1. FA Signings D:
Negative Backes, Beleskey, Moore. Big wasted money, think of what could be done with that money, basically a star player or two high-impact players. We could have brought back Krug with relative ease.
Positive Role and Depth Players: Wagner and Nordstrom were top quality inexpensive 4th liners. So far his best FA signing has been Craig Smith based on what I am seeing thus far.
2. Drafting C:
Positive McCavoy, Carlo, DeBrusk. McCavoy has Norris potential, DeBrusk flirts with being a 30 goal scorer and Carlo is a top-four shut-down defenseman.
Negative Synyshyn, JFK, Frederic (drafted too high for what his projection is). Chabot played on Zboril's team and somehow we took JZ instead of him and then we took Synyshyn in place of... Barzal, Konecny, Conner, Boeser, Beauvillier, Mitchell Stephens, Vince Dunn, Rasmus Anderson, Travis Dermott and Jordan Greenway. We even passed on some of these players in the 2nd round to take JFK.
Frederic was projected as a 3rd or 4th liner which is what he looks like. We passed on Jordan Kyrou, Alex DeBrincat, Samuel Girard, Carter Hart, Raddysh, Dillon Dube and Sam Steel to take Frederic... There were better players available and analysts were surprised at the Bruins pick when they made it. The analysts have been right.
Way too many misses.
3. Trades D+
Negative Jimmy Hayes for Reilly Smith: Smith was a bargain at the deal he signed and has been a consistent player for the Panthers and LVK ever since leaving Boston. Has only had two bad seasons since his first season in Boston and has 55 pts in 65 playoff games. Hayes doesn't play hockey anymore.
Dougie Hamilton is one of the premier defenseman in the league and has lead the backline for some competitive Carolina teams. His lowest point total since leaving Boston was a single 39 point season. Had his best offensive season last year with 40 pts in 47 games. Rumors aside the Bruins had control of his contract and traded him for Synyshyn (waivers), JFK (left team) and Lauzon (2nd round pick with some potential). Huge fail for the Bruins anyway you slice it.
Milan Lucic trade is also an example of wasted value. The return wasn't bad but the major peice, Jakob Zboril has not panned out, Trent Frederic has a bottom 6 forward potential and Colin Miller left via the expansion draft. Kuraly was a good pickup in the Jones trade. So at this point we have Sean Kuraly and two bottom of the lineup prospects in return for Milan Lucic who, based on value at the time, should have returned more. B's drafting contributes to this being bad as well. For example if we drafted Barzal or Chabot instead of Zboril this would look like a tremendous deal.
Positive
Charlie Coyle trade was tremendous. Complete win.
Rick Nash deal was a good deal at the time. He fit well in the lineup and was a good deadline gamble.
David Backes trade was another solid move to clear a bad deal and get a serviceable player in Kase. Kase has had issues lately but if not for these health issues he seemed like a good fit and serviceable top 9 forward.
4. RFA/Internal UFA Signings A
Positive Marchand, Pastrnak, McCavoy, Carlo, DeBrusk, Gryz are all great dollar value signings and are the main reason this team remains competitive. This one aspect of Sweeney's job, resigning players at below market price, has kept the Bruins a contender. Rask, Bergy and Krejci are also good dollar value contracts he inherited.
Negative Very few negatives here. Chara could have been brought back for 750 000 and Nordstrom was also a good fit on the 4th line. Krug couldn't fit within the B's cap structure at what he was asking for.
Overall C-:
Needs to move away from New England/NCAA New England region players in trades and drafts. Despite the Coyle trade being a strong one the Reilly Smith trade was more significant. The rumors of a Carlo for Hanafin (an inferior defenseman to Carlo) also scare me. Sweeney needs to improve his ability to procure players from the CHL and Canada where the best players in the world derive from. When he does draft Canadian born or developed players they tend to be the wrong ones see Zboril (QMJHL) and Synyshyn (OHL). Canada produces the most NHL players percentage wise in the NHL it makes sense that this percentage be reflected in who a team drafts every year. There is a very solid chance that no player from our 2020 draft makes it to the NHL or plays any significant role based on outside scouting analysis. Meanwhile a player, from the OHL Jack Studnika, has risen ahead of older prospects within the system. Bergeron, Marchand, Krejci, Chara, Coyle (QMJHL) and the majority of impactful players from the Bruins over the last few decades come from the CHL, get back to drafting well from the CHL and procuring talented former CHL players in trade!!!