Pastrnak, Swayman, and McAvoy is not a core that’s going to win you a championship. That much has been made abundantly clear since the Bergeron/Marchand Era ended a few years ago. That solution? Pasta, no sides.
Charlie McAvoy is not an elite defenseman. As much as we all may have wanted and pleaded for him to become one, he isn’t. He’s never taken that next big step forward into the Bourque territory that Neeley championed him towards . We’ve just watched 73, for the 4th time in the last 5 years, get absolutely caved in by the very top line playoff matchups he’s supposed to shut down. All while producing next to nothing in the offensive end, never mind as the catalyst of any sort of high transition offense. Just tonight, in an elimination game, he was directly responsible for 2 of 3 goals and ends the season fittingly in an act of frustration and, frankly, embarrassment. He’s no captain. He failed the audition year. If a genie could grant Sweeney one wish, it should be this: Convince Charlie McAvoy to waive his NMC. He’s not the next in a long of prestigious leaders of the B’s backline. He never was.
Jeremy Swayman’s contract is the biggest mistake Sweeney has made since 2015. Yes. It’s still true. Yes, Swayman basically single handily kept us in this Sabres series. Yes, he’s done it once before. Yes, he’s a legit Vezina Finalist. Yes, he was the worst starter in the league a year ago. Yes, this is the life of a goalie in the modern NHL. Which is why that contract, even with the cap heading where it is, still makes zero sense. You don’t build around a goalie in the modern NHL and there are countless examples of why staring us all in the face. You don’t need it. You need a servicable rotation and the right guy to get hot at that right time. And the Bruins churn out those guys like clockwork. As long as Goalie Bob is around there need not be one Bruins goalie on a long term lucrative deal. Swayman’s NMC kicks in this year. He should be gone before it does.
You build this team around its new Captain David Pastrnak, the NHL talent you can acquire from dealing McAvoy and Swayman, and the young talent/picks Sweeney has done an admiral job assembling. This is a lottery team this season with 88. McAvoy and Swayman alone take you to the bottom of the league. Pasta is a WINGER that scored 60 goals who then, over the last two seasons, has reinvented himself as one of the top five elite PLAYMAKERS in the league. From 60 goals to 75 assists is astonishing at that position. He’s earned the right to lead this team. Yes, he skates like a baby giraffe at times and his prone to some truly baffling boneheadedness (tonight included), but Sweeney needs to go all in on his prime NOW. Before
It’s too late.
Pasta is the foundation we build upon but to do so two pillars need to fall.