By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
This summer will mark ten years of Don Sweeney being the General Manager of the Boston Bruins. In Sweeney’s nine year tenure so far in Boston, he has made many moves. Some have worked out spectacularly, others not so much. With the National Hockey League’s annual trade deadline fast approaching, here are Sweeney’s five best moves so far.
#5. Acquiring Marcus Johansson
After missing out on Mark Stone to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Bruins pivoted and landed Marcus Johansson from the New Jersey Devils for a 2019 second round pick and a 2020 fourth round pick. Johansson mainly slotted in on the Bruins third-line with Charlie Coyle and Danton Heinen, and was a solid contributor as the B’s made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
Johansson posted a goal and two assists in ten regular season games in Boston, before really stepping his game up in the postseason, where he had 11 points in 22 playoff games. Unfortunately, Johansson and the Bruins were unable to come to terms on an extension, and the Landskrona, Sweden, native departed for Buffalo in Free Agency. After short stints with the Sabres, Minnesota, Seattle and Washington, Johansson is back in Minnesota and has spent the past two and a half seasons with the Wild.
What happened to the Draft picks the Bruins gave to the Devils? New Jersey selected Russian born Defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk with the second round pick. Okhotyuk has played in 67 NHL games to date, with the Devils, Calgary Flames, and San Jose Sharks. However, he is now playing in the KHL with CSKA Moscow. The Devils also selected Ethan Edwards with the 2020 fourth round pick, who is currently a senior at the University of Michigan.
#4. Acquiring Pavel Zacha
In the summer of 2022, Don Sweeney once again made a deal with the Devils, landing Pavel Zacha from New Jersey, in exchange for Erik Haula in a rare “one-for-one” hockey trade. Having been selected sixth overall in the 2015 National Hockey League Entry Draft, many at the time viewed Zacha as a bust relative to his peers with names such as Zach Werenski, Mikko Rantanen, and Mathew Barzal having been selected in the picks following his selection by New Jersey.
Since moving to Boston, Zacha has quieted that narrative, posting 57 & 59 point seasons in his first two campaigns as a Bruin. While he may not be an Elite player like the others mentioned, Zacha has cemented himself as a top-six NHL forward. Haula on the other hand, has seen his production slowly deteriorate in New Jersey, and is on pace for 19 points this season, his lowest total in a full-season since his 2014-15 campaign with the Minnesota Wild.
#3. Acquiring Taylor Hall & Curtis Lazar
The hockey world was stunned, when in 2020 former Hart Trophy winner, Taylor Hall, decided to take his talents to Buffalo as a free agent. Months later, they were left stunned again, when the Boston Bruins acquired the winger, along with Curtis Lazar in exchange for Anders Bjork and a 2021 second round pick.
Hall signed a four year contract extension in Boston, and was a key contributor for parts of three years with the Bruins, including a 61 point campaign during the 2021-22 season. Hall is now a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. Lazar also developed into a useful fourth-line contributor for the B’s, before departing for the Vancouver Canucks in free agency in the summer of 2022. He currently plays for the New Jersey Devils.
The move unfortunately didn’t work out so well for Anders Bjork, who spent some time with the Sabres before ultimately being sent to the Chicago Blackhawks. After bouncing around between the Blackhawks and the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, Bjork is currently on a try-out deal with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. The Sabres used the second round pick on Russian forward Alexander Kisakov, who is currently playing for the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. He has not played in an NHL game so far in his career.
#2. Acquiring Hampus Lindholm
The largest deal on this list in terms of assets sacrificed, at the 2022 trade deadline, Don Sweeney acquired Defensemen Hampus Lindholm, and Kodie Curran from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for John Moore, Urho Vaakanainen, a 2022 first round pick, a 2023 second round pick, and a 2024 2nd round pick.
As part of the trade, Lindholm agreed to a long-term contract extension with the Bruins, and almost immediately was a success in Boston. While the acquisition cost was significant, no one can argue that Lindholm has been an amazing fit in a top-four role for the B’s. The other player in the deal, Kodie Curran played 11 games in the AHL for the Providence Bruins and did not register a point. He currently plays for HC Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss National League.
As for the return, John Moore is no longer playing hockey after several serious injuries as a member of the Bruins. Urho Vaakanainen was recently dealt to the New York Rangers as part of the Jacob Trouba trade. The Ducks used the 2022 first round pick on Center Nathan Gaucher, who is currently playing for their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. The first of the two second round picks they used on Italian Goaltender Damian Clara, who is currently playing for Farjestad BK in the Swedish Hockey League, and they traded the other to the Florida Panthers, who selected Swedish Forward Linus Eriksson.
#1. Acquiring Charlie Coyle
Sweeney acquired Weymouth native Charlie Coyle from the Minnesota Wild at the 2019 trade deadline, for Ryan Donato and a conditional 2019 fifth round pick, after a season-long search for a capable third-line center. Coyle has since satisfied the Bruins needs in that department, and has been a key contributor to the B’s for parts of seven seasons in Boston. Coyle registered 60 points last season as a Bruin, eclipsing a career high of 56 points he set in Minnesota during the 2016-17 campaign.
After a promising start to his NHL career with the Bruins back in 2018, where he posted nine points in 12 games, Donato has seems to finally be finding his game again. After stints in Minnesota, San Jose and Seattle, the Harvard alum is on pace for 25 goals this season as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks. The conditional pick ended up becoming a fourth round pick that originally belonged to the New York Rangers, as the Bruins advanced past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs that season. The Wild traded that pick to the Los Angeles Kings who selected Jordan Spence, who has turned into a solid NHL Defenseman.
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