Don Sweeney Considers New Bruins Defensemen ‘In Mix’ For Roster Spot

Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney acquired a trio of right-shot defensemen in a pair of trades earlier this week, and while the first of two was initially viewed as a cap-clearing move, Sweeney is hopeful all three newcomers can play a role.

Boston added defensemen Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula in a trade which sent Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to the Chicago Blackhawks. Not long after that, the Black and Gold added Massachusetts native Reilly Walsh from the Devils in a trade that sent Shane Bowers to New Jersey.

“I think they’re both in the mix,” Sweeney told reporters Tuesday when asked about Mitchell and Regula during a media availability, per a team-provided transcript.

“They’ve both played NHL games. They have different skill sets because of their size, but they both have proved they can play in the National Hockey League and Reilly (Walsh) has too. He’s played a game, and had really good numbers in the American Hockey League so we’re excited, we’re sort of ratcheted up the internal competition on the right side…”

Mitchell, 24, played in 82 games across three seasons with the Blackhawks after being drafted in the second round in 2017. The deal made for a reunion with Bruins head coach Him Montgomery and Mitchell. The 22-year-old Regula, a third-round pick in 2018, played in 22 games for Chicago the last three seasons, as well.

Walsh, on the other hand, has exactly one game of NHL experience during the 2021-22 campaign. The native of Framingham, Mass., was a third-round pick by the Devils in the 2017 NHL Draft.

“He’s a really, really offensively tilted player, talented player,” Sweeney said of Walsh.

Sweeney, who shared that he played with Walsh’s father, has extensive knowledge of Walsh after watching him all the back to his prep school days.

Sweeney also admitted the Bruins were unlikely to re-sign Dmitry Orlov after acquiring the veteran defenseman before the trade deadline last season.