Management Sweeney, Neely

[Dennis Bonvie]

Chiarelli made the playoffs 7 straight years and then when he finally missed it he got canned. If they miss the playoffs the local media better put some heat on Jacobs to be consistent and fire Sweeney, at the very least. I'd argue Neely as well, as according to some they are tied together and Sweeney would be the 2nd GM that got fired under Neely's watch as President. And if they fire Bruce mid-season that would be the 2nd coach fired under Neely's watch. Who gives a f*ck that they used to play for the Bruins? That shouldn't matter at all.

Why would they have to be consistent about firing anyone?

Seven years later under different circumstances. It shouldn't be push button management.

 

[BMC]

Why would they have to be consistent about firing anyone?

Seven years later under different circumstances. It shouldn't be push button management.

Firing Chiarelli but giving ex-Bruins Neely & Sweeney a pass? Bad optics IMO.

 

[MattFromFranklin]

Why would they have to be consistent about firing anyone?

Seven years later under different circumstances. It shouldn't be push button management.

Because Jacobs set the standard in 2015. Chiarelli made 7 straight playoffs and when the team missed it and wasn't in good shape, largely due to Chiarelli mismanaging assets, he got canned. He deserved to get fired. By that logic, Sweeney should get canned if they miss the playoffs. Like Chiarelli, the drafting has largely been mediocre, there have been multiple bad contracts, and assets have been mismanaged.

Just because Sweeney played for the Bruins and Sinden likes him shouldn't mean sh*t.

 

[Healthy Wrap]

There are posters on here that would do a better job than these two jabronis

 

[Flannelman]

Too much smoke in too many parts of the organization, but if Jacobs can’t smell what SweeNeely is cookin, because the profits are there, will there be change?

instead of what is broken, because so much feels like it is, we should ask, what actual parts of the organization are working

 

[Gee Wally]

Evaluating the state of Boston’s teams in 2021 - The Boston Globe

So, welcome to my annual look at the State of the Teams. I’m sure no one wants yet another lecture about how lucky the sports fans of New England have been in this millennium, but what’s true is true. No other area has been as blessed as ours, with 12 major professional sports championships. Please, please, please do not take this circumstance for granted.

As always, I look at the teams in alphabetical order.
1. Bruins

Fuzzy. The picture is fuzzy. I’m not really sure what to make of them.


The Bruins are not a serious Stanley Cup contender, but they’re not horrible, either. They’ve got that wonderful first line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak, and that’s enough most nights to make them watchable. But they have struggled to score when that first line is not on the ice. Pure and simple, the Bruins just don’t score enough goals. Given that Bergeron is 36 and Marchand is 33, a fair question to ask is where will the offense come from next year?
Taylor Hall was supposed to be a valuable addition, but he must be considered a disappointment, perhaps not as big a bust here as David Backes, but his impact has been minimal. That leads us to L’Affaire DeBrusk. Jake DeBrusk was good for 27 goals at age 22 and was projected as a certified keeper. But he has soured on the Bruins, and one can only hope that when he finally departs he doesn’t turn out to be another Phil Kessel or Tyler Seguin. OK, those deals were back in the Peter Chiarelli era, but Bruins fans have long memories.


Goaltending is another confusing area. Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have had remarkably even totals in terms of wins and save percentage, but we still don’t know if they are merely keeping a metaphorical seat warm for Tuukka Rask, who is lurking in the background. Fuzzy, you know?
Time races past us, and it will be 11 years next June since the last Stanley Cup title, and the bitter memory of that colossal no-show in Game 7 against the Blues in 2019 sticks in the mind of every Bruins fan. That surely was One That Got Away.
So, who are these guys, anyway? Should they be better, or are they simply who they are? It’s an awfully fuzzy picture.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

Watching Neely today talk to the press about team toughness was downright depressing. He hems and haws about Trent Frederick. Jeeezuz. He knows this team is farked. He sounded like he was ready to put a gun to his head.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Because Jacobs set the standard in 2015. Chiarelli made 7 straight playoffs and when the team missed it and wasn't in good shape, largely due to Chiarelli mismanaging assets, he got canned. He deserved to get fired. By that logic, Sweeney should get canned if they miss the playoffs. Like Chiarelli, the drafting has largely been mediocre, there have been multiple bad contracts, and assets have been mismanaged.

Just because Sweeney played for the Bruins and Sinden likes him shouldn't mean sh*t.

There is no standard.

 

[Gnome17]

Wonder what a similar analysis looks like for other teams. Is this incredibly worse than every other team? Is it somewhat worse than other teams, but not ridiculously deviant? Is this the norm when you get into team by team details?

I don't know the answer...I don't plan to investigate and am not suggesting you or anyone should...but while the list looks damning, I'm moderating my reaction because I don't have a feel for how this aligns league-wide.

All that said, yours is an interesting post, some very hard to argue or ignore points...maybe I am glad they didn't embark on the retool I wanted in 2018, they'd have likely messed that up.

Well I accidently deleted a pretty long post ive written about this, so I wont write it again, but I looked at some teams who have been successful over the past 6 years and who hasnt been drafting high, who I think are good comparables to Boston and every single one of;

Penguins
Capitals
Carolina
Toronto
Tampa Bay

Have had significantly better forwards than Boston (after that top 5 that is, even after the top 4). Quite a lot better. All of them also have young forwards in their 20s that are more exciting than what Boston have.

 

[GordonHowe]

Evaluating the state of Boston’s teams in 2021 - The Boston Globe

So, welcome to my annual look at the State of the Teams. I’m sure no one wants yet another lecture about how lucky the sports fans of New England have been in this millennium, but what’s true is true. No other area has been as blessed as ours, with 12 major professional sports championships. Please, please, please do not take this circumstance for granted.

As always, I look at the teams in alphabetical order.
1. Bruins

Fuzzy. The picture is fuzzy. I’m not really sure what to make of them.


The Bruins are not a serious Stanley Cup contender, but they’re not horrible, either. They’ve got that wonderful first line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak, and that’s enough most nights to make them watchable. But they have struggled to score when that first line is not on the ice. Pure and simple, the Bruins just don’t score enough goals. Given that Bergeron is 36 and Marchand is 33, a fair question to ask is where will the offense come from next year?
Taylor Hall was supposed to be a valuable addition, but he must be considered a disappointment, perhaps not as big a bust here as David Backes, but his impact has been minimal. That leads us to L’Affaire DeBrusk. Jake DeBrusk was good for 27 goals at age 22 and was projected as a certified keeper. But he has soured on the Bruins, and one can only hope that when he finally departs he doesn’t turn out to be another Phil Kessel or Tyler Seguin. OK, those deals were back in the Peter Chiarelli era, but Bruins fans have long memories.


Goaltending is another confusing area. Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark have had remarkably even totals in terms of wins and save percentage, but we still don’t know if they are merely keeping a metaphorical seat warm for Tuukka Rask, who is lurking in the background. Fuzzy, you know?
Time races past us, and it will be 11 years next June since the last Stanley Cup title, and the bitter memory of that colossal no-show in Game 7 against the Blues in 2019 sticks in the mind of every Bruins fan. That surely was One That Got Away.
So, who are these guys, anyway? Should they be better, or are they simply who they are? It’s an awfully fuzzy picture.

I would only add that while many here have soured on Taylor Hall, I don't think he's a "chronic underachiever," as Clickbait Mike has it.

Whatever his issues, he needs a creative and cerebral center. Not Charlie Coyle, whom I like a lot, but in the 3c role.

Players are slotted above their abilities on this roster. That's not Charlie's fault, and it isn't Taylor's fault.

If I thought TH was a stiff, a baby or a jerk, I'd say so. I don't think that's the case. I think he can be a very effective complimentary second line guy, with the proper center.

Otherwise, happy holidays.

 

[BruinDust]

Even allowing for that though, I think there's an interesting question there - why is Boston's pro scouting so sub-standard? What's gone wrong there, and how can it be fixed?

Thanks. TB are the standard in a cap system now IMO. Make no mistake, getting Kucherov and Point outside of the 1st round was a huge boon for them. Same as the Bruins finding Bergeron and Marchand (and Krejci) outside the 1st round 15 years ago.

The other thing TB didn't do was fall in love with their prospects. When they wanted McDonagh and Miller, they had the young player collateral to make the move and pay the price. Howden and Hijek were their top 2 picks from 2016 at the time. Same when they wanted Coleman. Goodbye 2019 1st round pick Nolan Foote. 2 of them are in the NHL and Foote isn't far behind. But will any of them be stars? I doubt it. Foote has a chance but may top out as a bottom six winger. TB moved them while they still had high value. Foote was coming off a strong WJC appearance.

Why the pro scouting is so bad I have no idea. Like it's a mystery. I have my opinions on why their amateur drafting is bad. But the pro scouting I really don't know. Is it an organizational philosophy issue? Are they still looking for the wrong attributes in players?

Because it's an issue that pre-dates Sweeney's tenure at the GM job. It somewhat pre-dates Chiarelli's time as well (although he was able to find some very good quality pros, including some diamonds-in-the-rough like Boychuk and McQuaid).

It pre-dates the analytics/advanced stats era so all the blame cannot be placed there. Ultimately they should just clean house in the pro scouting to get some fresh eyes in there if nothing else.

 

[TCB]

Since Sweeney has taken over as the Bruins GM 6 players he's drafted are with the Bruins 6 total over the 7 seasons of drafting 6 out of a possible 49 players. That certainly isn't an endorsement for him and his scouting staff and three of them are from the generational draft of 2015, that he royally screwed up.

His FA signings have been even worse considering on two occasions he had to compensate the teams future by trading away 2 1st round picks. Add on to this he wrecked his salary cap with these signings and kept his younger players down in providence by giving NHL contracts to players, some who he'd been forced to deal out of town but then he repeats the same old cycle.


His trades ?
In- Zac Rinaldo, Jimmy Hayes, Lee Stempniak, Rick Nash, John Michael Liles, Nick Ritchie.

A few of the Players he let walk with no return-- Krug, Big -Z, Krejci

not an endorsing Resume !!!

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

Since Sweeney has taken over as the Bruins GM 6 players he's drafted are with the Bruins 6 total over the 7 seasons of drafting 6 out of a possible 49 players. That certainly isn't an endorsement for him and his scouting staff and three of them are from the generational draft of 2015, that he royally screwed up.

His FA signings have been even worse considering on two occasions he had to compensate the teams future by trading away 2 1st round picks. Add on to this he wrecked his salary cap with these signings and kept his younger players down in providence by giving NHL contracts to players, some who he'd been forced to deal out of town but then he repeats the same old cycle.


His trades ?
In- Zac Rinaldo, Jimmy Hayes, Lee Stempniak, Rick Nash, John Michael Liles, Nick Ritchie.

A few of the Players he let walk with no return-- Krug, Big -Z, Krejci

not an endorsing Resume !!!

Once the "sell outs" stop happening, Donny and the crew will be a thing of the past. Won't happen until it starts affecting the bottom line in Buffalo

 

[chizzler]

Now that Seny has also asked to be moved are we ready to admit that these clowns are a big part of the problem? From picking absolute reaches instead of sure things to trying to make every prospect a Patrice Beregon lite, they have destroyed this prospect pool for years. Abysmal.

Cluster f***. And only getting worse. Charlie better start doing his homework.

 

[TCB]

Once the "sell outs" stop happening, Donny and the crew will be a thing of the past. Won't happen until it starts affecting the bottom line in Buffalo

I cant wait that long

 

[mjhfb]

Reading these posts it seems the consensus is that the overall team structure, or the overall general management of the team could have been better. Who should you replace to improve that?

 

[Eddie Munson]

Reading these posts it seems the consensus is that the overall team structure, or the overall general management of the team could have been better. Who should you replace to improve that?

The answer you seek is hidden in the thread's title.

Overall though, this team needs a coaching change and then a wholesale change to the front office. There has been very poor decisions with drafting and developing of players. This has led to a team that has had to overpay in free agency to fill holes in the roster that should otherwise be filled internally. There was a complete lack of foresight when handling Krejci and Rask. Overall it's like watching Mr. Magoo do a paint by numbers book.

 

[BMC]

IMO everyone in the organization from the President down needs to go except for the training staff & equipment people. A thorough housecleaning with a flamethrower is what is needed here because IMO the rot has become that deep.

 

[chrisab123]

IMO everyone in the organization from the President down needs to go except for the training staff & equipment people. A thorough housecleaning with a flamethrower is what is needed here because IMO the rot has become that deep.

Won't happen with Jacobs owning the Bs. Sinden has a lifetime job so does Neely.

 

[Babajingo]

Since Sweeney has taken over as the Bruins GM 6 players he's drafted are with the Bruins 6 total over the 7 seasons of drafting 6 out of a possible 49 players. That certainly isn't an endorsement for him and his scouting staff and three of them are from the generational draft of 2015, that he royally screwed up.

His FA signings have been even worse considering on two occasions he had to compensate the teams future by trading away 2 1st round picks. Add on to this he wrecked his salary cap with these signings and kept his younger players down in providence by giving NHL contracts to players, some who he'd been forced to deal out of town but then he repeats the same old cycle.


His trades ?
In- Zac Rinaldo, Jimmy Hayes, Lee Stempniak, Rick Nash, John Michael Liles, Nick Ritchie.

A few of the Players he let walk with no return-- Krug, Big -Z, Krejci

not an endorsing Resume !!!

I keep going back to the Krejci situation in my head.
Either Sweeny knew he was walking and he signed Hall anyway. It doesn't take Punch Imlach to know that Coyle is not a good fit with Hall.
Or Sweeny didn't know Krecji was walking and signed Hall thinking he had his 2nd line. That is real poor management. There was only 5 days in between when Hall signed and Krecji became a FA. He should've known.

 

[MattFromFranklin]

Won't happen with Jacobs owning the Bs. Sinden has a lifetime job so does Neely.

Sinden is 89 years old and is still a Senior Advisor. That says it all about the mentality of Jacobs.

 

[bb74]

I'm not discounting the clean-up job Sweeney needed to do after the Chia years; however, there is something rotten in the land of Causeway.

On the one side we have those like DKH that are scapegoating this whole dysfunction on Cassidy and the coaching staff. On the other side we have those that tar and feather Sweeney and Neely daily for their roster management. Who knows who is right, and who is wrong. Chicken Salad or Chicken Shit... Who really knows...

What is pretty easy to see for any layman fan is that Cassidy wants to play a fast transition attacking game with possession and action off the half wall. The roster is built for that with about half the players. With the other half they are more a chip and chase profile and skill set.

In the early days Sweeney was clear about a rat pack mentality and being hard (not necessarily heavy) on the puck, exploiting speed and skill with the "new" NHL. That is not the roster he has assembled for the staff to ice though. Has Sweeney and the front office asked to adjust the staff's game plan to the players? Do they speak and adjust together as per the groceries in the bags? Has the staff tuned out the GM and President? Do the GM and President not realize they have provided perished goods for dinner? Is the staff that bad they they keep on screwing up what should be an easy 3 star meal with the groceries?

At the end of the day, NHL teams are like a small family run business. This isn't rocket science and there aren't enough layers to the mgmt and hierarchies to have all these clouds of confusion. It shows lack of character to not be able or willing to stomp it out and clean things up between the discontent.

To net it out. Did the owner ask the burger joint to start flipping lobster rolls given the groceries, or expect the cook to keep making burgers and hide that fish taste with extra mustard?

 

[Gee Wally]

Please continue here:

Management - Sweeney, Neely II