Can Don Sweeney have success in one area where he's generally struggled?
During Don Sweeney's tenure as general manager of the Boston Bruins, he has done some things well and others, well, not so much. At the top of the list for the latter is drafting in the NHL Entry Drafts. There is a reason why their prospect pool generally ranks at the bottom of the league.
From the first draft as GM in 2015 when he had three consecutive picks at 13, 14, and 15, drafting has not been a strong point for Sweeney. One reason you could make a case for their lack of top prospects is that Sweeney has traded his first and second-round draft picks at various trade deadlines for postseason runs.
Now at a time when they desperately need to inject youth into the lineup, they don't have a lot to choose from. Mike Millbury, a former Bruins coach and analyst at NBC, thinks that Boston needs to try and best their kryptonite this summer, making strides in the NHL Entry Draft.
NHL analyst says Don Sweeney and the Bruins need to draft well this summer
Former NHL analyst Mike Millbury said on Thursday that before the Bruins turn their attention to free agency on July 1, they need to draft well a couple of days earlier to stock-pile their prospect pool. Easier said than done under Sweeney.
"Before they get to anything, they have to make sure that their drafting is as good as it's been in a long time,'' said Millbury. "I mean, they accumulated a few picks and they have a chance to start to pile up a few prospects. That doesn't mean you're gonna get better right away.''
So here's the thing, drafting and Don Sweeney are not words that go together too well. Right now, the prospect pool of defensemen in the organization is, well, bad. Forward-wise, Fabian Lysell is a first-round draft pick, but he's played a grand total of one game in the NHL. He's currently on the five-game road trip with the Black and Gold and is expected to play at some point.
Other than that, there is Georgii Merkulov, Matthew Poitras, and Fraser Minten, who was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a trade for Brandon Carlo, are prospects that could contribute for the Black and Gold, but after that, it's thin pickings. This is indeed an important draft for Sweeney and the Bruins, but until otherwise, it's easier said than done.
