Don Sweeney is a calculated General Manager who prefers to do the bulk of his work in advance of the NHL’s trade deadline, and it’s often worth the wait. Last year’s deals to land Tyler Bertuzzi and Dmitry Orlov were like watching his magnum opus unravel in real-time, and that’s without acknowledging the acquisitions of Hampus Lindholm and Taylor Hall in consecutive seasons.

What’s more impressive is how major impacts haven’t always come star-studded; for example, Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson were linchpins in their run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019. In terms of the former, that’s value, a career-high in points this season, four years later.

In essence, Sweeney has masterfully kept a keen finger on the pulse of his teams, adding where necessity calls and passing where it hasn’t.

So, it was within reason to believe that another huge swing was just out of sight. But when the dust settled on the 2024 trade deadline, you were left arm extended but empty-handed.

Obviously, there was some traction- notably in the form of rugged blueliner Andrew Peeke. But when the deal began to take shape, it became more and more apparent that not only was Derek Forbort’s time in Boston over but boy, did Don show his hand early. Now, in fairness, it’s actually an on-the-nose Sweeney trade. Securing an NHL-ready defenseman with term outside of this playoff run is quintessentially him, even more so if it comes at the behest of the troubled Jakub Zboril. However, sending a third-round pick, granted in 2027, without salary retention in return was far from market value.

In a utilitarian sense Andrew Peeke is an understandable addition. The Bruins have been burned by a lack of springtime defensive depth in the past. Peeke addresses that concern.

But things got confusing a few hours prior to Peeke’s acquisition when Pat Maroon became a Bruin.

To preface I don’t dislike the Pat Maroon trade, in fact I believe Pat Maroon is an incredibly effective player in terms of his skillset. According to a recent scouting report from CapFriendly, “(his) best work comes from the hash marks down in the offensive zone and working off the cycle.” After all, production, especially in the playoffs, is what every General Manager seeks, and if you can get that for a 6th round pick and a depth AHL player, why not, right?