The knee-jerk reaction was for Boston Bruins fans to jump all over the Tanner Jeannot signing as a mistake by Don Sweeney. Sweeney hasn't gotten much leeway after some of his past decisions, and I was part of the group that thought Jeannot was nothing more than an expensive fourth liner. However, the Bruins' new enforcer has been saying all the right things since signing, and at the very least, we all have to give him a chance to show what he can do.
"Being the type of culture that I've tried to emulate in my own game, it obviously sparked some interest for me when they showed interest in me," Jeannot told NHL.com. “Just as a place that I could go to, play my game and be the best version of the player that I can be, and really show my full potential – be the player I know I'm capable of being, and that was a big reason for choosing the Bruins. I can't be more excited to get things going and become a Bruin."
Jeannot was once the type of player that Bruins fans would be ecstatic about signing. He doesn't bring a whole lot on the scoresheet, but he makes up for it with physicality and a willingness to protect his teammates. It's a sign of the changing times in the NHL that the fans aren't happy with the player, but it might not be the worst thing if he can bring some excitement back into the fanbase.
The Bruins are certainly going to look like the Big Bad Bruins of old when they hit the ice with their new uniforms this fall, and Jeannot does bring an element of that to the team. While Nikita Zadorov doled out some justice for Boston last season, the front office and coaching staff would prefer if he focused more on instilling the defensive culture back into the team. If Jeannot can take some of the weight off his shoulders, it'd only be a positive.
"They've still got the Big Bad Bruins thought a little bit," Elliotte Friedman said on the most recent episode of 32 Thoughts. "They brought Jeannot in to be a little bigger, a little meaner, and so Zadorov (doesn't) have to do some of this stuff as much."
On the flip side, the Bruins thought they had added a future fan favorite with David Backes and Matt Beleskey in the past for the same reason. It's easy to look at this signing and say it's the same mistake being repeated, but we'll exercise some patience to see what he really becomes in a Bruins uniform. If he does become a bust, the growing salary cap will make the contract a little easier to handle in the last few years.
