Don Sweeney’s Draft Windfall: Can He Seal the Deal for the Bruins?

COMMENTARY

A
new two-year contract extension
This does not automatically mean a lengthy contract extension for Bruins GM Don Sweeney.

Above all else — and as
Cam Neely noted to
The Boston Globe
earlier this week
— signing a new contract as the general manager casted certain appearances of an administrator advocating for a promising outlook in Boston to a newly appointed head coach… all while working under an expiring agreement.

For me, it felt like, ‘If I’m okay with his plan progressing, it shouldn’t only apply for one year,’ ” Neely said to the media.
Globe’s
Jim McBride said, “Clearly, if Don is conducting a coaching search, it might seem shortsighted to seek out a coach with plans to employ them long-term when Don himself only has one year left on his contract. If I were at ease with the vision he had for steering the team forward, such an approach wouldn’t have made much sense to me.”

Still, there is plenty of work to be done by Sweeney and Co. in terms of steering this franchise in the right direction moving forward. Because if Boston shows little signs of righting the ship in 2025-26 following a disastrous season, it remains to be seen if Sweeney will be the man tasked with making another lottery pick in 2026.

For the moment, though, the Bruins’ leadership is leaving it up to Sweeney to write a fresh chapter for the team as many from the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning roster have either hung up their skates or moved on to play elsewhere.

The initial step requires unraveling the confusion that caused Boston to transform from a consistent competitor into a bottom-feeder in an unprecedentedly short period.

Several elements contributed to the Bruins’ descent to the fifth-worst record in the league during the 2024-25 season: unexpected injuries, ineffective guidance from coach Jim Montgomery, and significant decline in performance among key players stood out as major issues.

However, Sweeney and his team have managed a group that has essentially existed under a time constraint due to the scarcity of locally developed NHL talents within their system over the years—alongside poor signings further contributed to a flawed lineup lacking in pace, ability, and offensive power.

Even though those games looked quite unpleasant after mid-March at TD Garden, Sweeney receiving this new contract isn’t really unexpected.

Any supporter of the Bruins who was calling for Sweeney’s dismissal after a disappointing season should have anticipated this outcome from Boston.
weren’t progressing beyond the general manager who was relied upon to reshape the team’s lineup at the NHL trade deadline.

Despite legitimate critiques about Sweeney’s draft performance and mistakes from last season’s off-season, he has provided the Boston team with an important early advantage through the club’s aggressive rebuilding efforts.

In a sport where established teams frequently hesitate to admit defeat—often waiting well past when they should—Sweeney chose to completely dismantle the team with the hope of achieving better outcomes down the line.

Captain Brad Marchand was dispatched to Florida, with additional key players like Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, Trent Frederic, and Justin Brazeau being traded over just a few days.

However, in a buyer’s market, Sweeney capitalized on the situation by replenishing Boston’s depleted supply of potential players and draft picks.

What was the total loot after the deal-making concluded?

• 2025 second-round selection (through Edmonton)
• 2025 second-round selection (through Colorado)
• 2025 fourth-round pick (Toronto)
• 2026 conditional first-round selection (Toronto – safeguarded within top 5)
• 2026 sixth-round pick (Minnesota)
• 2027/2028 first-round pick (Florida)
• F Casey Mittelstadt
• F Fraser Minten
• F Will Zellers
• F Jakub Lauko
• F Marat Khusnutdinov
• D Max Wanner
• D Daniil Misyul

Due to the Panthers’ conditional second-round pick being moved to either a 2027 or 2028 first rounder,
following Marchand and Florida moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals
Currently, Boston possesses five first-round selections and four second-round choices in the upcoming three draft rounds.

Including Boston’s top-first round selection from this year at No. 7 overall, Sweeney and his team now have an excellent chance to revitalize Boston’s stock of prospects and bring in youthful, affordable talents who can support a nucleus anchored by players like David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy over the coming seasons.

That effort could be the biggest factor in determining whether Sweeney continues to call the shots over the next several years.

Sweeney has demonstrated his skill in executing daring trades like those involving Hampus Lindholm, Coyle, Pavel Zacha, Dmitry Orlov, and Tyler Bertuzzi, as well as finding valuable assets through free agency signings such as Morgan Geekie.

A
timely offer sheet
or
securing a dynamic winger such as Nikolaj Ehlers or Brock Boeser
Would provide Boston with a boost starting from the 2025-26 season and onwards.

However, if the Bruins aim to establish a consistently competitive team for many seasons ahead, Sweeney along with his team must succeed with these draft choices in the coming years and bring impactful players into their system.

I believe the stakes are somewhat greater, and they ought to be,” Sweeney stated earlier this month regarding the seventh overall pick. “The aim is to assess players who will affect your hockey team. Occasionally, these players can also make an impression further along in their careers, but I feel like with our draft position, we must anticipate success.

Sweeney opted to make the tough choice of ripping off the Band-Aid in March.

The question of whether the Bruins can halt their loss of draft picks and youthful talents presents an altogether different hurdle.

It’s an aspect of team-building that Sweeney needs to correct on his ledger if both he — and the Bruins — want to remain relevant in this market.

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With a new contract secured, Don Sweeney now needs to capitalize on the impressive collection of drafted players he has accumulated for the Bruins.
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