We are just three days away from NHL free agency beginning on Monday (July 1) and the Boston Bruins and GM Don Sweeney have a lot of money that he has to spend to improve his roster for the 2024-25 season. He has a lot of needs including a center and possibly another defenseman.

Sweeney also has several of his own pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) to consider re-signing, but it appears with each passing day, that it’s looking less likely that some of the players will be returning to the Black and Gold. One of the players who is a UFA is Jake DeBrusk. After Boston’s elimination in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Florida Panthers, he said he wanted to remain with the Bruins. Still, the player and team have yet to come anywhere close to an agreement on a contract. Thursday in Las Vegas, a day before the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Sweeney touched on several topics, including DeBrusk and his comments sound like the door is closing on the 2015 first-round draft pick returning next season and beyond.

Sweeney spoke about DeBrusk and admitted that there have not been many, if any, conversations recently and it appears the 14th overall pick nine years ago is going to hit the open market.

“I suspect that Jake will head to UFA and test the market. Remain consistent that we have been in negotiations with Jake — haven’t had any productive talks in quite some time. At end of the day, that’s his prerogative to see what July 1 brings for him.”

– Don Sweeney

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If DeBrusk does indeed hit free agency, there is going to be no shortage of suitors for him. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Seattle Kraken are all teams that could look to add him. One dark horse team to watch, is the Detroit Red Wings.

If DeBrusk does end up leaving, it’s going to be imperative that Sweeney signs a player that is equal to or better than DeBrusk, or losing him for nothing and not bringing in an equal replacement for him is not going to be a great look for the front office. This is, without a doubt, Sweeney’s biggest off-season as GM of the Boston Bruins.

Anton Watson finished his college career as one of the winningest players in Gonzaga men’s basketball program history. The Boston Celtics probably knew that when they selected the Spokane native with the 54th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

On the court, Watson’s defensive versatility made him Mark Few’s “problem solver,” as the 6-foot-8 forward could guard multiple positions and embraced matchups against the opponent’s biggest offensive threat. Offensively he excelled at timely cuts along the baseline or from the perimeter, while his improvements as a passer were quite noticeable as a fifth-year senior. The athleticism might not stand out to some, but the results from the G League Elite Camp would suggest it’s trending in the right direction.

Above all else though, Watson’s win-loss record spoke volumes about his impact on the Zags’ success. In five seasons (though he only played 15 games as a freshman due to a shoulder injury), the Gonzaga Prep product amassed a 132-19 (.870) record and played in four Sweet 16 games, two Elite Eight games, a Final Four and a National Championship game and set the program record for steals in the NCAA Tournament (21).

“He’s been such an unsung hero of this program,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said of Watson after a win over Portland on Feb. 23. “He’s such a winner. He’s a winner and he’s a great teammate. He’s just the perfect guy you want in your program. Obviously when you’re at Gonzaga you really want him in your program because we’ve valued everything Anton’s done.”

Now Watson goes from one winning culture to the next, as he makes the move to Boston just nine days after the franchise won its NBA-leading 18th championship in a 4-1 series win over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Led by All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, the Celtics were undoubtedly the best team in the league all season long en route to an overall record of 80-21 (64-16 in the regular season, 16-3 in the playoffs). That .792 winning percentage is the second-best in team history behind only the legendary 1985-86 championship team that went 82-18 (.820). 

Boston figures to be among the favorites to go back-to-back with most of the cast returning for the 2024-25 season, which could limit Watson’s playing opportunities as a rookie. Brad Stevens, the mastermind behind the Celtics’ title run as the de facto general manager, made it clear prior to the draft that any player he took with the No. 30 pick (which ended up being Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman) or the No. 54 pick (Watson) would have a difficult time finding playing time in year one.

“It will be hard for any draft pick to crack our rotation when healthy,” Stevens said. “And so, we’ll think about how we can best continue to invest in young players and their development and growth, with the reality that, if we’re able to continue to move forward with this group, that these guys are going to be on the court. So, this will be a good opportunity again to bring in somebody who we think will help us down the road.”

That said, it’s likely Watson spends most of his rookie season developing with Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.

Though his name didn’t appear on most mock drafts, Watson’s strengths as a two-way player made him a trendy pick to go late in the second round. He has the size and strength to match up with bruising forwards and centers, while still nimble and agile enough to defend smaller guards on the perimeter. Watson’s offensive game didn’t get to shine over some of his other NBA teammates at Gonzaga, though the full repertoire was on display throughout his fifth year with six 20-point games, including two 32-point outings against UCLA and Santa Clara.

Even so, scouts and general managers needed to see more consistency from behind the arc. Watson shot a career-best 41.2% from 3-point range on limited volume (1.5 attempts per game) in 2023-24.

“[NBA scouts and general managers] kind of said, to find my place in the league or my calling card is gonna be like one of those guys that does a little bit of everything,” Watson said. “They’ve seen that I’ve improved from the 3-point line, but they want me to take more of them.”

Watson’s first opportunity will come next month at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he figures to earn valuable reps with some of Boston’s other young talent. Granted Watson is already older than his new Celtics teammates JD Davidson, Jordan Walsh and Jaden Springer, but the 23-year-old is far from a finished product on the basketball court. It just might take some time before the rest of the league notices.

“His game, to me, fits the modern NBA,” Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson said on Gonzaga Nation. “He’s so versatile defensively, he can do a lot of different things on offense. His shooting has really progressed, it’s going to have to continue to progress. Where the NBA is right now, fits Anton Watson.”

When it comes to wildlife, Boston has it all!  Mean turkeys, swimming coyotes, bald eagles, bunnies, chickens, and now a bull.  Yes, a bull.  Earlier this week, a bull escaped from a home in Roslindale and is on the loose. Evidently, the resident had no idea that you’re not allowed to keep farm animals, other than chickens, in the city limits. Hmmmm, we can’t imagine why. Maybe for exactly this reason, now there’s a bull roaming the streets of the city.

According to Axios Boston, he was spotted near Stella and Harding Road on Saturday but “was able to evade capture” and slipped off into the woods.  Boston Animal Care and Control even tried using a thermal drone but had no luck finding the bull.  

With this bull on the loose, there’s a real possibility that it could wander into any neighborhood at any time. The question is, where might the elusive bull will turn up next?  Wrong guesses only in the comments? We’ll start – having a frozen margarita at Yellow Door.

Has anyone checked any of the neighborhood china shops?

And for the love of God, if you see the bull don’t try and wrangle it!