Don Sweeney Is Going All In
If anyone had any doubts that Sweeney would be active at this year’s deadline to go all in with this core, those were set aside late last night. The series of moves came after the extremely shorthanded Bruins got destroyed 8-1 to the Capitals, and currently sit in 4th place in the East in the final playoff spot. The needs were obvious, secondary scoring help for the 2nd line and a left side defenseman. At around 10 pm last night, Sweeney would start to work his magic and address all of those needs without giving up much of any assets. My opinion and many others heading into the deadline was that Sweeney had to make a series of moves to make Boston legitimate contenders or else the season was essentially a wash. Let’s get into the deals Deadline Don made late last night.
Trade #1
Bruins receive: LD Mike Reilly
Senators receive: 2022 3rd round pick
The first move Boston made was to address the extreme need at LD, by acquiring underrated defenseman Reilly from the rebuilding Ottawa Senators. This trade is a win for both teams, as the Senators get more draft assets from a player on an expiring contract and the Bruins get the help they need. Mike Reilly has had a pretty good season for the struggling Sens tallying 19 assists in 40 games and being above average defensively. The 27 year old comes in at 6’1” 183 lbs and will most likely pair well with Carlo. That allows for the solid pairing of McAvoy-Grzelcyk that has been dominating all season to remain together while also having some production on the back end behind them. I was a big fan of the trade then and we will see if it pays off for Boston.
My Grade: B+
Trade #2
Bruins receive: LW Taylor Hall,(Salary 50% Retained) F Curtis Lazar
Sabres receive: F Anders Bjork, 2021 2nd round pick
This was the blockbuster trade that happened a little while after the first trade that had many fans shook. My first reaction was how did we get them for such little cost? Many thought it would take a 1st round pick and prospects especially to get Lazar as well but it ended up not even being close. The Bruins only had to part ways with Anders Bjork who was not even making the lineup on a consistent basis and a 2nd round pick, so this trade has little risk but extremely high reward. Taylor Hall has obviously struggled immensely on a horrible Sabres team but it should be noted that he is a former Hart winner just a few seasons ago. He has not been on a good team in a very long time and has never had leadership in the locker room up until now. He had little to no supporting cast or leadership in New Jersey, Arizona, and Buffalo. Now that he has landed in Boston with guys like Bergeron, Marchand, Krejci, and other veterans I see this as a huge opportunity for him to rebound. Playing in Buffalo he was extremely unlucky, and lets be honest his confidence was most likely at almost an all time low so the effort was not always there. I believe that Hall knows the pressure is on him now to perform well now that he is in the perfect environment with great players and veterans around him. As for the Bruins point of view this could be huge if he meshes well with Krejci, and Hall is one of the best playmakers in the league when on top of his game so he could possibly fit in very well with Pastrnak. It also just gives Cassidy a lot more flexibility when trying to balance lines. The Bruins also got Curtis Lazar, who brings lots of energy and grit to most likely the 3rd or 4th line and he is loved by teammates and fans, so I think he has the ability to be a classic Bruin. It should also be mentioned that Hall waived his NMC to come to Boston and used it to become a Bruin, so it is encouraging that this is where he wants to play. He also said this morning he would love to make this a long term relationship with Boston after this season. With Curtis Lazar, he is under contract for another year at $800,000. Just an unbelievable fleece by Sweeney with giving up so little, with the ability to pay off huge for the Bruins not just now but long term.
My Grade: A+
My overall assessment on the trade deadline is this is an absolute win for the Bruins, who addressed basically all of their needs without giving up their 1st round pick or any prospects. They get deeper on defense, and they add a talented player in Hall for cheap who will boost secondary scoring and hopefully play like his former self and pay off big time for Boston. Now, it's time for the Bruins to get healthy and try and make a run with their new additions to the group. It should be a lot of fun for fans, and hopefully the team finds success.
Overall Trade Deadline Grade: A+
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