Boston Bruins Off Season Roster/ Cap Discussion
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LJReborn
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It's just time to go. They did the best they could, now let's rebuild with new eyes and new group.
‘It sucks where we’re at’: Charlie Jacobs opens up about the Bruins’ bad season as questions hang over team - The Boston Globe
“I feel it. I hear the boos. I feel all that and they need to know that we’re working hard to right this ship," said Jacobs, who sent a letter to fans following the end of the season.
www.bostonglobe.com
Just hours after the Bruins gave some fans the shirts off their backs following their 2024-25 finale, Charlie Jacobs sent them a letter letting them know that he shares their disappointment and frustration following a lost season in which the club missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years and that “expectations and accountability are higher than ever.”
Jacobs, the Bruins’ chief executive officer and alternate governor, sat with the Globe for an exclusive and wide-ranging interview, touching on several topics, including why he felt the need to pen his letter, his family, the front office, trade deadline day, the draft, and the franchise’s future.
“I’ve read stories, the sleepy owner’s box, or this or that. People need to know, I’m invested in this team, and I care about it and we’re putting our best foot forward and it sucks where we’re at and they need to hear that,” said Jacobs in his corner office in the sparkling Verizon Tower adjacent to TD Garden. “I feel it. I hear the boos. I feel all that and they need to know that we’re working hard to right this ship. We put our chips in for so many years that yeah, our cupboard’s dry. We’re trying to refill it and trying to build another team to go forward.”
Jacobs, whose father, Jeremy, bought the Bruins in 1975, said his father, now 85, still watches every game and calls the morning after for a debrief.
“He wants to get feedback, not just from me, but he calls Cam [Neely] if he can’t reach me first and if he can’t reach Cam then he’ll try me back again,” said Jacobs. “He wants an answer right away and then he wants to share what he thinks, too.”
Winning another Stanley Cup under the family’s stewardship is atop Jacobs’s priority list.
“I feel pressure that we’ve got to do this, we’ve got to win,” he said. “There’s nothing more that I would want to do as an executive, but also as a son, to make sure that we get another championship while everyone’s still around to share it.”
Jacobs has been unwavering in his support for Neely, the franchise’s Hall of Fame player turned president, and for general manager Don Sweeney. He said he “absolutely” takes it “very personally,” when he hears criticism of the Bruins front office.
When it comes to questions about how the power structure works within the Bruins franchise when it comes to decision making, Jacobs said there is a collaborative process but there is a protocol.
“I would put it as there has to be a first among equals,” he said. “I sit here as sort of owner’s representative, owner, whatever you wish to call me, but I look at the way the structure is, and I’ve said this before publicly ... I look at it as I’m responsible to make sure the president’s being accountable to the franchise. The general manager is accountable to the president, the head coach is accountable to the general manager. So, the structure, if you look at it, well yes, we are all collaborative and I think frankly that’s a better environment to work in and hopefully at the end of the day it rises the tide for all of us.”
While understanding the criticism and anger of some in the fanbase and media, Jacobs pointed to the success of the last decade, including a Stanley Cup final appearance and the record-setting regular season of 2022-23, when he said, “it’s hard for me to wrap my head around why people call for [Neely and Sweeney’s] heads.”
Jacobs said everyone is on the same page about the approach to the future and he defended Sweeney’s characterization of a “retool,” rather than a rebuild.
He pointed to the roster corps of David Pastrnak (“one of the best wingers in all of hockey”), Charlie McAvoy, and Hampus Lindholm (“a pair of defensemen a lot of teams would really covet”), and Jeremy Swayman (“a promising young goalie ... may have not had a great year this year and I hope better days are ahead for him who we just signed long term”) as reasons.
“When I think of a rebuild, I think of somebody sort of hitting that proverbial Looney Tunes [TNT plunger], ‘Let’s blow this up and start over.’ And I don’t think we’re there,” said Jacobs. “I think we’re in a place where we need to build, and to use Don’s terms specifically, to retool, to make this a more competitive team for next year and for years to come.”
“I feel it was a little bit disorganized. There was a real lack of structure,” he said. “You see teams to come through, they have a system, they have, perhaps a fallback play, a breakout play, something. And when I watched the Boston Bruins start the season, it was just chaos. There was no organization, and I had a difficult time understanding that given Monty’s record,” said Jacobs. “I don’t know how to answer that other than to say something just changed. And at that point you’ve shopped for the groceries, you’ve made the meal at this point, what are you going to do? Monty didn’t necessarily have any answers. And at that point we had to make a decision.”
Jacobs acknowledged trade deadline week “was a tough one,” as the Bruins bid farewell to some longtime corps players, highlighted by Brad Marchand.
“So, I was at the draft table the day we drafted Brad in 2006 in Vancouver. I won’t forget it,” said Jacobs. “[Former assistant GM] Jim Benning was with me at the time. He said, ‘This kid’s a scrapper.’ Now, he’s a Hall of Fame player. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
Jacobs said the team “made it very clear” to Marchand that they wanted him to remain a Bruin for life.
“He chose otherwise, but we put our best foot forward to make sure he knew that there was an opportunity for him to stay and retire as a Bruin,” said Jacobs, who would not rule out a Marchand return at some point.
Boston acquired six draft picks (one was later flipped) in the five trades it made. The Bruins entered the season with no 2025 second-round picks and acquired two in the Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic trades. They have four (and possibly five) first-round picks in the next three drafts.
“The draft capital, whether it’s deployed on actual picks or perhaps prospects that are in other systems or other NHL teams, whatever it might be, hopefully it manifests itself into a better team going forward,” said Jacobs.
While the Bruins have fallen short with some of their first rounders, Jacobs pointed out that the team has found selection success in other areas.
Jacobs bristles at the notion that the Bruins are a franchise unwilling to offer big contracts. The club has spent. McAvoy, Pastrnak, Swayman, Elias Lindholm, and Nikita Zadorov are examples.
“I feel that people that are hanging on to that narrative haven’t done any homework, not a little, just haven’t done any homework,” said Jacobs, who said the team has “dry powder” to invest in the roster this summer. “We’ve been right there every year. We’re going to be there next year. We’re going to be there this year and next year. I hear the same about pricing, whatever it might be. You pick a category, guess what, we’re 50-50 partners with the players association. So, every dollar that we take in, half of it’s going out the door to make sure that we have the best team possible to put on the ice and to help grow this sport that we all love.”
In closing his correspondence to the fans, whom he thanked for their “unwavering support,” Jacobs wrote he was “incredibly proud to be a Bostonian. I take even greater pride in being a Boston Bruin. Together with leadership, we are embarking on an ambitious journey to restore glory to this great franchise.”
LJReborn
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The fact that Jacobs can't wrap his head around why some fans would be pissed about getting out of round two once in a decade, after seeing some of these regular seasons makes me feel like this team is f***ed beyond repair, and I'm not talking about the hockey people, he's just clueless
MarchysNoseKnows
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Mittlestadt will be back next year and I can only hope he takes his offseason training seriously to get back to ~60 points. I don't know if he's the long term answer though like some people have said. I don't think he's capable of playing wing and his play style is not what you're looking for in a bottom 6 center. Unfortunately, I think he's just one of those guys that plays center for bad teams.
I'm most annoyed at management for not playing the kids earlier. I'm super happy with how Lysell progressed, but I still don't know what he is. I can only project and the way it was looking was that he was capturing his role to be on this team next year. I don't know if 4 good games is enough to give it to him though. And that goes for Farinacci, Merk, Brunet, etc. All those wasted games on the Patrick Browns and Oliver Wahlstroms of the world.
Try for Marner or Ehlers in July. I would stay away from basically everyone else and bank the cap space if we miss on those guys though. Have it readily available for a big upgrade at the deadline if the team proves they're worth investing in.
End of the day, unless Sweeney can pull a rabbit out of his ass with a couple solid "hockey trades".. I just see too many holes in the middle 6 and they will most likely just be a fun/young team next year. Whether they make the playoffs or bottom out again will be determined by how Swayman, McAvoy, and Hampus look by Thanksgiving.
Just think if we had to endure 5-10 seasons in a row like we just witnessed. Like them or hate them we have been at the top of league while they have been in charge.
One team can win a cup and I feel they tried as hard as they could to add the pieces over the years. It didn't work so they wiped the slate clean and added prospects and picks in a short period of time.
Look what they did this trade deadline, that took balls and most likely saved us form years of mediocrely.
They knew it needed to be blown up and they did it. We have an owner that spends to the cap and a GM that will spend it.
Can questions the GM's game plan but not the efforts.
Just my 2 pennies, not saying Im 100% correct in my thoughts on the situation
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I wasn't expecting anything when Frank Seravalli shot down the rumors WEEI started. We really shouldn't have expec
First, I like Charlie. He cares in a way his father never did.
The bottom line remains the bottom line - playoff gate - but I believe he sincerely wants to win.
I also believe Sweeney and Neely want to win.
They are not the management team I would prefer to conduct a retool critical to the fortunes of the Boston Bruins.
You can't always get what you want, and this is one of those times.
Sweeney & Co. are nonetheless capable of setting the table for a bright future and the next iteration of a storied franchise.
My hope is that they will not be here when it comes to fruition.
They are on their last legs regardless, and again, if Sweeney and Neely f*ck this up, they will be gone sooner rather than later.
So it begins,
First, I like Charlie. He cares in a way his father never did.
The bottom line remains the bottom line - playoff gate - but I believe he sincerely wants to win.
I also believe Sweeney and Neely want to win.
They are not the management team I would prefer to conduct a retool critical to the fortunes of the Boston Bruins.
You can't always get what you want, and this is one of those times.
Sweeney & Co. are nonetheless capable of setting the table for a bright future and the next iteration of a storied franchise.
My hope is that they will not be here when it comes to fruition.
They are on their last legs regardless, and again, if Sweeney and Neely f*ck this up, they will be gone sooner rather than later.
So it begins,
I would retain a $1M on him and attach a 4th rounder to get rid of him.
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LJReborn
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So I guess it's welcome Neal Pionk and Brock Boeser to ridiculous contracts.
Posters keep saying if they F this up? This is a weak draft as you will see. Chances of getting a franchise center is slim, There isn't one in this draft.
Best we can hope is whoever they pick will be playing in the NHL in the next three years.
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Personally, I think Sweeney is getting wayyyy too much credit for the deadline. It undoubtably was an ownership/management group decision that Sweeney is obviously the front and center face of.
He won most of the deals, yes. But if you're asking me.. Selling good roster players for future assets is probably the easiest thing to do in this league as a GM. I have no evidence to back that up, but that's just my sense. Every team needs good roster players and are always willing to pay an arm and a leg for.
MarchysNoseKnows
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LJReborn
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OK, this made my day, thank you lol..all is right in the world again
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EverettMike
FIRE DON SWEENEY INTO THE SUN
EverettMike
FIRE DON SWEENEY INTO THE SUN
Bruce almighty they had a good deadline, but they didn't exactly get the Herschel Walker-deal worth of assets back. They traded vets for some decent picks and some decent prospects that will help them finally rebuild the worst prospect pool in the league. Good, for sure, but not exactly amazing, "he deserves to keep his job" accomplishment.
The low bar some fans hold Don Sweeney to boggles my mind. My mind? Boggled. Totally boggled.
The low bar some fans hold Don Sweeney to boggles my mind. My mind? Boggled. Totally boggled.
I'll bite because I freely admit I didn't see much there other than pretty boilerplate PR bs and I also freely admit I have only been awake for an hour or so
Jacobs is right, if they did better than that he would have raised ticket prices 8% not 4%, what is wrong with people, don't they understand the savings.
He didn't just good value for the good roster players, he got good value for garbage roster players too.
The Brazeau and Fredrick deals were highway robberies.
EverettMike
FIRE DON SWEENEY INTO THE SUN
I'll bite because I freely admit I didn't see much there other than pretty boilerplate PR bs and I also freely admit I have only been awake for an hour or so
I think Charlie a) cares about the team succeeding on the ice in ways his dad didn't b) was totally, 100% sincere today and c) showed a complete lack of awareness of why fans would be unhappy with the results Neely and Sweeney have produced after ten years in charge considering the current state of the team.
It's pretty not great as my toddler used to say. It's bad that he meant everything he said because it's very "gee golly willikers" and devoid of meaningful self-awareness and introspection about the organization. Organizations have to be honest with themselves about what they've done, where they're at, and why. And if he can't see the very legitimate issues. going on, in ways fans can, it's a bad omen for the future.
Can we stop.
Bruce is a good coach, his time here was over, the locker room tuned him out. (Note, pretty much every player that had a problem with him has been shipped out)
But Monty, just f-ing stop with him. Bruins fans should hate the guy, he had one foot out the door from the second the season started and was coaching like he wanted to be fired. He straight up should of resigned last year and taken his dream job in St Louis.
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