Don Sweeney Media Availability 6/27/24

Don Sweeney Media Availability 6/27/24

the phone’s ringing a little more than usual this year uh in terms of trade talk and all that no I I mean every year around this time it’s it’s really active uh obviously leading up to it you know we were involved um uh you know in the goalie market and made a decision again um I want to thank lenus and MOA and uh you know Harry and Lily uh as I said before you know lenus was a really good addition to the Boston Bruins and uh made a decision that you know in this case both goenda to continue to want to play 55 games and that’s uh you know that’s that’s a tough unless somebody gets hurt to to have both guys be playing uh to that level so you know we wish him well U welcoming obviously uh Mark and and Jonas onto our team we feel we’ve we’ve covered our basis in a couple different areas that uh you know Mark brings you kill said to the bottom part of our group that we feel will compliment our team and Jonas obviously has been a high level goenda uh did a lot of work with yonas and and uh played his best hockey in uh in LA and then uh being able to translate into our our Hockey Club um you know I should have taken a minute in all honesty to congratulate the Boston Celtics and uh you know and banner 18 congrats to uh to their entire organization such a fun ride to watch them uh pull it off and uh you know and celebrate in the city of Boston with with with a parade what do you envision uh the workload for Yodas that’s to be determined as I referenced you know Jeremy would certainly like to to to get into the to the upper eon of playing 50 some odd games and hasn’t done that so we have to you know sort of see where that goes the year goes along how well he plays um and Jonas has obviously played uh you know at a high level and uh had been a starter so I think the the ability to compliment Jeremy to be able to push Jeremy um and want the net himself I think is is generally a good competitive atmosphere it’s what Jeremy’s been used to since he’s been in the National Hockey League and and he’s earned everything uh that’s come his way and I don’t want to lose sight of Brandon in the sense that uh you know he’s paid his dues he he wants his opportunity in the National Hockey League um if he beats out uh in this case all lik Jonas then you know we’ll have to give him the opportunity you know he requires waivers so it’s it’s part of the cycle of all the players and you know when they start to mature and uh an opportunity presents then then we’ll have to make a tough decision Don did you guys identify uh Jonas um similarly to how you looked at Lena Mar when we played for Buffalo and thinking there’s the we got a diamond in the rough here that we need to uncover uh and or is there internal repair for his game as well um because the stats haven’t been good uh for him say percentage wise U you know cop solo what are you looking at you is it similar situation as far as thinking we got a goalie there that isn’t in a good situation we’re going to put him in one well again we don’t look at it in a in a vacuum of saying just Warriors playing in Ottawa you know you have to look at in the context to where his team is at where he’s going to project into our team which we did do with lenus and did an awful lot of lenus um and hopefully you know in Bob’s case realizing that that the body of work is not again not just isolated to you know the most recent you know statistics in previous time and I used La as a reference point when he went there he had a really good run you know two good games in the playoffs two games they you know probably would like to have done a little better as their team obviously wouldn’t when you lose but I I think we feel very comfortable with him um as a compliment and a guy that can push because we feel that there’s there’s uh there’s more ground for him to get back to and when he played his best hockey you know we we did that in years past when Yaro came onto our team what are the situations in penalty killing versus ours and it’s again it’s a projection but but I think we feel comfortable in terms of uh stylistically uh the competitiv as the goal tender and and uh and Bob doing his work on on how he projects into arlanta so do you that as his game needs repair it needs rehab where where exactly um well it’s probably all the above again he’s going to go into situations you know uh in our system you know so it’s a systematic adjustment that that he’s going to come in and and uh and hopefully we adhere to our you know core principles of defending the way we’re supposed to and uh and he does his job um it’ll be an acclamation process in that but you know we feel very comfortable that that his body of work suggests that that uh he can get back to the level I refer earlier large issue two you got a sign sway where does that stand large issue one to uh as I said before it’s a priority for us to continue to have the discussions necessary to get uh to get Jeremy on contract we’ll continue to do that uh and we’ve been doing that and and and we’ll hopefully find it in due course um because that’s the priority do teams call and ask for trade for soy I mean I’ve been pretty consistent in terms of not really referencing anybody on our roster we made a goalie decision um you know I think any team in the National Hockey would be calling on your players that uh you’re going to make some form of already predicted we’d make a goalie decision um but again I’m not going to comment on on sway or anybody else you can Invision trading him no no okay do do you have any update on Jake Sprint to breath I don’t have any update at this point in time I suspect that Jake will will head to to the UFA and test the market um remain consistent that that we have been in negotiations with Jake haven’t had any productive talks uh in quite some time but you know at the end of the day that’s his probative to you know to see what uh what July one brings for him can you say you don’t have to say if you don’t want but can you say 100% you’ll keep that first round pick now or no no that’s not 100% I mean ideally we we provided a shock to the to the The Scouting staff in a good way and you know we’re happy to get back into the first first round uh you know the players the board what it looks like whether or not you know we move back um unlikely for us to to probably try to move up but you never cross it out because there might be a guy that our guys are excited about um but getting back into the the top part of the draft was important for us um and again it’s not an easy task this time of the year you know those those uh they don’t train heads very often at this point in time but you know the opportunity was there and uh and hopefully we take advantage of it even when when you guys didn’t have a first- round pick and in general when you don’t have a first round pick how focused still are they on the potential first round prospects you’re ear scouting Department I I’m really focused uh you know these guys work hard and and regardless like sometimes you don’t you don’t feel like you’ve given them enough reward for the amount of work that they do and the ground they’re covering despite not necessarily seeing light at the end of the tunnel and in this case you know we had talked hypothetically about uh you know prospects of things happening and always being prepared um and this is a great example of that that that we felt that we might have to make a move at some point in time and and for them to be prepared that would be our goal to get back into the first round and uh and now they are prepared so you know to answer your question these guys work hard I’m I’m proud of our group for continuing to do that regardless whether or not they don’t see our you know our name originally in the uh in that first round and now it’s it’s up to us to take advantage of it it’s an 18-year-old kid that typically that’s three or four years out so you go into it thinking positionally here def defense forward any priority uh if you use it yeah we’re going to try and find the best player we possibly can you know there’s always an eye towards uh you know positional needs if if it if it presents but it’s a dangerous Prospect to just go into the draft thinking you’re just targeting this particular position I think it’s it’s ill faded at times um and you can make some mistakes we all make them as you referenced they’re 18-year-old kids a lot of development to be done we want to find the best player that that fits uh you know some of the things that our Prospect pool May lack and um but ultimately find the best player how much of a path does Brandon busy have to getting NHL start you mentioned the competition that’ll have but given Corpus Sol’s contract what what does that sort of look like to you his path to get some NHL playing time next year this year well it’ll start right in training camp and you know condition that he’s in he’ll obviously play exhibition games and his bodyw work will suggest whether or not as a will with with Jonas in terms of where he’s at um it’s a competitive industry it’s no different than some of the hard decisions we made last year when Johnny beer came out Matty poter came out and played very well and and it forced us to make some some some tough decisions and that’s part of the game that’s the internal competition you hope and I think Brandon will be geared to do that Castell looks like he can plug in as a number four center right hand stick how do you envision him in the in the current mix uh yeah we’re we’re happy uh to to add another right shot um you know he’s well above 50% in his face offs uh you know an area that we got a little bit wonky in the later part of the playoffs you know during the course of the year we did a really good job at it but you know he can always use that he can play both Center and Wing probably toggles pretty well with Johnny in that case of left shot draws right shot draws in the defensive Zone um you know we’re going to build in um penalty killing uh as we’ve always referenced our bottom six guys who should you should find that ability to car another minute 40 whatever it is in the course of the game and I think it’s important for those players to continue to grow in that regard um brings an element of toughness that we value um and he’s really excited to be a Boston brew is he has he got top six upside could he play he’s got the body for front of the net on a power play has he got any of that in them yeah I mean you know look at at at Justin brazo this year and you know kept working at his game so you know I don’t think anybody’s put in a shoe box to say well he’s just this at the end of the day we’re going to put him into our mix we’re going to get him acclimated to our system um I think where we know he’ll start but that doesn’t mean that that’s not where he can’t climb up to you know to get higher in the lineup and and provide things that he would like to he scored at the you know at the my league level he scored you know really well at the lower levels of ay so let’s see where it translates but but let’s get them in get them acclimated get them comfortable and uh and know that he’s a welcome addition to our organization Tom I’m just curious where are things standing right now with d h in those negotiations at all uh I had meeting with uh with Al uh Roy his agent uh this week we’ve been in close contact uh with Al um you know you get closer to July 1 you know that other teams have recognized and acknowledged what Danton did for us this current year so it it always factors in and in a perfect world you get Denton back because of the versatility and the quality of the person and what he brought to our Hockey Club there’s other areas that we’re trying to Target in our in our in our free agency period so you know to be determined on that front where are you guys at with his hot guy as far as uh he played a lot at Center during the season something you had an eye for a possibility of when you acquired him um and then at the end you got moved um around a little bit um and how did you how do you look at how the season ended for him and what did you learn on that front and are you guys still committed to making him a sunent ieman again I I love the versatility in the player uh first and foremost we committed knowing that that berson and KY were moving on so we needed to deepen that and Morgan geki is a part of that you know exercise we continue to do that let’s see where MD fer comes back off his shoulder surgery and where he he he uh slots in um you know if he can get back to full health and and do what he did you know the early part of the last year and again those are all to be determined we put those into the into the sort of the mix of who plays where and who can compliment and play where and that’s the beauty of where Zachs he can go to the wing and compliment you know really good players he’s now been asked to do a heck of a lot more on All In All Phases of the game I mean significant penalty killing was on the power play played against the top lines um and you know you look at games you know five and six in my opinion I think in the Florida series like Zach played well in those two games you know he finally got the monkey off his back and scored which you know was was carrying burden on that um he’s been a really good versatile player in coming to our group um now he’s been through two playoff runs we’re hoping he just continues you know the upside that we’ve seen with the player and I don’t think he’s uncomfortable playing in any three spots in a perfect world Monday you’ve got $21 million in change I was good to have 21 million um what do you come out of it with in terms of what your team needs I’m not looking for a specific name here unless you want to give it um but for the team you have today what would you like to see as of Monday afternoon or Tuesday I mean I’ve been consistent that we were going to come out of uh this season knowing that we we still falling short the ultimate goal is to win um you know congrats to Florida obviously and uh and we know that path we you know we failed to get through them twice in the last two years so we’d like to deep in the middle of the ice with us so that’s where we we we’ve been focused and trying to to have those talks with uh you with our group to say okay who who would be the guy and uh and make the hopefully a pitch on at the right time that we can add a player of that nature I think we’re going to continue to look to strengthen our back end and compliment the group we have there and then from there it sort is like how much of the pie is left um with the clear acknowledgement that Jeremy is part of this this equation you perfect world you have a deal done there prior to but it’s okay there’s plenty of space as you referenced that uh you know we’ll find the deal for for Jeremy and make him uh you know a Boston Bruin and uh and we just have to attack I I can’t tell you that we’re going to satisfy every need that that our group had identified or you might identify but uh you know we are going to be aggressive to to try and improve our Hockey Club UFA Market inflate inflates the prices every year could you envision spending 8 million on a guy 8 million on a c i mean the market dictates you know if you’re going after you’re trying to be aggressive chances are you you’re you’re going to bump into an area where you’re uncomfortable that’s just just what happens um if you’re going to continue to to do that you can be patient and hope that somebody falls through and uh but you know deep down we like to improve our club we’d like to be a um you we we’ve been a very very competitive team and we want to continue to do that put ourselves in position Health obviously being a big part of that uh for a chance to take another run that’s the goal sway went to ARB last year you’ve had this period you could have gone or I guess there’s many windows here but you could have triggered uh our by now you haven’t done that okay it’s not it’s not the ideal path for us we know that I you know deep down it is an option for both sides but you know the path is to find the common ground and uh and and get a contract in place for you mentioned improving the back end there looking at the left side how much is there more emphasis there to maybe add some depth in terms of helping lowai project and grow in the proper manner so to speak yeah there’s a balancing component to that group and allowing you know Basin at a natural course to to continue to grow into being you know what we think is an impact player obiously did a really nice job had a good playoff um probably surprised us a little bit in terms of the amount of minutes and high leverage situations he was able to play you know the power play and and uh and all likelihood giving him um a really good opportunity to run our second unit just continue growth with a player and if we can balance that out not blocking him in any way or any other player um but complimenting our group I think that’s the the alterate goal is to deepen that group and compliment it uh um allowing you know other players to continue to grow and uh and be as good as they can possibly be the bill zto swept I mean when we at the presidents two years ago 122 points for illegitimate president trophy get swept in the second round by the lightning and lops off a third of his hockey team um pretty bold move from a GM situation you we’re facing this last year but not by choice so looking at that you seem like you pretty much stay the course we like how we’re building we’re not going to do anything dramatic here we know we have holes but we’re going to keep pushing the way we’re going do you feel confidence in what you guys have been you’re in an earlier stage of getting there it seems and but you’re it seems like you guys are confident in what you got and you you’re building this the right way I mean build deserves a lot of Credit One Standing comp has done a really good job um you know as a general manager so he deserves a lot of credit every team is a little different in terms of how they’re going to Lop off or or make changes we just made a big change you know we took arguably the best hand in the National Hockey League you know regular season wise and uh and we pivoted to to make a different decision so I think everybody’s you know at times when players like buron and Ketch retire you’re you’re forced to make decisions you might not want to make I would rather have had ber come back and Ketch is going to continue to play but sometimes those things are are the hands you’re dealt and you got to go and sit down at the table and play the cards so we’re trying to improve our club you know as I said they just wanted to stand on the cup they did a really good job they had a very unique opportunity to land an impact player and and it did it forced them to change sort of the construct of how they were and it worked um we’re all looking for that same you know type of opportunity um that’s what we’ll keep trying to continue to do and add to our group stay in the course and developing players you know in a perfect world that’s what you’d always do stay in the draft develop players and just continue to be competitive and win make the key moves that that put you over the top that’s what that’s what we’re trying to do you know we had a team that was tracking on that a year ago and we fell short wealthy short and uh got ourselves right back in the mix this year and uh and still felt very competitive um I’ve said it before I think we should have been able to push that team to a game seven we didn’t do it that’s that’s on us now we need to be right back there we touched on some of these free agents but I kind of like to hit the whole list uh anybody you haven’t anybody you’ve told we’re not having you back be a jvr shatty maroon forber go down all of them again Grizz yeah I mean all those players we haven’t signed all those players you know I’m having a conversation with with you know Danton and uh another one of our guys I don’t think it’s you know they kind of know what what what our position is you know each and every one of those individuals and their representation um so I think it’s it’s advantageous for them to to take that that uh knowledge and you know I don’t think it helps anybody’s situation for me to De clear you know at this hour you’d expect them all to hit the market on 71 it’s a safe bet they do but again I I’ve had this conversation with you know I just met with Dan Zen yesterday and uh speaking with another one of the guys this afternoon so I I I just can’t categorize it you know as as absolute that’s cuz you live it right it’s reality for you it is reality you get to play it like a video game game yeah that it’s not you know like you’re building a roster but this is is real real time and real terms like at the end of the day you’re you’re still subject to agreeing with with somebody on the other side and what they think their opportunities might be with internally here with Boston Bruins um or opportunity Elsewhere on the RFA side you’ve got boquist has be continued talking with that yeah we have yeah we have a deadline you know with with uh with he and a couple other guys we have S qualifying offers too so you know um we have to make a decision how do you feel about how um Fabian lysel season went he was I guess very storing for a while there and um pretty impactful this year it was a big step for him but it didn’t end great I know there was an injury involved um where are you guys at with him as far as what your how do you assess his development right now yeah we were really excited about where where fabian’s trajectory and year was trending until that uh I don’t know if anybody saw it it was it was a violent Collision you know he really ding the shoulder up uh you know had a concussion so and and good on him came back and actually you know played in the playoffs didn’t feel 100% comfortable um and the timeline was was you know it was easily going to be a six week from the time that we saw it um so he’s right around that that time again so we were really excited about where he was tracking um and all likely if he had continued along that path and stayed healthy would have gotten an opportunity up top um like a lot of other guys did because he had he had played that well um so now he’s got to hit the reset button and have a really good offseason and come back back with the intention that uh he knows how well he can play he knows how much we were we were proud of of uh the steps he had taken um and you know he had a good camp uh uh last year he’s just you know he’s still got to continue to work on his on his complete Game you know one-on-one skill stuff and and some of the things he can do to change a game are really good um just got to continue to build his team game as Monty would describe it and uh have a better understanding of when you might push that envelope when you’re not you know the risk reward that you know most high skilled players are are going to have to go through on the clothing presser I asked you any surgeries has anything changed you said no that day uh Marsh had a clean up on something that’s the only but he’ll be fine I was going to ask you about him about about uh the fact he’s got one more year left do you go at this July one like it’s the last season of the NHL history or do you try to think in terms of well next year we got to do Marsh we got to do Freddy we got to do this or that yeah we again even in the nth degree of talking about hypothetically berson and kety are they coming back for one less we we never really treated that way Bergie had made a firm decision we know Marsha is going to continue to play hockey so that’s you never really just look at one year snapshot that that’s a really tough exercise and we don’t do it that way we have to have an eye towards the future we’re a very competitive Hockey Club we know what the stakes are in terms of of playing in the city of Boston and how we try and rep present that City and and what we’re trying to accomplish and that’s that’s the goal we we we’re trying to get back in the hunt it’s hard to make the playoffs it’s hard to continue to win and go through and stay healthy um as I said we’ve done a good job to put ourselves in position we haven’t we haven’t gotten it done and you know I understand that I accept that and and uh each and one of our players do but that’s the goal we get back in there and take a run you bring back Jay leech Joe goes up to associate does the dynamic change in terms of you know responsibilities assignments what happen you’re going to have four behind the bench yeah I mean again we we looked at uh at where we were where we were this year where we were previously where we were this year and and we felt there was a a gap there and that’s not anything on John mlan John mcan’s return to play his connection with players developmentally in the organization like he’s a really key component to what we we try and do and if you talk to Scott wall and realized like the connectivity they have and and the players themselves look at Darren forber and the things that he went through to get back and play John’s a big part of that and now you know Jay coming in with his experience familiar with the organization um excitement to come back and compliment you know be Kel and Joe and Monty to me it there’s a Synergy there that I’m really excited about and I think allowing Joe to have a little more of the uh game management with Monty and and because they’re really connected and and how they see the game Joe’s penley killing uh takes uh full ownership of that uh uh and it allows Jay to continue to work on individual and collectively with a group of of players Mason’s a part of that his continued growth in development so I think it it it it really compliments our staff now to to where we were versus you know where we are now does Joe take some of the day-to-day sort of grinding the media thing I mean you know Monty’s really good with you guys so I don’t know how much he needs to take a step back I mean if Joe you know feels that he has to Joe was a head coach too so that’s I don’t know if he’s volun here tell you the truth why wouldn’t I had that conversation it’s it’s it’s Unique and and euphoric to be in front of it but I don’t know if you can really jumping at it uh but I’ll leave that up to him what did you think um I remember Monty in the beginning of last year said to me you know what am I going to do without C and Bergie they’re like second coaches on the bench say what do you think the way he adapted to that and the way he adapted in general in his second year I mean I think Monty you know felt that times this year he had to take the Reign a little harder right and U you know and that’s just adapting as a coach and reading your room and reading the situation so you know does it put more ownership on him and the staff and maybe that’s where it came back to to to you know giving another boost and injection and that in Jay’s case uh coming on board uh Monty’s got a real good pulse of of of his room and his connectivity with players themselves be it at bergy’s level or at Matty Watcher’s level and uh I think that’s part of of what makes Monty a really good coach um while leaning on you know his assistance uh you to do some of that stuff that uh you know as a reinforcement of those principles that we want to play with um and it’ll be no different we’re going to bring in some new players we lost some some players have moved on but uh Bob’s got a new goalie Dynamic so there’s every year is somewhat unique in those challenges um but what Monty does is a good job is connecting early on and establishing those relationships Marsh is now in his second year as a captain I think that will help uh you got continued growth on Charlie and uh and pasta As Leaders we have a core group of guys that are all back um that contribute to those you know decision-making things I mean you know you’re not replacing berser on what he brought to a locker room you know Dro down from Z and and you know but Marsh is on that on that path to be able to have that same conversations um as an extension of what the coach wants to do cuz it’s their room Dev Camp more Dev camp on Monday anything unique about this one other than it collides with July 1 um in terms of numbers of bodies or what you want to accomplish a little smaller this year um maybe by Design um but I think the accomplishment goals of of indoctrination into the Bruins way uh Adam um you know does a really good job he’s taken a lot of ownership he’s you know we’ve got a couple of off I activities which are equally as important to tell you the truth in terms of of the on Ice activities that we do do because it’s not an evaluation Camp it never has been it’s a year-over-year growth and and um opportunity these players to be exposed and stretched and uh introduced to really how we like to try and do things uh and to get to know each other you know because some of these kids are going to come back to camp for the first time and challenged for a job you know youve got the Ry dur that you know just turned Pro went to Providence now he’s come to his first Asel Camp before it was like okay I’m at developing Camp there’s no real Stakes um but they go through these phases uh to continue to grow and and hopefully be a sponge but again Adam and everybody that goes into putting in development camp together are trying to they’re they’re growing as well and so it’s it’s a very unique time it does it collides with July one but you know most of the teams feel as you stretch those things out it puts a lot of ownership in the players they they’ve beened the draft a lot of them or they’ve got their college season set up and their Juniors and where they’re going to go and Europeans are the same way it just it is it’s a schedule but but you know so is this time frame there’s one kid I wanted to ask you about there Jackson Edward it’ll be his third death camp played Memorial Cup this year see a lot of growth in his game is he is he a kid who could come in and I I I assume he’s headed for Providence but Jackson’s you know he’ll be a pro this year uh you we talk about the growth year-over-year and in the last couple years on and off the ice Jackson’s handled a lot of adversity um and he’s he’s a real gamer like you know got a real soft spot for Jackson obviously similar IL player um yeah he’s just a lot of growth and opportunity he’s got a bite to his game plays both sides um you know I I think he’s going to really really take uh leaps and bounds in terms of getting into the pr game maintaining structure in his game while allowing that bite natural competitiveness to continue to BU to the surface uh you know a great great kid um that we’re excited to have as a as a Boston bre this year

Bruins GM Don Sweeney speaks to media ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft