Sweeney teardown: a season too late?

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Best season ever = losing in the first round?

What a strange thing to say.
In over 100 years of the NHL, the most points ever in a season. That's gotta count for something.

This is a team that won a cup in the last decade (ish) and went to the finals 2 other times. When you have the core that the Bruins do, you go for it.

Same way with the Leafs. Pretty rare to have 3 of the top 20 (ish) offensive forwards in the league, and when you do, you try to make a run.

Just seems like folks want every team to have a traditional optimal construction of a team like the 2010s Hawks, Pens or Lightning. It doesn't always work like that.
 
In over 100 years of the NHL, the most points ever in a season. That's gotta count for something.

This is a team that won a cup in the last decade (ish) and went to the finals 2 other times. When you have the core that the Bruins do, you go for it.

Same way with the Leafs. Pretty rare to have 3 of the top 20 (ish) offensive forwards in the league, and when you do, you try to make a run.

Just seems like folks want every team to have a traditional optimal construction of a team like the 2010s Hawks, Pens or Lightning. It doesn't always work like that.

If you lose in the first round, it doesn’t count for much.
 
My question is, does this give Joe Sacco more time behind the bench? Not sure if he's the guy you want to rebuild with.
 
I think they retool here, you got Pastrnak + McAvoy + Lindholm. If they can grab Bennett this summer and some more, they'll be fine

I thought about the divisional trades and it makes sense. Your 2 biggest division rivals lose futures, they're poised to be the top dog in the Atlantic again in 4-5 years
 
Will Sweeney be the one spending it though?
Definitely

He won every move he made at the deadline, some by quite a large margin.

Boston had arguably the best deadline of anyone for realizing there’s no way they’re going to beat Tampa/Florida/Toronto (well maybe them) and retooling.

Could very easily see a Washington type turnaround for them, especially if Swayman regains his prior form
 
So the D and G group of

Lorhei McAvoy
Lindholm ???
Zadorov Peeke

Swayman
Korpisalo

That’s not a rebuild group there.

But forward group…

true 1st liners: Pasta

Middle sixers: Zacha, Lindholm, Mittelstadt, Geekie

Young guys who will challenge for middle six: Poitras, Lysell, Minten

You can put Pasta with a couple of middle sixers and end up with a very good top 6 line.

But they need to find two first line forwards somehow. Can’t see that happening in one offseason. But certainly think Boston would go hard after Bennett and/or Marner if they make it to market and of course keep their eyes on the trade market. But they can’t just built in UFA.

The more interesting thing is that the leadership group has been gutted. It’s Pasta and McAvoy’s team.
 
So the D and G group of

Lorhei McAvoy
Lindholm ???
Zadorov Peeke

Swayman
Korpisalo

That’s not a rebuild group there.

But forward group…

true 1st liners: Pasta

Middle sixers: Zacha, Lindholm, Mittelstadt, Geekie

Young guys who will challenge for middle six: Poitras, Lysell, Minten

You can put Pasta with a couple of middle sixers and end up with a very good top 6 line.

But they need to find two first line forwards somehow. Can’t see that happening in one offseason. But certainly think Boston would go hard after Bennett and/or Marner if they make it to market and of course keep their eyes on the trade market. But they can’t just built in UFA.

The more interesting thing is that the leadership group has been gutted. It’s Pasta and McAvoy’s team.
With the money they’ve cleared out and more coming off the books next year they’ve certainly lined themselves up to take a run at whatever UFA’s they want to.

If that McDavid fellow makes it to UFA that’d be a nice addition. One can dream anyway.
 
I see them as stuck in no man's land; too good to tank with some good-great pieces, but not even close to a cup. If McDrai are no guarantee of a cup and the two Mack/Maks can't guarantee deep runs every year, teams with lesser duos/trios will be in tough considering that having literally the best two players in the game (when on respectively) is no guarantee.

We'll see how it goes, but it's tough because they have great individual pieces (Mc/Pasta), some good pieces (Swayman, Lindholms), but I don't think it's close to enough. I guess we'll see.
 
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With the money they’ve cleared out and more coming off the books next year they’ve certainly lined themselves up to take a run at whatever UFA’s they want to.

If that McDavid fellow makes it to UFA that’d be a nice addition. One can dream anyway.

And, I think more importantly, they have capital and space to go after younger roster players with term if things go sour.
 
The Lindholm and Zadorov contracts are going to hurt them down the line.

Should they have avoided these big UFA contracts and gone for a rebuild sooner?
It looks to me like there maybe was truth to the Marchant Pasternak rift rumour. Why else would Marchant be on the outs like this ?

 
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28m in cap space next year

Which sounds like a lot ....... in a stagnant cap environment.

The problem for all rebuilding teams this summer is that the cap is going up and everybody will be looking to use the extra bucks to improve their lineup, so it will be a seller's market, i.e. that $28M will not be going nearly as far this summer as it would have gone last summer.

Great year to be a UFA though; massive overpays incoming.
 
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Cap space can be the biggest blessing or biggest curse depending on who has it. Really hope it's used wisely.

Need to nail the next coaching hire. Apparently we're interested in hiring David Carle from the University of Denver but that scares the shit out of me especially when he's only 35. Just screams to me the next Jeremy Colliton who's gonna go in there without any experience and look like a pig in a pilot's seat.
 
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