With NHL training camps still a couple of months away (Boston rookies hit the ice Sept. 15), the Bruins remain in need of beefing up their blue line. Development camp didn’t change that. First-round pick Charlie McAvoy is headed back to the Boston University back line, which leaves Brandon Carlo the odds-on favorite to pick off a varsity spot before the start of the 2016-17 season.

“I’ve always believed that the internal search is the best place to find your players,’’ said general manager Don Sweeney, following four days of player assessment and scrutiny at the Ristuccia Arena. “I think we are in a much stronger position to allow these players . . . they have to hit . . . and if they don’t, then it’s on us for misidentifying.’’

WILMINGTON — Their games and bodies in need of filling out, the Bruins’ best and brightest prospects closed the club’s annual development camp here Friday afternoon, their career paths still unknown.

“We all hear things about how the team’s going,’’ said the 6-foot-5-inch Carlo, eschewing the thought of looking too far into the future, “and that defensively there might be opportunities here. But overall I feel like we come in, give it our all and let the staff kind of decide for us.’’


Meanwhile, Sweeney says he will continue his roster building, an exercise that saw him add veteran center/wing David Backes via free agency on July 1. Backes (5 years/$30 million) is likely to be the biggest of the offseason moves, but it leaves Sweeney still in need of adding support to a back line that struggled to get the job done throughout 2015-16.

“It’s not going to stop me from tinkering or acquiring a player who is more ready made,’’ said Sweeney, assessing the stock at hand. “But there are two sides to that. The other team has to acknowledge that we’ve got a player that they want . . . but we will continue to explore it, for sure. We have a great group of young players that may be attractive to other teams. You realize it’s painful step when you do exchange players of that nature.’’


Camp closed with the two dozen prospects divvying up and playing a spirited 3-on-3 scrimmage. It was the only time all week when players didn’t participate in sometimes tedious drills, and it ended with the hopefuls all giving a spirited stick salute to the 500-600 fans in the stands.

It was also the club’s final appearance at Ristuccia, where it has trained since 1987. Beginning in September, the Bruins move to their new state-of-the-art training facility in Brighton, a far shorter commute from TD Garden, and no doubt a better recruiting tool when it comes to pursuing free agents. For the first time in club history, the Bruins have a training facility to call their own.

Some of the kids who spent the week at Ristuccia no doubt will become future fixtures in Brighton and Causeway Street. At least that’s Sweeney’s hope. Carlo could be one of them, McAvoy another, perhaps goalie Malcom Subban one more.

Overall, Sweeney just a year ago inherited a player pipeline that produced weak results during Peter Chiarelli’s tenure as GM. Since taking over, the former defenseman has remained steadfast in insisting the club build more from within, with improved drafting and allowing young players time to develop.


“Patience is a word that is not readily thrown around in this marketplace,’’ noted Sweeney, who played for a coach, Mike Milbury, whose impatience led to Sweeney briefly trying out at forward early in his career. “We understand that. I have never not acknowledged that we want to win every year. But you have to grow your players. I’ve been committed to it since taking the job.’’

. . .

McAvoy affirmed his intention to return to BU. He’ll report to Ann Arbor, Mich., on July 29 to be part of Team USA’s World Junior camp through Aug. 7. After returning home to Long Island, he’ll be back at Comm Ave. to start the school year at the end of August . . . Carlo returns Saturday to his home in Colorado Springs to train and will be on ice with the rookies in Brighton in September . . . Sweeney said the club will name a new coach for AHL Providence next week. Bruce Cassidy was promoted to the varsity staff last month.

Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeKPD.