Management Bruins GM Don Sweeney addresses signings- All Sweeney Talk Here

[BruinsFanSince94]

Agreed. Funny how a lot of people can't or simply won't admit that the guy is completely clueless.

Because the quality of posters who agree on this are well..... it speaks for itself

 

[DKH]

Agreed. Funny how a lot of people can't or simply won't admit that the guy is completely clueless.

This is the tough off stuff that drives posters away

 

[Chief Nine]

This is the tough off stuff that drives posters away

Actually, this is what exposes posters like this as either clueless themselves or a flat out troll

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Actually, this is what exposes posters like this as either clueless themselves or a flat out troll

I will take both for $500, Alex!

 

[Fenian24]

Not a big Sweeney fan but there was nothing wrong with the Nash trade. You can't not make a deal because a player may get hurt otherwise you never make a trade again. He paid a fair price for a second line rw wing.

Part of my issue with Sweeney is we are going into this season with the exact same problem as last year, no second line rw, add in no third line center and I find his inactivity annoying at the least

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Part of my issue with Sweeney is we are going into this season with the exact same problem as last year, no second line rw, add in no third line center and I find his inactivity annoying at the least

And yet.... They finished as one of the best teams in the league, last year. Weird.....

 

[Chief Nine]

Not a big Sweeney fan but there was nothing wrong with the Nash trade. You can't not make a deal because a player may get hurt otherwise you never make a trade again. He paid a fair price for a second line rw wing.

Part of my issue with Sweeney is we are going into this season with the exact same problem as last year, no second line rw, add in no third line center and I find his inactivity annoying at the least

Now this is fair criticism. If you don’t agree with what he’s planning to see what they have with young players then I can see your point. You can make a case that they should fill a need with a veteran but that’s not what they’re going to do and if you’re not on board with that, fair enough. But to call Sweeney clueless or gun shy is just disingenuous at best

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

At this point I like what he's doing. Went after a couple big free agents and wasn't successful, but it's clear he didn't want to give up actual assets for an upgrade (unless it was a good deal, I'd imagine).

Between Heinen/Bjork/Donato I feel like they should be able to fill that 2nd line RW spot, and Frederic/JFK/Studnicka that 3rd line center role should be good enough.

I don't want another Chris Kelly/Peverely situation, promote from within!

 

[Fenian24]

At this point I like what he's doing. Went after a couple big free agents and wasn't successful, but it's clear he didn't want to give up actual assets for an upgrade (unless it was a good deal, I'd imagine).

Between Heinen/Bjork/Donato I feel like they should be able to fill that 2nd line RW spot, and Frederic/JFK/Studnicka that 3rd line center role should be good enough.

I don't want another Chris Kelly/Peverely situation, promote from within!

Peverley and Kelly helped them win a cup, sorry they weren't draft and develop but I'd rather win a cup.

If JFK, Studnicka or Frederic play significant minutes this year I am willing to bet they drop 10-15 pounds from last year, never mind no second line rw

 

[bruinmann77]

i ok with DS going with some youngsters he should not force a trade as their is no need at this point.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Peverley and Kelly helped them win a cup, sorry they weren't draft and develop but I'd rather win a cup.

If JFK, Studnicka or Frederic play significant minutes this year I am willing to bet they drop 10-15 pounds from last year, never mind no second line rw

Who's dropping 10-15 pounds? lmfao..... You keep whining about not having a 2nd line RW. Last season, they played Bjork and Spooner there for the majority of the season, and still finished as one of the top teams in the league. I don't get why you're so hot and bothered about this 2nd line RW situation when they have plenty of options there. Heinen (47 points as a rookie), Bjork returning from injury, Donato as a potential player, and Cehlarik.

 

[Fenian24]

i ok with DS going with some youngsters he should not force a trade as their is no need at this point.

I agree now isn't the time, it was at the draft. This is a glaring need, i understand he thought he may have had a shot at Tavares, or was at least lead to believe so but he needed more of a back up plan than hoping rookies with zero or 1 season of pro experience are the answer

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

I agree now isn't the time, it was at the draft. This is a glaring need, i understand he thought he may have had a shot at Tavares, or was at least lead to believe so but he needed more of a back up plan than hoping rookies with zero or 1 season of pro experience are the answer

The only spot that you can question going into this season could have been addressed is 3LC. There's zero wrong with going into the season with an opening on 2nd line RW if you're options are Heinen, a rookie who put up 47 points, and produced whenever he was moved up into the Top 6. Anders Bjork, who played well before his injury and started as the Top 6 RW last season or Donato, who while limited, produced in his early NHL role; 0.75 PPG. Cehlarik is also there, and looked good in his time, granted he has injury issues and is a long shot to me.

You act like they're going into the season with a bunch of scrubs competing for that spot. f***, Sweeney just needs to go out and invite Chris Stewart to a PTO. Maybe that'll quiet you down for a bit. Broken record....Broken record...Broken record....

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

Peverley and Kelly helped them win a cup, sorry they weren't draft and develop but I'd rather win a cup.

If JFK, Studnicka or Frederic play significant minutes this year I am willing to bet they drop 10-15 pounds from last year, never mind no second line rw

And they signed those awful contracts AFTER they won the cup because they had no "draft and develop" guys to replace them. It's exactly why we didn't re sign Riley Nash, he got overpaid on the ufa market..he would have been re signed more than likely if PC were still around.

You can't just pay all your third and fourth liners big money and hope to have sustained success, thought you would have learned that after the late Chiarelli years.

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

Who's dropping 10-15 pounds? lmfao..... You keep whining about not having a 2nd line RW. Last season, they played Bjork and Spooner there for the majority of the season, and still finished as one of the top teams in the league. I don't get why you're so hot and bothered about this 2nd line RW situation when they have plenty of options there. Heinen (47 points as a rookie), Bjork returning from injury, Donato as a potential player, and Cehlarik.

Yeah it's not like there's no NHL talent vying to take over that spot. 3C is the only questionable position IMO but rather than signing nash to multi years I think the internal competition is the way to go.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Not a big Sweeney fan but there was nothing wrong with the Nash trade. You can't not make a deal because a player may get hurt otherwise you never make a trade again. He paid a fair price for a second line rw wing.

Part of my issue with Sweeney is we are going into this season with the exact same problem as last year, no second line rw, add in no third line center and I find his inactivity annoying at the least

If not for the concussion it would have been fine. I said at the start it was a high price but if we re-signed him it would be Ok. The concussion ruined that option.

 

[Fenian24]

Yeah it's not like there's no NHL talent vying to take over that spot. 3C is the only questionable position IMO but rather than signing nash to multi years I think the internal competition is the way to go.

There is no NHL talent looking to take over those spots unless you play Heinen out of position.

Donato, JFK, Bjork, Frederic and Studnicka are not established NHL players. If you move Heinen you have another hole on the left side. Sweeney did not address these needs in the off season. Period. He showed it in his pursuit of Kovalchuk that he knows he has key weak spots but failed to fill them

 

[Fenian24]

If not for the concussion it would have been fine. I said at the start it was a high price but if we re-signed him it would be Ok. The concussion ruined that option.

I still like the trade, its a shame Nash got injured, he would have filled multiple needs if he was healthy

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

There is no NHL talent looking to take over those spots unless you play Heinen out of position.

Donato, JFK, Bjork, Frederic and Studnicka are not established NHL players. If you move Heinen you have another hole on the left side. Sweeney did not address these needs in the off season. Period. He showed it in his pursuit of Kovalchuk that he knows he has key weak spots but failed to fill them

He tried to address needs without giving up assets. He clearly didn't think it was worth giving up a lot to get a 2nd line RW because he has three good young players that could potentially fill that need.

I don't know what else to say.... in a fairytale world where the cap doesn't exist maybe they could have given Kovalchuk 8mm per and gotten him to come to Boston, but Sweeney doesn't have that luxury.

This exact situation happened with Debrusk last year. I'd rather let three clearly talented but unproven players compete for a spot then give up assets that I don't want to. You have to look beyond next yeat as well.

 

[Nothingbutglass]

He tried to address needs without giving up assets. He clearly didn't think it was worth giving up a lot to get a 2nd line RW because he has three good young players that could potentially fill that need.

I don't know what else to say.... in a fairytale world where the cap doesn't exist maybe they could have given Kovalchuk 8mm per and gotten him to come to Boston, but Sweeney doesn't have that luxury.

This exact situation happened with Debrusk last year. I'd rather let three clearly talented but unproven players compete for a spot then give up assets that I don't want to. You have to look beyond next yeat as well.

Right and if things arent working out we still have time to make a trade to fix before declaring the season over. Not sure why its so urgent to do in the off season

 

[BruinDust]

Right and if things arent working out we still have time to make a trade to fix before declaring the season over. Not sure why its so urgent to do in the off season

Mostly because posters are obsessed with being able to write down a line-up on a piece of paper here in mid-September as if it will be the line-up going into the playoffs. And would prefer Sweeney jump the gun on a deal rather than see what they have in the system.

They have a prospect in Donato who put up 0.5 PP and scored at a 35 goal pace coming into the NHL fresh out of college. And did it during the toughest part of the schedule, not during tea time in October.

They have another prospect in Bjork that looked just fine as a Top 6 winger before taking a few hits and getting injured.

They have not one, not two, but three prospect centers taken in the 1st and 2nd round. (JFK, Frederic, and Studnicka)

They have another former 1st rounder in Senyshyn

They have another solid prospect in Cehlarik whose looked pretty good in his NHL stints, even if the production wasn't eye-popping.

Not to mention a bunch of other guys in Fitzgerald, Kuhlman, Bakos, Cave, and Blidh who could surprise and contribute to the Bruins this season.

And they have really just two openings to compete for.

With that many darts to toss at the dartboard, pretty decent chance a couple will hit. Even if they just get one guy who can play on one of the top 3 lines, they are in decent shape. And if none hit, plenty of time to address where they have a surplus, and what they can use to make a deal to shore up a weakness.

The line-up in March/April/May/June is all that really matters. Not the line-up in September/October/November.

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

Right and if things arent working out we still have time to make a trade to fix before declaring the season over. Not sure why its so urgent to do in the off season

I also think the idea of the kids being "unproven" get overrated a bit. Anyone with an eye for talent can see Heinen/Bjork/Donato have talent, same with Kuraly/JFK/Sudnicka/Frederic. Its not like we're going into camp relying on 2018 5th round draft picks to fill our top 6, these players have for the most part, in Sweeneys eyes, been here and proven at least somewhat they can hang. He wouldnt be going this route if he thought differently.

Would I have preferred to sign Riley Nash to a one year contract so either play him at 3C or one of the bottom six wings? Of course. Like I said though, La La "no salary cap" land this is not.

 

[alg363636]

The only glaring issue Sweeney has is that his UFA signings tend to be hot garbage.

People need to stop acting like you can only trade during the offseason. This team will be good next year. Good enough that we can give it a few months to evaluate. If they are struggling to compete in their division then make a trade during the season or at the deadline. We have a ton of prospects who deserve a chance.

I am not the biggest Sweeney fan but I trust he will make a trade if the team needs one. I dont think there was anything worth pulling the trigger on this summer.

 

[LouJersey]

The only glaring issue Sweeney has is that his UFA signings tend to be hot garbage.

People need to stop acting like you can only trade during the offseason. This team will be good next year. Good enough that we can give it a few months to evaluate. If they are struggling to compete in their division then make a trade during the season or at the deadline. We have a ton of prospects who deserve a chance.

I am not the biggest Sweeney fan but I trust he will make a trade if the team needs one. I dont think there was anything worth pulling the trigger on this summer.

Just Skinner for me.

 

[DKH]

He got his butt hurt from
Gordon from that Nash trade debacle. He has a deer in the headlights face now since. He can't make a trade now.

I hsvf no doubt you are serious