Bruins fired Bruce Cassidy: Coach’s style took ‘toll’ on team, says GM Don Sweeney

Bruce Cassidy believes in candor. He has never bitten his tongue with his players when evaluating their play, reinforcing their habits and explaining concepts.

Six-plus seasons of doing so cost him his job.

“You don’t go out and get 107 points, win 51 games, if the players aren’t responding to you. It just doesn’t happen. He’s able the push the buttons that are necessary,” general manager Don Sweeney said on Tuesday, one day after firing Cassidy. “But it takes its toll. Over the course of time, it takes its toll. You’ve got to find a way to either develop that message a little differently. Or the personnel changes and you cycle it out.”

Cassidy’s Black-and-Gold past is full of accomplishments. Most recent was making the playoffs for a sixth straight time and taking Carolina to seven games.

The 2021-22 Bruins averaged a league-low 2.01 expected goals against per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, according to Natural Stat Trick. It was the sixth straight season they finished among the league’s three best teams in this metric.

Under Cassidy, Brad Marchand became the best all-around left wing in the business. Cassidy relieved Patrice Bergeron of some of his heavy defensive lifting to optimize his offensive game. David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy developed into superstars. He left his star players, including David Krejci and Tuukka Rask, to run the room.

Sweeney’s decision, however, was about the future. Bergeron’s time may be over. Marchand, 34, has three seasons remaining on his deal, the first of which will be shortened following hip surgery. Pastrnak, unrestricted after 2022-23, would be Sweeney’s top trade piece to initiate a rebuild.