Don Sweeney is new general manager of the Boston Bruins, to little surprise. The team planned a Wednesday news conference to meet the new boss … almost same as the old boss.
Sweeney, after all, spent the past six seasons as assistant GM. He was part of the fill-in team after Peter Chiarelli was fired. And he has a long association with the Bruins.
Sweeney's hiring might be good news for coach Claude Julien. And Julien's future likely tops Sweeney's to-do list, according to The Boston Herald.
A concern: Sweeney and Julien reportedly planned a "philosophical" meeting, and all Sweeney would say Wednesday was: "He's the coach of the Boston Bruins as of today, for sure."
Among other key items on Sweeney's agenda, according to The Herald's Stephen Harris: decisions on the future of winger Milan Lucic, who needs a contract past next season, and other potential free agents. If the roster needs tweaks, the Sweeney-Julien tandem can get it done.
Trading Lucic could be painful by necessary, and The Boston Globe sees now as the best time to get solid return on a winger with physical presence and scoring ability.
Sweeney has salary cap problems, as noted by MassLive.com, so a number of players likely will depart.
If Sweeney sees a need for an overhaul, or is pressured to do so by team president Cam Neely, Julien will be gone.
Sweeney, a defenseman, was drafted by the Bruins in 1984 and played 15 of his 16 NHL seasons with them.
Chiarelli became general manager of the Edmonton Oilers.
I am fully aware of everyone’s expectations to move the organization forward,” Sweeney said in a team release. “The challenges ahead rests with the players, the coaches and the management group to work hard to make the necessary changes to bring the Bruins back to the forefront of contending for the Stanley Cup.”
The Bruins hold the 14th overall pick in June 26's NHL Draft, and NESN.com noted the draft is Sweeney's area of expertise. Player development also was the biggest knock against Chiarelli.