Bruins Extending Don Sweeney Good for the Short Term

“I am confident in the plan he has followed these past few months – and excited for what’s to come for our team.”

Trust the process, right? It may seem hard, especially after the season they had and the big-ticket signings Sweeney made during last year’s free agency that didn’t impact the club majorly. Sweeney did have a home run of a trade deadline being a seller, and he got big time young pieces back in Fraser Minten and Will Zellers. 

Now the real work begins. He still has a core in place and locked up longer term. Young players are on the horizon and whatever vision he has needs to be fulfilled. Sweeney now has two years to right the ship and a crucial summer awaits. 

A Crucial Summer Awaits

If you thought the 2015 NHL Entry Draft was Sweeney’s biggest moment, you’ve got another thing coming. This offseason is arguably the most important one of his entire tenure with the Bruins and leading the charge. This is a team that still is expected to be a playoff contender and rightfully so given the market they play in. The Bruins are undergoing a retool, which makes this even more crucial. It pairs well with the “trust-the-process method” because now we will see the process come to fulfillment. This offseason is the way to do that. 

Let’s start with adding to the roster. Sweeney will have roughly $28 million in salary cap space, which is plenty to work with. The bottom line is that the Bruins need talent and there is no reason to not do your due diligence to add it to the roster. Could they go big game hunting with Mitch Marner? Snag a stellar two-way winger in Nikolaj Ehlers? Or do they go the offer-sheet route? There are plenty of options on the table on how Sweeney can add complementary players to the core. 

Now for the biggest decision of them all: the Bruins have the seventh-overall pick in the 2025 Draft this summer. It has been more thaan a decade since the Bruins have picked this high and given the state of the pipeline, the Bruins have to HIT on this draft pick and develop them properly. The Bruins would not have given this extension out if they didn’t want Sweeney to make this selection. 

Giving Sweeney the extension shows the organization trusts him to continue the process, right the ship, and get this team back to winning ways. Now it’s time to find a bench boss. 

Landing a Head Coach 

It’s been made clear that the Bruins are eyeing a coach that still remains in the playoffs. A fan can dream and hope that it is Dallas Stars assistant coach Misha Donskov the Bruins are after, because that would be a slam dunk of a coaching hire. 

The fact of the matter is Sweeney will get to pick his choice for that job. Now that there is certainty with an extension in place, the Bruins can begin that process.

Once that happens, all the other pieces can fall in line. They can bring players in that fit the coach’s system and stylistic approach. The coach will not only need get the most out of the roster, but help develop the younger players at the NHL level. Having a coach help further develop Matthew Poitras, Minten, and Fabian Lysell — three players who look to complement the core — will be huge.

It’s a crucial summer ahead, but Sweeney being extended is good for the short term. 

Let Sweeney Continue to Build 

Sweeney’s been given the keys to continue on. With a crucial summer ahead and having the salary cap space, it’ll be crucial for him to add and add smartly. The draft, where we’ll welcome the newest member of the Bruins, can’t come soon enough. Buckle up.