. There's zero denying he's done an amazing job this year.

If they come up short the fair criticism in regards to him will not have anything to do with the job he did this year, but that he didn't make these kinds of moves in previous seasons to expand their championship window. Depending on what Bergeron and Krejci decide to do this could sort of be a "this is our only real shot for the foreseeable future" type go. And like I just said, one playoff series can ruin everything. Look at Tampa getting swept in Round 1 the year before they won 2 straight Cups and went to a third Final. Shit happens in a short series, which is why you want as long a chance as possible to win.

How many years did we beg for him to fill the hole in the top 6? Or to get another defenseman who could carry a big load? And every year he didn't and those weaknesses manifested in the post-season. Those were fair criticisms then, and the fact he's making big moves this year proves they were. He CAN make big NHL trades that fix the roster. Better late than never, obviously, but it doesn't change the past. (On the flip side, the past is gone and done and it's time to enjoy the upcoming spring and hopefully June.)

I wish we got this Sweeney five years ago. But people can get better at their job and he CLEARLY has based on his performance this season alone. He's like a totally different GM all of a sudden. This is a guy last year who traded a second for cap space and then didn't use it!

All of which is a long way to address your original point: even if they get swept in Round 1 this year I will not call for him to be fired again.* Failure to win a Cup or even seriously contend for one this year won't be on him the way it was in previous seasons. A+ job by him.

*I will never forgive him or Neely for the Mitch Miller bullshit. I think they're bad humans, but I'm talking about Don Sweeney the GM in this post.

For the record:

I was writing my post as you were writing yours and didn't know you were right ahead of me. Also: I was thinking about about you and I as I was writing it. People were calling out the Sweeney critics and you specifically and I figured it warranted a response.

 

[TP70BruinsCup]

Don Sweeney is a beautiful human being

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

He deserves all the credit in the world for this season. He deserved the criticism I and many focused on him with the last few years, but has more than overcome it to the point that I am again glad he is our GM.

 

[RoccoF14]

Sweeney has a lot more moves in the Plus Column than he has Minuses. I've always felt that way, even before this season. Feel free to differ.

One trend that bothers me on this board is the extreme opinions people have when it comes to evaluating player and front office performance. More often than not its either one end of the spectrum ("Person x is incredible and the greatest thing since sliced bread)" or the other ("Person X is a jag and needs to be fired/traded/benched/released") and a lot of times those opinions swing from one end to the other regarding the same individual. Life doesn't work that way.

We all have our bad days, make our mistakes and learn from them. Its just that for whatever reason, we are hyper quick to make an extreme judgement when it comes to our sports teams. Its a "what have you done for me lately" mindset.

Unfortunately, if the time comes when we have a roster with no 37, 46 and no draft picks and this team struggles. The tide's gonna shift again and the calls for firings will resume.

 

[BTO]

99/100. Upgradable mid-to-late June.

 

[UncleRico]

Just to think a lot of us including me were saying Cassidy got the raw deal and Sweeney/Neely should be gone. Now the Bs are possibly the best regular season team ever and Sweeney’s finally going all in

 

[rocketdan9]

From pitchforks to flowers?

Thanks a million Sweeney

 

[MattFromFranklin]

I'm fine with giving up these draft picks. I don't trust Sweeney and Dean "I blew the 2015 1st round" Malkoc to hit on the 2023 and 2024 1st rounders. Also, Sweeney owes it to 37, 46, 63, etc. to go all-in and do whatever he can to get them in the best position to bring home another cup.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Sweeney's done incredibly well this year, no doubt about it. Patchy record in the past but he's improved and has been hitting consistent home runs of late. And he's not messing around anymore - it's all in now, Cup or bust. Which I appreciate. Wish he'd done that in 2019 but it's water under the bridge. Another chance is upon us.

But best GM in the league? Not yet for me. You need a Cup for that. Harsh but reality. No-one remembers who came 2nd, let alone 3rd, 4th etc. What can be said is he's given this current roster every chance. Whether the pieces are all going to gel and fall into place for playoff hockey, we'll have to wait and see.

 

[TCB]

Don Sweeney is a beautiful human being

 

[Gordoff]

View attachment 661090

somebody pass me the ketchup

Get in line Wally!

 

[The don godfather]

Thank you don! from the don godfather.

 

[BlackFrancis]

I wish we got this Sweeney five years ago. But people can get better at their job and he CLEARLY has based on his performance this season alone. He's like a totally different GM all of a sudden. This is a guy last year who traded a second for cap space and then didn't use it!

Look at the last guy. He had the team relying on Hitler and Satan before Neely got hired to put the spurs to him.

Sometimes I wonder if good sports management isn't just random streaks of luck and the recognition/motivation to ride that luck while it's with you.

 

[Alan Ryan]

Sweeney has a lot more moves in the Plus Column than he has Minuses. I've always felt that way, even before this season. Feel free to differ.

One trend that bothers me on this board is the extreme opinions people have when it comes to evaluating player and front office performance. More often than not its either one end of the spectrum ("Person x is incredible and the greatest thing since sliced bread)" or the other ("Person X is a jag and needs to be fired/traded/benched/released") and a lot of times those opinions swing from one end to the other regarding the same individual. Life doesn't work that way.

We all have our bad days, make our mistakes and learn from them. Its just that for whatever reason, we are hyper quick to make an extreme judgement when it comes to our sports teams. Its a "what have you done for me lately" mindset.

Unfortunately, if the time comes when we have a roster with no 37, 46 and no draft picks and this team struggles. The tide's gonna shift again and the calls for firings will resume.

Outstanding post--thank you.

 

[Gee Wally]

Bruins GM Don Sweeney did precisely what winners do: go all-in - The Boston Globe

Sweeney made a bold move with two regulars out of the lineup, the kind of we’re-going-for-this attitude fans deserve.

www.bostonglobe.com

And to think, some among us figured Don Sweeney was all done dealing.
That was a reasonable assumption last Thursday, when the Bruins general manager acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and right wing Garnet Hathaway from the Capitals for center Craig Smith and an assortment of draft picks, including a 2023 first-rounder.
The Bruins, chugging toward the Presidents’ Trophy and realistically dreaming of much more, did not have many needs. Orlov, a tough left-shot defenseman, and Hathaway, the meanest thing ever to come out of Kennebunkport, Maine, were ideal fits, presumably the last pieces of a satisfying puzzle.
One week and a couple of unfortunate injury circumstances later, and Sweeney’s actions Thursday morning — one important trade, one long-awaited signing, revealed within a short time — stood as the greatest confirmation yet of his determination to punctuate this season by winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in a dozen years.


He was not all done. Oh, no, he was not. He was all-in. It’s the precise kind of we’re-going-for-this attitude from management that Boston fans deserve.

The news arrived like an odd-man rush, fast and materializing out of nowhere. The first headline: the Bruins had acquired Tyler Bertuzzi from the Red Wings for a conditional first-round pick in 2024 and a ‘25 fourth-rounder, with Detroit picking up half of the 28-year-old left wing’s salary.

Even with the Foligno and Hall injuries, Sweeney could have stuck with the status quo and rationalized his reasons for doing so. To his credit, he did not play that game. He went out and got exactly what the Bruins needed. It’s admirable, and come to think of it, you really don’t hear people saying the Bruins should have kept Bruce Cassidy and dumped Sweeney anymore, do you?

As it turned out, the Bertuzzi deal wasn’t even the biggest Bruins news to arrive before lunchtime. After weeks if not months of hearing that the team and goal-scoring savant David Pastrnak were close on a long-term extension, the deal was finally closed. The charismatic “Pasta” signed on for eight years and $90 million, a reasonable sticker price for a 26-year-old sniper who already has 42 goals this season, six shy of his career high.

Sweeney’s approach is admirable, and it’s what fans deserve. The Bruins are a complete team, loaded, stacked, ready for any challenge. Oh, sure, there will be many. The Rangers added Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko. The Maple Leafs landed Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Schenn, among others. The Devils swiped Timo Meier. The Eastern Conference playoffs are going to be a gauntlet.


But the Bruins have been better than all of them, all season. Their general manager has done everything he can to make sure it remains that way.

Trader Donny, all-in. How about that?

 

[Maine Fan]

I have been tough on Sweeney over the years that he has been the GM. I have blamed him for many things, correctly, I might add. But I must give credit when doing, and he, Sweeney, deserves credit for one hell of a job building this season's team before and during the trade deadline. Working without much Cap money and sometimes almost none, he has moved players around to clear space Capwise. Example: I don't know how badly Hall is hurt but he position Hall to be sent home instead of traveling with the team for one more game. Then came up with the hurt story, puts him on IR and gets to use Cap money to acquire another player.

Great job Sweeney. Giving away draft picks is a no brainer, when you aren't that good drafting players and draft players are a risk, no guarantees they will work out, and it takes 3 to 5 years to get rewards.

Go Bruins

I must give credit for draft picks like McAvoy to Sweeney also.

He has always been a good trade deadline GM and resigning players. I bitched when he dumped Cassidy but turns out I was wrong so far. I must wait for Monty's performance during the second season, playoffs.

 

[bruinshoper]

This is all just pure speculation, but:
I think Sweeney has a good/unique relationship with his leader - players….probably more so than other GM’s in other teams. My feeling is that he listened and observed regarding Cassidiy’s style during the last year of coaching…and he pulled the pin because he respects and trusts players like Bergy. My suspicion is that Bergy probably communicated concerns in the dressing room.

I believe that this team has a great deal of respect for management’s efforts to both listen to players, and make tough decisions. Marchand’s comments about “Now it’s up to us” really ring loudly to my ears.
We are getting to be a part of and celebrate what very well could end up being the best season ever in the history of a 99 year old storied franchise.
The leaders on this team are going to pour every single ounce of blood, sweat, and tears into the upcoming playoffs. It is going to be one for the ages. I believe they will win the cup this year. If they don’t, it won’t be because of not having enough skill….and certainly not because of a lack of will.
I’ve never been this excited to watch hockey in my life (I’ve been watching the Bruins since 1980).
Thank you Sweeney for giving the team….and especially Bergeron and Krejci this awesome opportunity.

 

[rocketdan9]

Does Sweeney win his 2nd GM of the year award?

-A few bad signings...but the team has been able to make the cap work

-Fantastic hiring - Monty, Gruden while keeping Sacco, Kelly, Goalie Bob.

-Zacha trade was a robbery.

-Ullmark @ 5m per is one of the best contracts in the league

- Draft picks - Lohrei, Poitras, Brunet, Locmelis, Kuntar, Harrison, Svedback etc. All look should have been drafted 1 round earlier

 

[Bruin4Life]

Does Sweeney win his 2nd GM of the year award?

-A few bad signings...but the team has been able to make the cap work

-Fantastic hiring - Monty, Gruden while keeping Sacco, Kelly, Goalie Bob.

-Zacha trade was a robbery.

-Ullmark @ 5m per is one of the best contracts in the league

- Draft picks - Lohrei, Poitras, Brunet, Locmelis, Kuntar, Harrison, Svedback etc. All look should have been drafted 1 round earlier

I have always felt Sweeneys fortay has been cap management (we saw a complete 360 from the NTChiarelli) and trade value.

His picks have been very subpar. His FA signins are pretty scary as well.
Sweeney is one of the better/best GMs at trading and signing (which imo Chiarelli was bad at).

I say no until he can improve his draft team.

 

[rocketdan9]

I have always felt Sweeneys fortay has been cap management (we saw a complete 360 from the NTChiarelli) and trade value.

His picks have been very subpar. His FA signins are pretty scary as well.
Sweeney is one of the better/best GMs at trading and signing (which imo Chiarelli was bad at).

I say no until he can improve his draft team.

His recent drafts has been solid. He even made up the 2015 draft via Zacha trade

 

[rocketdan9]

It will be interesting to see how DS and Neely assess what happened and what happens moving forward. Especially Neely who is honest

 

[smithformeragent]

I have to think there will be some pressure for them to remain as competitive as possible and vie for a playoff berth.

Sweeney and company squeezed every last drop out of this window of contention.