By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
Earlier this week, I took a look at what I thought were the five best trades that Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney has made during his tenure. When you are hold a position for almost a decade as Sweeney has, you are bound to make your fair share of mistakes. With that in mind, here are the five worst trades Sweeney has made while in Boston.
#5. Trading away Frank Vatrano
In the days leading up to the 2018 National Hockey League trade deadline, Don Sweeney was very active making several deals (more on those later). One of which was with the Florida Panthers, where he sent East Longmeadow native Frank Vatrano in exchange for a 2018 third round pick.
At the time, Vatrano had largely fallen out of favor in Boston, having only played 25 games in the 2017-18 season, scoring two goals. Getting a third round pick back for what had essentially become an extra forward in Vatrano at the time seemed like a decent return. However, in his first full season in Sunrise, Vatrano scored 24 goals for the Panthers. He has at times struggled with consistency, but after a brief stint with the New York Rangers, has hit his potential as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. This past season Vatrano scored 37 goals, being named to the NHL All-Star Game for the first time in his career.
It wasn’t all bad though for Boston, as with the third round pick, the Bruins selected Jakub Lauko. Lauko has carved out a career as a fourth line forward with speed in the NHL, now in his first season with the Minnesota Wild. Still, you’d hope for a little bit more than a fourth-liner in return if you’re trading away a potential 25 goal scorer.
#4. Acquiring Zac Rinaldo
After a possible tenure defining draft in the summer of 2015, Sweeney acquired checking forward Zac Rinaldo from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a 2017 third round pick. Rinaldo was brought in to bring energy to a Bruins bottom-six that had lost some familiar faces in recent years, such as Shawn Thornton.
Instead, Rinaldo’s time in Boston was short-lived. After 52 games with the Bruins, where he registered a goal, two assists, and 83 penalty minutes, Rinaldo spent the entirety of the 2016-17 season in the American Hockey League with Providence. The Hamilton, Ontario, natives’ time in Boston is probably best remembered for when he has suspended for five games at the NHL level for a hit on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cedric Paquette, was sent to Providence, only to then get suspended at the AHL level indefinitely for a hit on Bridgeport Sound Tiger Defenseman Kane Lafranchise. To his credit, Rinaldo was able to turn around his career spending time with the Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, and Nashville Predators. He has since retired from professional hockey.
With the third round pick the Bruins sent to Philly, the Flyers selected Russian Goaltender Kirill Ustimenko. Ustimenko spent some time in North America with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Reading Royals, and served as a backup for one NHL game with the Flyers. He currently plays in the VHL in Russia for HK Chelny.
#3. Acquiring Lee Stempniak
During his first trade deadline period in 2016, Don Sweeney acquired veteran forward Lee Stempniak from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2017 second round pick and a 2016 fourth round pick. Stempniak had three goals and seven assists for ten points in 19 games in his first stint as a Bruin. Not bad, right?
Here’s the problem. The Bruins had Stempniak in for training camp as a PTO to begin the 2015-16 NHL season. They could have had him without giving up valuable draft capital. Even worse, the Bruins missed the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Not great.
As for what the picks became, the Devils selected Goaltender Evan Cormier with the fourth round pick. He backed up a game for the Devils during the 2019-20 campaign, and was a backup for a game for the Florida Panthers last season. He currently plays for the Savannah Ghost Pirates in the ECHL. The Devils traded the second round pick to the San Jose Sharks, who selected Defenseman Mario Ferraro. Ferraro, who played College Hockey at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has carved out a solid NHL career as a member of the Sharks.
#2. Acquiring Rick Nash
Shifting back to 2018, Don Sweeney took perhaps his biggest swing at the trade deadline as Bruins GM, acquiring Rick Nash from the New York Rangers for Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey, Ryan Lindgren, a 2018 first round pick and a 2019 seventh round pick. Nash, a three-time 40 goal scorer, was brought in to help Boston with secondary scoring.
Nash’s performance in Boston was not the issue, as while perhaps he wasn’t as great as he was when he was a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, he was still a solid contributor. Unfortunately, he suffered from concussion issues during his short stint as a Bruin, which ultimately led to his retirement from hockey at the end of the season. He played in all 12 playoff games for the Bruins, registering three goals and two assists, as the B’s lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
On the other side of the deal, Ryan Spooner spent parts of two seasons as a Ranger, and after very brief stints in Edmonton and Vancouver has played in Switzerland, Belarus and Russia. He currently plays for Avangard Omsk in the KHL. Beleskey played five games for New York, spending the majority of the time after the trade in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He retired in 2020. Lindgren has developed into a solid defenseman, and has played in 379 NHL games, all with the Rangers.
The Rangers actually did not make any of the picks they acquired, trading the first round pick to the Ottawa Senators, who selected defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker. Bernard-Docker has played in 25 games this season with the Sens. They also moved the seventh round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes who selected center Massimo Rizzo. Rizzo is in his first professional season and is now a member of the Philadelphia Flyers organization.
#1. The Ondrej Kase/David Backes Trade
This trade was a result of an earlier mistake Sweeney made, sending David Backes to the Anaheim Ducks along with Axel Andersson and a 2020 first round pick. Sweeney did this deal to get out of the remainder of Backes’ contract, which was limiting the Bruins from adding talent for a potential cup run. It’s difficult to win a trade when you’re paying another general manager a first round pick to take on a contract. However, as part of this deal the Bruins got Ondrej Kase, a young winger who had a 20 goal season to his name, which gave fans hope this deal could be more than just a cap dump.
Unfortunately for Boston, Kase could not stay healthy, only suiting up for 20 games over parts of two seasons as a Bruin. The Kadan, Czechia, native was not tendered a qualifying offer in the summer of 2021, and signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent. Kase showed signs of reaching his potential as a Leaf, scoring 27 points in 50 games, but injuries again halted any progress. Kase played one game in his final NHL season to date with the Carolina Hurricanes, and is playing in Czechia for HC Litvinov. He was teammates with David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha this past summer, as he helped Czechia win a Gold Medal at the 2024 IIHF World Championships.
Backes ended up playing in 21 games with the Ducks before retiring. Axel Andersson played three seasons in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls before returning to his native Sweden. He currently plays with Brynas in the SHL. The Ducks selected forward Jacob Perreault with the first round pick, who is currently in the Edmonton Oilers organization. At time of writing, he has played in one NHL game.
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