We’re going to do as much as we can to give us the best chance to draft a player who we believe will continue to progress, get better, and adjust their game,” said Bruins director of amateur scouting Ryan Nadeau.

The Bruins have to make the right moves for new coach Marco Sturm during free agency to avoid a disaster in the upcoming season

But to their credit or detriment, the Bruins ‘ front office took a big swing. With Marco Sturm, they chose to chase the potential of a high ceiling rather than the safety of a probable high floor.

The Boston Bruins are reportedly monitoring Aaron Ekblad’s contract situation in Florida as free agency nears, with the veteran defenseman possibly hitting the open market.

It is scouting combine week up in Buffalo, where staffs from all 32 teams convene every year to run the top prospects through physical testing and interviews. This week carries extra importance for the B’s, who will be picking at No. 7.

After Jim Montgomery’s firing in mid-November, Sacco was elevated into the interim head coach role. He went 24-30-6 in his 60 games behind the bench, but the Bruins held a fire sale at the trade deadline that led to trading four key players, including team captain Brad Marchand. The roster was underwhelming.

Be it Edmonton boasting two generational talents in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl or Florida featuring a center corps of Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, and Anton Lundell, the fortunes of any franchise are immediately elevated when a roster is built around a foundation of impact pivots.