Management How would you rate Sweeney?
- Thread starter PlayMakers
- Start date
AngryMilkcrates
End of an Era
- Jun 4, 2016
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BigBadBruins7708
Registered User
Drafting: D+, saved only by McAvoy being gifted to him and a good pick in Carlo. The rest have been hot garbage at best.
Developing draft picks and young talent: F, same as above, they've only developed 4th liners under him
Identifying and signing college free agents: F
Acquiring NHL talent to fill holes (like Krejci's RW): F, just look at the list.
Making trades (player for player, player for futures, futures for player): D+
Trade deadline acquisitions: C, saved only by Coyle
Free Agency (as in July 1st UFA's): F
Getting existing players to sign at discounts: A, his only skill
Overall team performance under Sweeney: D, not gonna give him credit for performance when its carried by players he inherited (Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak, Krejci, Chara, Krug, Rask)
Blowfish
Count down ...
In summary bruins have issues identifying forwards but players like to play for Boston.
Drafting
C = forwards (without Pasta it's a dead F)
A = d men
Developing draft picks and young talent
B- = forwards
A = d men
Identifying and signing college free agents
D = forwards
A = d men
Acquiring NHL talent to fill holes (like Krejci's RW)
-D
Making trades (player for player, player for futures, futures for player).
C (without Coyle it's a dead F)
Trade deadline acquisitions
D (Mojo keeps it from E)
Free Agency (as in July 1st UFA's)
-B
Getting existing players to sign at discounts
A
Overall team performance under Sweeney
-A
Drafting
C = forwards (without Pasta it's a dead F)
A = d men
Developing draft picks and young talent
B- = forwards
A = d men
Identifying and signing college free agents
D = forwards
A = d men
Acquiring NHL talent to fill holes (like Krejci's RW)
-D
Making trades (player for player, player for futures, futures for player).
C (without Coyle it's a dead F)
Trade deadline acquisitions
D (Mojo keeps it from E)
Free Agency (as in July 1st UFA's)
-B
Getting existing players to sign at discounts
A
Overall team performance under Sweeney
-A
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rocketdan9
Registered User
- Feb 5, 2009
- 20,411
- 13,210
Beleskey, Backes signings and 2015 draft will haunt him for the next little while
Last season (or even two seasons ago) trade for Goodrow and Coleman instead of Kase and Ritchie would have made a difference.
Not willing to pay the price to get over the hump. Example Mark Stone also
Instead tries dollar store method to try to uncover gems for the cheap. It has worked twice with Coyle and Mojo. But otherwise, trades that hasn't moved the needle and instead wasted potential valuable 2nd/3rd round picks
Many folks upset with his draft method. 2020 no exception. I'm still hopeful Lohrei will turns out to be a good NHL D. The size and offensive mentality is there. But who knows, could turn out be John Moore at best or worst wasted opportunity
Bruins instead skip over Roni Hirvonen and Kasper Simontaival, who are smallish forwards but with dynamic potential
Overall a C+ grade with extremely lucky situation to avoid TBL in the playoffs two seasons ago. To squandered chance to raise the cup.
IF 2 or 3 from Frederic, Stud, Senyshyn, Zboril, Vaaka, Swayman turn out to be legit nhlers, grade definitely improves
Last season (or even two seasons ago) trade for Goodrow and Coleman instead of Kase and Ritchie would have made a difference.
Not willing to pay the price to get over the hump. Example Mark Stone also
Instead tries dollar store method to try to uncover gems for the cheap. It has worked twice with Coyle and Mojo. But otherwise, trades that hasn't moved the needle and instead wasted potential valuable 2nd/3rd round picks
Many folks upset with his draft method. 2020 no exception. I'm still hopeful Lohrei will turns out to be a good NHL D. The size and offensive mentality is there. But who knows, could turn out be John Moore at best or worst wasted opportunity
Bruins instead skip over Roni Hirvonen and Kasper Simontaival, who are smallish forwards but with dynamic potential
Overall a C+ grade with extremely lucky situation to avoid TBL in the playoffs two seasons ago. To squandered chance to raise the cup.
IF 2 or 3 from Frederic, Stud, Senyshyn, Zboril, Vaaka, Swayman turn out to be legit nhlers, grade definitely improves
UncleRico
Registered User
- May 8, 2017
- 7,941
- 9,942
I hate the “getting players to sign at discounts thing”. Do people really think Sweeney is getting these players to sign for less or do you think these players want to just win and take less.
Do people really believe if another GM was in place that these players wouldn’t have taken a discount? You think that’s Sweeney’s doing and not the players?
Do people really believe if another GM was in place that these players wouldn’t have taken a discount? You think that’s Sweeney’s doing and not the players?
Blowfish
Count down ...
easton117
Registered User
- Nov 11, 2017
- 5,080
- 5,673
Agree with most of not all of this.
Im curious if they’ll let him do the full rebuild when it comes time (which isn’t that far off).
Still think there’s way too many cooks in the kitchen to put the blame or praise on any one guy with Boston right now.
PlayMakers
Moderator
PlayMakers
Moderator
I think it’s Sweeney, I think he takes a Sinden-esque hardline approach to contract negotiations. He gives players take it or leave it offers while telling the media they’re constantly negotiating. It took someone leaving (Krug) to call him out on it. While I don’t mind that hard line approach with most players (including DeBrusk) I do worry that it will result in some bad feelings from guys like McAvoy and Pasta.
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Drafting: C- they seem to be about average for the league in the number of rostered players they drafted since 2015. Of course 2015 was a bit of a whiff in the first round but this grade to me could end up a B or a D- depending on how guys in the system ultimately turnout. Too much unknown yet.
College FAs: A - Sweeney and co. are good at this
NHL Talent to fill holes?: F- they just have not done this well at all
Making Trades: D not a lot to go on here but overall not great. Kase may pan out. N. Ritchie looks like a flop. Smith for Hayes was a disaster
Trade Deadline: D also pretty poor. Adds like Liles, Stafford, Stempniak just don't move the needle. Related to above, really. Nash was a good stab at it, but it didn't work out. Johansson was a good trade.
Free Agency: C+ - I know Don has never landed the big fish so it can't be a good score, but I think Craig Smith is a good signing, and he has done well with the bottom 6/depth type players- Lindholm, Nordstrom, Wagner, Kampfer. Moore is probably overpaid a bit, but is a solid depth guy. Some useful players have been signed.
Existing players: A Pasta and Brad. Enough said. Coyles was a good extension at a good price. Gryz is a solid contract. Krug was on his last deal as well. McAvoy and Carlo bridges were good. It's not an A+ because Wags is overpaid and over-termed.
Overall team performance: A- -should have won a cup v. St. Louis and the team was crap in the bubble, but overall under Sweeney the team has improved and is one of the best clubs in the league coming off a piss poor dumping by Ottawa in round 1 in 2016 and a DNQ the year before he came aboard.
BruinDust
Registered User
- Aug 2, 2005
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Sweeney's only real strength has been signing his own guys. And he's done so with the advantage of being the manager of a high-profile organization that has been one of the best and most respected in the sport the past decade.
Does he pull that stuff off if he was GM of a Bruins organization with the reputation it had from the mid-90s to the mid-2000s? Are guys like Marchand taking discounts to stay here if the Bruins were still that MOC-era laughing stock?
We can't entirely discount the personal side of this. We rip on Sweens a lot here and sometimes for good reason, but he might actually be a great guy to work for and the culture around the team, not just in the locker room, could well be very positive. It can't be all team rep- a company might be great to work for because of its success and reputation, but if you're boss is an asshole or the work environment is toxic it doesn't matter. Many of us here, myself included have worked for placed we thought would be great but turned out to be a nightmare because of crap management and a dysfunctional culture.
No. Next question, please.
And if he's channeling his inner Sinden w/r/t to re-signing players, how long will it be before the team is back to the MOC era when no UFA with functioning brain cells would sign on and players currently signed could not wait to get out???
PlayMakers
Moderator
BlackFrancis
Athletic Supporter Patch Partner
- Dec 14, 2013
- 5,719
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Drafting: This will likely go against the grain, but despite the players missed in 2015, he's been fairly good at converting draft picks into NHL players. 500+ games already from 2015. Charlie McAvoy and Lindgren should have long careers from the 2016 class, while Oscar Steen has at least shown the ability to play well professionally. Studnicka, Vaak and Bergund look fairly promising from 2017. And the past three drafts have been slim due to draft position and traded picks, but it's still very early to make any determination on them. People are going to shit on his head for his drafting, but if he keeps getting NHL players out of the draft, he's better than most in that regard - some just don't realize how tough it is.
Development: They do what you expect. Shitheads and flat-out busts are jettisoned as soon as they turn pro. The gems are in Boston as soon as humanly possible. The remainder get sifted for age 21. If they look like pros, they're shown time in Boston. If not, they marinate until they get it or waivers/trades/expansion or time simply runs out. The stories we hear about mismanaged development always seems to occur with really bad players.
College FA: Uncannily good. Not sure how they separate the wheat from the chaff so much better than other teams.
Acquire NHL talent: Aside from 2019, absolute dog shit. This is something that should cause Sweeney to hire an assistant that can compensate for his ineptitude, otherwise, this is something that gets a dude fired.
Trades: Pretty dire. Never works to get a 1st down to a 2nd. Continually see other teams trading for Bruins' needs without being gouged. Maybe that assistant should be able to negotiate trades as well.
Deadline: Everyone pretty much sucks at deadline trades, so I don't ding him there. But he should never be allowed to deal with Jeff Gorton again.
Free Agency: Kind of the same thing as acquiring NHL talent. Still, Sweeney's Bruins GM career would probably be extended by several years if he never signs another free agent.
Discount deals: We all know he's good at this. Major failing of Chiarelli's in not utilizing this.
Performance: He's painted himself into a bunch of corners over the past five years, but I'll be damned if he doesn't slip the noose and come out looking better for it every time. Can't argue with t he team's record and playoff showings since they dumped Clode.
I don't like Sweeney. I didn't like him as a player and I never saw the purpose of keeping him around afterwards. But it's very difficult to argue with the success the Boston Bruins have seen under his stewardship.
BigBadBruins7708
Registered User
it already has turned to that with UFAs and trades.
his stinginess hurts them. his refusal to go above bottom dollar means they always lose when they arent the only player at the table. Others realize you have to overpay a bit for a UFA or to make a trade, but ol Donny would rather hold his hard line than engage in give and take to make a deal.
Overall I give the man a B because at the end of the day, in spite of some problems, I can't argue with the success of the team since he's taken over. However we view it going forward, to this point he has done a good job where it counts: icing a serious contender for the past three seasons.
Sweeney has had his hands on the scouting and development of young players well before he became the GM of the Bruins.
- Back in 2006, he became the team's Director of Player Development
- in 2007, he became the team's director of Hockey Operations and Player Development and set up the franchise's first ever Developmental Camp for young players, which is now the standard.
- in 2014, he became the Providence Bruins GM, overseeing all hockey operations
He's helped scout and develop players like Krug, Pasta, Rask, Marchand, Lucic, etc etc.
Kegs
Registered User
- Nov 10, 2010
- 3,529
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Drafting is Under rated. He is brilliant at drafting defence. Because he missed out on some gems in 2015 I take points off. Drafting defence is something almost the entire league is terrible at. So I give him a tone of credit.
A-
development. I don’t see how we can complain. Seem to do a great job developing players. But I don’t think this has a lot to do with Sweeney. I think this system was already in place when he was hired. so I’m going to say not applicable.
Ncaa signings. I’m not sure to be honest. Did he sign bjork? I like bjork. Accari? Meh
I guess a C-
free agents arent his jam. But I love the smith signing. And I like that he won’t over pay free agents. I still give him a B here. I’m so glad he doesn’t pay too much to get free agents.
B-
His trades are hit and miss. Love The coyle trade. Hate the Ritchie trade. But really like adding kase. Maybe kase trade doesn’t happen with out the Ritchie trade. So meh. Also this was a great move because he offloaded the backes contract. Nash trade was horrible. I’m never a fan of rentals that only play 10-20 games.
C
trade deadline he is actually pretty good. He always seems to add something that’s more then just a rental. Kase and coyle. robbed on the Nash trade tho.
B+ coyle for donato is so gold.
Free agents meh. Smith was good add. Don’t like Moore. Backes didn’t work out. Am I missing someone?
D
he is really good at signing existing players. I have not seen him give anyone too much $ on a resign. His asset management is upper echelon for sure
A+
Teams been great under Sweeney. Went from fringe playoff team to top 5 team in the league.
A+
Overall A minus.
Kegs
Registered User
- Nov 10, 2010
- 3,529
- 4,050
I didn’t know that. That means he excels at development. I thought it was already in place. I guess my score should be higher.
UncleRico
Registered User
- May 8, 2017
- 7,941
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Krug got a contract a year ago and bruins took it off the table at the end of last offseason. Krug himself said there has been no contract offer in a year. Sweeney didn’t want anything to do with krug this offseason.
I’ll put it this way. What percentage of GMs in the league do you think sign pasta, Bergy and Marchand to those team friendly deals.
I would say a vast majority do because those players want to stay here and win/ enjoy playing with each other.
LSCII
Cup driven
D-
D for dev of picks, B for young players that signed as UFAs out of college
B+
F-
D
D-
D-
B+
B
C
He is a run of the mill GM. Not great not stinky, I think he's screwed when Bergy retires if he's still the GM. No more using #37 as the pay threshold
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