In a not-so-surprising move, the Boston Bruins gave general manager Don Sweeney a two-year extension that is good through the 2027-28 season. As expected, it was not well received by the fan base, and after comments from President Cam Neely and CEO Charlie Jacobs last month at their end-of-the-season media availability, it was only a matter of time.
The move comes at a pivotal time for the franchise, coming off a trade deadline that saw captain Brad Marchand traded along with Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle in what was a must-sell deadline. The returns were good, and prospect Fraser Minten acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Carlo deal might end up being the best return. However, just because Sweeney is inked for three more years in total, it doesn’t mean that he’ll see the end of the contract before it expires.
Extension for Don Sweeney should not shield him from more mistakes
This extension tells Sweeney that his bosses have trust in him to turn things around for the Black and Gold, but another rough free agency, Entry Draft, or trade should completely shield him from not being fired. Pick one area, they all have had their rough moments during his tenure, but patience is running thin through the fan base.
After waiting for cap relief last summer, it was a huge swing and a miss for Sweeney in terms of signings, with Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov not living up to their contracts. Let’s not forget the Jeremy Swayman drama that dragged out much longer than it should have. There was no need for things to go down the way they did for the amount of time they did.
The return for Linus Ullmark was underwhelming and feels like more could have been acquired in terms of impactful players. Then there are the drafts that he has overseen that not turned up the results a lot of people had hoped they would. Ah yes, remember 2015?
This feels like the biggest draft Sweeney is facing since the famous one a decade ago as with the seventh pick, the scouting staff and Sweeney need to get this pick right and draft a player that fills a long-term need, preferably up the middle. A swing and a miss here could be seen as a fireable offense.
The bottom line is Sweeney is signed for three more years, but it doesn’t mean he has to finish out the length of the contract. A retool that needs to be quickly and correctly is here and more importablty, hiring another coach. Hiring and firing a pair of Jack Adams Award winners, Bruce Cassidy and Jim Montgomery, just a couple year apart doesn’t look good. Getting the next head coach wrong is more than a fireable offense, who doesn’t think so?
Look, I’m not calling for Sweeeny to lose his job, but the bottom line is that the extension should not shield him from backfiring decisions as everything needs to move forward and not backwards like in 2024-25.
