I think I can safely speak for everyone in the Boston area when I say that Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie were not exactly the two players we had in mind. Let me be abundantly clear, that is not to say that I don’t believe they’ll be helpful (dare I say instrumental) in helping the Bruins make another Stanley Cup run. All I’m saying is, I’m not even quite sure I heard their names mentioned once in any sort of trade rumor leading up to today. Would it be nice to see guys like Chris Kreider or Kyle Palmieri in the black and gold? Would it have been cool to see Joe Thornton back behind the spoked B? Of course, but Don Sweeney had other, more long term ideas.
Sweeney may be much smarter than we give him credit for (ignoring the plethora of ‘internet general managers’ that roam the deep web). Sweeney went out and cleared cap space for the potential re-signing of Torey Krug, got rid of a defensive prospect on a minor league roster that runs very deep at that position, got Anaheim to pay 75% of David Backes’ contract, unloaded a winger who wasn’t producing convincing numbers in Heinen, and acquired the type of big body physical winger that the Bruins desperately missed in their Stanley Cup series loss.
A big issue surrounding the Bruins leading up to the trade deadline was the contracts that Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo signed earlier in the year; they didn’t leave much room for Torey Krug, unless he was willing to take a hometown discount once it’s time for him to potentially re-sign. After today, that probable contract for Krug is likely able to look a lot more appealing.
The Bruins remain one of the top teams in the league, and now following Sweeney’s moves at the deadline, remain open for long term success. There’s a reason why he won GM of the year last season. The B’s remain primarily young, with a stellar veteran core, a potential 50 goal scorer, and now add a good physical presence to that lineup. That looks like a dangerous team heading towards the postseason to me.
I think the Boston Bruins are looking for redemption. Nicely done Don Sweeney.

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