By: Ryan Bosworth | Follow me on Twitter/X @RyanJBosworth
Earlier today, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney met with the media ahead of the 2026 National Hockey League Entry Draft on Friday in Buffalo, New York. It’s been an extremely busy week around the league, but this media availability isn’t abnormal as Sweeney meets with the media ahead of the draft every year.
However, Sweeney did touch on the movement in the league, as well as the Bruins’ desires to get involved and improve their hockey club this offseason. I’ll touch on Sweeney’s key comments below.
Sweeney opened his media availability by touching on the movement across the league, stating that “we’re eager to participate (in trades)… There’s been a lot of chatter.”
Sweeney would go on to state that, despite how competitive the Atlantic Division is, he thinks the Bruins are “extremely competitive” and that the competition “doesn’t overwhelm us.” He would go on to add that despite that feeling, the Bruins are aware of their need to improve this offseason.
When asked about the #23 overall pick in the Draft on Friday, Sweeney said that despite all of the work put in by the scouting staff, their draft capital is “always on the table. We’re trying to improve our hockey club. We’re competitively driven, as I said… We’d like to add to the group.”
When asked about the most pressing area of need, whether it be by trade, drafting, etc., Sweeney said, “well, we still have our own (unrestricted free agents) that we haven’t finalized anything (with), we’ve continued to discuss there… we’ve talked about adding speed, and any time we can add skill to our group, we’re going to do that.” He went on to add that, “the right side on the backend is an area that we still need to continue to address.”
When asked about Matt Poitras and Frederic Brunet and their development, Sweeney stated that, “Matty (Poitras) (has) played almost 70 games in the (NHL). So from a readiness standpoint and taking somebody’s job full time, that’s the next step for Matty. You know, he’s been a good player. He’s been a productive player down there (in Providence). He’s rounding out his game.”
Sweeney would go on to talk about Frederic Brunet, stating that, “And [Frederic Brunet] has done a really good job. I think he’s put himself on our radar now to really push for an NHL opportunity. He’s had the one game, but you see his game continue to grow. He’s rounded out defensively… But now we like the aggressiveness of the offensive blue line… He’s been on a power play in Providence. That remains to be seen whether or not that will translate directly. But the mobility and his willingness to get up the ice and be involved, I think, is a real asset. And so we’re excited to see him take the next steps.”
When asked about Providence players and where they stand, Sweeney said that every player in Providence knows their status. He wouldn’t comment on specific players and who would be returning versus who wouldn’t be given an offer, stating that “I don’t want to go across the board of the whole list, to be honest with you. But we’ve had contact with every player on where they stand.“
Sweeney was asked about Elias Lindholm, how he’s performed so far in terms of living up to the number-one center role they brought him in for, and how injuries have plagued him. He kept his grace in answering, stating that “(Elias) does fit into the committee role, and he’s played up and down the lineup with different players. It hasn’t been offensively as productive, not his fault, not unlike any other player, not your fault when you do get injured.
He went on to add that, “(Elias) works hard to get back. Hasn’t missed seasons or half a season as a result. It’s just kind of nagged on him and maybe not playing at the level that he would like to and what he had previously played at.” Sweeney was asked a follow-up about whether or not Elias’ back injury could be career-ending, and Sweeney said “No, no, no, no. He’s nowhere near that.”
The final big key point to touch on was in relation to Pavel Zacha, as he’s been the focal point of offseason discussions as he’s eligible for an extension come July 1st, and he had a career year, recording 30-35-65 through 78 games played. Sweeney was asked about Zacha’s future in Boston, and if he’ll be signed before the 2026-27 season begins. Sweeney was clear in his answer, stating that, “my goal is to extend. (Pavel) had a really good year. He’s an important player for us. If you ask Marco, he’d say the same thing, how important he is. Maybe it does remain by committee, but he’s a big part of our team.”
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