The Boston Bruins embarked on a soft retool last season, and this year, they've rebounded into a stronger team. But Bruins GM Don Sweeney faces a trade deadline dilemma: make big moves or subtle tweaks?
At this time last season, the Boston Bruins were a team in flux. Their struggles in the win column led to Bruins GM Don Sweeney making a calculated gamble. He traded away some veterans and retooled in the hope that the 2025-26 season would see them get back in the Stanley Cup playoff mix.
Turns out that’s exactly how this season has transpired, as Boston has rebounded about as well as anyone could’ve hoped for, and they currently sit in a playoff spot in the highly competitive Atlantic Division.
But that resurgence leads to an important question. What does Sweeney do on the trade front by this year’s trade deadline? Does he continue shaving off a veteran or two for long-term help, or does he try to make a few additions to his team?
From this writer’s perspective, the answer is clear.
The Bruins shouldn’t completely stand pat by the March 6 trade deadline, but if they want to continue making the shift from the Brad Marchand era to a new era, they shouldn’t be giving away any of their valuable assets for short-term success. And that means making a tweak or two to the roster and taking their chances the rest of the way this season.
Sweeney does have $2 million in salary cap space at the moment, and that number grows to $3.6 million at the deadline. So Sweeney can absorb a notable contract via trade without having to ship out big-money contracts in return.
Casey Mittelstadt, Viktor Arvidsson, Mason Lohrei and Fraser Minten. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)Although Boston has a couple of pending UFAs in defenseman Andrew Peeke and right winger Viktor Arvidsson that might be attractive to a buyer team at the deadline, it’s the best idea for Sweeney to see them as his own rental players and deal with their contract status in the off-season.
The danger of making major moves is the risk of upsetting the chemistry in the Bruins locker room, which has exceeded expectations.
So adding a depth player or two that has some playoff experience won’t cost Sweeney the sun and the moon in any trade. But doing anything more than that feels like an unnecessary move that could hurt the Bruins as easily as it could help them.
Because of Sweeney’s savvy moves last year, the Bruins are well-positioned for the future. Boston is essentially playing with house money this season, and there’s no urgency for the B's to rush into any decisions.
Thus, spending a mid-tier draft pick or two that rewards Bruins players for their strong play this year is what we see as the best road ahead for Sweeney and the rest of the front office.
Boston has a brighter future because they took a step back last season to take more steps forward this year and beyond. And there’s no overwhelming need to make major changes right now.
Being a cheap buyer is the smart move for this Bruins team. Slowly moving in the right direction will get the B's back in legitimate Cup contention sooner rather than later.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.