So, I have watched B’s fans and the media largely go bonkers for the last couple of days and I wanted to give my observations. Take them for what they are worth
Right off the top I want to make it clear that I am not a Sweeney apologist and think he can do no wrong. He has made his fair share of mistakes and as the GM is also the one responsible for mistakes he didn’t make (like bad scouting recommendations). The drafting has been below average and the free agent signings horrible at times. I believe the Bruins pro scouts have been a problem for awhile now, given the poor “fits” for both FA’s and trade acquisitions. It’s Sweeney’s responsibility to fix that and I don’t think he has.
On the flip side, his extensions for players already here have been phenomenal for the most part. The college FA signings have been excellent and the team has been one of the best in the league during his tenure. If you paid attention you would also see that he has expanded the scouting and support staff almost every year he’s been GM (is he picking the wrong scouts?). Imo, he has made enough mistakes to be let go, but he’s not the trainwreck that fans and a lot of media would have you believe. And he’s certainly not a moron (a popular opinion of late).
I think Cassidy is a very good (not great) coach. He has been extremely successful during the regular season and took the B’s on that one long run in 2019 where they came up just short. That said, I’m not sure why there has been the insane amount of angst about Cassidy being fired there has been.
Were there flaws in the rosters he had to coach? Absolutely. There are not many teams that don’t have any holes. However, this idea that Cassidy was given crap rosters that he was somehow magically able to turn into great teams is ridiculous. I would also contend that at times, Cassidy exacerbated the flaws in the roster by insisting on keeping 3 of his 4 best F’s on one line for the majority of his tenure as coach. One reason the Top 6 lacked depth was missing on FA’s and poor drafting (on Sweeney), but the bigger reason was Cassidy’s refusal to drop Pastrnak down to play with Krejci. He was just as responsible as Sweeney was for Kuhlman and Backes being on Krejci’s wing.
I think the biggest reason for all the outrage the last couple of days is because Cassidy is one of the more open coaches you will find. He is candid and willing to give the fans and media more than the vast majority of coaches. That’s a good thing for reporters because it makes their job significantly easier and it’s a good thing for some fans because it makes them feel as if they are part of the process. His style makes you feel like you are behind the scenes, privy to “insider” information, and part of the team.
That’s great, but the other side of that is the affect it has on the players. I have never been a fan of publicly criticizing players. To me, it’s counter productive and a last resort tactic before a player is moved/let go. If you want to let a player have it in the privacy of your office, have at it. In my opinion, some of the criticisms that Butch routinely gave in his postgame media sessions is one of the primary reasons he was fired (not the only one). It’s also the reason (imo) that a bunch of the media has been acting like sullen fans and not objective reporters the last few days. (Shout out to Mick Colageo for not being one of those people. You should read the excellent article he did yesterday about the situation if you haven’t already).
A lot of people read this and say, pffffft. How soft is that? These guys are professionals that get paid a lot of money and they should be able to take it. I used to feel like that when I was a younger fan, but with all due respect, that’s one of the dumbest ideas I have heard. How many of you would enjoy it if instead of speaking with you privately, every Friday your boss put together an email of your shortcomings at your job and emailed it to the rest of your company? Sounds like fun.
I would say that people in any field perform their best when they enjoy coming to work, regardless of how much money they make. These pros all talk to one another and at some point in their careers have choices about where they can play. Most of them want to win, but they also probably want to like going to work too.
The other big reason I believe Cassidy was fired was because of his lack of patience with younger players. Some will push back on this and say that Sweeney has not provided enough young talent and that he has signed a lot of Bottom 6 veteran types so there weren’t a lot of spots. Both are true, and the first part is definitely on Sweeney and the scouts. However, the second part is kind of a chicken/egg, cart/horse argument.
Two seasons ago, the B’s left F spots open for the younger guys and nobody took advantage. Lack of talent was part of it, but I also think Cassidy’s lack of patience and demeanor were a big part. Young players would make a mistake and not see the ice the rest of the game. Coaches are paid to win, so I get it, but at the same time they are also paid to develop young players so they can win more later in the season. Imo, that is not a strength of Cassidy’s and why you saw Sweeney sign veteran Bottom 6 guys this past offseason. Why leave open spots if integrating youngsters into the lineup if it’s not a strong suit of your coach? Chicken/egg.
There are other issues I had with Cassidy. His line management and in-game adjustments were not stellar and I believe he was out-coached in several of the playoff series they lost. At the end of the day, he was a good coach, but I think he was wearing on players (and possibly other coaches) and it was time for a new direction. I believe that there are a number of other coaches out there who can be successful in Boston. Which one they select is probably going to be based in large part on whether or not Bergeron returns and if they want to make one more run.
People have short memories sometimes. I remember the last time the Bruins fired a coach and there were a lot of similar reactions. It seems like so long ago that Sweeney fired Clode and replaced him with the unproven Cassidy. So many questions at the time, but for the most part, it worked out. I’m hoping for the same again.
Also, in closing, I have seen a lot of stuff about Cassidy being the best Bruins coach people have seen in their lifetime. Maybe if you are 10
. Julien had a similar regular season winning percentage AND he won a Cup. Better coach than Butch imo and when he left, it was time to go as well. It happens.
Enjoy your day.
