Bruins give GM Don Sweeney a 2-year extension to lead rebuild after first playoff miss since 2016
The move comes a month after team president Cam Neely said he needed to think about whether to keep Sweeney around after a decade in which the Bruins have seen unprecedented regular-season success followed largely by playoff flops. Sweeney fired coach Jim Montgomery, who led Boston to NHL records of 65 wins and 135 points in 2022-23, in November, then sold off the roster at the trade deadline when it failed to respond under interim Joe Sacco.
'Don has navigated a disappointing period for our club with conviction, purpose, and a clear vision toward the future of the Boston Bruins,' Neely said. 'He made difficult decisions around the trade deadline with the confidence they will pay dividends as we craft a path back to contention.'
In 10 seasons under Sweeney, the Bruins have a 458-233-91 regular-season record, with eight playoff berths. The team's 1,007 points and .644 point percentage are tied for the best in the NHL in that period.
But the Bruins have made it past the second round of the playoffs just once in Sweeney's tenure, reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2019 under Bruce Cassidy. Cassidy was fired three years later and then took the Vegas Golden Knights to the Cup championship in his first season there.
Montgomery replaced him in Boston and won 112 games in two years, but just one playoff series. He was fired 20 games into this season, and with the team unable to challenge for a playoff berth Sweeney traded captain Brad Marchand — the last remaining player from the 2011 championship — in a roster purge that signaled the end of the franchise's most successful era since Bobby Orr laced up his skates in the old Boston Garden.
Neely said Sweeney has been searching for a new coach while also preparing for the draft.
'I am confident in the plan he has followed these past few months — and excited for what's to come for our team,' the former Bruins forward said of the former Bruins defenseman. 'The expectations in Boston have always been clear. It's about winning championships.'
A veteran of 16 seasons in the NHL, all but one of them in Boston, Sweeney took over the Original Six franchise's front office in 2015 and was given the league's General Manager of the Year Award in 2019 after the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup Final. He has also served as GM for Team Canada in its 4 Nations Face-Off victory this winter, and will serve as the country's assistant GM for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.
'It's an honor to be part of a franchise with such a storied history and passionate fanbase," Sweeney said. "I fully understand and embrace the responsibility that comes with this role. Our fans have high expectations for this team, and so do I. The collective goal is to build a team that makes Bruins fans proud and ultimately brings another Stanley Cup back to Boston.'
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Wild fan survey results: Faith in Guerin holds, but a lot rides on what comes next
You're somewhat concerned about a Kirill Kaprizov extension. You're bullish on Marco Rossi being a top-six-caliber center. And there's still some cautious confidence in president and general manager Bill Guerin. This was always going to be an important summer for the Minnesota Wild, with their superstar eligible for a long-term extension and the shackles of the Zach Parise-Ryan Suter buyouts finally off. Advertisement What better time to put together The Athletic's annual Wild fan survey, which received 4,775 responses this year (thank you all!). There were certainly some interesting answers in here, from the underwhelming offseason to Kaprizov and Rossi to the Filip Gustavsson-Jesper Wallstedt tandem. We took your temperature on many other topics, too, from the touted prospect pool to what core player you're most open to trading to the next captain after Jared Spurgeon. Here are last year's survey results for comparison. 4,755 responses Guerin said nobody should 'panic' if Kaprizov wasn't signed July 1, and we're now almost at Aug. 1 and it's still quiet. So it'd be understandable if there was some anxiety among the fan base. Instead, there's more optimism than there was last year, when 28 percent of you said you were 'very concerned.' Now, 51 percent of you are emphatic Kaprizov is staying (compared to just 17 percent last year). There are good reasons for this, especially Kaprizov's positive tone in his exit meeting press conference, saying about negotiations, 'I love everything. It should be all good.' We broke down some burning questions recently around Kaprizov's contract, and we'll know more after Guerin and Kaprizov meet face-to-face before camp. 4,747 responses The Wild would like to sign Kaprizov to a long-term deal and are the only team that can offer him eight years (one of their advantages). The prevailing belief among fans is that's what will get it done, with over 80 percent of you believing it'll be a seven- or eight-year term. It will be interesting to see, though, if Kaprizov actually prefers a shorter-term bridge deal to take advantage of the rising cap, plus put some pressure on Guerin to build a contender around him. Advertisement There are risks for both sides on a long-term deal, especially considering Kaprizov missed half of the season due to a surgery on a lower-body injury and will turn 29 by the time this extension starts. 4,756 responses Rossi turned down a five-year, $25 million extension last winter, and the reality is that's below market value for a contract that long for a 60-point 23-year-old. The comparable for a six- or seven-year term is north of $6.5 million and even in the $7 million range, judging by recent NHL signings, and the Wild are showing no appetite to go that long anyway at any price. Even though Matt Boldy's contract is more than two years old, the Wild aren't willing to go to the same numbers because they feel Rossi isn't Boldy. So a two-year bridge deal seems the likely resolution, giving Minnesota two more years to evaluate Rossi and see if a player like Danila Yurov is the real deal. 4,754 responses It's fitting that you're split on this, as the Wild and Rossi's camp are in a pretty strong stalemate. The team feels its offers have been strong, but if you're Rossi, betting on yourself, there's reason to expect more. There will have to be a compromise made here somewhere, especially as camp opens in mid-September. They're playing a game of chicken but the Wild do need Rossi considering their center depth. Yes, Rossi has no 'rights' beyond an offer sheet because he's not arbitration-eligible, but there's leverage on Rossi's side, too. A contract holdout into training camp or the season takes away a serious point producer. 4,758 responses It's hard to argue what 80.1 percent think. The Wild may even agree. The big question is whether they want it to happen here. Plain and simple, the Wild aren't sold on committing the term and dollars necessary to make Rossi the team's second-line center of the future because they're not sold on a player of his size and talent level in that spot being enough to get the team over the hump to be a consistent Stanley Cup contender. Advertisement There's no denying Rossi's courage and willingness to go to the dirty areas, but can he break down defenders in the playoffs with his undersized frame? That's the question that's slowing progress in contract talks. 4,759 responses There was a lot of hype around what Guerin could do now that the dead cap hits from Parise and Suter are finally mostly off the books. So what the Wild did could be seen as underwhelming. But it appears fans here are grading on a curve, with most people giving Guerin a B or a C. There were other factors in why Guerin couldn't do more, as most teams kept their top free agents, so a lot of the big names didn't even get to the market (including a top Wild target in Brock Nelson). There weren't many sellers during trade talks, Guerin said, as most teams wanted to get better. In that context, fans were pleased with Guerin's restraint on July 1, which he said can be a 'day of mistakes.' Guerin indicated that not doing much this summer allows him to be in the market for some big fish during the season with trades, or even next summer. 4,759 responses Gustavsson is coming off a strong season, looking a lot more like the version from 2022-23 than the one that struggled in 2023-24. The Swede showed he's capable of being the Wild's No. 1 of the present and potentially the future. He's a great fit and beloved by teammates. That could give Guerin reason to pursue a contract extension this summer as opposed to waiting until he hits unrestricted free agency next offseason. Advertisement But while a little more than half of you are ready to commit to Gustavsson, the other half is in wait-and-see mode. That speaks to the belief remaining in Wallstedt, who is coming off a season he called 'terrible.' Wallstedt has been touted as the team's goalie of the future since getting drafted in the first round, so the Wild could spend a little more time to see how he bounces back in his first full season in the NHL. Gustavsson did talk about how being a goalie partner with Wallstedt could have a different feel than his bond with mentor Marc-Andre Fleury. 4,752 responses As much as Wallstedt struggled last season, there were some factors involved. He suffered three different injuries and played behind an AHL Iowa team that wasn't very strong defensively or on the PK. He has been among the best prospects in his age group for a long time, and he didn't forget how to play goalie in one year. The talent is there. The key is the mental side, and Wallstedt is betting on himself bouncing back, using Gustavsson's summer 'reset' as a model. The coaches in Iowa believe Wallstedt's down year could be a blessing in disguise, showing him how to handle adversity during a season, which could help him in the NHL. Your belief in Wallstedt being a superstar goalie dropped from 21 percent last year to 3.1 percent this year, though. Wallstedt knows this will be a big prove-it year to show he can acclimate. But if Wallstedt becomes a 'solid No. 1 goalie,' like over 50 percent of you believe, the Wild will be happy. 4,758 responses Boldy was terrific in the playoffs, forming a dynamic duo with Kaprizov. They were borderline unstoppable at times. That version of Boldy — the skilled scorer not afraid to go to the dirty areas — had superstar qualities and scored some big-time goals. If the definition of 'superstar' is a top-10 player, like Kaprizov, though, Boldy isn't in that category yet. But there's nothing wrong with being a Robin to Kaprizov's Batman, like 57.3 percent of you voted. Plus, Boldy is only 24 years old, so he likely hasn't reached his ceiling yet. Advertisement 4,749 responses Few believe Tarasenko's going to magically rekindle the consistent stardom he brought in St. Louis, when he scored 33 or more goals in six consecutive non-pandemic-shortened, 82-game seasons. He has slowed down. But three-quarters of you are banking on what the Wild are: that he'll earn a consistent top-six role that would allow him to play at even strength with Rossi or Joel Eriksson Ek alongside a mix of Boldy, Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. If he produces in that role, the one-year gamble that brought him to Minnesota from Detroit for no assets will have been worth it. 4,730 responses Spurgeon, 35, the second full-time captain in Wild history, has been a constant in Minnesota's uniform since making his NHL debut on his 21st birthday in 2010. He's arguably the biggest success story in franchise history. If the Wild hadn't given a contract to the former New York Islanders sixth-round pick after his drafting team let him go unsigned, he had one foot on a plane ready for a career overseas. Instead, the Wild signed him and today he's the franchise leader among defensemen in games played (933), goals (117) and points (416). But with two years left on his contract and despite a solid season that saw him play 66 games as opposed to the 16 the year before, almost 44 percent of you are ready to cut ties. Ryan Hartman was a relatively close second after being suspended a fifth time last season, which cost him eight games at a tumultuous time in the season. 4,752 responses This is an interesting question, and one the Wild probably won't have to worry about for a couple of years with Spurgeon still under contract. There are some quality candidates here, from the Wild's vocal heart-and-soul leader in Foligno to their superstar in Kaprizov to a perfect lead-by-example guy in Eriksson Ek, arguably the team's most irreplaceable player. Advertisement But Faber makes a lot of sense. He plays, acts and talks like a captain and was one with the Gophers. He's thoughtful, accountable and a franchise cornerstone (signed to a long-term deal, too). You can't go wrong with a few choices here, but Faber seems like he'd get the nod. 4,750 responses This one was Yurov in a landslide. The Wild are really high on their top forward prospect, someone who is a proven winner and can play the middle of the ice. There's also a little mystique and curiosity surrounding the Russian, especially with not a lot of fans getting to see him play — yet. While Guerin acknowledged that there will probably be 'growing pains' for Yurov as he transitions to the North American life and game, as well as defensive responsibilities at center, there's a lot to be excited about. 4,742 responses Fans seem to have some reasonable expectations for Yurov, with a good chunk of you believing the rookie will score between 20 and 40 points. Not everyone is like Boldy, who racked up at least 60 points in each of his first three full seasons. A lot of Yurov's production will depend on how comfortable he becomes in the NHL, and how soon. There's also the question of what kind of role Yurov will have. Assuming Rossi re-signs, would that mean Yurov is slotted on a third line with Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman? How much power-play time will Yurov get? 4,751 responses We're writing this at the World Junior Summer Showcase, and lo and behold, Craig Button just came up to us and started raving — unsolicited — about Buium, in the context of how many pieces are missing from a U.S. World Juniors roster coming off back-to-back gold medals. Button thinks Buium is the next Scott Niedermayer, and if that's true, boy oh boy did Judd Brackett get himself a first-round steal in 2024. Advertisement There's a reason the Wild traded up with the Philadelphia Flyers to draft Buium and declined multiple chances to trade the pick to the Winnipeg Jets for Rutger McGroarty. We'll get our first real look at him this year after his playoff taste in the spring. He's got a good chance to start on the No. 1 power-play unit and get initial top-four minutes with Jonas Brodin expected to miss the start of the season due to offseason upper-body surgery. 4,746 responses This might be getting old as a question but it was worth revisiting, especially now that the Wild are out from under most of Parise and Suter's dead cap hits. Most agree with the decision, and it's hard to argue overall with eight playoff appearances in 10 seasons, but how this will really be judged is by what the Wild can do in the near future, both in adding to their roster and advancing in the postseason. There are some strong core players here, and there should be a handful of young players getting a chance to make their impact on the roster this season. 4,753 responses We tweaked the options in this question from last year's survey, but the results are about the same. A year ago, 65.1 percent of readers felt Guerin was doing an excellent job or were satisfied with the job he was doing. This year, the top two answers combine for 66.7 percent. The hits, of course, have been the Kevin Fiala trade that brought Faber and a first-round pick (Liam Ohgren), the Boldy and Eriksson Ek contracts and the acquisitions of Gustavsson and Jake Middleton. Misses? As of now, the Yakov Trenin signing and the lack of impactful free-agent pickups, the additions of John Klingberg and Gustav Nyquist (the second time) with both players committing fatal mistakes that killed the Wild in the past two postseasons, and the mere fact that the Wild haven't advanced past the first round in his six seasons. Advertisement It's too early to judge the David Jiricek pickup, but Guerin sure gave up a haul. While the pressure is mounting and, as usual, fans are loudest on social media, the majority here continue to be satisfied. 4,759 responses There still seems to be cautious confidence in Guerin, with more than 80 percent of you in the 3 to 5 range. There have been some hits, as we mentioned above, and Guerin was dealing with the dead cap hits for several seasons. But the next couple of years will ultimately be how Guerin is judged, starting with solving the Kaprizov extension and the Rossi saga. How do the Wild's touted prospects look this year (Yurov, Buium, Jiricek, Ohgren, Wallstedt)? Guerin has said the Wild have never been 'serious contenders,' and how he navigates the roster (and his surge in cap space) coming up will be significant in whether he rewards the fans' faith. 4,754 responses You can tell the patience is running pretty thin here, with 76 percent of fans polled saying a successful year will be at least winning a playoff round. Considering it's been a decade since the Wild have completed that feat, there's deservedly some pressure. Making the playoffs is not enough. The fans understand that this is not necessarily a Stanley Cup-winning roster, but it is more than capable of advancing past Round 1. For this place to be a true destination in free agency, or via trade, the Wild have to show progress in the most important category for a lot of players: winning. 4,728 responses The Wild and the city of St. Paul amended their recent asks from the state in their pursuit of public money to give the newly named Grand Casino Arena what they say is its first major renovation in 25 years. But the state rejected the request outright. The amended submitted request was for the arena only — not all the bells and whistles in the surrounding area. Leipold and the city were willing to contribute $200 million each, and they were asking the state for $50 million. Advertisement Now the two sides can do nothing but wait until the next legislative session in January and try again. The Wild use the building 44 times out of 365 days a hockey season, and with Leipold willing to contribute almost half of what is felt is needed to renovate the arena, the majority of fans who voted feel that's appropriate and that the city and/or state need to step up. 4,678 responses You know your beat writers well. Here's the deal, though: Joe will undoubtedly lap Russo in the number of drinks consumed. Nobody drinks more Diet Coke in the world. You should see the cups during a game, and that's after a day's worth of Diet Coke. He's a member of the Panera 'Sip Club' and carries around plastic cups from every restaurant in town so he has the ability to refill at a moment's notice. Heck, look at this sheepish grin as he sips on a Diet Coke as we write this thing. Russo likely wins, though, because of the way this question was framed. In a Venti Americano, of which Russo drinks two to three per day, there's 300 milligrams of caffeine compared to 46 milligrams in a 12-ounce can of Diet Coke. So we'll keep track of both: Numbers of coffee versus Diet Cokes AND amount of caffeine each guzzle. Wish our hearts and brains well this hockey season. Good thing they don't count calories. (Top photo of Kirill Kaprizov: Justin Berl / Getty Images)
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Evgeni Malkin, now 39, is a Penguins legend beyond compare
I'll never forget a conversation I had with a random fan during a Pittsburgh Penguins game against the New York Islanders on Long Island a decade ago. In between periods, I was bored and having a chat. This stranger very astutely noted, 'I'm not saying Malkin is better than Crosby. I know he's not. But I have to say, I notice Malkin more. Does that make sense?' Advertisement Yes, random Islanders fan. It makes perfect sense. At his peak from 2008 through 2012, Evgeni Malkin was at times the greatest player in the world, with his jarring performance spikes occasionally exceeding those of peak Sidney Crosby and peak Alex Ovechkin. Let that sink in. At his best, Malkin was that good. Historically speaking, he will go down as being badly underappreciated. Playing in the shadow of Crosby comes with consequences. Being the Russian superstar selected one pick after the Russian superstar obscures his greatness, too. Call him Mr. 101 if you want. However, Malkin's career has been a marvel. While we can focus on his eye-popping numbers and his even more eye-popping physical gifts, what always stood out to me was Malkin's unrelenting competitiveness. When the weather turned warm and the games became bigger, Malkin consistently elevated his game. He has 180 points in 177 career postseason games and, in two of his three Stanley Cup runs — in 2009 and again in 2017 — Malkin finished with more playoff points than Crosby. Malkin averages more points per game with Crosby out of the lineup. All time, Malkin's points per game total is 1.10, which is plenty good enough to get you into the Hall of Fame. Without Crosby, Malkin averages 1.30 points per game. It's remarkable. It's admirable. However, it's not baffling, considering how much Malkin cares about winning. Through that mentality, Malkin has broken about every stereotype about Russian players. After the Soviet Union collapsed, Russian players began to join NHL teams. The common belief was that they were robotic, never showed emotion and didn't care about winning as much as Canadian and American players. Then came Malkin and Ovechkin, competitive Russian stars who wear their heart on their sleeve. It was always amusing to me that Crosby, especially when at his very best, looked like a robot on the ice. Clinical. Perfect hockey. Nauseating consistency. Never paints outside the lines. Always makes the right play, kind of like the great Russian teams of the past. Advertisement Meanwhile, Malkin tends to — ask Henrik Zetterberg — play better when he's angry, a Mario Lemieux-like trait. Crosby does not play better when he's angry. Kris Letang plays worse when he's angry. Most players do. There was always an extra buzz in Mellon Arena and, later, Consol Energy Center/PPG Paints Arena, when Malkin was in the penalty box. That meant he was probably angry — and on the verge of something spectacular. He usually delivered. It's tricky to compare Crosby and Malkin. For all of Malkin's greatness, Crosby is one of the five greatest NHL players ever. Crosby is somewhat incomparable. However, Malkin's visceral connection with Pittsburgh fans is entirely his own. It's not that Penguins fans don't adore Crosby, but Malkin brings out something different in the home fans. Why? His vulnerability has something to do with it. You never have to guess what Malkin is thinking during games, a big part of his charm. It makes it feel like he's one of us — that we're out there with him. Maybe his English isn't perfect, but I've never witnessed an athlete with such readable body language. Even if Malkin has lost a step, it will be nice to hear a few more 'Geno, Geno' chants at PPG Paints Arena this season when he gets that look in his eye, starts galloping with the puck and takes matters into his own hands. Malkin, who turned 39 on Thursday, is aging out of the NHL, as everyone does at some point. The game got a little too fast for him to dominate, which he admitted as far back as 2018. That may be true, but don't let Malkin's final chapters cloud your view of his greatness. The Penguins wouldn't have won those three championships without him. They wouldn't have become a 15-year buzz saw without him. He didn't do things the traditional Russian way, and he didn't always do things the way coaches wanted him to. No, Malkin did things his way. His violent and beautiful style belonged only to him. We'll miss him when he's done playing. If you've ever seen him play in person, you've been blessed. There will never be another like him. (Photo of Malkin: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Boston Celtics big man Neemias Queta has a potential career year in front of him
Boston Celtics big man Neemias Queta has a potential career year in front of him. The backup Boston big man has not exactly had very much runway to spread his wings in the past in all fairness, but that is part of the reason why the Celtics' current frontcourt rotation has him poised to take off in terms of playing time after a series of major moves cut the roster especially hard among the big men. With only Queta, Xavier Tillman Sr., Luka Garza, and Amari Williams as true bigs on the roster this season barring a late addition this summer, Queta will have all the runway he needs and then some after the departure of Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford (presumably) via trade and free agency. The hosts of the CLNS Media "How Bout Them Celtics!" podcast, Jack Simone and Sam LaFrance, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network: Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube:
