Beers On Sports Final: Bruins A Weaker Team After Weekend Moves
BOSTON (CBS) -- Don Sweeney had a full to-do list when he took over as general manager of the Boston Bruins a few months ago, and after this weekend's NHL Draft, it looks like that list has gotten a little longer.
Sweeney had a busy weekend, shipping out Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic ahead of the draft, and followed that up by making 10 selections on Friday and Saturday. With the two trades, the Bruins had a trio of picks in the first round, though none of the players will be ready for NHL action for a couple of years.
"You're not going to know the answer to any of these players for a couple of years," Bruins analyst Bob Beers said on Sunday night's edition of Sports Final on WBZ-TV. "None of them sound like they're ready to step in and play right now, so you have a weaker team than a week ago."
Kalman: Grading Bruins' Trades, Draft Picks
Losing Hamilton, who was due for a big payday, will certainly hurt. Beers said Dougie was the defenseman of the future for Boston, but the price tag was going to hurt the team in the short-term.
"No question [he was the future]. He has huge upside and the potential to be a really good defenseman in this league for a number of years. An argument for another time is the second contracts that players get, that good players get, they're too high right now," said Beers. "I'm all for players getting their money, but they should earn it."
Beers doesn't think, at the moment, Hamilton is worth the $7+ million annually the player is reportedly seeking.
"It's too much right now. If he had signed a bridge deal and then you get into that in a couple of years that is one thing, or if he had been a little more reasonable number, then absolutely I want him in my lineup," said Beers.
With the moves over the weekend, Beers says Sweeney took care of a two things on that lenghty to-do list: Create more cap space and replenish the farm system. But in doing so, the Bruins find themselves much worse off for the 2015-16 season.
"I think he did those two things, but you've really weakened your team on a current basis," he said.
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