Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney must avoid potential disastrous decision this summer

This feels like a huge off-season for the Boston Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney. Coming off a season that saw them finish tied for last place in the Eastern Conference with the Philadelphia Flyers, missing the playoffs is not sitting well with the organization or the fan base. Let’s not mention the sale that he had at the trade deadline, trading away key pieces to the franchise over the last six-plus years.

In a not-so-surprising result, the Bruins got the lowest pick possible at next month’s NHL Entry Draft, the seventh pick, in the NHL Draft Lottery earlier this month. There are going to be plenty of talented players to choose from at No. 7, but getting an impact player as soon as 2025-26 might be asking a lot. Getting the pick right might be asking a lot of the organization as well, considering their draft history over the last decade.

There is no doubt that roster changes are coming, whether it’s through a trade or free agency, there are going to be additions and subtractions. Believe it or not, there is one mistake that is out there that any team can make, and Sweeney needs to make sure that it isn’t him.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney must avoid a crucial off-season mistake

You hope that Sweeney doesn’t make a panic off-season free agent signing, as you get a feeling that this is a vital off-season in terms of his tenure of being in charge with the Black and Gold. Sometimes, when GMs are facing that, they make some panic moves that don’t end up working out. One of those would be throwing a lot of money at Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Now, there is no guarantee that Marner even makes it to free agency, as Toronto may choose to try to re-sign their right wing, but they also may not. One thing is clear: the fans are not happy with Marner and his play in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had a costly turnover near the Maple Leafs' blueline that led to a crucial second-period goal for a 3-0 Florida lead in a 6-1 Panthers victory.

There are a lot of projections as to what Marner could get if he hits free agency, and you have to think that the Bruins would have a lot of interest in signing him. One projection from the Daily Faceoff has Marner getting an AAV of around $13 million for seven years. That’s a lot of dough for a player who has struggled in the playoffs. 

Marner, picked fourth overall in the 2015 Entry Draft by Toronto, is a great regular-season player. This season, he had 27 goals and 75 assists in 81 of the Maple Leafs’ 82 games and has two goals and 10 assists in the playoffs so far. He scored a career-high 35 goals in 2021-22.

There is going to be a team desperate enough to give him that money over about that length, but it can’t be the Bruins. Sweeney can’t afford to have a contract like that to go along with Elias Lindholm’s overpay sitting long-term on the books. Unfortunately, Sweeney wouldn’t be here to see the end of either of those deals, but it wouldn’t stop him from handing it out to try to save his job.

There is no doubt that the Bruins need to make some big additions to their forward grouping, and Sweeney again will have cap space to make moves, but a panic overpay for Marner would be a mistake that might not end up too good for the Black and Gold long-term, not only short-term.