Don Sweeney, Bruins GM, Bears No Fault in This Situation

It's worth noting that neither Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney nor Bertuzzi himself made any commitments about Bertuzzi's future with the team beyond the 2023 trade deadline.

Although Bertuzzi had positive experiences in Boston and spoke highly of the fans and the overall atmosphere, he didn't explicitly express a desire to stay as a Bruin. His comments mirrored those commonly made by unrestricted free agents in similar situations, excluding players like Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci, who have a different status.

Conversely, Sweeney openly acknowledged the Bruins' challenging salary cap situation. He acknowledged that signing Bertuzzi, along with trade deadline acquisitions Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway, was a complex task due to financial limitations.

Sweeney's objective was to build the strongest roster possible for the season and contend for the Stanley Cup. However, despite his efforts, the team fell short of expectations.

Sweeney maintained his stance until recently when he informed the media that it was highly improbable for the Bruins to pursue Bertuzzi in free agency.

According to Bertuzzi's agent, Todd Reynolds, the decision was made after they declined the Bruins' final offer, seeking a longer contract duration.

After an unsuccessful search for a more favorable deal in the open market, they reached out to Sweeney again, only to find out that the GM had already used up the remaining cap space by signing five one-way contracts.

Even though one of those contracts had an average annual value (AAV) of $2 million, the Bruins still face significant salary cap constraints, with only $6.2 million left to sign three more players.

This is despite Sweeney managing to alleviate some of the cap burden by shedding Taylor Hall's $6 million cap hit.

In retrospect, Sweeney's pursuit of three potential rentals in his quest for the Stanley Cup has garnered criticism from some individuals who previously supported the aggressive approach.

As seen on: Bostonhockeynow