Don Sweeney adds depth and financial flexibility at deadline

On the surface, Don Sweeney made marginal improvements adding Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie in two separate deals with the Anaheim Ducks in the 2020 trade deadline. But the ramifications of Kase and Ritchie’s decisions go beyond potential lineup ramifications.

For starters, Don Sweeney received some much-needed cap relief in the Kase deal — that also included defensive prospect Axel Andersson — after retaining 25 percent of David Backes’ remaining salary. A mere 24 hours after arriving from their three-game swing in Western Canada, the Bruins shipped a struggling Danton Heinen to Southern California for Ritchie, saving themselves a little over $1.3 million in the process.

The two deals saved…