Memokerobi
Registered User
- May 4, 2018
- 1,216
- 2,027
Free agency opens on Oct. 6. It will be Don Sweeney’s first opportunity to do some shopping.
Unlike some of his cap-strapped counterparts, including Julien BriseBois in Tampa Bay, Sweeney should have cash to spend in free agency. That may change, though, if something else catches his eye first.
“That will depend on if we make any roster moves prior to that,” Sweeney said Wednesday of spending on the free market. “There are a lot of teams that are up against the cap in a flat-cap environment. We actually have the space to do the things necessary to do internally. Whether or not we do those or execute those, that still remains to be seen.”
The NHL salary cap will remain flat at $81.5 million because of the pandemic’s financial body blow. Some GMs, like BriseBois, will have to unhitch, with great reluctance, good players from their rosters. It may be that breathing room under the cap puts Sweeney in an advantageous position.
The Bruins, however, will still have to give to get.
“There’s been plenty of talk of teams trying to move pieces around and players to improve their own clubs,” Sweeney said. “We’re going to do the exact same thing. Having conversations, I’m pretty aware of how teams are valuing players on our roster. So I have to look at it and say, ‘OK, does that mean we have the internal growth available to fill that spot?’ Anytime you look at moving players in and out, you’re robbing Peter to pay Paul in that situation.”
Sweeney’s counterparts want young, productive and relatively inexpensive players off the Black-and-Gold roster. David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy fit this profile. By now, other GMs should know better than to inquire about their availability.When they raise other names, however, Sweeney has to listen.
This means Jake DeBrusk, Brandon Carlo and Anders Bjork. It means, to a lesser degree, Jack Studnicka, Urho Vaakanainen and Trent Frederic.
Unlike some of his cap-strapped counterparts, including Julien BriseBois in Tampa Bay, Sweeney should have cash to spend in free agency. That may change, though, if something else catches his eye first.
“That will depend on if we make any roster moves prior to that,” Sweeney said Wednesday of spending on the free market. “There are a lot of teams that are up against the cap in a flat-cap environment. We actually have the space to do the things necessary to do internally. Whether or not we do those or execute those, that still remains to be seen.”
The NHL salary cap will remain flat at $81.5 million because of the pandemic’s financial body blow. Some GMs, like BriseBois, will have to unhitch, with great reluctance, good players from their rosters. It may be that breathing room under the cap puts Sweeney in an advantageous position.
The Bruins, however, will still have to give to get.
“There’s been plenty of talk of teams trying to move pieces around and players to improve their own clubs,” Sweeney said. “We’re going to do the exact same thing. Having conversations, I’m pretty aware of how teams are valuing players on our roster. So I have to look at it and say, ‘OK, does that mean we have the internal growth available to fill that spot?’ Anytime you look at moving players in and out, you’re robbing Peter to pay Paul in that situation.”
Sweeney’s counterparts want young, productive and relatively inexpensive players off the Black-and-Gold roster. David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy fit this profile. By now, other GMs should know better than to inquire about their availability.When they raise other names, however, Sweeney has to listen.
This means Jake DeBrusk, Brandon Carlo and Anders Bjork. It means, to a lesser degree, Jack Studnicka, Urho Vaakanainen and Trent Frederic.