Bruins GM Sweeney Reveals Trade Deadline Plans — The Fourth Period

BOSTON, MA — And we’re back. The much-anticipated Winter Olympic tournament lived up to its billing, and now everyone’s attention returns to the NHL regular season and this Friday’s Trade Deadline.

The Bruins occupy the second wildcard position, and just like every year at this time, speculation has been growing about whether Boston’s management would be looking to add a player, or players, who would give the team its best chance of making the playoffs.

On Thursday, GM Don Sweeney answered the question on the New England Sports Network (NESN).

“We still want to try to complement, supplement, our group,” Sweeney said. “The players have done a great job at being in the position they are. We’d like to add to it.”

It may seem as if this is a no-brainer, but if one remembers back to last season’s deadline when Boston went into its full-blown retool by trading Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, Justin Brazeau, Trent Frederic, and Brad Marchand, the results of those deals were not pretty. The club missed the Stanley Cup playoffs, and when the season began, most observers expected the Bruins to go another year without competing for a postseason spot.

Obviously, the new edition of the Bruins has proven the naysayers wrong.

The Atlantic Division has been the proverbial dog fight this year, with teams moving up and down the standings almost on a daily basis since the season began. Since October, Boston spent time in first place in the division and in last place, but as the year progressed, Sweeney’s squad has improved to the point where it is a real possibility that playoff hockey will return to Boston after that one-year hiatus.

“Our mantra was to be a more competitive team and to be a harder out, and I think we’ve accomplished a lot of that,” said Sweeney.

The standings bear that out. Boston, with 71 points, trails the Detroit Red Wings, 74 points, for the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot.

Two of the top three positions in the division are also within reach. The Bruins are just four points behind the third-place Montreal Canadiens (75 points) and the Buffalo Sabres (76 points), who are in second-place.

When one looks at the entire picture, it is clear that Sweeney and his bosses are seeking to acquire a piece or pieces that will not only secure a wildcard position but also push the team into a second- or third-place finish. Doing so would mean that the opponent in the first round of the postseason would be the second- or third-place team in the division, rather than the first- or second-place team in the conference. Confusing? Think of it this way: securing a top-three spot in the division could mean a first-round playoff date with Buffalo or Montreal, for example, instead of the Carolina Hurricanes (Metropolitan Division), who are first overall in the Eastern Conference with 82 points each, or the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are second in the Eastern Conference with 80 points.

A wildcard spot would be an unexpected and pleasant finish to the season, but ending the year among the top three in the division would be considered a major accomplishment. However, it will be a fight to the finish, figuratively speaking, of course.

“There’s still work to be done,” Sweeney said. “There’s growth to be had, but (head coach) Marco (Sturm) and his staff have done a really good job. If you look at the month of January (11-2-1), the teams and the games we played, I think that’s indicative of how we have to play moving forward to have success. We’re excited about the challenges in front of us.”

As The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported recently, there is a belief that the Bruins are in the market for a right-shot defenseman and a top-six forward.

If you are hoping that Sweeney will take that home run swing and look to add a superstar, you may be disappointed. That’s not to say a big name will not come to Boston; that is always a possibility, but it should not be expected.

“We’re going to be a little more cautious than we have for 10 years running in terms of really being aggressive, but if there’s opportunities, we’re going to try to pursue them to improve our hockey club,” Said Sweeney, who has been Boston’s GM since May of 2015. “Albeit we started with a plan, a painful one at that particular time, last deadline, but we’re going to explore both sides of the fence, and at the end of the day, we’re proud of our group, and we believe in them.

“We’re a really highly competitive team. These guys stick together. People question whether or not we score enough goals. We’ve had guys who have stepped up. Areas that we’ve tried to address for a while. Our defensive zone was a little more discombobulated than what you had hoped. Marco and the staff have done a really good job. The players have now adjusted. I just think the growth in our players, both on and off the ice, from a leadership standpoint, how they’re gonna play on the ice, how they’re gonna execute, how they want to play for each other is what we were trying to accomplish.”

And on Mount Olympus

Congratulations to Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman, who brought home gold medals from the Winter Olympics, while Henri Jokiharju and Joonas Korpisalo won bronze medals while playing for Finland. The Bruins also saw David Pastrnak (Czechia), Elias Lindholm (Sweden), and Hampus Lindholm (Sweden) compete in Italy. A phenomenal accomplishment for all seven athletes.