Say what you will about Don Sweeney, but he’s a really solid general manager.
The Bruins GM continues to make deadline move after deadline move year after year – and has shown that he’ll do everything he can to set this Boston team up for success during the stretch run.
In the past few seasons, Sweeney has traded for Rick Nash, Taylor Hall, and Hampus Lindholm to put it up to the team to get it done. They’re never short on talent.
Their most recent deadline move has kept them atop the ranks to win the Stanley Cup according to BetOnline.ag. Here are the odds:
2023 Stanley Cup Odds to Win
Boston Bruins +450
Colorado Avalanche +700
Carolina Hurricanes +750
Toronto Maple Leafs +900
New York Rangers +1000
Edmonton Oilers +1200
New Jersey Devils +1200
Tampa Bay Lightning +1400
Dallas Stars +1600
On Thursday, Sweeney traded F Craig Smith, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2024 third-round pick to the Washington Capitals for D Dmitry Orlov, F Garnet Hathaway, and the rights to Andrei Svletnakov.
Orlov is a 31-year-old, 6’0″ left-shot defenseman who will likely step right into one of the Bruins’ top pairings and sure up their defense. He had a career season in 2021 with Washington – tallying 12 goals, 23 assists for a total of 35 points.
Garnet Hathaway is a bruiser who will add to Boston’s forward depth. Known for his physical play, it’d be interesting to see the Bruins line him up alongside Trent Frederic and establish some toughness down the stretch.
Boston is 45-8-5 through 58 games and leads the NHL in points with 95. David Pastrnak is second in goals behind only Conor McDavid with 42. Goalie Linus Ullmark is the odds-on favorite to win the Vezina Trophy. He leads the NHL is save percentage (.938), goals-against average (1.86), and wins (30).
Not only is Ullmark the best goalie in hockey, but he also became one of just eight goalies in NHL history to score a goal on Saturday. Down 2-1, the Canucks pulled their goalie – and Linus Ullmark finished the job for Boston. With :48 seconds to go on an empty net, Ullmark flung the puck down the ice and scored his first (and likely only) career goal. Everything is going right for Boston these days.
They’ll likely continue on this dominant stretch throughout their next 24 games and win the league’s President’s Trophy. This will mean nothing, however, if they don’t bring the Stanley Cup back to Boston in mid-June.
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