The dust is just now starting to settle after Friday afternoon’s implosion by the Boston Bruins, a dismantling that not only changes the here and now but also the short- and long-term future.
So what happens now?
Well, technically, the Bruins are still in the chase for one of two Eastern Conference wildcard spots. Perception almost certainly won’t equal reality in this particular case, but as of today, they are still mathematically in the hunt.
Saturday’s mildly shocking 4-0 upset of what had been a red-hot Lightning team in Tampa gave Boston 66 points with 17 games remaining. But they’re still in 12th place overall in the Eastern Conference standings, staring up at the likes of Ottawa, Columbus, the Rangers, Detroit and (gulp) Montreal, and each of those squads has at least two games in hand over the Bruins.
So like trying to scale Mount Washington on a broken leg, it’s an uphill climb.
Rather, after trading captain Brad Marchand last Friday, as well other mainstays such as bedrock defenseman Brandon Carlo, veteran center Charlie Coyle and, a few days prior, Trent Frederic — for a boatload of could-be’s and we-hope-so’s, and more importantly future capital in the former of much-needed first and second round drat picks, the future is where Boston’s focus should be.
Restocking their draft pool, not only this June‘s go-round in Los Angeles but also for years to come, is an important move for an organization that has been picked clean over the years, one that continually traded away future selections for immediate help at the trade deadline when they were chasing Stanley Cups. But now that skate is on the other foot, so to speak, and the rebuilding phase that we all knew was imminent at some point has now begun full-bore.
The Bruins need more skill and more speed. The majority of the NHL has blown by them in this regard, going 75 MPH is the passing lane next to Boston’s 50-and-cautious driving. Thinking they needed to get bigger and tougher after back-to-back playoff ousters by the Florida Panthers, Boston decided to bulk up with free agent signings like defenseman Nikita Zadorov, Tufte and Max Jones. Big fail; Zadorov is on the books for five more years at $6 annually; Tufte has played all but six games in Providence this season; and Jones was traded to the Oilers along with Frederic.
So they’re hoping that some of the players they purchased last Friday — Casey Mittelstadt from Colorado, Fraser Minten from Toronto, Marat Khusnutdinov from Minnesota, Henri Jokiharju from Buffalo — can provide some of those elements they’re badly in need of.
General manager Don Sweeney’s name has always been a hot road for Bruins fans; a majority have been calling for his head for years now, due mainly to lack of success at the draft table over his 10-year tenure. With five new draft picks coming in via trades, they most certainly don’t want him making those choices that will affect the team’s future.
On the flip side, there are those who will praise him for doing what many diehards felt wasn’t in the team’s DNA: send away important and/or beloved players before losing them to free agency and getting back bupkis in return. Did anyone truly believe that he’d deal Marchand, let alone to a hated rival in Florida?
The Bruins are on pace to finish with their fewest points since 2005-06. To say goaltender Jeremy Swayman has been a disappointment after inking a last-minute 8-year, $66 million dollar contract would be putting it mildly. Save for right wing David Pastrnak and his 79 points, it’s been an underwhelming season for many season-long Bruins.
That’s why the rest of this season should be focused on seeing who on the roster can play, is worth developing, and could one day be that road apple that turns into a Black-and-Gold gem.
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Executive Sports Editor Phil Stacey covers the Boston Bruins for CNHI Sports Boston. Contact him at pstacey@salemnews.com and follow him on X @PhilStacey_SN