For years Boston Bruins fans have heard general manager Don Sweeney talk about the club’s prospects and what they need to do crack the lineup.
To kick off the Bruins’ 2025-26 training camp Wednesday, Sweeney doubled down on the expectations of the younger players seizing their opportunities in Boston while reflecting on how players like David Pastrnak and Kevan Miller were able to make the jump.
“I’ll even have Brandon Carlo in that mix of players, I don’t think anybody thought Brandon Caro was making our team that year,” Sweeney mused in Wednesday’s press conference. “So, like Matty Poitras a couple of years ago, the young players dictate when they’re sort of ready for more and more and more.
“… You think back and wonder whether or not that was the best plan in terms of chewing through the contract at that point in time. But again, if a player earns a situation, then you have to reward the player, Poitras was the exact same thing. We could have sent him back that year, but he was playing well enough.”
Poitras unfortunately saw his first professional season in 2023-24 come to an abrupt end when he underwent right shoulder surgery that February and was sidelined for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.
“We could have sent him back that year, but he was playing well enough. He got hurt, didn’t finish the year strongly because of that,” Sweeney said. “Every player is different. Every situation is unique, but the younger players and walking into camp, they just have to realize, if they’re good enough, we can’t keep them out of the NHL. We’re not trying to keep players out of the NHL, and Kevan Miller is a great example. If you’re playing well enough you deserve to be called up, then it’s your opportunity up here, so take advantage of it.”
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Sweeney added that the mindset they want the younger players within the organization to have has not changed.
“When you walk through the door for the first time, we talk about development camp and trying to take away a little bit of that apprehension,” he said. “As a young player, you have to walk through and take somebody’s job. That’s just the way our business works, and it’s unique in the fact that during training camp and exhibition games, that you’re teammates, but you’re vying for the same job and opportunity.
“… When a player is playing well and he’s good enough to play in the League, you can’t keep him out. But if you’re not, then you may have to buy your time elsewhere. You have to encourage the players to play to their strengths, to do the things they’re capable of doing, teach them and reinforce the areas where they need to improve upon. And then you see incremental growth, especially the younger players. … You have to be able to support the fact that when a player earns the opportunity to be a Boston Bruin, that we reward them with that.”
Sweeney reiterated the opportunity when asked how the competition for the same roles will keep players in the organization.
“There’s plenty of opportunity for players to insert themselves and earn a role, but they have to do that,” he said. “They have to come in and take that job at either level to tell you the truth. But as I said before, we’re not in the business of keeping players ready to help us at the NHL level out of that, and not give them that opportunity to have success.”
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