Don Sweeney talks limiting workloads, injury timetables & more with training camp approaching

LEOMINSTER — With Bruins training camp set to kick off in just a couple of weeks at Warrior Ice Arena, BostonSportsJournal.com spoke with GM Don Sweeney at the team’s Fan Fest Event in Leominster to discuss a number of topics, including the short turnaround for the 2019-20 season, roster construction, injuries and much more.

For Part 1 of our interview with Don Sweeney on Boston’s ongoing negotiations with RFAs Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo, click here. 

Let’s get started:



BSJ: What do you expect to be the biggest challenge facing this club when it comes to such a short turnaround? 

"I think the health of the hockey players, mentally and physically is what’s most important, in the short term. They just have to understand that the training regimen was a little different. Now some of them have been through it. So they know what to do. 

“We’ve been in touch with our coaching staff and how we’re going to approach it, keep them off the ice for a while and make sure they’re good, mentally and physically. So we’re just going to address it head-on and be very, very open and frank about their workloads. But again, the mental part, as much as the physical part, I think we have to make sure that we have good communication with them.”

BSJ: Bruce Cassidy has praised internal competition and how it pushes both younger players and veterans alike from the preseason onward, year after year. What do you expect to see from another competitive training camp?

"I made a note during exit meetings and periodically over the summer that I want our younger players, even on our current rosters, to realize that if they don't bring that energy and they don’t bring that competition with them, we’re not going to be as successful. ... I want them ... we’re trying to grow the next group of core players and why can’t they be at the forefront of helping accelerate that process? 

“That’s the — to name a few — the Sean Kuraly’s of the world. That’s where I really feel that we can get a big boost from. Even Wagner and Kuraly, Coyle — guys that should very hungry to help lead this hockey club and this organization and taking control of things. The other guys will be there — I guarantee you that. Because that’s all they know. But it’s okay for those younger guys to step up and realize that, ‘hey, I can play a bigger role here.’ And as Butch points out, internal competition is a big part of that and we’re going to need it.”

BSJ: Will any players dealing with major injuries or offseason surgery not be ready to go for the start of training camp?

“John Moore’s timeline ... he will not be ready for the start of training camp. He won’t be ready for the start of the season. Kevan Miller has to be afforded all of the time that he needs — having surgery twice. So he won’t be pushed. He’s going to push himself. We just have to make sure he doesn’t push himself too hard and have any setbacks. We don’t have a timeline. Kevan will get back on the ice shortly. He’s hitting all his benchmarks off the ice. We’ll see where he’s at — periodically. Zee (Zdeno Chara) had a small elbow procedure, he’ll probably be fine.

BSJ: When looking at the roster and maximizing talent, where do you believe Charlie Coyle presents the most value — centering a third line or serving as a top-six winger? 

“I think it’s a combination. I believe ... we went out and identified that a third-line center role would balance our hockey club. But there are times, late in the year, where we bumped him up. I think Charlie’s more comfortable when he’s put in a particular spot, plays to his strengths. That’s what we’d like to do. Maybe that’s dictated by who the next guy is — pick a guy. 

“(Zach) Senyshyn, (Karson) Kuhlman on the wing, (Brett) Ritchie on the wing. And then you look at the (Trent) Frederic’s of the world. It all depends on who wants the other spots. Who’s ready to take advantage of it? The good thing is that Charlie is able and capable of doing both and we’re going to put him in a role — we talked to him when he first got here. 

“We wanted him to feel good about his game and thrive and he felt that center — being put there with regularity and in a defined role would help, and I think it did.”

BSJ: In terms of roster construction, you’ve mentioned how the team has used “defined roles” as a philosophy to help maximize depth across the lineup while also spelling more offensive-focused players. Is that something you’re seeing more and more around the league in terms of cutting the workload down for some of these top-six forwards by loading up on bottom-six, versatile depth? 

“I don’t know what other teams are doing — we know what the matchups are. We know how teams utilize their players, studying every game. In those situations, we got more focused and did follow that (philosophy) a few years ago. We needed to do that, to extend the shelf life of every one of our players. And we had to have depth on our roster and we just tried to attack those areas and good for the players themselves that have been able to handle that.

“We try to identify, try to talk to players, try to develop it internally as well. Talk about who we bring up from Providence, who can go in and play those defined roles. And not put a player in a shoebox per se. If you can handle something higher, nobody's gonna hold you back. But if you do what’s asked of you, do it really, really well and we’re all going to benefit from it.”

Sweeney added later in a Q&A session when talking about Par Lindholm’s impact next year: “I think we had a lot of success this past year identifying players  — Joakim Nordstrom had a fabulous year for us. Chris Wagner had a really good year. What we’ve tried to do, Sean Kuraly is another example. What we’ve tried to do is have some specific needs on our lineup that we’re trying to address. Par can play two positions, he can kill penalties. He’s left-handed. Sean Kuraly is our only other left-handed centermen. 

“… We’re trying to take some minutes away from Patrice or from Brad — so because we can start players in the defensive zone, we're allowing our better offensive players to start in the offensive zone, so we can get those better matchups. … What we’re trying to do, both analytically and the eyeball test when it comes to seeing players, is see where can they help us and in exactly what role. “