Management 1 PM May 22nd - Charlie, Cam, Don and Monty address media - NESN

[Fenway]

Wednesday, May 22 at 1 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA)
- End of season press conference with CEO and Alternate Governor Charlie Jacobs, President Cam Neely, General Manager Don Sweeney and Head Coach Jim Montgomery

- Media should enter through back security and proceed to Legends Club on Level 3

- Light refreshments will be provided to the media​

Click to read more...

 

[PB37]

If Cam wants to get faster but they plan on moving on from Grz, DeBrusk, and Boqvist, I wonder what speed demons he thinks they can get this summer.

 

[DKH]

Ya that’s somehow happening league wide. Probably the easier and more accommodating travel helps, but it shouldn’t be as bad as the bruins have been at home.

Thank god for the Toronto maple leafs. 3 of the 7 playoff series wins under Sweeney have been against Toronto. It would be a much uglier scene of it weren’t for Toronto crapping themselves consistently.

I have 0.0 confidence with them at home in playoffs but on road - they can beat anyone

I don’t get it

lol yeh thank God for the Leafs

I actually thought Leafs would win going in to series they seemed to have the grit to match the 4 big boys

 

[BiteThisBurrows]

Don Sweeney was a rookie GM too. 9 years ago. With a stellar 2015 draft. Let's not go into that because I can quote chapter and verse.

My understanding is that all rookie GMS make their mistakes. This would be true of Z as well. I'll take my chances.

It's true that's great players do not necessarily make great managers or coaches. But I would bet on Zdeno, if and when he wants it and is ready, any day of the week compared to Don Sweeney.

You can say Sweeney cobbled together a decent team that did well in the regular season after going all in the previous year.

Fine.

Even so, I direct you to a previous post relative to Sweeney and his shortcomings, which are pronounced, that led to that circumstance.

Let me know if you can't find it.

That's exactly my point though. With the team where it is do you really want to dump an experienced veteran GM who has learned from his previous mistakes and give it over to a rookie GM likely to make a pile of new rookie mistakes? I wouldn't. Not this year. Not yet.

 

[bobbyorr04]

I didn’t see it. I get they not saying anything about team, I wouldn’t either. But did anyone ask about the ice? That is something that must be addressed.

No

I wish one of these Bruins reporters would've asked Jacobs if they're planning on fixing the crappy ice and terrible stanchions someday soon, which not only hurts the Bruins and takes away their home ice advantage IMO, but it's terrible hockey for the fans to watch, with pucks bouncing like tennis balls and wicked bounces coming off the stanchions

..it must be taboo to ask questions about the ice/rink

 

[BiteThisBurrows]

All in all I had no problem with the press conference even though it was all pretty much as you'd expect and nothing really new. Clearly they have a different top number for Jake than Jake's agent has. If someone else agrees with that higher number I'd guess he's gone and Bruins hopefully have a plan B for that possibility. They recognize they need to be faster, but I don't think they have a solution that's easy or obvious.

imo, things that are good - solid goaltending, good team D, strong culture, great leadership, a few promising youngsters.
things that are not so good - high end scoring talent, team speed.

Ultimately the problem areas come from trading away your draft picks and drafting poorly at times. You want to be fast and score goals, you need young fast scoring players. Can this be fixed in free agency or with a trade? idk but it seems unlikely.

July should be interesting.

 

[chizzler]

This team is not going to win anything with Sweeney and Neely running the show.

I think they grossly mismanaged McAvoy's development and the whole defense structure after Chara and Krug departure.
Chara while aging and slow was still a great leader, had physical presence, grit, PK duty.
Krug was the PP1 QB

suddenly:
PP QB gone
slap shot and brain to utilize PP gone
physical presence gone
leadership gone

What did they do?
They surrounded McAvoy with junk in Gryz, Forbort, Zboril, Reilly. Next to them he looked like a Norris trophy winner and he got paid like one.

It was ok in the regular season but it did not work in the playoffs.
2021 won 1st round against Capitals then lost to Islanders
2022 lost 1st round to Hurricanes
2023 lost 1st round to Panthers
2024 won 1st round against Leafs by the skin of their teeth thanks to Pasta, then lost to Panthers.

So the reclamation project before the playoffs in 2022 was Lindholm that cost them a fortune.

Does Lindholm have a hard and accurate slapshot?
nope
Does Lindholm play physical?
nope
Does Lindholm have any grit?
nope
Is Lindholm a leadership type of guy?
nope

So now the Bruins are stuck with 2 guys on D who eat $16m in cap space with NMC/NTC and none of the issues on defense are solved.
Lindholm looks like Backes in progress and McAvoy in nowhere being elite.

It’s called a pressure cooker city. Certain cities have different levels of pressure and expectations. you think that doesn’t have an affect? Yup, we only have 2011 to celebrate. Sweeney’s vision was not correct back when he started to build. I think he knows that and has tried to get tougher guys. The problem is the core make up. It’s going to take a long time to change it over. Especially when most of the last five or so 1st rounders have been traded.

 

[BMC]

This team is not going to win anything with Sweeney and Neely running the show.

I think they grossly mismanaged McAvoy's development and the whole defense structure after Chara and Krug departure.
Chara while aging and slow was still a great leader, had physical presence, grit, PK duty.
Krug was the PP1 QB

suddenly:
PP QB gone
slap shot and brain to utilize PP gone
physical presence gone
leadership gone

What did they do?
They surrounded McAvoy with junk in Gryz, Forbort, Zboril, Reilly. Next to them he looked like a Norris trophy winner and he got paid like one.

It was ok in the regular season but it did not work in the playoffs.
2021 won 1st round against Capitals then lost to Islanders
2022 lost 1st round to Hurricanes
2023 lost 1st round to Panthers
2024 won 1st round against Leafs by the skin of their teeth thanks to Pasta, then lost to Panthers.

So the reclamation project before the playoffs in 2022 was Lindholm that cost them a fortune.

Does Lindholm have a hard and accurate slapshot?
nope
Does Lindholm play physical?
nope
Does Lindholm have any grit?
nope
Is Lindholm a leadership type of guy?
nope

So now the Bruins are stuck with 2 guys on D who eat $16m in cap space with NMC/NTC and none of the issues on defense are solved.
Lindholm looks like Backes in progress and McAvoy in nowhere being elite.

Sadly I am afraid you may be right about McAvoy. His play this season was not up to a supposedly Norris Trophy caliber defenseman. Honestly I don't think he's been the same player since the shoulder surgery.

 

[Riverfront]

6 players bruins brass should look to sign as free agents.
( no particular order ) all forwards :
1. marchessault
2. necas
3. P. kane
4. C. stephenson
5. b. Hayton
6. D. Joshua
( speed , skill, veterans & younger guys all here )

 

[Fire Sweeney]

If Cam wants to get faster but they plan on moving on from Grz, DeBrusk, and Boqvist, I wonder what speed demons he thinks they can get this summer.

Mark Giordano and Corey Perry will get camp invites for sure.

 

[Patdud]

If Cam wants to get faster but they plan on moving on from Grz, DeBrusk, and Boqvist, I wonder what speed demons he thinks they can get this summer.

He wants to be faster just not smurfs. DeBrusk has speed but literally good god he either forechecks or crashes into the boards.

 

[Riverfront]

marchand necas pastrnak
marchessault stephenson p. kane
zacka coyle frederic
joshua hayton brazeau
potrois/ beecher

lohrei/ mcavoy
lindholm/ carlo
peeke/ wootherspoon

swayman/ bussi

 

[TP70BruinsCup]

If Cam wants to get faster but they plan on moving on from Grz, DeBrusk, and Boqvist, I wonder what speed demons he thinks they can get this summer.

He said something similar when they moved on from Claude….. I think he said ‘uptempo team’ at the time

Yeah. Ok then

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

Is Cam Neely's plan to turn the Bruins into the Montreal Canadians coming to completion? Click here to find out!

 

[BruinsJoe]

Last playoffs the biggest probleme was the fact that this team was constantly caved in their own zone, D corp losing most of battles on the board, not able to get controle of the puck and being turnovers machines...faceoffs huge probleme from centers or what they put at center, need scoring by adding top centers

 

[NDiesel]

This team is not going to win anything with Sweeney and Neely running the show.

I think they grossly mismanaged McAvoy's development and the whole defense structure after Chara and Krug departure.
Chara while aging and slow was still a great leader, had physical presence, grit, PK duty.
Krug was the PP1 QB

suddenly:
PP QB gone
slap shot and brain to utilize PP gone
physical presence gone
leadership gone

What did they do?
They surrounded McAvoy with junk in Gryz, Forbort, Zboril, Reilly. Next to them he looked like a Norris trophy winner and he got paid like one.

It was ok in the regular season but it did not work in the playoffs.
2021 won 1st round against Capitals then lost to Islanders
2022 lost 1st round to Hurricanes
2023 lost 1st round to Panthers
2024 won 1st round against Leafs by the skin of their teeth thanks to Pasta, then lost to Panthers.

So the reclamation project before the playoffs in 2022 was Lindholm that cost them a fortune.

Does Lindholm have a hard and accurate slapshot?
nope
Does Lindholm play physical?
nope
Does Lindholm have any grit?
nope
Is Lindholm a leadership type of guy?
nope

So now the Bruins are stuck with 2 guys on D who eat $16m of cap space with NMC/NTC and none of the issues on defense are solved.
Lindholm looks like Backes in progress and McAvoy in nowhere being elite.

I think they obviously thought Mac would turn into the PP QB replacement for Krug...I still cringe when people bring up him leaving being a negative. His current contract is an absolute albatross and would be hammered constantly as one of the worst on the team right now. Glad they moved on, but in hindsight they should have looked for a different PP guy than Mac.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

So, your answer is let's look at something else?

OK.

Granted you are correct. The Bruins are the worst team in playoffs of teams that led the league in points.

The Bruins are historical playoff underachievers. They have the worst playoff win percentage of any of the Original 6, and rank 19th overall going at .474. It's not horrible, but it puts them firmly in the pack with some pretty ordinary franchises. Add on to that the worst O6 win/loss record in the finals. It's a team that just tends to fall short when it matters most, always has been. You get teams like this is most major sporting leagues around the world, the ones that overall are very good but struggle to get over the hump in achieving ultimate success. The recent Bruins simply conform to type.

 

[Fenway]

 

[Over the volcano]

If Cam wants to get faster but they plan on moving on from Grz, DeBrusk, and Boqvist, I wonder what speed demons he thinks they can get this summer.

Shatenkirk, Maroon and JVR

 

[NDiesel]

Shatenkirk, Maroon and JVR

It's like they play ping pong with the right roster construction. "We need to add size" last offseason. Now they've overdone it and have a bunch of snails and need more speed again...we'll probably be too small again by next offseason.

 

[LyndonByers]

Did anyone from the media ask Sweeney and Neely about their drafting?

 

[northeastern]

No

I wish one of these Bruins reporters would've asked Jacobs if they're planning on fixing the crappy ice and terrible stanchions someday soon, which not only hurts the Bruins and takes away their home ice advantage IMO, but it's terrible hockey for the fans to watch, with pucks bouncing like tennis balls and wicked bounces coming off the stanchions

..it must be taboo to ask questions about the ice/rink

I was complaining about the ice before game 6 with a buddy that sits next to me, a guy behind us told me the garden ice was always great... I had to ask him if he had been drinking, and yes he had been.

The ice needs a complete overhaul, stanchions are outdated and I don't expect them to spend the money anytime soon because it's something a casual fan doesn't see.

If there was a game in the garden tonight the puck would be bouncing all over the place.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Did anyone from the media ask Sweeney and Neely about their drafting?

About how good it’s been the last several years? I don’t believe so.

 

[DKH]

Bruins fans need to realize in like 2 years no Bruins are left (I think)

Heinen & DeBrusk UFA now
Frederic & Geekie next summer
Marchand as well
Zacha in 2 years
Coyle- I think 2 years

So 2 years today cue up Peggy Lee’s is that all there is

 

[LouJersey]

Shatenkirk, Maroon and JVR

Gotta think Brazeau and Maroon may fit there as well.

 

[NDiesel]

Did anyone from the media ask Sweeney and Neely about their drafting?

Since 2016 without 1sts in multiple years and generally drafting the last 10 picks of the 1st they've drafted the following players who have been full timers or look to be ones:

McAvoy
Frederic
Lindgren
Swayman
Lauko
Beecher
Lohrei
Poitras

Are you honestly unhappy with that? They've filled their number 1 D and number 1 goalie through the draft with Lohrei potentially being top 4D and Poitras potentially being in the top 6...pretty incredible.