Are Sweeney and Neely on the hot seat?

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Dorin Canaday
August 28, 2022 (3:14 PM)

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One of the most controversial decisions the Boston Bruins have made in recent memory was to fire head coach Bruce Cassidy.

Many fans are unhappy with the direction of the franchise under president Cam Neely and general manager Don Sweeney.

According to The Hockey News, management is now on the hot seat as the team heads toward an inevitable downturn:

''WHY: The Bruins have made the playoffs every year for the past six years, and that's a credit to the management tandem of Neely and Sweeney, who have worked together in their respective roles since 2015.''

�'But the Stanley Cup has eluded them, and last season they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17. There is a sense that the franchise is facing the law of diminishing returns, which may be why Neely and Sweeney chose to fire longtime coach Bruce Cassidy this summer, replacing him with former Dallas Stars coach Jim Montgomery.''

Boston's core of forward talent is mostly in the 30s - and that doesn't include centers Patrice Bergeron (37) and David Krejci (36).''

�'That problem is temporarily mitigated because star winger Brad Marchand and elite defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who will both be sidelined for the first two months of the regular season, it also means Boston will be particularly hamstrung in terms of talent in a particularly more competitive Atlantic Division.''

Despite the return of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, the Bruins will have to work hard this season to secure a playoff spot.

Failure to do so could spell the end of the Neely/Sweeney era, and some sort of rebuild may likely be required.

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