Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney makes the first of three consecutive draft picks in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

When Don Sweeney Became the General Manager of the Boston Bruins, He Set Some Goals for Himself and the Team – Goals That He’s Proven to be Accomplishing So Far

The 2015 offseason was an interesting one, to say the least. The Boston Bruins were coming off of a season where they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006-07 and needed change. The team ultimately decided to fire their then-general manager and current President of hockey operations and general manager of the Edmonton Oilers Peter Chiarelli. To facilitate the change that the Bruins needed, Don Sweeney was named the new general manager in Boston.

When Don Sweeney took the reigns, he made it clear what his intentions were. First and foremost, the former Bruins defenseman knew that the team needed to restock its prospect pool. Before being promoted, Sweeney worked very closely with the team’s AHL affiliate in Providence, giving him a first-hand perspective of what the team had developing in their system at the time.

Returning the Bruins to the playoffs was another one of Sweeney’s objectives. As of right now, the Bruins have yet to so following Sweeney’s first year as a general manager. The team currently occupies a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, however, although there has been much speculation that the Bruins simply don’t have the team to compete right now. It is important to note that the team currently sits in fifth place in the NHL with a 10-6 record, however.

In terms of restocking the Bruins prospect pool, though, Sweeney has been very successful. Shortly after being promoted to general manager, Sweeney made some splashes. After re-signing Adam McQuaid to an extension, Sweeney got to work holding true to his first team goal.

Making Splashes Early

June 25 – Eve of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft

The first thing trade that Sweeney made as the general manager of the Bruins sent Carl Soderberg to Colorado for a 2016 6th round draft pick. While the value may seem low for a player who had produced like Soderberg did while in a Bruins sweater, it’s important to remember that Soderberg was a free agent-to-be on July 1 and had priced himself out of Boston. This trade was understood and wasn’t necessarily a splash so much as a smart move to recoup something for nothing. What Sweeney did next, however, shocked the hockey world.

June 26 – Day of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft

On the day of Sweeney’s first draft as a general manager, he made a controversial move that instantly set the tone for the direction the team was heading. Potential cornerstone defenseman Dougie Hamilton was shipped away to the Calgary Flames for the 15th, 45th and 52nd selections in the 2015 Draft.

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The Bruins were coming off of a season in which they had just lost Johnny Boychuk for draft picks and subsequently struggled defensively. The trade of Hamilton in similar fashion caused a stir among Bruins fans. The team was now down two top-four defensemen and had nothing immediate to show for it.

Later that same day, Sweeney traded away fan-favorite Milan Lucic to the Los Angeles Kings for Martin Jones, Colin Miller, and the 15th pick in the 2015 Draft. Lucic was set to become an unrestricted free agent the following offseason and Sweeney capitalized on the situation and received a first round selection, a potential top-four defensive prospect in Miller, and Jones who had been very successful as the Kings backup goalie and was a pending restricted free agent.

Restocking the Cupboard

With three consecutive draft choices (13th-15th overall), the Bruins were expected to make a trade to acquire either an established defenseman or a top-five pick to take home-grown talent Noah Hanifin who subsequently was drafted by the Hurricanes. That trade never came, however, much to the chagrin of the fans. The Bruins were set to draft with each of their selections and restock their prospect pool.

In his first draft as the Bruins general manager, Sweeney made 10 selections. The last time the team made that many selections came in 2003. At that time, there were nine rounds rather than the current seven-round system.

Here’s a recap of who the Bruins selected in the 2015 Draft:

13th Overall* – Jakub Zboril – D 14th Overall – Jake DeBrusk – LW 15th Overall* – Zachary Senyshyn – RW 37th Overall – Brandon Carlo – D 45th Overall* – Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson – RW 52nd Overall* – Jeremy Lauzon – D 75th Overall – Daniel Vladar – G 105th Overall – Jesse Gabrielle – LW 165th Overall – Cameron Hughes – C 195th Overall – Jack Becker – C

* 13th overall selection – part of Lucic trade

* 15th, 45th, 52nd overall selections – part of Hamilton trade

It’s always hard to evaluate talent right out of the draft. By not trading any of their selections, Sweeney made it clear that he felt confident with the players he and his staff had scouted – one year later, the team seems to be standing by those choices and hold many of their prospects in high regard.

June 30th – Trading Martin Jones

After acquiring Jones as a part of the Milan Lucic deal, Boston parlayed him into more future assets. Jones was traded for College forward Sean Kuraly and the Sharks 2016 first round draft pick. Jones eventually backstopped the Sharks to a Stanley Cup Finals appearances against the Pittsburgh Penguins. That fact that has left Bruins fans sour, to say the least.

Regardless of how successful Jones has been, however, the Bruins made the right choice in trading him for a first round draft pick considering he had only played in 34 games at that point in his career and they already had franchise goalie Tuukka Rask.

2016 NHL Draft

14th Overall – Charlie McAvoy – D 29th Overall* – Trent Frederic – C 49th Overall – Ryan Lindgren – D 135th Overall – Joona Koppanen – LW 136th Overall – Cameron Clarke – D 165th Overall – Oskar Steen – C

* 29th overall selection – part of Jones trade

Sweeney didn’t make as many selections in his second draft as the Bruins general manager. The team selected defenseman Charlie McAvoy (out of Boston University), as well as Trent Frederic with their first round draft choices. Frederic was taken with the pick acquired in the Jones deal – one that renewed discussions of how “poorly” Sweeney had done in handling that situation

A Smart Pick After All

Though ridiculed for picking Frederic, the Bruins appeared to have made a good pick at the 29th overall. Frederic has been very successful at the University of Wisconsin so far this season after putting up disappointing offensive numbers prior to being drafted. In his draft year, the 6-foot-2 forward scored four goals and 14 points through 23 games. In eight games with the U. of Wisconsin this year, Frederic has scored four goals and 10 points.

McAvoy was highly touted coming out of the draft and has picked up right where he left off this season. In 37 games last season with the Terriers, McAvoy scored three goals and 25 points. In nine games this season, McAvoy has scored one goal and nine points. Additionally, he’s looked even better defensively and skates with confidence.

While it’s way too early to evaluate the 2015 or 2016 NHL Draft classes too heavily, Sweeney has done exactly what he set out to do. The cupboard of prospects is now full, and though the team may still be hurting defensively, there has already been some dividends in the form of Brandon Carlo. The team also still has prospects from previous years, such as Austin Czarnik, Danton Heinen, Rob O’Gara, and others, who have seen NHL time this year. there’s no doubt the team still has work to do, but Sweeney deserves some credit for what he’s done.