Bruins GM Don Sweeney addressed the media in his end-of-season press conference on Wednesday morning, touching on a number of topics — including the challenges ahead for the organization, Patrice Bergeron’s status and plenty more.
Here are seven takeaways from Sweeney's address:
“We left something on the table”
There’s no other way to sugarcoat it.
Sure, when you could credit the play of a Carolina Hurricanes team that has staked its claim as one of the two or three top teams in the Eastern Conference all year long.
You could harp on the Bruins’ inability to unlock some secondary scoring depth during the regular season.
You can draw silver linings from the 2021-22 campaign by focusing on Charlie McAvoy’s continued ascension and the strides made by Jeremy Swayman.
But none of those narratives are of much use when it comes to absolving the end result from the 2021-22 Bruins season — a season that looked to be building toward plenty of promise, only to once again go off the rails due to a dearth of secondary scoring.
“I believe we left something on the table this year in terms of what we needed to accomplish, what our ultimate goal was to accomplish,” Sweeney said on Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena.
But the sting of another season left unfulfilled is only magnified in the Bruins' case — given the borrowed time this organization seems to be on when it comes to Patrice Bergeron’s status and the inevitability of Father Time slamming shut this contention window that has been propped open for more than 15 years.
And when it comes to doling out blame for what very well could have been the last kick at the can for this current core, Sweeney acknowledged that the onus does fall on management to put the best team out on the ice — year in and year out.
“I think I've been around this town long enough for people to know in terms of pressure and what I'm necessarily going to lump in myself and hold myself hopefully to the standard that is why I'm in this job," Sweeney said. "The Jacobs family, the organization, the history of the Boston Bruins, you know, the standard that we're being held to is exactly what I aspire to. And again, to be perfectly clear and honest, it's the aspiration to be the best in class, on and off the ice. And when we're not, we want to hear about it. You know, the criticisms are what they are, and nobody likes to hear them. Call it constructive criticism, I don't necessarily feel that's constructive, but it's appropriate. And you need to hear them. You need to have evaluations. You need to look in the mirror and figure out what that guy's staring back at you is saying. ... As it stands right now, we have a competitive, really competitive group.
"We've been competitive. We want to remain competitive and play the right way. And that's what we're going to try and do. You know, we think we've got the building blocks both in goal and in the back end where maybe that was out of sorts for a little while. I mean, you lose a player like Zdeno and you know that's going to happen. There's a hole there. So it might take some time. ... And that's all part of what we're trying to accomplish, you know, as an organization. And we stand here today acknowledging we fell short. And that's on me — to try and pull the right strings and hopefully make the right decisions.
"I guarantee you that if I'm not, somebody else will be making the decisions. That's not a problem where I stand, at any point in time. And that's part of the professional sports, both as a player and management.”
Sweeney’s contract status
Of course, while Sweeney spent a majority of Wednesday’s presser looking to the future and discussing avenues to keep this team as a contender, it remains to be seen if Sweeney is necessarily going to be the one steering that ship when it comes to personnel decisions.
Sweeney confirmed that his current contract is set to expire at the end of this season, and, as of right now, no extension is currently in place.
“I’m under contract for right now,” Sweeney said. “I’ve had a discussion earlier in the year in terms of the indication of where my path will be and that will be determined in short order.”
Sweeney has served as Bruins GM since 2015. Prior to his current post, Sweeney served as assistant GM under Peter Chiarelli since 2009 — and first join the B’s management staff in 2006 as the team’s Director of Player Development.
While Sweeney has drawn praise over the years for re-upping key cogs like Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and others to deals below market value and landing some big names via trade (Taylor Hall, Hampus Lindholm and Rick Nash) it’s tough to ignore Boston’s inability to make the most of that cap flexibility (and championship-level talent on this roster) by supplementing this core with impact players — be it in free agency or through the draft.
Cam Neely will be speaking Thursday morning at Warrior Ice Arena, and should be able to offer some additional clarity on Sweeney’s future.
Bergeron’s decision could throw B’s in a major bind
In a far from shocking development, Sweeney acknowledged that there isn’t a defined blueprint or tried-and-true contingency plan that the Bruins can fall back on if Patrice Bergeron does indeed opt to retire this summer.
While the organization is going to give the future Hall-of-Famer the time he needs to reach a conclusion, the B’s are going to cross their fingers that the 36-year-old pivot has another year or two left in him. Otherwise, this roster is in for some lean years ahead.
“Let's be honest, you don't replace that type of player and what he means to our organization,” Sweeney said of Bergeron. “That might take years to replace that player in that sense. So we do have to give him all the latitude in the world to make the best decision for him and his family. And we'll do that. He's given us an indication that he's not going to hold us up in that sense in terms of what we may have to do subsequent to him making a decision. But to be perfectly honest, I don't think there's a timetable on it."
Of course, while Sweeney’s sentiment is correct when it comes to not being able to replace arguably the best defensive forward in the league history — the Bruins sure could have made this looming transition a whole lot easier to bear had they managed to either develop pivots with top-six potential or add a legit talent down the middle via trade/free agency during these last few seasons.
Yes, Bergeron might be on the “younger” side of established veterans at his age if he does retire, but the writing has been on the wall for a loooong, loooong time that these crossroads were on the horizon for this franchise.
If Bergeron does step away from the game, the B’s have no one but themselves to blame for not having the personnel in place to at least assuage some of the pain from their captain’s departure.
Door remains open for a Krejci reunion?
Were you one of the many BSJ readers who were sick and tired of reading about my musings regarding a potential David Krejci reunion last year?
Well, you’re in for some bad news. Because that storyline doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon.
“I certainly kept in touch with David and his camp throughout the year," Sweeney said. "And he had hard decisions to make in terms of the promise he made to his family overall, and just ultimately decided to stay and see it through. I'm sure that at some point in time, if he decides he wants to return, then hopefully I got a call and we can have a conversation. But I have not gone down that path for several months.”
Krejci, who posted 46 points in 51 games with his hometown HC Olomouc over in Czechia this past season, is now set to play at the 2022 IIHF World Championships in Finland, where he will play once again with his former teammate and fellow countryman in Pastrnak.
“Knowing how close they are, I'm sure there'll be a conversation,” Sweeney said of Krejci and Pastrnak. “Maybe it filters back to me.”
While discussing a return with Krejci does seem like a desperate move, there could be merit to it for Boston IF Bergeron returns and the B’s are looking for one last run. Krejci, if back on a cheap deal, could give Boston a legit 2C in 2022-23, especially if skating with Hall and Pastrnak on that line.
“It has to line up for a number of reasons,” Sweeney said. “It still looks like he values playing the game and being highly competitive. And was very productive. Seamlessly would probably fall back into knowing what our team is like and what we're trying to accomplish. But again, it's hypothetical for me at this point in time. So I'll cross that bridge when it's presented.”
Bruins ready to talk contract with Pastrnak?
Bergeron’s future remains the top focus of this B’s offseason. But next year, the B’s will have another interesting conundrum on their hands when it comes to Pastrnak’s pending pay day.
The Bruins have benefited from the bargain deal that Pastrnak signed back in September 2017 — a six-year, $40 million contract that equates to a $6.6 million cap hit. But even though Pastrnak has stressed that money is not the ultimate determinant for him when it comes to happiness … it’s safe to assume that the B’s top sniper is destined to cash in at a higher rate next summer, or perhaps even earlier.
As such, Sweeney noted that the Bruins will begin having those conversations this summer in terms of a new deal for Pastrnak. Pastrnak’s scoring talents and his enthusiasm for playing in this market should make him a priority as the B’s look to lock in the next generation of talent. But if Pastrnak is intrigued by exploring his options next season on the open market, then Sweeney and Co. might need to have some interesting conversations.
“It's just a general conversation exit-wise in terms of having the opportunity at the earliest possible time allowable for us to have a conversation with his camp," Sweeney said of contract talks with Pastrnak. "And he knows that. There's mutual respect from David, me and his camp. And we'll dive right into it at the earliest possible time that we're allowed to and get that indication. There's never been an indication otherwise that this is where he wants to play. He wants to win. He's obviously a great player and an important player for us. And we'll attack it like we have done with all the other players that we feel the same way.”
Hip surgery for Marchand?
While Matt Grzelcyk and his scheduled shoulder surgery (which could rule him out for the start of the 2022-23 regular season) stood as the most impactful offseason procedure revealed during Monday’s “breakup day”, Sweeney did add that Brad Marchand could also go under the knife this summer to correct a hip issue.
“Obviously Grzelcyk is definitively going under for shoulder surgery,” Sweeney said. “We've got a few other players that (might need) some follow-up — probably the biggest surprise is Marsh. He's going to have an evaluation, hip-wise. So I think he's got some tests to go out."
“We've got several other players that are doing some MRIs. I don't think there are any other surgeries that are imminent. But stay tuned in case we have some updates. … But Marsh was probably the one that was a little more surprising of having some adductor issues in the last couple of years. And he's doing more exploratory stuff now to confirm that. But again, I didn't want to have anybody caught off guard. If we go down that (road), will certainly announce.”
Sweeney added that Marchand — who admitted on Monday that he was dealing with an AC joint injury and might need some offseason work done “this summer or next summer” — does not know how long the recovery timeline will be if he does need major hip surgery.
Any change in DeBrusk’s fortunes?
As for the looming question regarding Jake DeBrusk and his standing trade request … it does seem as though everything is status quo. Even though DeBrusk could net a solid return ahead of the draft if the winger is adamant about starting fresh elsewhere, the Bruins are likely holding out hope that the forward rescinds his request and slots in as a regular top-six option at right wing — especially if Bergeron returns.
“I don’t think things have changed, other than he’s happier,” Sweeney said of DeBrusk. “Because his life improved an awful lot. And he deserves a lot of credit for that. He went out and did perform. Maybe it’s a clearer head space that he defined. Not really thinking about things. Now he might take some time to re-evaluate and realize that I peeked over the neighbor’s yard and the grass is not necessarily greener. My lawn is looking pretty damn good too.
“Players have their own right. We know – I’ve said all along, I think I know what Jake DeBrusk is capable of. Everybody would like to hold all of our guys to that standard and to his credit, he went out and performed and played well.”