Boston Bruins offseason preview: Who should they acquire?
No one. Absolutely nobody. It might not be clear, but the Boston Bruins already have what they need.
Their defense is trash! The need to add another top 6 forward! All these complaints, while probably true, fail to look at the big picture of what the Boston Bruins are trying to do right now.
Whether you like it or not, the Bruins are not going to contend for the cup next season. As soon as Don Sweeney took over as GM he made it clear that the Bruins were a re-loading team.
It wasn’t a full re-build, but they did trade some players they didn’t see fitting in long term for draft picks. Even though Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton were great players, this regime wanted to change the direction of this team. Because of this they now have a lot of young talented prospects close to making the jump.
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Instead of going out and spending another 6 million on an aging veteran, (Yeah, I’m looking at you David Backes) the Boston Bruins should focus on hanging on to and growing the players that will guide this team in the future.
Make sure David Pastrnak gets a new contract. I don’t care if it’s a bridge deal or long term. His 21st birthday was last week, he has many productive years ahead of him.
As far as bringing in more talent, sure it would be nice to see the Bruins win a few more games this year, but at what cost?
First of all, bringing in veterans is going to take valuable minutes away from an Anders Bjork or a JFK. Giving these guys NHL time is gonna be crucial for their growth as players.
Secondly, you gotta think about the cap. Signing a veteran like David Backes pushes the B’s ever closer to the max team salary. Imagine the Bruins force themselves into a situation where they can’t re-sign Charlie McAvoy or another young stud.
That would defeat exactly what Don Sweeney has tried to accomplish as GM. Be patient and embrace the youth movement. These kids are the future, another aging veteran is not.
Next: Boston Celtics draft prospects: Making a case for Jayson Tatum at No. 1
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