Two weeks ahead of the trade deadline, Boston Bruins general manager (GM) Don Sweeney swung a deal with the Washington Capitals. He acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway to provide top-four depth on defense and in the bottom six.
It was a surprising move, but Hathaway quickly became a Bruins fan favorite. He was well known to the Black and Gold and is one player that is tough to play against, but you love to have him on your team. As an unrestricted free agent (UFA), there are questions as to what the future holds for Hathaway and the team, but it was a move that worked out well.
Hathaway Provided Energy and Toughness in the Bottom-Six
It was an interesting 12 days for the New England native. On Feb. 11, the Capitals were the Bruins’ first opponent out of the All-Star Break at the TD Garden. Washington was holding a 1-0 lead in the second period when Hathaway collected the puck in the slot and beat Jeremy Swayman with a shot under the crossbar. It was Hathaway’s ninth goal of the season at the time and turned out to be the game-winner in a 2-1 Capitals victory. He had the mentality a lot of fourth-liners do, “just shoot.”
“They’re a good team in the neutral zone,” Hathaway said. “They defend quickly, so we’re trying to get a battle on the boards and get into the zone, and then attack their [defensemen]. … The puck squeaks out to me, and I’m in the slot, so like a lot of us are thinking, ‘Let’s shoot it.'”
After being traded to the Bruins, Hathaway was put on the fourth line with Tomas Nosek and a rotation of left wings and fit right in. In 25 regular season games with Boston, he had four goals and two assists. His biggest goal came against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 25 when he beat Andrei Vasilevskiy for what turned out to be the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win that clinched the Atlantic Division title for the Black and Gold. That game was a physical and emotional one for both teams. There were 38 minutes of penalty time handed out, Hathaway got a minor for roughing, and the Bruins ended up with seven power plays.
Hathaway made some winning plays for Boston. He was relentless on the forecheck, caused turnovers in the offensive zone, and played a physical style that fits right into what the Bruins do. One side note, Hathaway played in 84 games in the regular season between Washington and Boston, two more than the normal 82 each team plays.
Hathaway Was Roughed Up By the Panthers
Hathaway and his linemates saw their roles cut back in the first-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers, as fourth-liners tend to do. He finished with one assist in the seven games, but was on the receiving end of a cross-check from Matthew Tkachuk at the end of the first period of Game 4 when the Panthers forward was assessed a two-minute minor, then received a fine from the NHL. It certainly could have been and should have been a suspension as Hathaway was not the same player the rest of the series following the hit.
Hathaway Should Be in Bruins’ Future Plans
There are several matters on Sweeney’s plate this off-season, but in putting together the roster for the 2023-24 season, he needs to find a way to re-sign Hathaway and have him as part of the future in the bottom six. Boston has several players on expiring contracts in the bottom six and all can’t and won’t be retained, however, if you’re putting together a list of them in the order to be brought back, Hathaway should be at the top.
He is not going to be a big cap hit, maybe something along the lines of $1.5-2 million a season, but finding fourth-line grit that can give you 10-15 goals a season and play the style Hathaway does can be hard to find. If there is someone who fits the mold of the Bruins, it’s Garnet Hathaway.
Grade: B+
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