Speculation: What is Sweeney like? What DOES Sweeney like?

[Colt.45Orr]

What do we all (collectively) know about Sweeney? What are his player preferences or philosophies? We know Chia liked "thick bodies" --which is strange because we had one of the lightest (on average) forward groups in the NHL this year.

Sweeney was the GM of Providence but I didn't really see them as a physical team this year (compared to the AHL average). Am I wrong on this? Watching guys like Ferland, Bollig (2 goals), Tom Wilson, Glass, basically 1/2 of Anaheim etc all thrive or play important banging roles this year in the playoffs --it is pretty obvious we need some ACTUAL thick bodies, not just Chia's hypothetical ones.

Sweeney was a scrappy, smaller Dman --does that make him more likely to push for a Chudinov (looking good at the WHC). Chia obviously had his pets, but who are Sweeney's?

Will he ACTUALLY keep Julien or is this just a bad rumor while we are waiting for the official announcement?

OK, so, insights and speculation about Sweeney all in one thread (lets try and stay on topic). Aaaaaaaand go....

Click to read more...

 

[Colt.45Orr]

Here is my official vote for Don Sweeney as the new GM of the Boston Bruins...and here's why I would be happy with him at the helm.

-BRUIN FOR LIFE - He ranks 3rd in all time games played as a Boston Bruin behind only Raymond Bourque and Johnny Bucyk.

-FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE IN PLAYER DEVELOPMENT - While playing at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH he was drafted in 8th round of the 1984 NHL. He then went on to play five seasons with Harvard. He took the long road to the NHL by following a strict development path. No wonder the Bruins took him on as the Director of Player Development in 2006. He is the perfect choice for team that in just a few years will need to go through a bit of a rebuild if they want to remain competitive.

-A CAREER BASED ON OVERCOMING ADVERSITY - At 5'10" 184lbs he overcame an immense size disadvantage...and yet was a tough, reliable shutdown defender with a positive +/- over the course of his career.

-STRAIGHT SHOOTER - My buddy and I met Don Sweeney at a game he was scouting a few years back. He is no joke. Unlike Peter Chiarelli, who had the brains and the look of an office GM but lacked the toughness to take risks or push hard to get the right deals done, Don Sweeney's intelligence is enhanced by mental toughness and a no BS mentality. he doesn't mess around.

-HE'S SMART - Harvard Grad. (So, was Chia...but Sweeney is smart AND tough.)

Just saw this, taken from the other thread (on general GM speculation).

Thoughts?

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Just saw this, taken from the other thread (on general GM speculation).

Thoughts?

None of this screams competence to me. Especially the Harvard part.

 

[DKH]

Just saw this, taken from the other thread (on general GM speculation).

Thoughts?

I love this projected move. My view of hockey is fast, physical, accountability and character. Same as Sweeney and Neely. If you like soft and slow you won't like these 'old boys club'

 

[Fenian24]

I love this projected move. My view of hockey is fast, physical, accountability and character. Same as Sweeney and Neely. If you like soft and slow you won't like these 'old boys club'

If Sweeney and Neely try to build a team based around how they played I would have no problem with that. I hope several of the current bruins will like their new teams if this is the case.

 

[Mathews28]

If Sweeney and Neely try to build a team based around how they played I would have no problem with that.

It'll be fun to watch, although may not translate into success.

 

[Danton Heineken]

Sweeny Murti

 

[Colt.45Orr]

I love this projected move. My view of hockey is fast, physical, accountability and character. Same as Sweeney and Neely. If you like soft and slow you won't like these 'old boys club'

I have not heard of Providence being described as a fast/physical team the last few years and Sweeney was the GM there, no?

Koko
Griffith
Cunningham
Spooner

were our top 4 forwards in Providence the last 2 years --that is one smallass group of forwards that won't win too many battles in the NHL and neither Koko nor Griffith are not fast skaters for small guys.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

I have not heard of Providence being described as a fast/physical team the last few years and Sweeney was the GM there, no?

Koko
Griffith
Cunningham
Spooner

were our top 4 forwards in Providence the last 2 years --that is one smallass group of forwards that won't win too many battles in the NHL and neither Koko nor Griffith are not fast skaters for small guys.

I don't think the GM of an AHL team exactly has free reign to build the roster however he wants. It's a farm team. He's at the mercy of the NHL team's GM.

 

[JOKER 192]

considering there have been only 7 posts since 2 pm I 'm guessing we are all clueless. If Sweeny thinks we should keep Claude we already have a problem.

 

[JOKER 192]

I don't think the GM of an AHL team exactly has free reign to build the roster however he wants. It's a farm team. He's at the mercy of the NHL team's GM.

Exactly, he gets what they send him.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

considering there have been only 7 posts since 2 pm I 'm guessing we are all clueless. If Sweeny thinks we should keep Claude we already have a problem.

I take this viewpoint also.

Dan, doesn't this (Sweeney wanting to keep Julien) contradict what you just said about him wanting "fast, physical" hockey. I can't say that these are two adjectives that I would use to describe Julien's vision of hockey.

"Safe, boring, conservative" etc. Keeping Julien on tells me that Sweeney doesn't have the same vision you think he has ---or, scary version, he thinks Julien is the guy to pull it off.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

I don't think the GM of an AHL team exactly has free reign to build the roster however he wants. It's a farm team. He's at the mercy of the NHL team's GM.

He's also the asst. GM in Boston all those years and very much had the ear of Chiarelli. Are we trying to say that he couldn't have brought different players in? Between the NHL, AHL and Europe, there are thousands of players he had access to bringing in over the years. If we are saying he has not done any moves ever then why are we handing over the franchise to a guy who has never made a trade?

 

[DKH]

I have not heard of Providence being described as a fast/physical team the last few years and Sweeney was the GM there, no?

Koko
Griffith
Cunningham
Spooner

were our top 4 forwards in Providence the last 2 years --that is one smallass group of forwards that won't win too many battles in the NHL and neither Koko nor Griffith are not fast skaters for small guys.

Haha wait for my post when Sqeebet is official

 

[ODAAT]

I have not one ounce of proof, inside info, or articles to back this up, simply my opinion.

Judging by how Sweeney played the game, and his no nonsense approach to things I`ll wager he was not close to being in the same camp as Chia when it comes to the style he`d like to see.

I also think Sweeney believes in Claude and will do what he can to provide the actual talent to Julien to work with

Like everyone else, I see the stubborness of Julien and often his decision making left me beyond frustrated, but with Soupy gonzo, Paille done in Boston, that alone will make for interesting personnel changes.

When given the talent in the past, I`ve had little issues with either CJ`s system, or the results, this team has, on more than one occasion, been in the top 5 of scoring under Julien, many here forget that

I love up tempo hockey, outside of a few players here and there, this team has NEVER under Julien had anywhere near the horses to play that style. It sure didn`t look like he had put restrictions on Pasta and Spooner to be creative once leaving their own zone and I suspect moving forward, if given a few more players like them, he`d welcome that creativity

 

[Baddkarma]

The PBruins play the hand they are delt. Right now they have smaller, quicker players. We know this not what the NHL has become. Better scouting starting last year is what the Bruins and PBruins need.

As far as Sweeney, not sure he gets the job. Seems like a long to wait to announce an internal promotion. I think the Bruins are looking for a fresh view on their old problems. Just a hunch.

 

[don]

The PBruins play the hand they are delt. Right now they have smaller, quicker players. We know this not what the NHL has become. Better scouting starting last year is what the Bruins and PBruins need.

As far as Sweeney, not sure he gets the job. Seems like a long to wait to announce an internal promotion. I think the Bruins are looking for a fresh view on their old problems. Just a hunch.

Agree. I'll add that, IMO, the new GM will "like" what Cam tells him to like. I think Cam will be the "phantom GM".