Against the backdrop of a dreary Boston skyline from the 14th floor of the Boston Bruins’ offices on Causeway Street, Marco Sturm was introduced as the 30th head coach of the team on Tuesday.

Whether the 46-year-old German and former Bruin player has the goods to one day own the city below should be clear within a couple of years.

Sturm occasionally flashed the goal scoring grin he showed whenever he found the back of the net as a player.

But more prevalent in the 50-minute press conference with GM Don Sweeney was the seriousness and sense of purpose he has shown since embarking on his coaching career, starting with the German national team, moving on to an assistant on Todd McLellan’s staff with the Los Angeles Kings and, lastly, as the head coach of the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.

As for the team into which he’s about to command, Sturm conceded there are some holes, but he believes in the bones of the roster, which includes superstar David Pastrnak, two quality defensemen in Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm, and a goalie the club is banking on bouncing back after a subpar season, Jeremy Swayman.

“I’m not going to lie. I think that the process already started last season at the trading deadline. There will be some changes,” said Sturm. “But what I like, and I told Don and Cam (Neely), I still love our team, even without any addition. Because I think we have good goaltending. When everyone stays healthy, I think we have a really good D corps. I think we hopefully we have a few pieces up front. But overall, I do like our (team). But overall, I think depth-wise, we just probably need a little. But I think with our DNA, the Bruins’ DNA, playing good defensively, that’s not going to change. But we have to find a way to be more productive offensively. That’s going to be our goal … and that’s what we’re going to address from day one. And obviously, special teams will be a big part as well.”

At least some modicum of optimism is a prerequisite for a coach on day one. But there’s a lot of work to be done with this team, and more work than a couple of a decent free agent pick-ups can fix. The Bruins were 28th in goals scored, 26th in goals against, 29th in power play and 24th in penalty kill.

With Joe Sacco now on Mike Sullivan’s Ranger staff, the other assistants — Chris Kelly, Jay Leach and Bob Essensa — will be retained. Sturm will be searching for another assistant with an eye on improving the power play.

In his exhaustive coaching search, Sweeney said he talked to 14 candidates, with each one giving their assessment on where the team went off the rails.

“The process in that sense can be uncomfortable in terms of the critical eye that other people are watching your team with and breaking down your team and the changes that they want to make. You have to be open to all of it,” said Sweeney, who didn’t rule out dealing some of his draft capital to improve his team for the here and now. “You have to understand that with the position that we’re in, we didn’t execute, at the management level, the coaching level and the player level. So we have to be open to that and the tweaks that coaches want to make.”

Some of the things that separated Sturm from the rest of the pack to Sweeney was the passion he now has for his post-playing career and the fact he knows what he’s getting into here. While fans’ view of the club may be jaundiced at the moment, it’s nothing compared to when he first arrived here via the Joe Thornton trade.

“When I got traded, in the Joe Thornton trade, it was not my fault,” joked Sturm. “I got here and it was difficult. I’m not going to lie. It was difficult. Because everyone loved Joe and it was a big trade. But I understood quickly why it happened and also we had guys in the locker room, they wanted them to lead, so I saw that. For a year or two, it was a little painful. It was not easy. As soon as you read the paper or social media or you go on the street, people will let you know. But also, it pushes you.”

As a player, Sturm didn’t lift the Stanley Cup in 2011, but he was a part of the team that reignited the excitement around the organization, and he relishes the memory of that.

“That feeling alone, it feels like yesterday. That’s what I want to bring back,” said Sturm.

The coaches he appreciated as a player were from the old school like Claude Julien and Darryl Sutter, honest and direct. He promises to be both those things, but a bit more nuanced in his approach.

“You also have to understand that things change. Not everyone is the same. Not everyone is Marco Sturm, not everyone is Patrice Bergeron,” said Sturm. “Everyone is different, and that’s the beauty of coaching right now. You can’t treat everyone the same way. You’ve got to have a good feel for it, who to poke and who to not. That’s why I still like our mix in our locker room, because as I mentioned the older guys still have that Bruins’ DNA. I love it. But there will be some guys that I can’t treat just like the older guys.”

Another drawing point for Sweeney to Sturm was his vision of the team evolving offensively. It involves the full 200-foot ice sheet and playing an up tempo game, as well as getting back to some intangibles.

“When I talk about wanting to score more goals, scoring more goals is not just in the offensive zone. Yes, that’s where the puck is going to end up. But for me, the goal starts with ‘How are we going to get there?’ That’s a big part, too, not just focusing on one area,” said Sturm. “I think there’s definitely areas of the game where we can get better. It’s coming out with the puck, we want to have the puck more. We’ve got to have better entries, for example, not turn pucks over. That part was a big issue. And in the offensive zone, yeah, we’ve got to build that structure in place but we also have to be more hungry and we have to have a better mindset. There’s not just one thing. Overall, there’s a bunch of other things we just have to get better at. And again, I want them to have that offensive mindset and mentality when we have the puck. We want to play with pace, with and without the puck, and not just think the game. We want to play the game fast. It’s not going to happen overnight, but it’s something I’ll address right away.”

Landing an NHL head coaching job was a goal of Sturm’s since he took over the German national team. He went on a methodical pursuit of it. And he revealed that, personally, it wasn’t always easy. For the six years he was with the Kings’ organization, his wife Astrid stayed back in the family’s home base in Florida, raising the couple’s two children Mason and Kaydie.

“I was chasing my dream. And without my family, I could not have done it,” said Sturm. “Quick story. They’ve been bugging me for a while to get a place in Boston. My kids grew up here and they always wanted to come back and here I am. Now they’ve got their wish.”

Only time will tell if Sturm can fulfill the fans’ wishes.