Every year, when free agency starts in sports, teams have a clear path that they would like to travel. For the Boston Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney, the path was a clear one from the get-go, and he perfected it.
There are a number of needs the Black and Gold had in terms of speeding up a retool that they hope will see them go from last place in the Eastern Conference to the playoffs in 2025-26. Easier said than done. Boston needed and still needs a top-six center, and they have appeared to have solved the goal-scoring wing need by acquiring Viktor Arvidsson from the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday morning. Before free agency began, he appeared to have addressed his right-shot need on defense by bringing back Henri Jokiharju.
Once free agency opened at noon on Tuesday, Sweeney had a clear path and that was to fill out his roster with role players and bottom-six players.
Bruins GM Don Sweeney masters depth in free agency
Now, with the current lineup in place, you would have to think that there are going to be some trades coming, right? I hope so. On Tuesday, Sweeney gave a five-year deal with a $3.4 million AAV to Tanner Jeannot, while also bringing back Sean Kurlay and signing Michael Eyssimont. Who knows, maybe they'll end up being better signings down the line, but the theme from this free agency is adding bottom-six depth.
You can't totally blame Sweeney, as the two biggest free agent forwards, Brock Boeser and Nikolaj Ehlers, were dream signings at best. Boeser ended up going back to the Vancouver Canucks and Ehlers is in no rush to make a decision, but he is looking to go to a place to have a chance to win and right now, that's not Boston. Sorry, Bruins fans, but that's just reality.
Now, Sweeney is left to make additions and upgrades through the roster via trades, and you have to think that some are coming at some point. Who he can target and get remains to be seen, but Sweeney mastered the depth signing route this free agency, and honestly, it was his only card he could hold when all is said and done.
