Let's go down the list, shall we?
A closing title window? Check.
An aging core in need of some reinforcements? Check.
Assets at the ready? Check.
Despite Cam Neely's words of caution when it comes to weighing a retooling against an early rebuild, the Bruins have the pieces in place — and urgency — to add to this roster in the coming months in order to orchestrate one more significant postseason push.
Of course, that's easier said that done — especially with Don Sweeney and the Bruins likely having to dive headfirst into an active trade market in order to put this team over the top.
But with some cap flexibility and trade chips at the ready, it's not out of the question that Boston could enter next season (whenever that is) with another legitimate talent up front or along the blue line.
"We’re looking to make some changes in our group," Sweeney said on Wednesday. "I feel very good about the overall organization we are and how competitive we are. But, we have to – I’m not doing my job if I’m not looking to improve our hockey club on a daily basis without being dissatisfied."
Making such a move might be just what Boston needs to orchestrate another legitimate run with this current core still in place. By doing so, however, it might create a whole slew of headaches for Sweeney and the B's the following summer — one that could end up with a key cog for the future skating in the Emerald City in 2021 and beyond.
There are plenty of factors that Boston needs to weigh when evaluating its options in this pivotal — but uncertain — offseason, whether it be cap space, the future of stalwarts like Torey Krug and the burden that comes with deciding when to enact a transformative rebuild. But any moves made in October and beyond need to be considered with the Seattle expansion draft in mind — given that Ron Francis and the NHL's latest club will be looking to pry some talent from Boston come summer 2021.
"That's an ongoing process, it's been a process since we went through it the last time with Vegas and the expansion draft, learning from that, breaking down what other teams did versus what we did, decisions we could have made or we felt we did make," Sweeney said of preparing for the Seattle draft. "And then obviously when you learn that there's another team coming in, you do the same process and you try and continue to learn. I think several teams will do things differently. I think that we will stay the course.
"We understand we're losing a good player. Any team that puts up the money to enter this league I think they are expected to have good players available to them and that’s exactly what the league has done with the rules. So we expect to lose a good hockey player at some point in time. We'd like to be in a position to evaluate where our players are in terms of next year and some of our younger players are part of that process."
Now, much as we’ve done with our previous entries in all things related to the Seattle expansion draft, let’s run through some rules and guidelines before really digging into how Boston plans on shielding its key cogs away from Francis and Co.
Seattle will select one player from each team — except for the Golden Knights — for a total of 30 (14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goalies). The team must choose a minimum of 20 players under contract for the 2021-22 regular season and those with an aggregate Expansion Draft value that is between 60-100% of the prior season’s upper limit for the salary cap. Seattle also cannot buy out players that it selected in the Expansion Draft earlier than the summer following its first season.
The teams forced to participate in the Expansion Draft will have two options when it comes to protecting players:
- Protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie
- Protect eight skaters (forwards/defensemen) and one goalie
- One defenseman who is a) under contract in 2021-22 and b) played in at least 40 NHL games the prior season or played in at least 70 NHL games in the prior two seasons.
- Two forwards who are a) under contract in 2021-22 and b) played at least 40 NHL games the prior season or played in at least 70 NHL games in the prior two seasons.
- One goalie who is under contract in 2021-22 or will be a restricted free agent at the end of his current contract immediately prior to 2021-22. If a team elects to make a restricted free agent goalie available to meet this requirement, that goalie must have received his qualifying offer prior to the submission of the team’s protected list.
Brad Marchand