How NHL experts graded Bruins trade for Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway
Orlov #Orlov
Don Sweeney, the Bruins’ Harvard-educated general manager, continued to earn good grades at the trade deadline on Thursday.
After landing Taylor Hall and Hampus Lindholm at the last two trade deadlines, Sweeney acquired Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway for Craig Smith and draft picks to bolster his team for what it hopes will be a deep playoff run.
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Getting what he got for what he gave up while managing the salary cap earned Sweeney raves. Here’s how experts graded the Bruins’ move.
ESPN
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski gave the Bruins an A. He thought Sweeney was smart to shift from Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov, who the Bruins were reportedly close on, when Orlov became available and liked Hathaway as a key addition. He wrote:
“That mindset is at the heart of this trade. The Bruins are a steamroller that just got lot more steam. … Patience is a virtue: Orlov is better than Gavrikov. Better offensively, around the same level of effectiveness defensively and with a truckload more playoff experience. Don’t sleep on Hathaway, either. The 31-year-old is the kind of quintessential bottom-six winger who brings energy and physicality every night while pitching in on offense.
Giving up a first-round pick for a rental — or even two them — is rarely advisable. But the Bruins are the best team in hockey. Their window is open now. The post-Patrice Bergeron landscape will sort itself out. The Big Bad Bruins have gone even bigger.”
The Athletic
The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman also gave Sweeney and Boston an A. She wrote:
“The rich get richer. The Bruins were already one of the strongest teams in the league, and somehow they just got even better. Boston could have made a misstep and overpaid for another depth defender who was on the market and would have just slowed this team down. Instead, they found a legitimately good lefty to bolster their blue line. … Hathaway is a good utility forward who can strengthen a team’s bottom six. As if Boston needed to get any tougher to play against.”
Daily Faceoff
The Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin gave the Bruins an A+. He twote:
“The Bruins have added two perfectly suited complementary pieces to assist in their Cup run while shipping out the underachieving Smith’s cap hit. They did so without giving up any prospects, let alone a top one such as Fabian Lysell. And as a powerhouse challenging for the regular season points record in 2022-23, their 2023 first-round pick will be low enough to be a glorified second rounder. General manager Don Sweeney aced this deal. Period.”