BREAKING: Sweeney reveals offseason plan for Bruins

After suffering defeat at the hands of the Ottawa Senators in their first round playoff series, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has his team contemplating his team’s future. Yesterday, Sweeney announced that interim head coach Bruce Cassidy would return for 2017-18 with his interim tag removed and he’ll be joined by a coaching staff that features Jay Pandolfo, Joe Sacco and Bob Essence.

This afternoon, Sweeney unveiled his own plans for the offseason and how he plans to address his team’s shortcomings. “Taking one step forward, in my opinion, is not successful. It’s a good step, but we have work to do in a lot of areas if we want to continue to get better,” he said.

When asked what areas specifically he replied, “middle of the lineup, transition-minded defensemen and the backup goaltender position.” It was obvious to anyone watching that Tuukka Rask was simply overworked and that the team had no confidence in whomever they employed to spell him in a backup role. While adding depth to the forward and defensive groups is needed, it’s expected that Sweeney will push hardest to find a reliable #2 option behind Rask.

Perhaps most telling about Sweeney’s comments is that, despite making the playoffs during a trying season, there’s no sense of satisfaction amongst the team’s management. They’re looking to the future and aren’t afraid of making change if it leads to improvement.