Grading and Analyzing the Offseason of Don Sweeney

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With the Bruins beginning their season Thursday night, let’s take a look and see how Don Sweeney did in the offseason in assembling the roster.

It’s hard to believe, but the NHL offseason is over. Free agency happened in early October, with many players changing addresses for this season. The Boston Bruins lost some players in free agency, while general manager Don Sweeney made one move in free agency to look to add secondary scoring.

While there was movement in free agency, the trade front was quiet. The Bruins were linked to some players on the trade market, but either teams’ decided that they were not getting the right deal or the team looking to acquire a player pulled away if the asking price was too high.

With the Bruins beginning the season Thursday night at New Jersey against one of their new divisional opponents for this season, let’s take a look back at Sweeney’s offseason.

Who Left

You don’t need me to remind you who left town this offseason. Torey Krug joined the St. Louis Blues on a seven-year, $45.5 million contract. There have been different opinions as to whether Sweeney should have re-signed the 29-year-old blueliner, but it appeared the two sides were heading for a separation.

Two days before New Years Day, former captain Zdeno Chara agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals for $795,000. It ended a 14-year run in Boston for Big Z and created a bigger hole on the left side of the defense. Whether or not Chara still had anything left in the tank, it appeared that the Bruins are ready to move on and see what they have with their young defensemen this season.

Bottom-six forward Joakim Nordstrom left after two years with the Bruins and signed a one-year, $700,000 deal with the Calgary Flames.

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 17: Craig Smith #15 of the Nashville Predators celebrates his goal against the New York Islanders at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on December 17, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. The Predators defeated the Islanders 8-3.(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Sweeney’s Signings

On the second day of free agency, Sweeney signed Craig Smith to a three-year, $9.3 million contract. In signing the former Nashville Predators right wing, the Bruins are hoping that he can help solve the problems with secondary scoring. In five of his nine years with the Predators, Smith scored 20 goals and was on his way to a sixth season before the season was paused last March with him sitting on 18 goals.

After six weeks on the free-agent market, Jake DeBrusk was brought back on a two-year bridge deal with a $3.65 million annual cap hit. Re-signing DeBrusk was key for the Bruins on the second line left wing with David Krejci.

On defense, Matt Grzelcyk avoided arbitration after agreeing to a four-year deal for $14.75 million. With Krug and Chara leaving, re-signing the 27-year-old Boston native was almost a necessity for the Black and Gold. One of the more surprising re-signings was when Sweeney and Kevan Miller agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with bonuses.

Miller has not played in a game since April of 2019 when he injured his knee cap in the playoffs. Miller has apparently slid ahead of Connor Clifton on the Bruins right-handed depth chart for the third pairing. Sweeney also re-signed Jakub Zboril for two years and $1.45 million.

Other minor moves by Sweeney brought back Karson Kuhlman on a two-year deal for $1.45 million and he signed Greg McKegg away from the New York Rangers on a one-year, two-way deal for $700,000. He’ll most likely begin the season on the taxi squad. Goalie Callum Booth, who spent last season in the Carolina Hurricanes organization, was signed for a one-year, two-way contract at $700,000. All three of those signings were for depth.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 17: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins defends Tyler Toffoli #73 of the Los Angeles Kings to defeat the Boston Bruins 4-3 in overtime at TD Garden on December 17, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Grade

There were plenty of options for Sweeney on both the free-agent front and in trades.

Taylor Hall was a free agent forward that the Bruins had expressed interest in, but not for the one-year, $8 million contract the Buffalo Sabers gave the former over No. 1 pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2010.

At last year’s trade deadline, the Bruins were linked to Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli, but he ended up getting traded to the Vancouver Canucks. A free agent in October, the Bruins kicked the tires on Toffoli, but he ended up signing a contract with the Montreal Canadiens for four years and a $4.25 million cap hit.

Also on the trade front, the Bruins were in on acquiring Arizona Coyotes veteran defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but Sweeney decided to pass on him. Another name the Bruins were reported to be asking about is Calgary Flames’ 23-year-old defenseman, Noah Hanifin. If things don’t go well on the blue line, there is the real possibility that Sweeney calls the Flames again about the Boston native.

It is clear that the Bruins really want to see what their young defensemen look like this season. Sweeney has held onto them as some could have been used as a trade chip to bring in a veteran, but it’s not to say that some won’t be moved by the April 12 trade deadline.

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The front office hopes that Smith can help solve some of their secondary scoring issues, while bringing DeBrusk back on a bridge deal gives the Bruins a middle-six that looks better than the 70 games in 2019-20.

Grade: B-

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