Talk to any Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, or fan of any other NHL team going through a rebuild and ask them how things are going. They will likely not provide the answer they were hoping for when their rebuilds began years ago.
When it comes to the Boston Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney and president Cam Neely, a rebuild was never an option. When the Bruins decided to sell at the trade deadline last year, they acquired assets, but also some key players. Nobody has turned into a bigger steal than prospect Fraser Minten when Boston acquired him from the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the Brandon Carlo trade.
Minten has blossomed into a top-nine player for the Black and Gold this season. He is part of the reason why they are closing in on an Eastern Conference playoff berth one year after finishing tied for last place with the Philadelphia Flyers. The latest NHL power rankings were released, and it proves that the Sweeney and Neely retool path is set up for success.
Latest NHL Power Rankings prove Bruins retool is possible for the rest of the league
Here is a quick rundown of the latest NHL power rankings and were the Bruins were placed,
- CBS Sports: No. 8, same spot as last week
- NHL.com: No. 9, same spot as last week
- Sportsnet: No. 9, down two spots from last week
- ESPN: No. 9, same spot as last week
Boston held steady in the rankings despite going 0-2-2 on a recent four-game road trip. They scored three goals in their first three games against the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Philadelphia Flyers. The sad part is that there were points to be taken against the Panthers and Lightning. Instead, they came up empty.
Rebuilds tend to take a long time, and look for teams to adapt to the Sweeney model of a retool on the fly. Expect the Maple Leafs to head down the same route this summer as they are facing one of the biggest offseasons in some time. Expect Don Sweeney to be the model once again.