Boston Bruins: Don Sweeney Might Not Be Done With Free Agency
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
With the Boston Bruins development camp ending on Friday, the management team has a better understanding of the players they drafted this year, as well as a better understanding of the progress their older prospects are making. A few of the camps standouts were Ryan Donato, Jake DeBrusk, Brandon Carlo, Zachary Senyshyn, and Danton Heinen, among others. While the Bruins prospect pool is looking deep, and the roster is starting to take shape, it appears that Don Sweeney could still have a move or two to make.
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“There are still players out there that may fit. You have conversations with agents about possibilities. I think we’re comfortable with where we are in creating internal competition, but I’m not going to stop short of asking in areas that we can continue to look at.” – Don Sweeney
Don Sweeney made a very clear statement at the end of camp saying that free agency is still a very viable option for filling out the roster: “There are a couple of free agents that we still have conversations with that we felt might improve our club if the financial component works, and we’re not going to stop having those conversations, because they might be the right thing to do.”. While it isn’t realistic to expect another free agent signing with an already packed roster filled with both NHL-ready talent, and prospects, it’s encouraging to see that Sweeney is prepared to look at all avenues to deploy a competitive team this season.
The list of free agents remaining on the market isn’t great, however, there are still a few players that should intrigue the Bruins for the right price and term. If the Bruins still want to make a trade to make space for a more experienced defender, names such as Cody Franson, and Christian Ehrhoff, and Marek Zidlicky are the three defenseman left who might be interesting. If the Bruins are looking for more experience in their bottom-6, Eric Fehr, Jarret Stoll, Lee Stempniak, Matt Cullen, Jiri Tlusty, and Michael Ryder are still available. It should also be noted that Alexander Semin is still on the market as well.
The Boston Bruins have roughly $4.7 million in cap space available according to GeneralFanager.com, although that doesn’t account for a backup goaltender. There is still a lot of time left in the offseason for Boston to make another signing. Whether it be a depth signing, or a splash to bolster a position of need, Don Sweeney is exploring all options.