Will Don Sweeney Get Creative at the Deadline?
Don Sweeney hasn’t been the type of general manager to make roster-altering transactions in the midst of the season since he took over the Boston Bruins in 2015. That’s not what I mean when you say, “Sweeney went out and added plenty of players at the deadline.”
With the exception of the trades of Reilly Smith, Milan Lucic, and Douggie Hamilton during his first few months as general manager, Sweeney has been extremely cautious when it comes to cutting down the Bruins roster, particularly during the regular season.
From the moment they were eliminated by the Panthers in the opening round of the previous season, the Boston Bruins have been in a state of flux. We all understood that David Krejci was probably going to retire and that Bergeron was unlikely to make a comeback. Players were going to feel the pinch as the cap tightened.Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall were among the players cut to free up contract space for the next year. Upon Patrice Bergeron’s formal announcement of his retirement, the time seemed appropriate for the Bruins to begin a roster overhaul.
Instead, the Bruins forged on and made some savvy additions, like JVR, to the roster and primed themselves for another playoff run. Those additions have ultimately proved successful as the Bruins stormed out of the gate and continue to have a phenomenal season despite their recent struggles on their recent road trip.
Don Sweeney Needs to Change His Ways
Though there are always hopes for Boston to contend for a Stanley Cup, there are undoubtedly some huge flaws on this squad, especially going forward. Matthew Poitras has undoubtedly risen to the occasion to assist in bridging the gap left by the departures of Bergeron and Krejci. The unspoken fact is that there are still doubts about the center position’s future.
Without a doubt, Sweeney and company will try to increase the depth of the Bruins’ center. Players like Elias Lindholm, Adam Henrique, Sean Monahan, Tomas Hertl, and Sean Monahan have previously been connected to them.
I think we can all agree that there is no question about adding; it’s about who and how much it’ll cost the Bruins. Boston went all-in last season, trading away a plethora of Draft Picks to add to their historic run in the 2023-24 season.
That spending has left their pockets light in trade capital, which leads to the point I’d like to make. It’s time for Don Sweeney to break the mold and get creative. Sweeney has been very hesitant to remove players off the active roster in any trade. He has traded primarily Draft Picks and prospects. As you can see in some of the images above, the Bruins don’t have many valuable Draft Picks left, and their prospect pool is infamously thin. If you are the Boston Bruins and want to make a significant upgrade to your roster, there is an obvious answer.
Don Sweeney will have to trade a player off the roster.
Who are the Boston Bruins on expiring contracts?
Restricted Free Agents will not be included.
Jake DeBrusk | 27yo – $4m AAV
Jake DeBrusk has had an up-and-down relationship with the Bruins. After being a highly touted pick and bursting onto the scene with some memorable playoff moments, things spiraled in recent seasons, likely due to the previous Bruins bench boss, Bruce Cassidy, and DeBrusk having requested a trade. However, he rescinded it after Cassidy was relieved of his duties.
The issue that Sweeney and DeBrusk need to resolve is the renewal of the contract. It seems reckless of Sweeney to let DeBrusk go at the end of the season as a “own rental” given the change on the Bruins roster.
DeBrusk has a great value if he is eventually traded. This talented winger has shown that he is capable of playing well in the postseason. In order to attract teams such as Tomas Hertl or Trevor Zegras, the Bruins will require more than just bright futures. They might try to add a player like DeBrusk to a package.
James van Riemsdyk | 34yo – $1m AAV
Among the Bruins’ more intriguing examples is JVR. For a brief, low-balance contract, JVR is an ideal depth addition. One of the best free agent signings from the previous offseason might have been this one.
Teams hoping to win the Stanley Cup will be searching for players similar to van Riemsdyk to bolster their roster. Even for the clubs with the biggest cap constraints, he is producing at a high level for the Bruins, and his deal is fairly reasonable.
JVR might be able to bring in a valuable selection or prospect for the Bruins if they’re trying to replenish their roster. could even package him for a promising young player.
Danton Heinen has been a pinball bouncing around the league the last few seasons, but coming back to Boston has been a full-circle moment that feels right. Heinen has stepped back into the Bruins bottom six and is producing points and providing crucial minutes. Outside of JVR, Heinen’s contract is one of the best expiring deals the Bruins have.
With most Stanley Cup contenders’ cap space being ultra-thin, a contract under $1m is highly sought after.
Matt Grzelcyk | 30yo – $4.69m AAV
The most heartbreaking situation that Bruins supporters might consider dealing for is Grzelcyk. There are several reasons to be wary, including the fact that his father works at the TD Garden and that he was drafted and groomed in Boston. Grzelcyk’s obvious problem is that he is an undersized defenseman, which gets him into problems throughout the playoffs. You can view playoff statistics displayed below regular season statistics by clicking on the image above. He doesn’t look good in it. Grzelcyk can undoubtedly help get you TO the playoffs, but he can’t seem to help the Bruins get THROUGH the playoffs. “There are people who get you to the playoffs, and there are people who get you through the playoffs,” Grzelcyk said.
Derek Forbort | 31yo – $3m AAV
Derek Forbort is someone I personally owe an apology to. When this contract was signed, I was scratching my head, thinking, “Oh great, another one of these guys,” only to be pleasantly surprised when I saw his postseason performance.
In addition to his playoff performances, Forbort is a pillar of the Bruins’ penalty kill and an obvious hole in their lineup when he’s out with injury. While he is rarely going to light the lamp or have some dazzling play on the ice. Forbort is a player you only notice when he isn’t in the lineup.
Kevin Shattenkirk | 34yo – $1.05m AAV
“Will Kevin Shattenkirk mean more to the Bruins lineup than Matt Grzelcyk?” would have been a question I would have asked in September. Had I been in my position, I would have said no. But it’s a lot more of a dispute than I would have imagined as February gets underway.
Shattenkirk was an impressive depth addition to the Bruins, having inked a short-term contract with them in the offseason. Although trade discussions involving Jakob Chychrun have recently included the Bruins, I don’t believe Shattenkirk is the person you are hoping to replace.
Milan Lucic | 35yo – $1m AAV
Milan Lucic is the unique name on the list. He is currently on an indefinite leave of absence from the Bruins as he works through a legal battle following an alleged altercation with his wife at their residence. My thoughts are that Lucic isn’t headed anywhere at the Trade Deadline, including Boston. I could see the Bruins using the legal issues, if found and convicted of a crime, to terminate Lucic’s contract, which would save cap space.
Who could the Bruins trade with term?
Linus Ullmark | 30yo – $5m AAV/One Year Remaining
A few years ago, Linus Ullmark made waves for the Bruins with an unexpected five-year contract. His numbers with the Buffalo Sabres would have made you say, “Wow, but can this continue with Boston?” right away. Yes, it has, has been the response. Ullmark earned the Vezina trophy for his outstanding play and guided the Bruins to their greatest season ever. Regretfully, Ullmark’s performance in the playoffs with the Bruins has been horrible during his time there.
John Beecher | 22yo – $925k AAV/One Year Remaining
Things were looking good for Johnny Beecher’s NHL future as he began the season as Boston’s fourth line center. Now that he has been assigned to AHL Providence, the situation is beginning to resemble a standard Bruins development program.
In the Boston system, Beecher, a former first-round selection, has not yet reached his potential. In fairness, it’s not entirely his fault. Beecher is likely to get the attention of a rebuilding team searching for a few extra middle-six/bottom-six players for the future given his size, skill, and tenacity. It’s important to remember that Trent Frederic had difficulty in his early NHL career and just truly started to contribute points in the final 1.5 seasons.
While I wholeheartedly believe trading Beecher would be giving up on a player way too early, his name has surfaced in recent trade rumors, and I felt obligated to mention it.
My Thoughts
The Boston Bruins are undoubtedly enjoying yet another incredible season, but the writing is clearly on the wall. This team is aging more quickly. Don Sweeney will have to be resourceful in his recruitment of young, skilled players for pivotal roles if he is to keep this squad competitive for a little while longer. Having added Morgan Geekie in free agency to start this summer, he now needs to maintain the momentum.
It is well-known that the Jacobs family is an ownership group that is ravenous for postseason ticket sales. Fortunately, the Bruins have a history of making the playoffs every year. It is very possible that the Bruins may move one or two players off of their current roster in order to acquire some younger players or future assets and still be competitive for one or two rounds of the playoffs. Nothing in the playoffs is assured, as we seen the previous season.
After years of extravagant asset expenditure, it’s important to consider the future as well.
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