Bruins GM Don Sweeney Stresses Importance Of Halak

The Boston Bruins re-signed veteran goalie Jaroslav Halak on Friday afternoon to a one-year deal. A deal that surprised many, as Halak was set to be one of the best goalies on the free agent market. For Halak, it was an easy decision to re-sign. For GM Don Sweeney, it was an even easier decision to being him back.

Sweeney discussed that, along with a variety of other topics, on Saturday morning. He met with the Boston media via Zoom.

“We could be faced with a compressed schedule next season,” Sweeney said on Saturday. “We don’t know. That will put us in a position where we need to rely on both goaltenders, especially if we go through injuries.” The Bruins, since signing Halak in the summer of 2018, have made a habit of using both goaltenders on a regular basis. As a result, it has made the team and the goaltenders better.

“It’s a variable, but it’s about Jaro and how he has played,” Sweeney continued when pressed about the role a compressed schedule played in the move. “It’s been well documented the job that Jaro has done and how he’s worked very well with our coaching staff. He fits in with our team.

The extension was a surprise when it was announced on Friday. For the sides involved, there was no surprise. This had been in the works for quite some time.

“This has been an ongoing discussion that we started early in the year,” Don Sweeney admitted to the assembled media. “It was a long process in terms of finding some common ground. Jaro and Allan Walsh worked hard with us to allow us some flexibility.”

They can rest a little easier knowing that their goaltending situation is once again set to be one of the league’s best.