Neely still deciding if he'll extend Sweeney as Bruins GM
Boston Bruins president Cam Neely is still debating whether to commit to Don Sweeney as his general manager beyond next season.
Sweeney has one year remaining on his contract entering the offseason.
"I'm still contemplating what the best course of action is," Neely told reporters Wednesday, including NESN. "As I mentioned, I really feel like Don has done a good job here, for the most part."
Sweeney added that the lack of contractual security won't impact his decisions as the Bruins' GM.
One of the most prominent items on his agenda will be finding a new coach. He announced that the team will conduct a full search for candidates, including Joe Sacco, who went 25-30-7 as the team's interim bench boss following Jim Montgomery's dismissal in November.
Sweeney has held his position since 2015. After missing the playoffs in Sweeney's first season, the Bruins made the postseason eight straight years, highlighted by a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2019. However, the Bruins finished 15th in the Eastern Conference this season.
While Sweeney has built some strong teams, he's been criticized for poor drafting. Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman, Mason Lohrei, John Beecher, and Jakub Lauko are the only players drafted by Sweeney on the current roster.
Neely was quick to defend the organization's drafting Wednesday.
"I think that our drafting and developing, the narrative there is a little off," Neely said. "It's been going on for quite some time. It goes back to '15. (In '15), it was really unfair to Don. By the time Don got hired, it was late May, draft was late June."
The Bruins held picks 13, 14, and 15 in the loaded 2015 NHL Draft and selected Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk, and Zach Senyshyn. While DeBrusk - now with the Vancouver Canucks - has developed into a solid player, Zboril and Senyshyn have combined for 92 career NHL games and are both playing overseas. All-Stars Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor, and Thomas Chabot were selected 16th, 17th, and 18th, respectively.