Don Sweeney has made some great trades for the Boston Bruins over the last few years and did so once again Thursday night.
The Bruins traded Craig Smith and a bevy of draft picks to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway, filling two needs in one trade.
Orlov and Hathaway weren’t even on the Bruins’ radar in recent reports that have surfaced ahead of next week’s March 3 NHL trade deadline, but when the Capitals all of a sudden became sellers, Sweeney knew he had to jump in.
“… This deal came together relatively quickly by discussions with Brian (MacLellan) who is really, really good to deal with and it was just an opportunity that presented itself,” Sweeney said Thursday during his Zoom press conference after the deal became official. “We’ve clearly been in the marketplace for a period of time and trying to gauge who may or may not be available and what deals you can do. …”
Thursday’s deal marked another year of Sweeney getting something done that will bolster the Bruins’ lineup. As Boston.com’s Conor Ryan noted, the general manager has made some impressive trades over the last few years.
That’s a pretty impressive list.
The trade also clearly indicates the Bruins are in win-now mode. They’re already the favorites to win the Stanley Cup at DraftKings Sportsbook, but adding players like Orlov — who can add a physical presence to the blue line and play big minutes in the playoffs — and Hathaway — who will add a little bit of fire to the bottom six — could be the move to put them over the top.
The Bruins still have a week to decide whether they want to make another move, but Sweeney noted they won’t be “overly aggressive.”
With a 44-8-5 record, Boston didn’t need to do a whole lot, but the Black and Gold became tougher with Thursday’s trade and now have some depth with the playoffs just a few months away.
If this were to be the Bruins’ only move ahead of March 3, it’d definitely still be a win for Sweeney and company.
