One of the biggest surprises this past season in the NHL was the Boston Bruins. When the season began, not many had them penciled in as a Stanley Cup Playoff team. After things started slowly under first-year coach Marco Sturm, the Black and Gold turned things around after the New Year and made a push for the playoffs.
A New Year's Eve win over the Edmonton Oilers set the tone, and despite a few hiccups and injuries, Boston was able to secure the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot and a first-round playoff matchup with the Buffalo Sabres.
The six-game loss to the Sabres in the opening round compounded what Bruins fans already knew: the roster was flawed and needed upgrades. In their end-of-the-season media availability, the front office basically said that. Now, it's a matter of roster turnover. However, many fans question whether or not general manager Don Sweeney and team President Cam Neely will actually make the necessary moves to address the club's needs. Harman Dayal of The Athletic put the front office on notice that they have the assets to get a deal done.
Bruins have assets to address offseason needs
"The Bruins have trade assets — they own all of their first- and second-round picks moving forward and have future first-rounders from Florida and Toronto in their back pocket. Cap space won’t be an issue either, as Boston has over $15 million in projected room with most of its roster already signed,'' wrote Dayal.
There you go, Bruins fans, the Bruins have the assets, and cap space is not going to be an issue to address a need the Black and Gold have. They need a top-6 center, a top-4 right-shot defenseman, and a goal-scoring wing, should they look to really address their needs.
Sweeney tried addressing their need for a right-shot defenseman by acquiring Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames back in January. Things reportedly fell through. There is also a need for a top-line center, as it's becoming clear that Elias Lindholm isn't the answer. That's not going to be addressed through free agency, but through a trade. Again. Dayal said the Bruins have the assets.
Addressing the need for a goal-scoring wing feels like it might be the easiest to address, but it's also one that is not going to be at the top of Sweeney's list. A No. 1 center and a right-shot defenseman are at the very top of the to-do list.
Aside from draft picks, the time to strike with prospects for the Bruins is, well, now. Matthew Poitras' future is a giant question mark, and it feels like he's going to be on the move. When it comes to Will Zellers and Dean Letourneau, well then, discussions need to be had. However, if a blockbuster is a possibility, then decisions will have to be made.
The bottom line, Boston and Sweeney have the assets to get a deal done. It's time to put up or risk falling behind the rest of the Eastern Conference again.
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