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Don Sweeney

Snapshots: Hague, Pastrnak, Jets

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When Vegas Golden Knights training camp opens tomorrow morning, defenseman Nicolas Hague won’t be there as he awaits a new contract. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that he isn’t expected to be on the ice with his teammates Thursday morning at City National Arena, the team’s practice facility.

Hague is one of the few remaining restricted free agents in the NHL, alongside Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin and Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson as the marquee names. Granger expertly notes that Hague missing camp is more detrimental than in previous seasons, as new head coach Bruce Cassidy will be installing a completely foreign defensive system from what the Knights have been used to in past seasons. Hague, the 34th overall pick in 2017, had 14 points in 52 games last season.

  • Speaking today during preseason media availability, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney says it’s a priority for him to get pending free agent winger David Pastrnak signed as soon as possible. Pastrnak, while he’s expressed a strong desire to stay in Boston, hasn’t shared the same urgency in negotiations in previous reporting. Pastrnak, who’s notched 40 or more goals in his last two full seasons, will be in line for a substantial raise, and it may behoove Sweeney to get a deal done before his value rises even further.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have made three scouting hires, including the first woman scout in team history, Sydney Daniels. Daniels joins the team as an NCAA scout, having previously served as the assistant coach for the women’s team at Harvard. The team also brought on Jari Kekalainen, brother of Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, as a European scout, and former Toronto Maple Leafs scout Tony Martino as a USHL scout.

Morning Notes: Waddell, Bloom, Lundqvist

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According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, it appears the Carolina Hurricanes and GM Don Waddell have re-upped on a new contract, though the specifics are not certain. Waddell’s previous contract had been set to expire on June 30th, and with that date coming and going and the Hurricanes busy offseason proceeding, it would seem clear that some sort of agreement had been reached. That train of thought appears confirmed now via LeBrun, who says the deal went without a team announcement. While the Boston Bruins announced their extension with GM Don Sweeney, who also had his last contract expire on June 30th, this quiet approach is not out of the ordinary and is part of a new trend, LeBrun says.

An extension with Waddell isn’t a surprise to most, given his strong relationship with the organization and of course the team’s recent success. Since being named the full-time GM in 2018, Waddell has overseen four consecutive trips to the playoffs in Carolina, as well as significant transactions like the hiring of Rod Brind’Amour as Head Coach, drafting the likes of Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis, acquiring and the subsequent recovery from losing Dougie Hamilton, and most recently the blockbuster acquisitions of Max Pacioretty and Brent Burns.

  • An injury update on Sabres forward prospect Josh Bloom, who was hurt in Thursday night’s prospect showcase game against the Montreal Canadiens. According to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, Bloom did not practice on Friday and his status for tonight’s contest with the New Jersey Devils is uncertain. While Bloom being sidelined for at least a day of practice and a showcase game is a clear negative, the possibility that he could be available and that his absence is being spoken about in the short-term is a positive, given how the injury played out on Thursday. Bloom had left the game after being hit along the boards, failing to return, now listed with a lower-body injury. The winger broke out for  the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit in 2021-22, contributing 61 points in 67 games.
  • The Athletic’s Arthur Staple had a chance to sit down with former New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist as he reflected on his transition from Hall of Fame goaltender to his new role away from the rink. Now, Lundqvist will serve in a forward-facing role, representing the Rangers in the community. Notably, Staple inquired about his transition from playing, which happened rather suddenly when a medical condition was revealed that would force the superstar into retirement. Lundqvist mentioned that the transition was a bit different for him because of the health condition, but it gave him plenty of time to reflect and leave him “in a good place mentally.” He added that leaving his playing days behind creates a hole that needed to be replaced, “[b]ut I also understand I’m not going to be able to feel the way I felt around the games, just my goal is to find new interests.”

Bruins Notes: Langenbrunner, Front Office, Pastrnak

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The Boston Bruins have given Jamie Langenbrunner a new title, naming him Assistant General Manager – Player Personnel today. The front office executive has been with the team for the past seven years, first joining as a player development coordinator and working his way up. A name to keep in mind for future general manager searches, he has rather quickly made his way through the Bruins system, having only been named director of player development in 2020.

He wasn’t the only one to receive a promotion today though. Here are more notes from the front office announcements:

  • Dennis Bonvie and Ryan Nadeau have been named directors of pro and amateur scouting respectively, while Darren Yopyk is now assistant director of amateur scouting. Brett Harkins is the head college scout, while Parker MacKay is now an amateur and college scout. The team has also named three skating and skills consultants, reformed their medical department, and named a handful of analytics additions.
  • Not to be overlooked was general manager Don Sweeney’s press conference discussing the new contracts for David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. In it, he was asked about a potential extension for David Pastrnak, and explained that there is an ongoing conversation with the star winger. Sweeney wouldn’t discuss details, though did mention that the Bruins are comfortable going into the season without an extension in place. Pastrnak, 26, is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Boston Bruins Extend Don Sweeney

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The Boston Bruins have made it official, signing general manager Don Sweeney to a multi-year contract extension. The move comes just as his current contract was set to expire, and keeps him at the head of the front office for the foreseeable future.

Bruins’ CEO Charlie Jacobs released a statement:

We are proud to extend Don Sweeney to a multi-year contract as General Manager of the Boston Bruins. Under his management, the Boston Bruins have been one of the winningest franchises in the league and a perennial playoff contender year in and year out. While we recognize there is work to be done to achieve the ultimate goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Boston, I’m confident that Don’s commitment to being best-in-class on and off the ice will help us climb that mountain once again.

Team president Cam Neely also expressed praise and confidence in his general manager, explaining that he believes Sweeney is committed to doing “whatever it takes” to give the Bruins the best chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

Since the end of the season, which saw the Bruins exit the first round at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, Sweeney has drawn plenty of criticism. The firing of well-liked head coach Bruce Cassidy just a few days after he was told he would be back, some eyebrow-raising comments from a source close to winger David Pastrnak, and the still unresolved issue of Patrice Bergeron’s future have made Sweeney the target of many fans’ ire.

Named general manager in 2015, Sweeney has taken the Bruins to the playoffs in each of the last six seasons, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019. The team has drafted and developed players like Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman, Brandon Carlo, and Jake DeBrusk in that time as well, a huge chunk of the team’s current core. Taylor Hall, Charlie Coyle, Hampus Lindholm, and others represent trades that Sweeney orchestrated as well.

It’s the other moves, including several missed draft picks and trades that have taken players like Ryan Lindgren out of the organization that draw so much criticism and have made Sweeney such a hot-button topic for Bruins fans, and what will likely make the reaction to this news rather negative.

The team did not detail how many years the new contract is for. Sweeney is in the process of conducting a search for the team’s next head coach.

David Pastrnak To Discuss Extension In July

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The Boston Bruins are experiencing quite a bit of change. Not only did they fire Bruce Cassidy, but it is unclear whether Patrice Bergeron will return, Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy are both out long-term following surgery, and now David Pastrnak’s future with the team seems suspect.

Last night, Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic wrote an explosive article about Pastrnak’s future in Boston, suggesting that he may not be open to a long-term extension. The piece even quotes a source close to the star forward, who claims there is “no chance” that Pastrnak would return with Don Sweeney as general manager.

Today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweets that Pastrnak and agent JP Barry are expected to sit down with Sweeney in early July to discuss an extension. The insider also notes, however, that if Pastrnak won’t sign the Bruins would “definitely have to move him.” To Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, Barry also indicated that he doesn’t know where The Athletic’s report came from and that they have a “solid relationship” with Sweeney.

That’s perhaps shocking to some, given Pastrnak’s status in Boston as one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league but more and more it appears as though the Bruins are heading toward a rebuild. Trading the 26-year-old winger would obviously have a huge effect on any efforts in that direction, especially if it came with an attached extension wherever he ends up. The Bruins would likely get an incredible haul, given this is the kind of player that can push a team over the top and take them from playoff hopeful to Stanley Cup contender.

He’s done that for Boston for so many years, racking up 240 goals and 504 points in 510 career games. Pastrnak has been even better in the playoffs, totaling 74 points in 70 games, and remains one of the most lethal powerplay threats in the league. If made available, teams around the league would likely be scrambling over each other to get a chance.

Still, it wasn’t always this way for Boston. The team signed Taylor Hall to a four-year, $24MM contract last summer to give them a weapon beyond the first line. Just a few months ago they traded a huge package of picks and prospects for Hampus Lindholm, extending him to an eight-year $52MM contract immediately. Those aren’t moves that a rebuilding squad usually does, meaning that a Pastrnak extension should obviously still be a priority.

The question is really raised if he won’t sign it, and what that will do for the competitiveness of the team–Hall and Lindholm acquisitions be damned. If no deal is reached, Pastrnak could quickly become the biggest story of the summer.

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