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Since becoming General Manager of the Boston Bruins, Don Sweeney has had his fair share of highs and lows. And while draft-pick, and free-agent acquisitions have had inconsistent results - his hockey trades have usually been pretty favorable.
Now, when analyzing the quality of a hockey trade, there are 5 MAIN parameters:
DIFFICULTY, PRICE, RISK, RETURN, PAYOFF.
How hard was it to negotiate the deal?
What was the price given up to complete the deal?
What's the risk in the deal, and how much?
What's the return?
Which team's return provided the most payoff in hindsight?
With these questions in mind, here are Sweeney's top-3 trades as GM of the Bruins.
3. Taylor Hall
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In 2021, Boston traded Anders Bjork, and a 2021 2nd-round pick to Buffalo, in exchange for Taylor Hall, and Curtis Lazar.
It was a STEAL for the Bruins.
Everyone knew it - including the Sabres.
Which begs the question, why did they participate?
Well, simple.
As the trade deadline approached - Hall was a pending UFA, and the team was selling.
SO, rather than lose their asset for nothing in the offseason, the Sabres looked for a return on their 1-year, $8-million investment.
Unfortunately for Buffalo - Hall had a no-trade, and no-movement clause - meaning he had to approve any trade request from the team. Boston was the only team Hall was willing to be traded to - and so the Bruins had ALL the negotiating leverage.
Sweeney submitted a minimal offer for the former 1st-overall pick, and the Sabres obliged. For Buffalo, in this situation, ANYTHING was better than NOTHING.
This set of circumstances, however, is why the trade isn't higher on this list.
Sweeney deserves credit for completing the deal - but, this was the hockey trade equivalent of punching someone in the face with both hands tied behind their back.
As for the aftermath of the trade.
Hall played 158 regular-season games for the Bruins - recording 44G, 67A, 111PTS, and was a +37. Additionally, he played 25 post-season games - tallying 10G, 7A, 17PTS, while being a -4.
In that same time span - Bjork played 78 regular-season games for the Sabres - collecting 8G, 6A, 14PTS, and was -14.
Hall, and Bjork, ironically, now find themselves, teammates, with the Chicago Blackhawks.
2. Pavel Zacha
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In the summer of 2022, the Bruins traded Erik Haula to the New Jersey Devils, for Pavel Zacha - a good ole one-for-one swap.
Coming off of an 18G, 26A, 44PTS, and a +19 season, Boston sold high on Haula. Meanwhile they took a chance on Zacha - 15G, 21A, 36PTS, -21, in his previous season - and were hopeful that the former 2015, 6th-overall pick, simply needed a change of scenery.
Boston was right.
Since being traded for each other, Zacha - 42G, 74A, 116PTS, +38, in 160GP - has scored 40 more points than Haula - 30G, 46A, 76PTS, +12, in 156GP - while only playing 4 more games.
Zacha has also appeared in 20 postseason games for the Bruins - recording 1G, 11A, 12PTS, and a +3 rating. So he's contributed, BUT for his role on the team, there's plenty of room for improvement.
More importantly, however, there's a BIG PICTURE reason why this trade was so important, and beneficial to the organization.
Boston, at the time, lacked a center-ice succession plan for the imminent retirements of Patrice Bergeron, and David Krejci. But here, they were able to pull a rabbit out of the hat, and add a younger, NHL-caliber, top-2 center option for years to come.
Now, while Zacha didn't exactly thrive in New Jersey - he was still a former top-10 draft-pick, and at the time of the trade, just 25-years old. He possessed the skill, and potential - Boston just had to help him reach it.
NOW - since achieving more success in Boston, has he finally reached his full potential?
That remains to be seen.
Following Bergeron's and Krejci's departures, Zacha was unable to ultimately claim the role as Boston's No. 1 center in 2023-2024.
Charlie Coyle became the team's overall top-center, while Morgan Geekie moved up to center David Pastrnak, and Zacha - who had been moved over to wing.
Zacha's usage going into 2024-2025 will be interesting to follow. Free agent, prize-center, Elias Lindholm, is expected to center Zacha and Pastrnak on the top line.
Still though, there is reason to believe Zacha will continue to see time at both wing, and center throughout his time in Boston.
But one thing is for sure. Even if Zacha's role, and ceiling in Boston is still be figured out - the trade that brought him there was a MASSIVE win for the Bruins - and in more ways than one.
Charlie Coyle
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Did you know that Charlie Coyle is from WEYMOUTH, MA?!?!
Okay, okay, so every nationally televised game has mentioned this on their broadcast since being traded to Boston in February of 2019.
BUT - did you also know he's the best trade acquisition Sweeney has made since becoming GM of the Bruins?
That is, according to you, the fans.
Gearing up for the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Boston set out to improve, and legitimize their forward depth. Sweeney traded Ryan Donato, and a 2019 conditional 5th-round draft pick, to the Minnesota Wild, in exchange for Coyle.
Now, parting ways with Donato didn't come without risk. The 2018 Hobey Baker finalist lit up college hockey during his time at Harvard - scoring 60G, 44A, 104PTS, in 97GP for the Crimson. He also showed glimpses of promise during his brief time in Boston - collecting 11G, 7A, 18PTS, -9, in 46 GP.
By no means perfect, but still only 22-years old when traded, Donato had a lot of potential that the Bruins were apparently okay moving on from.
At the time, Boston felt their team needed NHL-proven talent among their middle-six forwards rather than NHL-potential.
In Minnesota, Coyle had 91G, 151A, 242PTS, +32, in 479GP.
Acquiring him to be their 3rd-line anchor, was key in providing Boston elite center-ice depth. Bergeron, Krejci, Coyle up the middle was as solid of a 1-2-3 punch the NHL had to offer at the time.
That spring, Coyle's 9G, 7A, 16PTS, +8, in 24 postseason games was a major reason why Boston came within 1 win of hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Unfortunately, his postseason production hasn't been the same since. Over Boston's ensuing 5-playoff runs, Coyle's recorded just 9G, 12A, 21PTS, -20, in 51 postseason games.
That's a playoff total of 18G, 19A, 37PTS, -12, in 75GP.
So, similar to Zacha, postseason production is an area for improvement.
Okay, but how about the regular season?
Well, that, in particular, is where Coyle's really proved to be an incredible value add.
Since being acquired by Boston, he has 81G, 127A, 208PTS, +24, in 388GP.
In comparison, Donato - playing on his 4th team since being traded
(MIN, SJ, SEA, CHI) - has 66G, 81A, 147PTS, -21, in 357GP.
Donato has actually gone on to have pretty respectable career.
BUT - when one considers the risk of parting with Donato's potential, Coyle's out-performance, stability, and two-way play at a pivotal position, it's easy to see why Boston won this trade.
Additionally, in 2023-2024 - Coyle was essential to Boston's regular season, and limited postseason success during their 1st season without Bergeron, and Krejci.
He stepped up when the organization needed him most, and responded with an offensive career year - scoring 25G, 35A, 60PTS, in 82GP.
In fact, Coyle hasn't missed a game for Boston - regular season, or postseason - in over 3 seasons. THREE.
So there you have it - WHEN considering the five MAIN parameters -
DIFFICULTY, PRICE, RISK, RETURN, and PAYOFF - Sweeney's top-3 trades as Bruins GM.
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