The Boston Bruins got bounced from the playoffs by the Buffalo Sabres. Then the Sabres let go of the guy who built that team. Now that guy works for the Bruins.
The Bruins announced a front office shakeup Tuesday, and the headliner is Kevyn Adams joining as senior advisor to general manager Don Sweeney. Adams was the Sabres GM until mid-December, when Buffalo fired him. What happened next stings a little extra for Boston. The Sabres went on a crazy run, made the playoffs for the first time since 2011, won their division for the first time since 2007, and then knocked the Bruins out in the first round.
So Sweeney essentially brought in the architect of the team that just sent his squad home. That’s a pretty direct way to say you want to change things up.
More than just Adams
There are other moves here too. The Bruins also confirmed that assistant GM and AHL Providence GM Evan Gold is leaving the organization on August 1 to take another NHL job. Gold had been with the organization for several seasons and helped develop a lot of the younger talent coming through Providence.
Boston is promoting from within as well. Dennis Seidenberg, Jeremy Brown, and Alex Tanguay all got new roles, though the team didn’t spell out exactly what those titles are yet. Sweeney framed it as a mix of rewarding internal growth and adding outside perspective.
“As we continue to build our staff, these changes recognize the hard work and growth of people within our organization while also adding experienced voices to our group,” Sweeney said via the team’s website. “I’m confident Kevyn, Dennis, Jeremy and Alex will each play an important role as we continue to improve our team both this upcoming season and beyond.”
He also thanked Gold directly. “He has been a valued member of our Hockey Operations Department, and we appreciate everything he has done for our organization. We wish Evan and his family all the best as he pursues his next opportunity in the National Hockey League.”
The Bruins have already made some roster moves this offseason — the acquisition of J.J. Peterka from the Utah Mammoth, trading Joonas Kopisalo to the Rangers, and losing Viktor Arvidsson in free agency. But the front office shakeup feels like the bigger signal. This is Sweeney looking at how Buffalo went from a team that missed the playoffs forever to one that won a round, and trying to bottle some of whatever that was.
Adams won’t be making the final calls in Boston. That’s still Sweeney’s job. But having a guy in the room who just watched a team flip the switch from laughingstock to division champion? That’s experience you can’t just google.
Leave a Comment