B’s Sweeney talking it up
GM has much to do
BUFFALO — Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has been on a busy schedule of interviewing potential draftees here at the NHL scouting combine. Since Monday and running through today, Sweeney estimated he and his group of scouts will have met with about 80 players out of the 104 that have been invited.
That’s a lot of leg work for a Bruins team that doesn’t own a first-round draft pick, dished to the Rangers in the Rick Nash deal. Sweeney said he would look to move back into the first round via a trade but, as of now, that doesn’t seem likely.
“I’ve had previous discussions and whether or not those change after we’ve held our interviews, we’ll have to find out in the next couple of weeks,” he said. “But I do think it will be difficult. But there are teams with multiple picks and you never know what a team may want to do.”
Sweeney, meanwhile, touched on a number of other offseason issues facing the Bruins.
The GM is continuing to talk with some of his own unrestricted free agents.
“We’re just trying to sift through the term aspect of those conversations. You get closer to July 1 and players start to wonder what exists elsewhere,” said Sweeney. “All of those players have indicated that they felt they fit in well with our hockey club and we felt they did as well, but it’s unrealistic that they’ll all be back. Whether or not we have internal options, I think we have internal depth, but I’ve also said that although we’ve been committed to young player integration, I’m not going to say ‘Well, next guy’s up, a young player’s going in.’ They have to earn it.
“We will continue to add competition, whether it’s from the outside or by resigning players.”
Nash, who turns 34 on June 16, said on breakup day last month that he would like to return but, given his concussion history, he’s not sure how long he wants to play. Sweeney hopes to get clarity on that before proceeding.
“Those are individual personal decisions,” said Sweeney. “I’m going to have follow-up conversations this week. Hopefully I’ll have a better understanding of that. Rick indicated when he came to Boston that he was excited about the opportunity and he wants to win. He felt badly, and he’s certainly not responsible for this, because he got injured, and it took way a little bit of juice from him.”
Sweeney did say that UFAs Paul Postma, Kenny Agostino and Brian Gionta will not be offered contracts. He’s still not sure if he’ll offer Tommy Wingels a deal. Austin Czarnik, who had an excellent season in Providence as primarily a right winger, will be a Group 6 free agent. Sweeney expects he’ll test the market.
“We’ve had discussions with Austin and I think Austin is intrigued with what might exist elsewhere. We certainly haven’t closed the door and I don’t think he has either,” said Sweeney.
The GM said he hopes left defenseman Jakub Zboril, the 13th overall pick in 2015, challenges for a job in the fall, and he expects last year’s first-round pick, Urho Vaakanainen, to sign with the club and play in North America next season after playing two years in the top Finnish league.
Sweeney does expect the trade market to percolate between now and the draft.
“There’s a sense there’ll be some activity,” said Sweeney.
Sweeney also got a call from one of the team’s coaching assistants, Jay Pandolfo, who told him that Boston University reached out to him to fill their head coach vacancy. Because Sweeney has not been contacted by anyone from BU, he said he has no idea where the school is in its search process after the departure of David Quinn to the Rangers. Sweeney also assumed that fellow BU alum Joe Sacco was on the school’s list.
Sweeney said he would not stand in either man’s way if they’re offered the BU job. If that happens, Sweeney would look outside the organization to fill the open coaching position.
And the only injury update Sweeney had was that UFA-to-be Tim Schaller underwent hand surgery and should be ready to play in three months. Noel Acciari also underwent surgery for a sports hernia.
Patrice Bergeron, who had been bothered by a groin off and on during the season, does not need surgery. On breakup day, Bergeron said he’d give the injury a few weeks to see if it settled down.
Apparently it did.