Bruins Are Eliminated & Offseason Plans
With the Bruins ousted by the Panthers, where do the team and GM Don Sweeney go from here?
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Bruins Need to Reward Jake DeBrusk’s Two-Way Play with a Contract Extension
May 20, 2024 by Tommy Bennett
Now that their season is over, the Boston Bruins’ offseason work is just beginning. General Manager Don Sweeney has cash to spend this summer – with $22 million at his disposal. He has key decisions to make, primarily with restricted free agent goaltender Jeremy Swayman. However, other key players could return.
Forward Jake DeBrusk is an unrestricted free agent. He and the Bruins have not struck a deal, but he is hopeful to return to the club. DeBrusk also made it known that he prioritizes winning and wants to be on a team with Stanley Cup hopes, and the Bruins should be able to contend for a championship. The question remains, does bringing him back make sense, and will he want to come back?
Takeaways From the Boston Bruins’ Exit Interviews
May 19, 2024 by Tommy Bennett
The hardest part of the season has arrived and it is the season exit interviews. This is where the players meet with the media and touch on the season as they prepare for the summer. Obviously, this is much greater when you win the Stanley Cup, but that didn’t happen this season.
This season was not a complete dud as you saw growth with many players. Also, you saw younger guys step up and emerge onto the scene allowing this group to take the next steps of what this team can build with. The Bruins had their media availability on Sunday, May 19, and there are key takeaways from it.
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Former Bruin Zboril Making Most of Opportunity in AHL Playoffs
May 19, 2024 by Mark Scheig
Jakub Zboril saw what was going on around him at Boston Bruins’ Training Camp as they were preparing for the 2023-24 season. After playing in just 22 games for the Bruins in 2022-23, it was clear the team was looking to go in a different direction.
Eventually, the Bruins placed Zboril on waivers which cleared the way for him to go to the Providence Bruins. Meanwhile, he just wanted to play hockey. So he asked the Bruins for a trade.
Bruins & Don Sweeney’s Offseason Priority List
May 18, 2024 by Tommy Bennett
The centennial season for the Boston Bruins has come and gone. It was filled with much joy and celebration, as they had era nights celebrating the history of the organization. One of the most memorable ones was when the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team was in the building, making a nice trip down memory lane. However, the ride is over and the Bruins season is finished. Despite a strong push in Game 5 to force Game 6, the late heroics by Gustav Forsling sent the Bruins home in heartbreaking fashion. However, this season was far from a disappointment and should not be looked at as such.
The Bruins have key players that are going to be free agents, but Sweeney will have $22 million to spend. But where does the team go from here and what should be the priority for the summer? Let’s dive in.
Bruins Exceeded 2023-24 Expectations
May 18, 2024 by Brandon Share-Cohen
Despite losing to the Florida Panthers in the postseason for the second consecutive year, this time in the second round, the Boston Bruins far exceeded expectations this season. That may seem hyperbolic, especially for a team that finished with the most wins and the most points in NHL history just one season ago, but it’s easy to forget just how bleak the offseason looked as a whole. Given the limited resources, general manager Don Sweeney provided head coach Jim Montgomery with a roster filled with bargain contracts capable of competing at the NHL level. It was clear from the start that this season would be challenging.
The Bruins’ sights will now shift to the offseason as the team has some major holes to fill, including legitimate top-tier goal-scoring, at least one top-six center option and potentially more help on defense. With the salary cap expected to rise and the Bruins getting back $4.5 million now that the bonuses to Bergeron and Krejci were paid, there are no shortages of options for Sweeney this offseason.