Post by Admin on Oct 5, 2017 13:06:35 GMT -5
Now it’s time to start judging the Don Sweeney era
Steve Conroy
Don Sweeney, you might say, is on the clock.
When Sweeney took the reins as Bruins general manager two-plus years ago, he set forth a five-year plan to team president Cam Neely, one that was heavily tied to a youth movement he would undertake.
Until now, it would have been unfair to judge the job Sweeney has done. But as we enter Year 3 of the Sweeney era, with two rookies set to start the season in the top six forwards and a rookie and second-year player among the top four defensemen, the future is now.
Starting tomorrow night, when the puck drops for real against the Nashville Predators, it is fair to start to judge away.
“I think so,” said Sweeney’s boss, Neely. “Would it have been great last year to have some of these kids pushing? Yeah, but they just weren’t ready. And we kind of knew that, that it was going to be more this year to see if some of these players were going to be pushing for jobs. Fortunately through camp, it showed that they can, and they did. We’ll see what happens when the regular season progresses.
“But we’re kind of where we thought we would be coming into this season based on the players that were drafted and the time it takes to develop them.”
In hindsight, it was the correct approach a couple of summers ago when Sweeney upended the roster and loaded up on prospects. While one part of the overhaul was foisted upon him when Dougie Hamilton was reluctant to play in Boston, dealing pending free agent Milan Lucic was surely in the cards when Sweeney took the spot as GM. He moved both of them for a slew of picks.
The B’s were just one year removed from the Presidents’ Trophy in the summer of 2015 and missed the playoffs by one point, they were in desperate need of a prospect infusion. That was driven home yesterday when goalie Malcolm Subban was claimed off waivers by Vegas. The Bruins now don’t have any of their first draft selections from 2005-13. Some were whiffs (Matt Lashoff, Zach Hamill, Jordan Caron), a couple wanted out (Phil Kessel, Hamilton), one was used to help win a Stanley Cup (Joe Colborne, traded for Tomas Kaberle), one’s off-ice commitment was questioned by management (Tyler Seguin), and there’s still one incomplete (Linus Arnesson, a second-rounder who remains Bruins property but returned home to play in Sweden).
So when Sweeney took the job, the Bruins needed not just kids but high-end kids who can play. They think (hope) they have that now.
Anders Bjork, a first-year pro out of Notre Dame, is slated to play on the top line. Jake DeBrusk, one of three first-rounders from 2015 who played in Providence last season, will play on the second line. Second-year player Brandon Carlo will go right back with his mentor Zdeno Chara on the blue line for a second season. And perhaps the most promising youngster of all, Boston University product Charlie McAvoy, will be on a second pair with Kevan Miller and see power-play time. Sean Kuraly also could see significant time in the bottom six.
Neely is excited about all those young players, and there are more on the way. But with youth comes an anxiety level. It could be argued that last year Danton Heinen had as good a training camp as any of those four kids had this year. Heinen earned a spot on the team, but he quickly learned the regular season is lot different from preseason. He spent much of the rest of the season in Providence, and he’s back there again this fall.
It’s great to have youth, but it has to be the right youth. And the Sweeney era will be defined by whether the Bruins have it now or not.
www.bostonherald.com/sports/bruins/2017/10/conroy_now_it_s_time_to_start_judging_the_don_sweeney_era
