Boston Bruins: Don Sweeney will feel the pressure in 2021

With the Boston Bruins failing to make some big moves this offseason, Don Sweeney will be feeling the pressure in 2021.

The Boston Bruins hasn’t exactly been great. While the team was able to bring back some key players like Jake DeBrusk and bring in winger Craig Smith, it wasn’t exactly Don Sweeney’s best work.

The Bruins were rumored with plenty of players but never ended up pulling the trigger. Boston could still use a top winger to pair with David Krejci as they enter the 2021 season.

More from Chowder and Champions

• 3 Patriots on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
• 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
• MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
• 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season

It seemed like the Bruins would have to be run by idiots to not sign winger Mike Hoffman. Hoffman traversed the offseason without any offers. Boston likely could have signed him to a bargain deal.

Hoffman is still a quality goal scorer. Last year he scored 29 goals and 30 assists. That would have made him one of the top scorers on Boston’s roster.

But because of Sweeny’s lack of urgency, the Bruins won’t be getting Hoffman. That will likely leave a lot of B’s fans rather upset.

On Sunday, Hoffman signed a PTO with the St.Louis Blues. This likely indicates that he will be signing a deal with the Blues closer to the season when St.Louis is able to free up some cap space.

First, they took Torey Krug from Boston, and now they took Hoffman. The Blues are giving Montreal a run for their money.

But that isn’t the only reason that B’s fans will be upset. It seems like Zdeno Chara will not be coming back. The season is nearing its start and Chara still doesn’t have a deal. Even though it’s likely the right move, fans will be angry at Sweeney.

Sweeney will likely face more pressure than the team this season. With his lack of acquisitions, it will be hard to put the blame on the players. There were some clear holes that the team needed to fix and they failed to patch them up.

Now Sweeney deserves credit for the great deals he made like David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. These players are signed long term for well under market value. Sweeney seems great at retaining talent but not acquiring it. If he wants to get the Bruins another championship, he needs to improve at acquiring talent.

So if the Boston Bruins underperform, Bruce Cassidy won’t be in the hot seat. All the pressure will be on Sweeney for his inability to make moves that would make this team a Stanley Cup contender.