Hockey Insider Reveals Possible Trade Targets For Don Sweeney

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S. Harper
May 10, 2023 (5:40 PM)

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To label the end of the Boston Bruins' season as a disappointment would be an understatement. Despite setting an NHL record for the most wins in history, the Bruins suffered a significant upset in a David vs Goliath battle, losing to the bottom-seeded Florida Panthers after squandering a 3-1 series lead.

Regardless of the season's success, such a collapse inevitably prompts changes.

"Roster changes are likely coming," said General Manager Don Sweeney during Tuesday's season-ending press conference at TD Garden. "We're not going to be the same team. But our mandate internally and collectively as a group is that we have a strong core of guys who will continue to grow and assume leadership roles moving forward, regardless of whether Patrice or David return."

This statement refers to the uncertain future of key players Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Regardless of their decisions, the Bruins will be seeking offseason cap relief to accommodate necessary adjustments to their roster.

According to The Athletic, two of these changes may involve Sweeney trading away forward Taylor Hall and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. Hall, 31, currently earns $6 million annually, while Grzelcyk has one year remaining on his contract, which pays him $3.6 million per year.

In an attempt to free up space to sign some of his pending unrestricted free agents, Sweeney is exploring various options. As of now, none of his upcoming unrestricted free agents, including Dmitry Orlov, Tyler Bertuzzi, Nick Foligno, Connor Clifton, Tomas Nosek, and Garnet Hathaway, have been notified that they won't be returning.

Among these players, Sweeney appears most interested in re-signing Dmitry Orlov and Tyler Bertuzzi.