Boston Bruins: What we’ve learned from Don Sweeney’s recent remarks

Boston Bruins General Manager, Don Sweeney hasn’t actively updated the media on any contract negotiations this summer, however his recent remarks give a little glimmer of detail.

In a conversation that was shared on the Boston Bruins official website, Don Sweeney filled fans in on the process that the team is currently going through with restricted free agent defensemen, Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy.

One key snippet of the conversation focused on how much he enjoys being a part of the wider New England sporting community; a partnership that was actively visible during the Boston Bruins’ most recent run to the Stanley Cup Final.

He spoke about joining in with the recent FanFest stating that “you realize the pride of our fan base, we’re fortunate. It’s a New England outreach and we’re just happy to be a part of the day.”

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Perhaps more important ahead of next season, he also spoke to how negotiations around new contracts are proceeding, as obviously only Danton Heinen has been renewed thus far this summer. Most telling was his statement of the simple fact that they are moving “not as fast as everybody would like.”

This was echoed earlier in the month when Boston Bruins Team President, Cam Neely also voiced similar disappointment that the new deals weren’t moving with any real pace and that things remained at the current status quo for both players.

You’d have to imagine that the group of restricted free agents all currently pending new contracts will eventually start to shrink, though recent reports suggesting Mitch Marner is willing to head to Europe and Jesse Puljujarvi doesn’t want to return to Edmonton might indicate that the hold-out could well last longer than anyone ever expected.

We’re pretty much in a holding pattern of waiting for other cards to fall; there’s a definite feeling that once one of these free agents signs a new deal with their team, the others will fall in line behind them with a clear price having been set. Certainly that’d be the case with the likes of Ivan Provorov, Zach Werenski and Charlie McAvoy, who all seem relatively comparable.

Don Sweeney did state that “Brandon and Charlie will be a part of our organization for a long time. We think really highly of them as players on and off the ice, we just have to find a common ground.”

This would suggest that neither player is even so much as considering forcing the Boston Bruins’ hand to get them out of the city and are both in fact committed to the future, even if the dollar signs aren’t quite lining up for them just yet.

In a summer of unexpected delays when it comes to new contracts, we’re just going to have to continue to wait patiently for any further news. We’re sure as soon as Cam Neely or Don Sweeney have anything to announce, they’ll be yelling it from the rooftops!