Sweeney Looks Ahead to 2025 NHL Draft

BOSTON – Don Sweeney acknowledged that this year’s NHL Draft is different.

It has been 14 years since the Bruins picked in the top 10, meaning this year’s seventh overall selection carries plenty of weight.

“We're picking at a much more elevated position, so we're acutely aware of those players that are there, versus moving back, moving up, what the acquisition cost versus the move back, and who those players might be – if you do [move back], the player you might be passing up on,” the Bruins’ general manager said on Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena when asked about the team’s approach for this weekend’s Draft.

“It’s just different. We haven't done it for a number of years – envious of teams have had the opportunity, and now we're in a good situation to try and do that. I think you have to treat it a little differently.”

In addition to holding pick No. 7 on Friday night, the Bruins also have two second rounders (Nos. 51 and 61), a third (69^th), a fourth (100^th), a fifth (133^rd), and a sixth (165^th), giving the club plenty of opportunities to build up its prospect pool.

“At the end of the day, you only control your own Draft board,” said Sweeney. “So, we have to react, in terms of what other teams are likely to take. You can look at other teams' depth charts and somewhat figure out what they might target, but everybody's looking for the best player. You're picking at the top part of the draft. You need what you think who is the best player to impact your own club.

“This time of the year, we run sort of dual [scouting] rooms, with toggling back and forth with the with the guys that have been working an awful lot here to fill in any final gaps with the Draft scenario. [The scouts] feel really comfortable where they are and picking the top seven. We've had a lot of discussions over the last month. A month and a half, potential options with that pick, are still exploring them as of today, probably just as of [Thursday] as well.

“So, we feel very comfortable with making a selection, but we're going to continue to see what might present between now and then.”

Sweeney also acknowledged that he is open to all scenarios leading up to the Draft, including trades that involve players on the current roster.

“Ultimately, we're going to use all the opportunities that present to explore what will improve us now and moving forward,” said Sweeney. “As I said, I think we have to have an eye towards what we're capable of doing this year and in the upcoming years, in conjunction with the draft and building around that.

“That was our philosophy at the deadline and realizing we had to take a step back, and we're going to get back into a competitive mindset with an eye towards growing to the future, and that's what we just had to do. As I said before, I don't think you can be stuck in neutral.”

Conversations Continue

Sweeney did not have much of an update on his negotiations with restricted free agent Morgan Geekie but did say there has been “constant communication” between the two sides.

“Are we on the doorstep? I don't think so,” said Sweeney. “But that can change within one phone call. Again, you get in and around this time frame, and sometimes you're tracking on a deal and you get it done right away, and other times you get sort of pushed to the back burner as to do what everybody else is maybe focused on.

“Doesn't mean that my attention isn't on Morgan and being able to close out a deal. We have time in that, in that regard, so I'm not concerned about it.”

Sweeney further expressed confidence that a deal would be reached.

“At the end of the day, we're going to find a deal,” said Sweeney. “As I said before, whether it's one [year] or much, much longer. We have zero issues in the fact that we're going to find a deal some point in time.”

When it comes to some of Boston’s other free agents – both UFA and RFA – Sweeney did not have any definitive updates to share.

“We've been in touch with everybody in that regard, currently trying to get through a couple of them,” said Sweeney. “Right now, we've indicated to a couple of the other guys what direction we may head. So, I think they're all privy to what they may have available for them next week...that was a vague way to respond that I wasn't going to give you any names at this point in time, but I hopefully can politely say that all the players themselves know.”

Sweeney added that he is in discussions with unrestricted free agent defenseman Henri Jokiharju, who was acquired from Buffalo at the trade deadline.

“I'm currently in discussions with Henri, seeing if we can bring him back,” said Sweeney. “We have a need on the right side, there's no question about that.”

The possibility of adding players from the free agent market is also on the table.

“I think we're going to try to be in on everything that makes sense for the roster and what we're capable of doing,” said Sweeney. “Those might be two completely different things, depending on what the player themselves, at the right time, decide where they want to play and who they want to play with. I think we're an attractive team to be considering, given the opportunities that I think will present in our top nine in particular.

“So, hopefully at the right time…players themselves will have a lot of interest, and we can complement our roster. But it's my job to know who those types of players are and what our scouts – who they've identified can help us.”

Whether or not any free-agent targets are from the high-end of the market remains to be seen.

“Ultimately, we would clearly like to add the best player that that may or may not be available between now and July 1,” said Sweeney. “So, on July 1, you're doing all this leg work, and then you have to figure out whether or not it lines up with the other player. That's just what we have to do. So, hopefully we're in a position to add the player.

“We do need depth on our roster, so we have to be careful in terms of how we're going to address that. Again, some of that might be internal growth and allowing players that played some games last year to take the next step if they're capable of doing that.

“But I don't want to just hand that over to them. I want them to know they have to come in and earn that and take somebody's job, rather than just sort of be given one. I just don't think that exists in the National Hockey League.”

Done Deal

Mason Lohrei is the lone B’s free agent to already have a new deal as the team announced a two-year extension with a $3.2 million average annual value on Monday.

“I mean, ultimately, you'd rather have everybody done before the draft from the standpoint that you know, kind of, where your roster sits,” said Sweeney. “Sometimes deals have their own timeline. In Mason's case, we had open dialog. And [assistant GM] Evan [Gold] did a lion’s share of the work with the Bartlett family on that one, and they found sort of the common ground.

“It was a little bit of a complicated situation, the fact that he put up good numbers, and, you know, was exposed a little bit defensively – work to be done. I think both sides are happy in terms of finding the middle ground.”

The 24-year-old blue liner continued to impress offensively during his second NHL season, notching 33 points (5 goals, 28 assists) in 77 games in 2024-25, though – as Sweeney acknowledged – his defensive game will be a focal point for improvement heading into the 2025-26 campaign.

“If you look at the body of work and realizing that he played in an elevated role in the playoffs two years ago and handled that situation pretty well, was not a liability in any way,” said Sweeney. “Players that are playing against top matchups every given night, and playing uphill in a lot of cases that we were in the second part of the season, that takes its toll on all players, and particularly younger players, and probably on the back end.

“So, he knows there's work to be done…at the end of the day, he's not a finished product by any means, and we just have to go to work on some of the areas that that fell short. The offensive part of the game, I think, there's still tremendous upside with Mase, so we're just going to go to work with it.”

Wait, There’s More

• Sweeney congratulated former Bruins captains Zdeno Chara and Joe Thornton on their selections to the Hockey Hall of Fame earlier this week. “Congratulations to Big Zee and his family,” said Sweeney. “And a former teammate of mine as well, with Jumbo Joe going in. It's nice to see a couple Bruins players that are being acknowledged at the highest level of accomplishment as a hockey player.”
• Sweeney said he has always had “an affinity” for the uniforms the Bruins wore for the first half of his career. On Wednesday, the team announced a new uniform that is a modern interpretation of that look. “There's just something classic about it that it's always caught my eye,” said Sweeney. “And, as we've gone back and, obviously Cam's [Neely] a big part of the decision-making process. Organizationally, we've just always sort of held it in high regard. And an opportunity to bring it back is pretty special.”