On the Boston Bruins …
Boston Bruins: Bruins GM Don Sweeney on contract talks with restricted free agent David Pastrnak: “Moving in right direction…we expect to complete a deal & for him to be a longtime member of the Bruins.”
Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald: Bruins GM Don Sweeney said that they could be open to trading their first round pick – No. 18 – if the right deal presented itself.
“It’s an effort to try and improve our hockey club,” Sweeney said yesterday during a break at the NHL scouting combine. “We have had a number of selections the last couple of years and we feel that they’ll all materialize into very good players for the Boston Bruins and I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t explore what could improve our hockey club now in the shorter term. I owe it to our players and the organization to continue to do that. Whether or not it happens, I don’t know. Some people have looked at me sideways at times when holding three first-rounders (in 2015) and not being able to do something at that point in time. The right deal didn’t take place. I can’t say that it’s going to at this time as well, but it’s certainly an area I’ve looked at that if we can improve, then we would move it.”
The Bruins could use a top six left winger and a left handed defenseman. They may also need a third line center depending on what happens with restricted free agent Ryan Spooner. The Bruins will also need to figure out their backup goaltending situation.
In-house options to fill their needs…
Left wing – Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, Peter Cehlarik, Frank Vatrano and Anders Bjork.
Left defense – Rob O’Gara, Matt Grzelcyk, Jakub Zboril and Jeremy Lauzon.
Center – Ryan Spooner, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Sean Kuraly.
Backup goaltender – Zane McIntyre and Anton Khudobin.
“We have areas that we think internally we can address, or we hope to be able to address with the growth of our own players,” Sweeney said. “(But) I want to look for a player who can help us improve our club. There’s a couple of areas that I think we can and that’s what I’d be willing to do. Impact (at left wing), impact on the back end. To me, I want a player that moves our club further along.”