Bruins Lack Direction

The Boston Bruins have made some moves this off-season that has shown fans that they clearly do not know where to go. An unfortunate season end led to the questionable firing of coach Bruce Cassidy. Rumors of Patrice Bergeron returning on a cap-friendly deal and an extension handed to GM Don Sweeney has fans up in arms about their mixed feelings as we creep closer to the NHL season.

Patrice Bergeron won his fifth Selke Trophy, the most in NHL history. Following the Bruins’ elimination to the Carolina Hurricanes, Bergeron had a procedure done on his elbow and would be available to start the season should he decide to return to Boston. Losing Bergeron would also amplify the losses of Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, and Matt Gryzelcyk who will not be ready for the start of the season due to off-season surgeries. Pair that with Free Agency starting soon let’s hope Bergeron makes his decision sooner.

The Bruins have made a bad trend of not having first-round picks over the past few years and it has come back to bite them. No cups to show for the players they got from those picks and the front office has been flat-out bad at evaluating what pieces would be the right ones. Drafting hasn’t been their forte either. There is a list of players that were there for the taking when it was Boston’s turn to pick and they left them there.

It is very perplexing why the Bruins have decided to let coach Bruce Cassidy go. He helped lead them to the cup final in 2019 and made the playoffs every year during his tenure with the club. And fans should be concerned with how fast he went off the market and found a home with the Vegas Golden Knights. The media quickly went online to make it known what kind of message the organization was sending. One fan saw what the media saw and canceled his season tickets. It is not acceptable to be satisfied with first-round exits every year and I hope ownership knows that. Because it seems that with this firing they seem perfectly content with collecting an extra few dollars through playoff ticket sales and television deals.

Shortly after Cassidy got the ax, rumors began to circulate about what many already knew would happen. Don Sweeney signed an extension to stay the GM of the Boston Bruins (insert eye roll) and it is not something that many fans have found as a reason for celebration. Sweeney is the main reason the Bruins are in the mess that they are in. Trading away first-round picks for rental guys that were not able to deliver in the playoffs year after year. The only positive one can grant him is that he has been able to get players under team-friendly contracts. Either the ownership group is giving him time to try and repair what he’s messed up or they’ve got the yes man they want.

Unless the Bruins clear up some cap space during the draft they will not be major players in the free agency market this summer. The Bruins currently have $2.3 million in cap space. Talk about a beer budget! With rumors of David Krejci pondering a return to the black and gold, it leads me to wonder where they’re gonna get the money from.

If I were just a fan, I would seriously contemplate not going to games and if I were a season ticket holder I would think about following this fan’s lead in canceling your membership. Send out your own message to the Jacobs family that you as fans will not sit and allow them to line their pockets while not trying to win with your best foot forward.