On the Boston Bruins …
Zack Cox: Cam Neely said that GM Don Sweeny and Loui Eriksson’s agent spoke this week.
Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: Bruins GM Don Sweeny wasn’t able to trade up at last year’s draft to pick Noah Hanafin, and he wasn’t able to trade for a young, top-four defenseman during the season. The Bruins need to find one or two this offseason.
“I can tell you worked extremely hard to try to move up. The scouting staff did a good job of identifying, and obviously you look back at the draft where you kind of had to be to get one of those D that were highly coveted, he just couldn’t do it last offseason,” said Neely. “ tried throughout the year to make something happen and he’s maybe laid some groundwork leading up to the deadline and hopefully be able to get something done in the offseason. But like I said earlier, we know it’s an area that we need to improve upon.”
Offseason targets could be Jacob Trouba, Mathew Dumba and Sami Vatanen.
The Bruins may also be looking to get heavier on right wing and improve on their backup goalie according to Cam Neely.
“Everything is on the table to be honest with you. We need to improve our club, so everything is on the table to try and do that,” said Neely, when asked if the Bruins will be open to trading their draft picks this summer. “Improving our defense is No. 1, and I’d like us to get a little heavier on the right side. I think we need that element in the forward group, and obviously somebody that can play. That’s an important piece, but I think we need to get a little heavier up front.
“We have some skill. We just need to add a little more of the gritty piece. We have to take a look at the backup goaltending situation. With Subban’s injury that threw a little bit of a wrinkle in maybe that development there. So we have to take a look at that.”
Free agent options on the wing could be Kyle Okposo, Troy Brouwer, David Jones and Shane Doan.
Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: (mailbag) Cam Neely may have wanted a coaching change, but Don Sweeny said last week that keeping Claude Julien was his call. Julien will have a brand new coaching staff next season.
Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe: Jeremy Jacobs and Charlie Jacobs were also talking about the Bruins at yesterday’s press conference.
“I think for a period of time we stopped being in an invest mode, running with the we had,’’ said the senior Jacobs, who never specifically named Chiarelli as the reason for the club’s arrested development, “and you pay a price in this game if you’re not constantly investing in the next generation.’’
Asked to add some context to that statement, Jacobs said, “As you saw, we had Lucic and Hamilton and others that were actually cap issues that we don’t have this year going forward. space has been cleared.
“Now . . . how it’s used is going to be up to Don and Cam and the group. They have coalesced together, have come to a plan.’’