Boston Bruins 2023-24 Roster and Salary Cap Discussion VI

[UncleRico]

I'm starting to think maybe we see the rare trade of a UFA on a first place team in Debrusk. No real basis for it, just hunch.

It’s possible, but I can’t even think of a player that Sweeney has moved during the regular season who plays a role on the current roster. The closest I can think of would be backes and that’s a stretch.

Maybe there are examples and I’m just not remembering.

 

[goldnblack]

Only reason I even think it is because of the volume of asset loss the last year. I think finding ways to limit that here is probably smart. And my guess is they're pretty far apart on an extension number.

 

[wintersej]

Maybe spread out the size and skill through the top 9 a little bit.

Frederic-Zacha-Pastrnak
Marchand-Coyle-Debrusk
JVR-Poitras-Geekie
Heinen-Beecher-Steen
Lauko

I would be very interested in just seeing Frederic play up specifically. No expectations for it, but wouldn’t hurt to see, right?

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

They aren’t dealing a goalie on their roster

Look at last night games

The Flyers are ahead of Carolina

The Sharks are winning

The swagger is their GM but you are living like you have a Jimmy Paige poster bought in the record department at Ann & Hope

Open your eyes and realize bench clearing brawls and bell bottoms are gone - the Bruins are Sweeney & Neely.

Open your heart and let Donny in

Flyers short on talent tall on tough to play against, Glad the sharks are winning so that Hertl will want to stay.

I would also say this is Donny's team I can't not imagine Neely wanting a roster full of MY pillows.

I would be very interested in just seeing Frederic play up specifically. No expectations for it, but wouldn’t hurt to see, right?

I have no doubt Frederic would flourish, the kid had sneaky good passing skills and moving him up will make him move his feet. Playing with Coyle and Geekie is like running in sand

 

[Hookslide]

I'm starting to think maybe we see the rare trade of a UFA on a first place team in Debrusk. No real basis for it, just hunch.

You might be not be that far off.

I would be very interested in just seeing Frederic play up specifically. No expectations for it, but wouldn’t hurt to see, right?

I know he wanted at a shot at playing center, and I think now is the time to give him that shot.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

I would also say this is Donny's team I can't not imagine Neely wanting a roster full of MY pillows.

If Neely didn’t like the direction of the team then Sweeney wouldn’t be the GM. It’s his team as much as Sweeneys

 

[DKH]

I’m very honest. He’s a fringe third pair defenseman for Winnipeg and the fans and media there are very unhappy with him.

Dillon third pair meh

Flyers short on talent tall on tough to play against, Glad the sharks are winning so that Hertl will want to stay.

I would also say this is Donny's team I can't not imagine Neely wanting a roster full of MY pillows.


I have no doubt Frederic would flourish, the kid had sneaky good passing skills and moving him up will make him move his feet. Playing with Coyle and Geekie is like running in sand

Congrats knowing Lucic would commit domestic abuse

4th line looked good to me - Lucic - Beecher - Lauko

Send me a link you called them soft in September or October

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

If Neely didn’t like the direction of the team then Sweeney wouldn’t be the GM. It’s his team as much as Sweeneys

Sure

 

[Dr Hook]

Sure

I get there is some back and forth here between you two, but Neely IS Sweeney's boss. He hired him, will fire him if it comes to that, and signs off on all trades and contracts. I don't know how you can say this team isn't his as much as Sweeney's. They've been working together in these roles for years now, so if Don was not doing the job Cam wanted, or they were consistently at odds about the direction of the team, Sweeney would be gone.

 

[UConn126]

I'm starting to think maybe we see the rare trade of a UFA on a first place team in Debrusk. No real basis for it, just hunch.

I agree but only if we can get the value of his potential and not his current performance.

 

[NeelyDan]

It’s clearly both Cam and Don’s team jointly, how anyone argues against that defies plain logic and evidence

 

[DKH]

It’s clearly both Cam and Don’s team jointly, how anyone argues against that defies plain logic and evidence

We have people here who been telling me how tough Jacob Middleton is and I watch the fight videos and he gets his ass kicked

Alison Brie in Scream 4 put up a better fight in the parking garage

I don’t know what some of the people know about the Bruins or the league reading these posts sometimes

Maybe they are goofing around

Anyways Happy National Bruins are Soft day

 

[Kegs]

It’s possible, but I can’t even think of a player that Sweeney has moved during the regular season who plays a role on the current roster. The closest I can think of would be backes and that’s a stretch.

Maybe there are examples and I’m just not remembering.

No good gm trades away players they drafted when they are first in the east.

It’s just not a thing. Debrusk has been a good defensive forward. He is playing him self into a lower contract due to his production. But he is creating chances. He is probably part of this teams long term plans.

He will be allowed to walk in the off-season before he is traded.

 

[Dr Hook]

I like Jake Middleton as a third pair d-man for the Bruins in the mold of McQuaid and Miller. Not because he's tough in the sense of beating people up. I don't give a shit about that. He's tough in the sense of physical along the boards and in front of the net and is hard to play against, and the Bruins need a bit of that on the back end. Besides that he is a decent hockey player.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Course not, he is big, physical and fights. Sweeney would be afraid to get a player like that. Probably trying to clone Grizz as he is a genius

Zac Rinaldo, Matt Beleskey, David Backes, Noel Acciari, Chris Wagner, Conner Clifton, Brett Ritchie, Nick Ritchie, Jarrod Tinordi, Nick Foligno, Derek Forbort, AJ Greer, Diimitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway, Tyler Bertuzzi, Milan Lucic, Patrick Brown.

Maybe he should be afraid of getting a player like that. It doesn't seem to work out for him very often. But he clearly isn't afraid to try.

 

[UncleRico]

No good gm trades away players they drafted when they are first in the east.

It’s just not a thing. Debrusk has been a good defensive forward. He is playing him self into a lower contract due to his production. But he is creating chances. He is probably part of this teams long term plans.

He will be allowed to walk in the off-season before he is traded.

I also think Jake is around long term. I dont think Sweeney is going to let his his best forward hes drafted get away. My only slight fear is that hes going to very much overpay for Debrusk.

 

[Kegs]

I also think Jake is around long term. I dont think Sweeney is going to let his his best forward hes drafted get away. My only slight fear is that hes going to very much overpay for Debrusk.

What do u feel debrusk is worth ?

 

[CellyHard]

We have people here who been telling me how tough Jacob Middleton is and I watch the fight videos and he gets his ass kicked

Alison Brie in Scream 4 put up a better fight in the parking garage

I don’t know what some of the people know about the Bruins or the league reading these posts sometimes

Maybe they are goofing around

Anyways Happy National Bruins are Soft day

Have you looked at Nick Seeler's fights? That guy is very underrated. He goes toe to toe with some of the heavyweights.

Ideal third pairing defenseman. Blocks a ton of shots too

 

[Absurdity]

The Bruins don't need fighters, they need players that are physical on the forecheck, willing to stick up for their teammates, and can drop the gloves if need be.

 

[CellyHard]

The Bruins don't need fighters, they need players that are physical on the forecheck, willing to stick up for their teammates, and can drop the gloves if need be.

Is this some sort of oxymoron

 

[Absurdity]

Is this some sort of oxymoron

Some posters want players who can bash someone's face in, others want players that are only good statistically. In reality, the Bruins need a player(s) that is somewhere in the middle of that.

 

[DaStinger]

Remember in the off season when people were ready to give JDB 7-9M to lock him up? Imo the only way he stays is if we vastly overpay. Not worth more than 4M, and I don't think he'd take close to that. I think our best move is to trade him before the TDL.

 

[DKH]

Have you looked at Nick Seeler's fights? That guy is very underrated. He goes toe to toe with some of the heavyweights.

Ideal third pairing defenseman. Blocks a ton of shots too

The like him on Flyers and he’s a LD not sure how he becomes a Bruins

 

[CellyHard]

The like him on Flyers and he’s a LD not sure how he becomes a Bruins

I think he can play both sides. I think he's more effective on the left but I'm pretty sure they've deployed him there a few times.

 

[wintersej]

Have you looked at Nick Seeler's fights? That guy is very underrated. He goes toe to toe with some of the heavyweights.

Ideal third pairing defenseman. Blocks a ton of shots too

Seeler is scary in that he has not really been a real NHL defenseman and now, at 30, is suddenly playing well.... or at least playing well with Sean Walker. I mean Torts has been as surprised as anyone that he had played well.

So you move out Forbort and bring in Seeler and hope that it's not Walker that was carrying him. You gain some more physicality, and you risk the PK not being as good and Seeler's improved 5 on 5 play being the result of a nice fit with Walker and give him Shattenkirk (who hasn't been good) instead.

I dunno, maybe it works, maybe it doesn't.

But it does sure seem like you want to know what is going on with Hanifin or trying to improve the the top 6 before you consider these secondary moves.

I think the divide isn't around that the Bruins do or don't need some more physical guys, its that the fact that they have two first line forwards, two second line forwards (who of whom in DeBrusk isn't producing like one) and a lot of guys better off on the third or fourth lines is way way way more important to fix. They have question marks around Gryz (not playing well, and likely on his way out anyway), and the bottom pairing as a whole. Once you fix the bigger issues, it might change where in the lineup you can fit or want to put more physicality.

Like if the Bruins got Hanifin, for example, who is left after that move? Does it leave you in a place where you have Gryz or Lorhei on the bottom pairing? That would make it look like a physical RD is way more important than a physical RD. Seeler has a history of playing both sides because he was just there to mash faces, not to actually play hockey. Can he continue his quarter season of actually being able to play hockey playing on that right side? Or is there someone better?

TLDR; I just think you have to do the bigger moves first and then find where you can try to sprinkle in the physicality, not solve the physicality issues and have that drive where you can add talent.