All eyes are on the Boston Bruins with Patrice Bergeron retiring, a historic season to replicate and a salary cap crunch. The pressure is on to keep up in the Atlantic.

August is nearly upon us, and with it comes the only thing that resembles an NHL off-season – a few weeks of vacation for players, coaches and GMs to enjoy their cottage and the mosquito bites. However, the off-season doesn’t do much to ease pressure on NHL players anymore. For the most part, NHLers are in game shape year-round, and they all understand fan and media expectations for them are constant and emotional.

That pressure that’s always there is what this THN.com Hot Seat Radar series is all about. Continuing today with the Boston Bruins, we’re identifying individuals from every franchise seated on some form of the hot seat. One player, coach, or GM will be on the hot seat itself, signifying an individual under massive pressure to deliver above-average results next year. A second person will be placed on the “warm” seat – a position where there isn’t a trade or firing being imminent, but there remains a chance the individual’s time with the team ends before the 2023-24 campaign is through, A third player, GM or coach will be put on the “cold” seat, a designation for an individual whose ties to the franchise are rock-solid, their status in their particular city being locked in for the long-term.

Normally, there will be three people per “Hot Seat” file, but if and when it’s called for, we’ll bump that number up to four per team. We’re still in the early days of this series, though, so off to Boston we go:

Bruins’ Hot Seat: Don Sweeney, GM 

We’re not here to tell you Sweeney’s job security is in jeopardy. He’s a few months beyond putting together one of the greatest regulation seasons of all-time. Although the Bruins’ stunning first-round Stanley Cup playoffs collapse against Florida still stings, Sweeney has earned the right to take another shot at putting together a first-rate Cup contender. But don’t take that to mean he’s not under great pressure to produce.

To wit: salary cap constraints and captain Patrice Bergeron retiring have decimated Boston’s roster, and Sweeney has to figure out quickly what this team’s identity will be post-Bergeron. Per PuckPedia, Sweeney has only $5.4 million in cap space to try and fill Bergeron’s void. Some of that will be allocated to veteran center David Krejci if he chooses to return, RFA Jeremy Swayman or another backup goalie, and RFA Trent Frederic.

Bergeron’s departure has led to rumors Sweeney is interested in Flames star center Elias Lindholm, but what does Boston have that Flames GM Craig Conroy would want in a trade? Landing an experienced hand at center is not an easy task, but that’s what Sweeney is being tasked with. In a more competitive Atlantic Division this coming season, Sweeney’s roster moves could be the difference between securing home-ice advantage in 2024 and barely nudging into a playoff wild-card berth – or worse.

This is a “what have you done for me lately” league, and Boston can’t rest on its laurels. Sweeney controls the roster and has to find ways to dominate in the present while not undermining seasons in the long term. That balancing act won’t be easy.

Bruins’ Warm Seat: Jake DeBrusk, LW

It wasn’t very long ago – November of 2021, to be specific – that DeBrusk requested a trade out of Boston. He eventually smoothed things over with management, rescinded that request and went on to post 27 goals in 64 games last season. 

Nevertheless, the 26-year-old is entering the final season of a two-year contract with a $4-million cap hit. He will be a UFA next summer, and if Sweeney can’t get his name on a contract extension, DeBrusk could be dealt.

So long as he generates a similar amount of offense, DeBrusk will get a significant raise starting in 2024-25. At that point, he’ll be in his prime and looking to cash in with a long-term contract. Boston should have more than enough cap space to retain his services, but depending on his demands for term, DeBrusk might choose to test the market next year. If DeBrusk chooses that route, Sweeney will have to take a cold-blooded approach to move him.

The business of the game can supersede relationships a player has with a team, and while DeBrusk has avoided a ticket out of Boston, it shouldn’t and wouldn’t be shocking to see another contractual showdown between the two parties.

Bruins’ Cold Seat: David Pastrnak, RW

Now that Bergeron’s NHL career is over, the Bruins are Pastrnak’s team. The 27-year-old winger is entering Year 1 of an eight-year contract extension with an $11.25-million annual cap hit. 

Pastrnak’s taken his individual game to new heights, scoring 61 goals (13 more than his previous career high) and 113 points in 2022-23. He’s a top-10 player in the league – maybe a top-five player at that – and although his salary has skyrocketed, no savvy hockey fan begrudges him for his paydays.

When you talk about 99 percent of NHL players, no matter how good they might be, most of them could be traded for a player better than they are. Short of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and maybe Cale Makar, would any trade involving Pastrnak bring back a better player? Nope. 

Pastrnak is the driving force on offense for the Bruins, and the only question about his future is which veterans will greatly benefit from playing on Pastrnak’s line. He’s a bona fide force to reckon with, and Boston is fortunate to have him, likely for his entire career.