After a slew of signings on Tuesday, it is fair for Bruins’ fans to ask whether their team is any better than it was just before they held their fire sale at the trade deadline. On paper, it would be hard to answer in the affirmative
But if there was one thing that GM Don Sweeney wanted to accomplish on Tuesday with NHL free agency, it was to make his team more competitive, first when training camp opens in September and then when the roster – whoever makes it – goes to battle against other teams in October.
Time will tell if he succeeded in that endeavor.
Faced with an unusually thin free agent market – and not enough money to fill all the holes with high-end players if they were even available — Sweeney went to work with a bucket full of spackle to fix the soul of the team.
First, he obtained veteran wing Viktor Arvidsson in a trade with salary-dumping Edmonton for a 2027 fifth-round pick. Next, Sweeney’s first foray into the FA market produced a whopping five-year deal ($3.4 million per season) for low-scoring hit machine Tanner Jeannot, who is one of the better fighters in the league, saying Jeannot is a guy who makes everyone in the lineup “a little taller.”
Then he hired a couple more bottom six forwards in old friend, hustle merchant Sean Kuraly (2 x $1.85 million) and high-energy Mikey Eyssimont (2 x $1.45 million), whom Sweeney referred to as “a pain in the ass.” He also added depth defenseman Jordan Harris, a Haverhill and Northeastern product, to a one-year, $825,000 deal and a couple of 25-year-old minor league forwards — Matej Blumel, who scored 70 goals in the last two seasons for the Texas Stars (AHL), and Alex Steeves, who had 36 goals for the Toronto Marlies (AHL) last year.
Now it’s time for this collection of players – heavier on tough bottom-six guys and last-chance hopefuls than elite level players – to battle it out for roster spots. It is an attempt to re-invigorate the culture that went missing.
“We were at times last year — even when we had our group — an easy out. And I can’t stand for that,” said Sweeney.
Sweeney has repeatedly said throughout his managerial tenure that he doesn’t want to hand a job to a young player and that resonated clear with this year’s July 1 crop. If Fraser Minten, Matt Poitras, Fabian Lysell aren’t ready to battle for a spot in September, then they’ll be wearing a “P” on their chest instead of a “B.” If they’re good enough for the NHL, that shouldn’t be a problem.
“Make no mistake, if a younger player has an opportunity to make our team, he’s making our team. I think what we did that two years ago, making room for Matt Poitras, (proves that),” said Sweeney. “But the competition is there. That’s what we want.”
The sales of Brad Marchand, Trent Frederic, Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo – as well as the flash-tank at the end of the season — had to be done. The team was trending in the wrong direction and there were no signs that it would reverse itself. Those decisions already garnered them a player, James Hagens, whom they believe could be a top line forward, plus several other interesting prospects. They’ve also got two first-round draft picks next season, when the crop of prospects is believed to be deeper, and two more first-rounders in 2027. The signing of Jeannot to five years was done partially with those young players in mind.
Can they compete for a playoff spot in 2025-26? Considering they play in the Atlantic Division and Florida, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Montreal and Ottawa are better than them, at least on paper, it will be difficult. But it’s not out of the question in a league in which half the teams make it.
The losses of Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy were devastating to the ‘24-25 team and their return should provide some boost. They still have one of the league’s top goal scorers in David Pastrnak. You never know how a group of players will coalesce under a new head coach. And it sounds like Marco Sturm has a true believer in the newly-acquired Arvidsson, who was on the Kings’ power play when Sturm coached it in LA in 2021-22 before he took over the Kings’ top AHL affiliate.
“I just think he sees the game really well, he played it and gets it. I think he’s going to be a really good coach for the team and a young group that we are and pushing for playoffs,” said Arvidsson, who has one year left on his deal at $4 million.
With Jeannot (211 hits), Mark Kastelic and Nikita Zadorov, there could also be some entertaining, old school nights at the Garden this winter.
But make no mistake. This team is no one’s Stanley Cup contender. The Bruins are in something of a holding pattern in which they hope to be competitive until the young guns arrive, presumably to take them to the next level in a few years.
As far as plans go, fixing the culture is a good place to start. But the finish line is a long, long way off.
