The Bruins’ actions during Friday’s NHL trade deadline did more than uproot several key cogs on Boston’s depth chart.
It also overhauled Boston’s leadership hierarchy, with Brad Marchand’s trade to Florida making him the first Bruins captain dealt since Joe Thornton in November 2005.
Beyond Marchand’s seniority as a 16-year NHL vet with a Stanley Cup on his resume, both Charlie Coyle and Brandon Carlo donned the “A” on their sweaters at times as the next tier of leadership.
As the Bruins pick up the pieces and chart out their retool moving forward, Don Sweeney acknowledged on Friday that the onus now falls on a next generation of Bruins stars to pave the path ahead.