As much as it might make sense to try to build for the future, it's hard for a team like the Boston Bruins to go into a full rebuild mode. Sports fans in Boston don't take too kindly to a losing team, and it's clear that the Bruins weren't planning on taking a step back this year with the way they've been operating. Don Sweeney made that even clearer with his pre-trade deadline media conference on Monday afternoon.
Don Sweeney on whether he’s hesitant to trade 1st-round picks given how many he’s dealt in past: “You're not wrong that we likely spent too much collateral in assets to try and win. I'm not going to apologize for trying to win. I'm going to apologize that we haven't won.” pic.twitter.com/OmAVgTvPRn
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) March 2, 2026
Those are some interesting comments from Sweeney. While it might be one of the first times the general manager has admitted to past mistakes, it's the final line where he says he's only apologizing for not winning that tips his mindset. It looks like Sweeney has no intention of not trying to win as long as he is in charge, and the desire to compete remains.
So what do the comments mean for this year's trade deadline? He didn't completely rule out using the first-round picks he acquired last season to improve this year's team, as long as it isn't a temporary fix. Sweeney will likely be looking for players with term if that's the case, which leads us to believe that the rumors about a certain St. Louis Blues forward are true.
Robert Thomas' fit with the Bruins
The St. Louis Blues' asking price for Robert Thomas will be hard for some Bruins fans to swallow, but that doesn't mean the deal won't happen. The Blues are going to want the equivalent of three top prospects or first-round draft picks, and a younger player on top of that.
Would two first-round picks, Dean Letourneau, and Matthew Poitras, get it done? Or are the Bruins going to have to offer James Hagens instead of Letourneau? It might be difficult to justify giving up that kind of price for Thomas, but it is something the front office might be considering.
If the Thomas price is too high, the Bruins might have something else up their sleeve with the news that they have four scouts in attendance at the Toronto Maple Leafs-Philadelphia Flyers game on Monday night. The Bruins just played the Flyers, so it isn't to pre-scout for a game. It can only be to look at some of their players.
It could confirm Anthony Di Marco's report that the Bruins are looking at both Owen Tippett and Rasmus Ristolainen. Tippett has a term that goes along with Sweeney's comments today, while Ristolainen is the right-shot defender they are looking for.