What Don Sweeney said about Bruins’ blockbuster trade for Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway

Bruins Don Sweeney and the Bruins added two key cogs to their lineup with Thursday’s trade with the Capitals. Jessica Rinaldi / Globe Staff)

The Bruins added to their already imposing roster on Thursday, acquiring Capitals skaters Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway in a three-team swap with Washington and Minnesota.

Shortly after completing the trade, Bruins GM Don Sweeney addressed the media via Zoom, touching on multiple topics regarding the deal.

Here are a few of the top takeaways from Sweeney’s presser:

Both Orlov and Hathaway will serve key roles in Boston’s lineup

Boston didn’t necessarily have crucial needs ahead of the NHL’s March 3 trade deadline. But Sweeney acknowledged that there was still room for the Bruins to shore up its roster for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

And by acquiring both Orlov and Hathaway in one fell swoop, Boston managed to both bolster its already poised D corps and add some added snarl further down on the fourth line.

“I think we were trying to attack in two different areas,” Sweeney acknowledged. “And both Dmitry and Garnet, I think, bring some attributes that will complement our group. Let’s hope we stay healthy and try to take a run and play our best hockey at the right time. It’s going to be a hard path. It is a hard path to get in and it’s even harder once you take a run.

“Dmitry has got a Stanley Cup ring, brings a lot of veteran leadership to our group, and plays in all different situations. Garnet’s a hard-nosed guy that’s going to be wired [with] the way we use our bottom six and try to create some anxiety on the forecheck. He disrupts, he kills penalties, bigger body and frame and they’re both excited to be joining our team.”

Sweeney isn’t worried about carving out playing time for Orlov and Hathaway

It remains to be seen when both Orlov and Hathaway will join their new teammates on the ice, with Sweeney noting that both players need to sort through some travel “logistics” in order to get up to Vancouver.

But when both skaters are given the green light to play, Sweeney isn’t fretting over how Jim Montgomery will utilize them, night in and night out.

Hathaway seems like a logical candidate to join Boston’s fourth line next to a rotating cast of players like Nick Foligno, Tomas Nosek, and A.J. Greer. For now, Hathaway likely has the inside track on Greer, who will come in handy once the injury bug starts to bite in the playoffs.

Orlov’s spot is a bit tougher to gauge.

Considering that Orlov is a proven vet who plays a stout two-way game and averaged close to 23 minutes a night with Washington, he doesn’t fit the mold of a seventh defenseman.

But whether it be Derek Forbort, Connor Clifton, or Matt Grzelcyk, one very solid regular on Boston’s blue line will likely get his minutes reduced moving forward.

It’s a roster battle that could be fluid as Montgomery experiments with different D pairs through the final weeks of the regular season. And once the injuries start piling up in April and May, these depth-chart logjams have a way of sorting themselves out.

As such, Sweeney isn’t fretting over how Boston will make the minutes work with its two new pieces.

“That’ll be [Montgomery’s] decision and then how comfortable they feel,” Sweeney said, adding: “I think the versatility in both players, I just think we’re gonna put our group together and obviously play the best players — but what the matchups are and how [Montgomery] wants to use them and again, we’ve got to stay healthy, we got to rotate guys around.”

Sweeney doesn’t expect Boston to be aggressive between now and March 3

Boston made some major additions on Thursday evening, but the B’s still have plenty of time to further tinker with this roster between now and March 3.

Sweeney didn’t outright dismiss the claim that Boston was ready to walk away from the table for the next eight days. But after pulling the trigger on such a seismic move, Boston’s GM doesn’t expect his team to be major players in any other headline-grabbing dealings.

“You just never know. And again, this deal came together relatively quickly,” Sweeney said. “My discussions with [Capitals GM] Brian [MacLellan] who is really, really good to deal with. And it was just an opportunity that presented itself. We clearly have been in the marketplace for a period of time and trying to gauge who may or may not be available and what deals you can do.

“Not necessarily going to be overly aggressive, but we really like our team. And hopefully, like I said, we’re going to stay healthy and monitor. We got eight more days to sort of see. But for the most part, our guys should feel comfortable that we’ve added to our group and it’s time to continue to do what these guys have set out to do and have a special year.”

Boston has not had contract talks with either player

Boston is fixated on making the most of this dwindling contention window in 2023. But that doesn’t mean that Sweeney and his staff are tabling any potential contract talks with either Hathaway or Orlov in the near future.

Both new trade pick-ups are pending free agents this offseason. Even though both are 31 years old, they both figure to earn solid paydays on the open market, especially if they play key roles in Boston’s playoff push.

Although Sweeney has a track record of trying to extend recently-acquired assets shortly after trades are made (Hampus Lindholm signed an eight-year deal before logging one shift with Boston), those chats have not commenced with Orlov or Hathaway.

“No, but we’ll look forward to having that and get them acclimated as I said,” Sweeney said of contract talks. “They’ve got some logistics and travel and leaving behind what was very comfortable and familiar to them and stepping into and joining a new team, getting to know their teammates, getting familiarized.”

Sweeney will have quite the cap-related headache to sort out this summer, especially with David Pastrnak due for a mega-deal and both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci’s futures still murky.

Even if both Orlov and Hathaway thrive in Boston over the next few months, there’s no guarantee that the Bruins will have the fiscal flexibility to retain them long-term.

Hathaway, a local product who grew up in Maine and played at both Phillips Academy and Brown University, might be the latest in a long line of Bruins who opts for a hometown discount.

Still, the money will be tight for Boston this summer, especially if Pastrnak signs on the dotted line.

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