Time to start looking ahead, with a nod to the past.
- Don't look at the Bruins in your rear-view mirror, they are not far removed from being Stanley Cup contenders. [NESN]
- Have a look at yet another priority list of things that Don Sweeney needs to address in the off-season. [TheHockeyWriters]
- Hey Cam Neely, back off. Leave your new General Manager plenty of space to do what he does best. [BostonHerald]
- One issue still left hanging is the fate of Claude Julien. (Hint: He won't be going to Toronto.) [PatriotLedger]
- Another is the future of Milan Lucic , who faces a crossroads in his Bruins career. [WEEI] Don Sweeney will be taking stock to decide if Lucic can continue to be an impact player. [WEEI]
- What exactly is Sweeney's vision of what a Bruin player should be? [BruinsDaily]
- A certain aggressiveness is going to be part of the new Bruins ethos. [ProHockeyTalk]
- Would this be a good time to test the waters on a Zdeno Chara trade? Just askin', of course. [TheHockeyNews]
- What took so long? The Bruins' open search for a new GM was hindered by one key roadblock. [CausewayCrowd]
- The selection of Sweeney offers a degree of continuity and familiar "feel" for the Bruins. [ESPN]
- Part of the difficulty attracting GM candidates was the Bruins' cap situation. Bonus: Expect to see more OFLODNAP in Providence. [TheBostonGlobe]
- One small matter to resolve will be the compensation that the Oilers are required to give the Bruins for Peter Chiarelli. [NESN]
- Meanwhile, the Bruins look forward to the arrival of Zane McIntyre . [ProHockeyTalk] It must have been all the fun he had at development camps that sealed the deal. (Video, 0:29) [Bruins.NHL]
- Don't forget, the Sweeney promotion leaves a vacancy in the Providence Bruins' office. There is one strong internal candidate for promotion. [ProvidenceJournal]
- Did you miss the big presser? Here is a transcript of Don Sweeney's comments. [Reddit]
Elsewhere around the rink:
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have secured the services of Mike Babcock. Brendan Shanahan is all in. [SportingNews] It appears a logged flight plan by a Maple Leafs private jet spilled the beans. [NYPost]
- If he wanted a professional challenge, he'll have on with the Leafs! [TheGlobeAndMail]
- Maybe Guy Boucher will dance with the Devils? [NJ.com] He was apparently justthisclose to being hired by the Maple Leafs. [SportingNews]
- Why the rise and subsequent decline in Russian players in the NHL? Bias? KHL competition? Have a look at this chart, then read the linked original article. [Chidlovski]
- In passing... crunching numbers on the Devils' completed passes ("skilled plays") as an off-season fancystats project. (Part One) [InLouWeTrust]
- NHL Goalies stretch religiously. Reducing injury and being ready for the acrobatic save is all in a day's work. [NYTimes]
- Ready for EA NHL 16? Some really fun features are being leaked. [BarDown]
DAMN ASS TESTICLES