BOSTON BRUINS CEO CHARLIE JACOBS, BOSTON BRUINS PRESIDENT CAM NEELY, BOSTON BRUINS GENERAL MANAGER DON SWEENEY AND BOSTON BRUINS HEAD COACH JIM MONTGOMERY…
On a contract with Anton Stralman and today’s waivers…
Sweeney: “The two o’clock waiver stuff is part of the exercise we’ve been dealing with in talking with Anton, he’s obviously had a good camp and has been a welcome addition to our group. Speaking for Jim and the conversations we’ve had with Monty is that he’s comfortable with him and would add to our group, we just have been waiting to look at our roster and see what we’re going to do. I’ve been communicating with Anton and Marc Levine all the way along and plan to speak with him again today."
On the back end without Charlie McAvoy going into the season…
Sweeney: “Not as good. Obviously, he’s a unique player and we miss him. Hopefully he gets back as quickly as possible. The other guys have all played for us and have played important roles and minutes, but that gets expanded when you’re talking about a player that plays an excess of 22 to 23 minutes a night in all situations. You know, our whole team is going to have to recognize that we have to be good and it’s no different than having Brad [Marchand] out in that regard. The good news is that Matt Grzelcyk’s made a lot of progress and medically he’s in a good spot and now it’s just a matter of when he feels comfortable and Monty feels comfortable putting him in.”
On the discussions he’s had with the guys on waivers…
Montgomery: “Yeah, I like to communicate to everybody what we think is going to transpire and there’s a lot of uncertainty. I was just more talking to him [Chris Wagner] mentally, with him being on waivers and the 2 o’clock window. I appreciate him being a pro and I don’t have any answers for him at the moment, like I don’t have any answers for you guys.
On if he talked to each of the three players…
Montgomery: “I did.”
On the power play with Taylor Hall back in the mix…
Montgomery: “We have to discuss that as a staff, but because of [Jake] DeBrusk’s ability to create shots on his own and make a lot of plays from the half wall, the thought right now would be [Taylor] Hall going on the first unit and DeBrusk running the second unit from the half wall.”
On how a contract negotiation with a player like Pastrnak would change once the season begins…
Sweeney: “Well, both sides have been open about continuing our talks. So, I don’t think things change at all from that standpoint, unless David takes a different position, but up until this point we’ve been communicating regularly and when he feels comfortable, hopefully we finalize a deal. There isn’t any timeline on that, but we’re going to have to communicate almost every day — to tell you the honest truth, and see if we can find the finish line.”
On appreciation for Pastrnak and his role in the organization…
Jacobs: “Well, David is a special player. We try not to comment about ongoing negotiations, but David is obviously a special player. Ownership is aware that we need to be aggressive in trying to re-up David to a new contract. To that end, Sweens and Cam have been working on that.”
On if he has a starting goaltender for Opening Night…
Montgomery: “No, I don’t.”
On if he believes this team will be a contender this year…
Sweeney: “Yeah, I like our group. It’s a two-fold issue for us, we have to get healthy and stay healthy, which is a challenge in the National Hockey League to begin with, but if fully healthy I think our group is deep. Performance will be dictated, and health will be a factor of it, but I like how our group has come together overall, I like the balance, but again the players have to go out and perform to what we think our expectations are. We’re going to be a highly-competitive team; we expect to be there at the end and challenge. A lot of things have to go right, once you get in, but you have to get in and make sure you earn that right.”
On what they want to see out of the Bruins this year…
Jacobs: “I try to leave the style of play and team performance to management here. I do feel we left some opportunity on the table last year in the playoffs. It stinks when you lose Game 7 by a goal and you may have watched the game and felt the outcome might have been differently, but it was time for us to turn the page and I expect that when speaking with Monty and with others here that we have a very competitive team that I think, frankly, a lot of people don’t expect. We have a more offensive team than perhaps maybe in years past, and that’s saying a lot considering we won 51 games last year. I think Cam should probably chime in on this one.”
Neely: “Well from my perspective, I want us to compete every night, that’s first and foremost. I think from a skill perspective throughout the lineup, especially in the forward group, I think we’re pretty deep, but for me it’s really just about competing every night. I say this to our players all the time, you may not play well every night, but you can sure as hell compete every night. So, that’s what I expect and with the core group we have and have had for quite some time, the expectations of that are in that locker room. So, for me it’s really about not seeing any nights off, like I said you may not play well, but you can certainly compete.”
On his sense for the League right now…
Jacobs: “You know it’s funny, as the restrictions were lifted — and I’ll speak specifically to Boston — I feel like there was a bit of a feeling-out period for a lot of our fan base just about whether they were comfortable coming into TD Garden, regardless of what the restrictions were from the city or state. We have begun to level set, in terms of whether those people that weren’t comfortable have either moved on, sold their tickets, or decided to come back in and find some comfort in attending a game in person. Hockey, unlike most major sports, is really gate-driven, so it’s important for us to get our fans in the building and this will be our first year, I believe, or dare I say… I won’t say back to normal, but this is perhaps the next normal that we will experience here in 2022-23.”
On if he feels other teams around the League are in similar positions…
Jacobs: “It’s difficult for me to discuss other markets without getting in trouble with headquarters, so I’ll just say this. Any indications for anything from travel to hospitality to restaurant business seems to be coming back online, and I use this term again, coming back to the “next normal.”
On the way Sweeney handled his job last season…
Neely: “Well, the narrative, quite frankly, is a little frustrating to me. I mean we’ve said it many times from a draft perspective, we have missed on the high side, especially in 2015 and I’m tired of talking about 2015. But if you look at who the Boston Bruins have drafted, say from maybe 2015 to 2018 — it may be a little unfair to look at players from 2019 through 2021 in their development stage — but if you look at the players the Boston Bruins have drafted and how many NHL games they’ve played, I think it’s amongst some of the highest in the league. So, the narrative is a little old for me. Every GM in the league makes mistakes and we’re going to continue to make mistakes, but hopefully we learn from those mistakes and limit those mistakes. I think that Don has certainly evolved over the last few years and our scouting staff has evolved. We certainly have high expectations and high standards, but mistakes are going to happen, but I don’t think it’s as bad as the narrative is out there.”
On Bergeron’s role so far this season…
Montgomery: “I mean it’s just continued. Every situation that he and I talk about, he’s always looking at it about how it’s going to impact the team and how it impacts those individuals. Not himself, but the team. So, that’s a coach’s mindset is always what can we do that’s best for the team and that’s his mindset.”
On if this will be Bergeron’s last season…
Neely: “Well, it is always up to Patrice, so we’ll see how the season goes for him. I know he’s taken it year by year, and we’re thrilled to have him back this year and we’re going to focus on this year with him.”
Sweeney: “Patrice would be the only one that could add to that and he’s been pretty clear that he’s taking things year by year.”
On Patrice Bergeron…
Jacobs: “I can only speak to Patrice because he’s the only player I’ve had regular interaction with. But I will tell you that I remember the day we drafted Patrice. I’ve seen him develop into a five-time Selke winner. We’re so fortunate to have him on the ice as a Boston Bruin. I was just reflecting on how quickly the years passed, and I don't mean to sound nostalgic, but I also want to impress upon our roster that this is a real opportunity for our players to have a year with Patrice on the ice, our younger players, in particular, to learn from him and to be a teammate. As someone in your group alluded to, maybe having a coach on the ice and, to a certain extent, that’s what Patrice is doing. He’s teaching our next generation of Boston Bruins players how to be Bruins, and that's invaluable.”
On Jeremy Jacobs…
Jacobs: “The Chairman is well. He’s quite active, as any 82-year-old would be. He sends his regards, he’s doing well. He’s still a Chairman in the National Hockey League, I’m going to be with him on Monday, next week, at board meetings in New York City, talking about the economics and different policies. He’s still quite on his feet and still quite active, just not here today. Just some personal matters with our family, he couldn't arrive today.”
On what this team has that it didn’t last year…
Neely: “I think upfront, we have a little bit more versatility. We bring in [Pavel] Zacha, who can play the wing and center. We always are concerned about injuries, so we feel if we have some injuries down the middle of the ice that he could slide in there and help contribute on the offensive part, we may not miss as much. Certainly, when you have Bergy and Krech, who are top centermen in the game, that helps control the offense. We have an opportunity to slide Zacha in there. It gives our coaching staff a little bit more flexibility with our lineup. We’re still tinkering, I think Monty can attest to this, we’re still tinkering with the bottom part of our lineup. I think we have a really solid top nine, and it’s just a matter of what flavor we want for the fourth line. Then, on the back end, with Griz out and Charlie out, it certainly leaves a little bit of a hole there to start the year. But I think our guys are really excited about the opportunity that some of these young players have to step up and get a little bit more minutes in different situations than they normally have. We’re anxious to see how that plays out. From a healthy lineup perspective, we’re fairly deep. I’m excited about this roster. Obviously, to your point, it’s a little challenging at times to watch the preseason games when the coaching staff is trying to figure out who we’ve got. Monty’s new, he’s trying to understand the players and their personalities. I’m excited about getting going, I think our players are really excited about this team. Talking with the guys that have been around here a long time, there’s a really special feeling in that locker room right now, and it’s encouraging for me to see. I think these guys feel like something special can happen this year.”
On inside ice...
Neely: “You look at a guy like AJ [Greer], who kind of surprised some of us. We kind of knew what motor he has and what he’d bring. There’s a guy who’s not afraid of getting inside ice. Lauko, he’s shown that he’s certainly not afraid. Freddy, although he didn’t have the camp that he wanted, that we wanted, he’s the kind of guy that can certainly get inside ice. Charlie Coyle — so we’ve got guys, they know the expectations, playing perimeter hockey is not winning hockey. These guys understand that.”
On the situation if players clear waivers…
Sweeney: “We’ll be compliant. We’ve got options after we put our roster in, but those guys were an unfortunate part of the dynamic of both cap and roster limitations that you have and creating flexibility with how you want to shape your roster, the decisions that Monty and his staff would like to make for opening night and utilizing, really everybody up and down the entire roster. We saw Lauko practicing today. Those finalizations will be made, but we have no issues once 2:00 p.m. comes along, what we can do to be compliant.”
On if Grzelcyk will start on long-term…
Sweeney: “No.”
On if Pastrnak will consider roster construction for his contract…
Neely: “Yeah, for sure. Obviously, a shot-first winger certainly wants to know who his centerman is going to be. We’ve made it very clear to David that we’re very aware of that particular position moving forward and we’re going to do everything we possibly can to fill that void when that happens. I think that he also sees that we signed Charlie McAvoy long-term, we signed two good goaltenders that are with us, we got Lindholm long-term, Taylor Hall is here for a few more years, we got Brad Marchand for a couple more years. So, we’re not stripping it down by any means. I think he’s certainly been told that, and he recognizes that, and he knows that we’re in a good position this year. We’re here to show everybody that we're not stripping this thing down. We’re going to continue to build on it.”
On if he thinks a team is better off with a clear No. 1 goaltender…
Montgomery: “The Bruins have had tremendous success both ways. I think a lot of credit has to go to Bob Essensa. He’s done a great job developing the relationship with the goalies, making sure that the Bruins get excellent goaltending throughout the regular season to be able to have the opportunity to get in the playoffs. I think everyone would say, ideally, you have a number one by the time you get into the playoffs and after the trade deadline. That’s up to one of those two goaltenders to emerge ahead of the other. In today’s NHL, to have success in the regular season, with as many threes and fours as you have. You have to have two goalies that can do the job night in and night out.”
On if it’s fair to view this season as one last run with this group…
Neely: “I think it’s very fair. We talked about earlier with Bergy — it’s really up to him, and I think with Krejci the same way. These guys have had long, successful careers. Like I said, I think this group in the locker room feels like something special can happen this year. It’s a close team, and when I say team, it’s a real team. I think their teammates look at this and say this might be the last year we have the ability to play with these guys, so let's take as much advantage as we can. That's the feeling I get inside the locker room.”
On if being crowded on the left side is a good problem…
Sweeney: “It could be all of the above, to be honest with you. Where we start right now without having those guys makes you feel like you need. You go through defensemen throughout the course of the season. You just have guys that can step in and play minutes in all different situations, which we currently have, and we’re better off when we do. Clearly, the decisions we made yesterday give us potentially more flexibility in really any way. Whether that's moving guys around the roster or whether that’s to utilize cap space. They’re both really important, and again it's not an easy conversation to have with players by any means. But it’s just the nature of some of the things that we have to deal with. Putting the roster together when you’re teetering on guys that are ready to come back as opposed to guys that it’s an unknown, these guys are all ready to come back within a shorter period of time. They're not out for the whole season, where some teams can plan accordingly in that regard. We’re fortunate in that regard because they're good players.”
On a contract with Anton Stralman and today’s waivers…
Sweeney: “The two o’clock waiver stuff is part of the exercise we’ve been dealing with in talking with Anton, he’s obviously had a good camp and has been a welcome addition to our group. Speaking for Jim and the conversations we’ve had with Monty is that he’s comfortable with him and would add to our group, we just have been waiting to look at our roster and see what we’re going to do. I’ve been communicating with Anton and Marc Levine all the way along and plan to speak with him again today."
On the back end without Charlie McAvoy going into the season…
Sweeney: “Not as good. Obviously, he’s a unique player and we miss him. Hopefully he gets back as quickly as possible. The other guys have all played for us and have played important roles and minutes, but that gets expanded when you’re talking about a player that plays an excess of 22 to 23 minutes a night in all situations. You know, our whole team is going to have to recognize that we have to be good and it’s no different than having Brad [Marchand] out in that regard. The good news is that Matt Grzelcyk’s made a lot of progress and medically he’s in a good spot and now it’s just a matter of when he feels comfortable and Monty feels comfortable putting him in.”
On the discussions he’s had with the guys on waivers…
Montgomery: “Yeah, I like to communicate to everybody what we think is going to transpire and there’s a lot of uncertainty. I was just more talking to him [Chris Wagner] mentally, with him being on waivers and the 2 o’clock window. I appreciate him being a pro and I don’t have any answers for him at the moment, like I don’t have any answers for you guys.
On if he talked to each of the three players…
Montgomery: “I did.”
On the power play with Taylor Hall back in the mix…
Montgomery: “We have to discuss that as a staff, but because of [Jake] DeBrusk’s ability to create shots on his own and make a lot of plays from the half wall, the thought right now would be [Taylor] Hall going on the first unit and DeBrusk running the second unit from the half wall.”
On how a contract negotiation with a player like Pastrnak would change once the season begins…
Sweeney: “Well, both sides have been open about continuing our talks. So, I don’t think things change at all from that standpoint, unless David takes a different position, but up until this point we’ve been communicating regularly and when he feels comfortable, hopefully we finalize a deal. There isn’t any timeline on that, but we’re going to have to communicate almost every day — to tell you the honest truth, and see if we can find the finish line.”
On appreciation for Pastrnak and his role in the organization…
Jacobs: “Well, David is a special player. We try not to comment about ongoing negotiations, but David is obviously a special player. Ownership is aware that we need to be aggressive in trying to re-up David to a new contract. To that end, Sweens and Cam have been working on that.”
On if he has a starting goaltender for Opening Night…
Montgomery: “No, I don’t.”
On if he believes this team will be a contender this year…
Sweeney: “Yeah, I like our group. It’s a two-fold issue for us, we have to get healthy and stay healthy, which is a challenge in the National Hockey League to begin with, but if fully healthy I think our group is deep. Performance will be dictated, and health will be a factor of it, but I like how our group has come together overall, I like the balance, but again the players have to go out and perform to what we think our expectations are. We’re going to be a highly-competitive team; we expect to be there at the end and challenge. A lot of things have to go right, once you get in, but you have to get in and make sure you earn that right.”
On what they want to see out of the Bruins this year…
Jacobs: “I try to leave the style of play and team performance to management here. I do feel we left some opportunity on the table last year in the playoffs. It stinks when you lose Game 7 by a goal and you may have watched the game and felt the outcome might have been differently, but it was time for us to turn the page and I expect that when speaking with Monty and with others here that we have a very competitive team that I think, frankly, a lot of people don’t expect. We have a more offensive team than perhaps maybe in years past, and that’s saying a lot considering we won 51 games last year. I think Cam should probably chime in on this one.”
Neely: “Well from my perspective, I want us to compete every night, that’s first and foremost. I think from a skill perspective throughout the lineup, especially in the forward group, I think we’re pretty deep, but for me it’s really just about competing every night. I say this to our players all the time, you may not play well every night, but you can sure as hell compete every night. So, that’s what I expect and with the core group we have and have had for quite some time, the expectations of that are in that locker room. So, for me it’s really about not seeing any nights off, like I said you may not play well, but you can certainly compete.”
On his sense for the League right now…
Jacobs: “You know it’s funny, as the restrictions were lifted — and I’ll speak specifically to Boston — I feel like there was a bit of a feeling-out period for a lot of our fan base just about whether they were comfortable coming into TD Garden, regardless of what the restrictions were from the city or state. We have begun to level set, in terms of whether those people that weren’t comfortable have either moved on, sold their tickets, or decided to come back in and find some comfort in attending a game in person. Hockey, unlike most major sports, is really gate-driven, so it’s important for us to get our fans in the building and this will be our first year, I believe, or dare I say… I won’t say back to normal, but this is perhaps the next normal that we will experience here in 2022-23.”
On if he feels other teams around the League are in similar positions…
Jacobs: “It’s difficult for me to discuss other markets without getting in trouble with headquarters, so I’ll just say this. Any indications for anything from travel to hospitality to restaurant business seems to be coming back online, and I use this term again, coming back to the “next normal.”
On the way Sweeney handled his job last season…
Neely: “Well, the narrative, quite frankly, is a little frustrating to me. I mean we’ve said it many times from a draft perspective, we have missed on the high side, especially in 2015 and I’m tired of talking about 2015. But if you look at who the Boston Bruins have drafted, say from maybe 2015 to 2018 — it may be a little unfair to look at players from 2019 through 2021 in their development stage — but if you look at the players the Boston Bruins have drafted and how many NHL games they’ve played, I think it’s amongst some of the highest in the league. So, the narrative is a little old for me. Every GM in the league makes mistakes and we’re going to continue to make mistakes, but hopefully we learn from those mistakes and limit those mistakes. I think that Don has certainly evolved over the last few years and our scouting staff has evolved. We certainly have high expectations and high standards, but mistakes are going to happen, but I don’t think it’s as bad as the narrative is out there.”
On Bergeron’s role so far this season…
Montgomery: “I mean it’s just continued. Every situation that he and I talk about, he’s always looking at it about how it’s going to impact the team and how it impacts those individuals. Not himself, but the team. So, that’s a coach’s mindset is always what can we do that’s best for the team and that’s his mindset.”
On if this will be Bergeron’s last season…
Neely: “Well, it is always up to Patrice, so we’ll see how the season goes for him. I know he’s taken it year by year, and we’re thrilled to have him back this year and we’re going to focus on this year with him.”
Sweeney: “Patrice would be the only one that could add to that and he’s been pretty clear that he’s taking things year by year.”
On Patrice Bergeron…
Jacobs: “I can only speak to Patrice because he’s the only player I’ve had regular interaction with. But I will tell you that I remember the day we drafted Patrice. I’ve seen him develop into a five-time Selke winner. We’re so fortunate to have him on the ice as a Boston Bruin. I was just reflecting on how quickly the years passed, and I don't mean to sound nostalgic, but I also want to impress upon our roster that this is a real opportunity for our players to have a year with Patrice on the ice, our younger players, in particular, to learn from him and to be a teammate. As someone in your group alluded to, maybe having a coach on the ice and, to a certain extent, that’s what Patrice is doing. He’s teaching our next generation of Boston Bruins players how to be Bruins, and that's invaluable.”
On Jeremy Jacobs…
Jacobs: “The Chairman is well. He’s quite active, as any 82-year-old would be. He sends his regards, he’s doing well. He’s still a Chairman in the National Hockey League, I’m going to be with him on Monday, next week, at board meetings in New York City, talking about the economics and different policies. He’s still quite on his feet and still quite active, just not here today. Just some personal matters with our family, he couldn't arrive today.”
On what this team has that it didn’t last year…
Neely: “I think upfront, we have a little bit more versatility. We bring in [Pavel] Zacha, who can play the wing and center. We always are concerned about injuries, so we feel if we have some injuries down the middle of the ice that he could slide in there and help contribute on the offensive part, we may not miss as much. Certainly, when you have Bergy and Krech, who are top centermen in the game, that helps control the offense. We have an opportunity to slide Zacha in there. It gives our coaching staff a little bit more flexibility with our lineup. We’re still tinkering, I think Monty can attest to this, we’re still tinkering with the bottom part of our lineup. I think we have a really solid top nine, and it’s just a matter of what flavor we want for the fourth line. Then, on the back end, with Griz out and Charlie out, it certainly leaves a little bit of a hole there to start the year. But I think our guys are really excited about the opportunity that some of these young players have to step up and get a little bit more minutes in different situations than they normally have. We’re anxious to see how that plays out. From a healthy lineup perspective, we’re fairly deep. I’m excited about this roster. Obviously, to your point, it’s a little challenging at times to watch the preseason games when the coaching staff is trying to figure out who we’ve got. Monty’s new, he’s trying to understand the players and their personalities. I’m excited about getting going, I think our players are really excited about this team. Talking with the guys that have been around here a long time, there’s a really special feeling in that locker room right now, and it’s encouraging for me to see. I think these guys feel like something special can happen this year.”
On inside ice...
Neely: “You look at a guy like AJ [Greer], who kind of surprised some of us. We kind of knew what motor he has and what he’d bring. There’s a guy who’s not afraid of getting inside ice. Lauko, he’s shown that he’s certainly not afraid. Freddy, although he didn’t have the camp that he wanted, that we wanted, he’s the kind of guy that can certainly get inside ice. Charlie Coyle — so we’ve got guys, they know the expectations, playing perimeter hockey is not winning hockey. These guys understand that.”
On the situation if players clear waivers…
Sweeney: “We’ll be compliant. We’ve got options after we put our roster in, but those guys were an unfortunate part of the dynamic of both cap and roster limitations that you have and creating flexibility with how you want to shape your roster, the decisions that Monty and his staff would like to make for opening night and utilizing, really everybody up and down the entire roster. We saw Lauko practicing today. Those finalizations will be made, but we have no issues once 2:00 p.m. comes along, what we can do to be compliant.”
On if Grzelcyk will start on long-term…
Sweeney: “No.”
On if Pastrnak will consider roster construction for his contract…
Neely: “Yeah, for sure. Obviously, a shot-first winger certainly wants to know who his centerman is going to be. We’ve made it very clear to David that we’re very aware of that particular position moving forward and we’re going to do everything we possibly can to fill that void when that happens. I think that he also sees that we signed Charlie McAvoy long-term, we signed two good goaltenders that are with us, we got Lindholm long-term, Taylor Hall is here for a few more years, we got Brad Marchand for a couple more years. So, we’re not stripping it down by any means. I think he’s certainly been told that, and he recognizes that, and he knows that we’re in a good position this year. We’re here to show everybody that we're not stripping this thing down. We’re going to continue to build on it.”
On if he thinks a team is better off with a clear No. 1 goaltender…
Montgomery: “The Bruins have had tremendous success both ways. I think a lot of credit has to go to Bob Essensa. He’s done a great job developing the relationship with the goalies, making sure that the Bruins get excellent goaltending throughout the regular season to be able to have the opportunity to get in the playoffs. I think everyone would say, ideally, you have a number one by the time you get into the playoffs and after the trade deadline. That’s up to one of those two goaltenders to emerge ahead of the other. In today’s NHL, to have success in the regular season, with as many threes and fours as you have. You have to have two goalies that can do the job night in and night out.”
On if it’s fair to view this season as one last run with this group…
Neely: “I think it’s very fair. We talked about earlier with Bergy — it’s really up to him, and I think with Krejci the same way. These guys have had long, successful careers. Like I said, I think this group in the locker room feels like something special can happen this year. It’s a close team, and when I say team, it’s a real team. I think their teammates look at this and say this might be the last year we have the ability to play with these guys, so let's take as much advantage as we can. That's the feeling I get inside the locker room.”
On if being crowded on the left side is a good problem…
Sweeney: “It could be all of the above, to be honest with you. Where we start right now without having those guys makes you feel like you need. You go through defensemen throughout the course of the season. You just have guys that can step in and play minutes in all different situations, which we currently have, and we’re better off when we do. Clearly, the decisions we made yesterday give us potentially more flexibility in really any way. Whether that's moving guys around the roster or whether that’s to utilize cap space. They’re both really important, and again it's not an easy conversation to have with players by any means. But it’s just the nature of some of the things that we have to deal with. Putting the roster together when you’re teetering on guys that are ready to come back as opposed to guys that it’s an unknown, these guys are all ready to come back within a shorter period of time. They're not out for the whole season, where some teams can plan accordingly in that regard. We’re fortunate in that regard because they're good players.”
