Old Friends Help Build A New Boston Bruins Team.
When Don Sweeney was promoted to general manager of the Boston Bruins earlier this year, a lot of people saw the hand of B’s president Cam Neely. The promotion made a lot of sense. Neely and Sweeney had a history, having played together on the Bruins. Both came up through the ranks of the front office together. It also gave Neely a stronger voice in the way the Bruins organization would be run.
More from Bruins News
- Bruins release Prospects Challenge roster, schedule Tuesday
- Bruins bringing back familiar forward on tryout contract
- The Bruins should take a look at these four free agents
- NHL Network lists Ullmark as sixth-best goalie in the league
- The Lasting Legacy of David Krejci
Neely was Sweeney’s strongest supporter, especially after the fans screamed for blood when the B’s moved Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic. While the fans felt less than enthused by the trades and the draft, Sweeney pleasantly surprised them by finding solid replacement players. He was able to close the holes in the forward lines, find several qualified candidates for the backup goaltender position, and still has enough cap space to capture a defenseman should one become available.
“I think he’s done a fantastic job. I know it wasn’t easy for him, but you wouldn’t notice it or know that it affected him or bothered him. He kept with the plan he’d put in place, and his work ethic is second to none. His knowledge of the game and players . . . he’s put a lot of time in. I’m not surprised with how he’s handled it, but it was quite an introduction as a new GM.” – Cam Neely on Don Sweeney’s job so far as Bruins general manager
Don Sweeney was able to do something in the first month of his job that dogged Peter Chiarelli (the B’s had been fined by the league twice for cap excesses under Chiarelli) through his entire tenure. Sweeney was able to manage the salary cap. While some fans still aren’t thrilled with some of his moves, Sweeney’s choices finally gave the Bruins some room to maneuver this season.
At the moment, the Bruins have $4.7 million dollars available. That gives them a lot more freedom to wait and see what’s available. It also gives them more leverage in making deals with other teams.
“If we have any opportunities come up, we now have the flexibility to act on them,” shared Neely with Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com. “If something happens now all the way through training camp where we feel we can improve our club, we have a better chance of adding without saying, ‘Okay, now who do we have to subtract?’
“When you’re in a position where you have to move someone in order to acquire someone else, you’re really at a pretty big disadvantage. Anytime you’ve got some [cap] space, it’s a good thing. I’m looking forward to looking at some of the young ‘D’, and seeing if they can embrace the opportunity. But by no means are we closing the books and saying this is what we’ve got [for a roster].”
A lot of credit has to be given to Neely and Sweeney. Cam Neely got more than an old friend in the GM’s seat. He got a leader with the right combination of smarts and patience. He found the best possible candidate for the job , and he’s been able to put together a solid refit of the roster going into the 2015-16 season.
“Don had a plan that we talked about, that we presented and we really thought we could accomplish,” said Neely. “We knew that it might be a little rocky and bumpy, and we also knew that it would entail [free agency]. There would be plenty of opportunities to second guess [prior to the Bruins moves], but we also know that people don’t really know what’s going on inside the four walls [at the Bruins offices], and the conversations that are happening.
“We felt like we had to clean up our cap problems, and get out from under that. We needed a chance to add without subtracting all the time. I think what Don was able to accomplish on July 1, whether it was signing Matt Beleskey or trading for Jimmy Hayes, really assured people that there was some kind of a plan. We weren’t tuned into [the criticism], but we could certainly feel it and were prepared for it.”
The 2015-16 Boston Bruins will be able to justify Neely’s faith in his old teammate. Hiring Sweeney could turn out to be the single best move in Cam Neely’s tenure as President of the Bruins.