Latest On The Bruins

While Boston GM Don Sweeney would be okay with going into the season with the roster the team currently has, he noted to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald that he is still exploring opportunities to add to the current team.  Sweeney noted that the team still has plenty of cap flexibility (about $6.7MM according to Cap Friendly) by design but that he also values that flexibility moving into next couple of years as well which could affect their willingness to take on a longer-term contract, either in free agency or via trade.

More on the Bruins:

• Also in Conroy’s piece, the Bruins will name their new AHL head coach next week. Kevin Dean is believed to be the favorite to get the job in Providence while Keith McCambridge is also known to have interviewed.
• Within the span of just over a year, Boston has dramatically revamped and improved their prospect depth on the back end, writes WEEI’s DJ Bean. Sweeney mentioned that it had been an area of focus at the draft and the team has added five blueliners in the first two rounds of the last two drafts.  Of those players, Bean suggests Brandon Carlo (37th overall in 2015) is closest to being NHL ready but with seven defensemen on one-way deals, there may not be a spot for him to step in right away.  With just seven games of pro experience under his belt though, a trip to Providence would certainly be beneficial for the 19 year old.
• Prospect winger Jimmy Vesey, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on August 15th, told CSNNE’s Joe Haggerty that Boston is definitely on the short list of teams he plans to talk to. The 23 year old Massachusetts native grew up a Bruins fan and it has long been speculated that Boston should be considered a front runner to secure his services.
• In a separate column from Haggerty, Sweeney noted that both David Krejci and Torey Krug are both on track in their recovery schedules from offseason surgery.  Krug had shoulder surgery on April 21st with an expected recovery of six months which could cause him to miss a handful of games to start next season while Krejci had hip surgery four days later with a five month timetable.