Boston Bruins 2023-24 Roster and Salary Cap Discussion XI: Trade Deadline March 8th

[shelbysdad]

Grz ? Forbort? LOL

 

[Dr Hook]

Semantics aside, it’s denial of entries, and then denial of chances on entry. He was also elite in retrievals and exits. These are things most here don’t seem to care about when it comes to the responsibilities of defensemen though.

I agree 100% with you and have always liked Grizz's game. I do think the team can use a bigger, nastier crease-clearer in his spot, especially since Lohrei looks like he is coming around well on that side of things, but that is not the same as not liking Matt G as a player.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I agree 100% with you and have always liked Grizz's game. I do think the team can use a bigger, nastier crease-clearer in his spot, especially since Lohrei looks like he is coming around well on that side of things, but that is not the same as not liking Matt G as a player.

I don’t think they need that in his spot, which is 1LD or 2LD. I think they need someone like that at 3LD since Forbort sucks and Wotherspoon is probably not it. If Lohrei is 2LD then yeah a PK/physical guy is fine at 3LD but not someone who sucks and not someone who will cost a first.

 

[goldnblack]

Any time you can have a dman like Gryz who doesn't PK, doesn't PP, gives the puck away more than he takes it away, and is good for less than .3 ppg, you jump on that.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Any time you can have a dman like Gryz who doesn't PK, doesn't PP, gives the puck away more than he takes it away, and is good for less than .3 ppg, you jump on that.

Thank you for proving my point.

 

[Sheppy]

Grzelcyk isn't good and 100% should be moved.

 

[bruins19]

The Bruins need more from their best players, something a deadline deal might not be able to fix - The Boston Globe

In Thursday's win, it was Morgan Geekie, Jesper Boqvist, and Mason Lohrei who did all the scoring — not a formula for consistent success.

www.bostonglobe.com

T-minus one week from the NHL trade deadline (3 p.m. next Friday), the Bruins have won but four of their last 12 games. That’s not a fluke. It’s what the Bruins are right now, a bunch of guys searching to regain their pluck ‘n’ strut.

Their game is dull and out of synch. Their best players, including too many of their top six forwards, are far from being their best players. Their goaltending too often doesn’t deliver big or timely saves. The backline six or seven are soft. Their special teams, most nights, toggle between the bland and the outright bad.

If there is a cure, beyond GM Don Sweeney fixing all those issues with some multidimensional deadline wizardry, it didn’t make itself apparent in Thursday’s firewagon 5-4 win over the Cup-defending Vegas Golden Knights at TD Garden.

The Bruins once again built a sizeable lead (3-0 in the opening 17 minutes) and once again turned what should have been a comfortable stroll to victory — perhaps one that would provide them with a foothold to get out of their ongoing fog — into a needless nailbiter.

Sweeney is shopping, albeit with minimal capital beyond what he has on his Boston/Providence rosters. At this point, the draft cupboard’s hinges have been worn thin. He has picks he can yield, but he’s dealt those at times when his team has looked a player or two away from being a true Cup contender. That’s not how this team looks. Not right now.

Forever the same ol’ Dealin’ Don, unwilling to share any of the deep, dark Causeway St. secrets here at crunch time. Like Sylvester, Sweeney wouldn’t offer a hint of Tweety Bird’s whereabouts if the feathers were flying out of his mouth, nostrils, and ears.

There is a Part 2 of Sweeney’s interview to come — likely Saturday night when the Bruins face the Islanders in Elmont, N.Y. — and maybe Sweeney will spill the trade beans then. The chance of that is in lockstep with owner Jeremy Jacobs at the same time announcing he will roll back the 9.5 percent price increase to next year’s season tickets that were announced on Monday.

There is never any equivocation when it comes to asking Black and Gold fans to pony up more… and more… and…. more.


Sweeney made an attempt to secure veteran UFA Patrick Kane at mid-season, but the prolific winger opted instead to sign with the Red Wings. Kane now has posted 31 points in 29 games with the Detroit Red Wings. Those numbers would have looked pretty good here, especially in a February gone fallow.

Geekie’s performance on Thursday, when he increased his output to 13-17–30 (career highs for goals and points), was a poignant reminder that the NHL’s best, potentially most impactful deals are typically done in the dead of summer rather than the chaos of the deadline. The UFA market, remember, is how the Bruins in 2006 landed Zdeno Chara.

July free agency is about roster building, and setting a franchise’s foundation.

Deadline dealing is about augmenting rosters with hired hands and, in some cases, attempting to salvage a season.

The deadline is here, and it’s clear the Bruins need to ask for more from the players on hand and from whomever else might walk through the door in the next few days.

Based on February, the ask may be too big for anyone to answer.

While much of what he says here is true, it seems to me that he is the perpetual “sky is falling” guy. Negative to the bone. Would love for him to tell the bottom six or seven to their faces that they are soft. Easy to be a tough guy hiding behind a keyboard. In terms of commentary, at least Jaffe played 2 years of D1 hockey.

 

[goldnblack]

Thank you for proving my point.

no I'm agreeing with you. We DO need more D like that.

 

[BamBamCam]

My question is if they are looking for snarl, why didn't they address this in the summer? I mean, yeah, they got Looch, but he is just one guy. Now if that is what they are trying to do, they are going to pay a price for it that likely did not need to be paid.

Sweeney neutered this team with Snarl from the day he took the GM position. Plus he has always failed trying to replace lost snarl. Whether has been Rinaldo , Backes , Beleskey, Richie Etc. Every season it seems he handicaps himself with something from Salary Cap, to trying fix his defense(3 years trying to find Lindholm), Trying to find a winger for Krejci, to Depth scoring, and now it's Snarl and a 1st line centerman. To me this is a big TDL for Sweeney and even a bigger off season.

 

[goldnblack]

I think everyone thought Lucic was gonna be the guy that changed the toughness aspect. That just was a really unfortunate thing. Wonder what things might have been.

 

[Sheppy]

I think everyone thought Lucic was gonna be the guy that changed the toughness aspect. That just was a really unfortunate thing. Wonder what things might have been.

A guy on the 4th line isn't going to fix the issue. Does it help? Yeah, it helps a bit. The issue for me is that they have one physical d-man who happens to be your best one, and essentially no physical forwards other than Frederic 1 out of every 10 games. You need some size and physicality in your top 6 or at the very least top 9.

Lets look at the series last year where the addition of a physical player like Sam Bennett helped Florida tremendously with their tenacious forecheck. Lets look back at the Carolina series where Svech sent Lindholm to the shadow realm? Do the Bruins have a forward that will make someone pay like that? Playing physical hockey can indeed (as much as certain people hate to admit it) can wear down the opposing teams top players. Weird concept, hey? I mean, it should probably be noted considering that's what's been happening to the Bruins top players for years.

 

[GordonHowe]

My question is if they are looking for snarl, why didn't they address this in the summer? I mean, yeah, they got Looch, but he is just one guy. Now if that is what they are trying to do, they are going to pay a price for it that likely did not need to be paid.

Because Sweeney clearly doesn't value it. He never has.

Look at his roster construction over nearly ten years. It tells the same story, over and over: built for regular season success with "speed and skill," which inevitably translates into a playoff flame out.

Only now, when every team in the NHL understands the way to beat the Bruins is to push them around, which has contributed to mounting losses, does "snarl" suddenly become a need.

Teams that realize what it takes to instill "anxiety" in the opposition also realize that physical intimidation opens up time and space, and most important, fear and respect from adversaries.

Don Sweeney has never learned this basic lesson and remains blind to it.

The time to build team-wide toughness is not at the trade deadline.

It's a process -- a few seasons at least -- to build such a roster, and you do so a] by valuing and drafting for it consistently, and b] by acquiring the physically willing and able players to fulfill that process. Peter Chiarelli did this for the Bruins within roughly three years.

Sweeney has had a decade to prove he understands what wins in the playoffs and construct his rosters accordingly.

The smartest guy in the room has failed, utterly, completely, and repeatedly to recognize the utility of physical intimidation in building team pride and a winning culture.

You see the result.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

no I'm agreeing with you. We DO need more D like that.

Right.

Because Sweeney clearly doesn't value it. He never has.

Look at his roster construction over nearly ten years. It tells the same story, over and over: built for regular season success with "speed and skill," which inevitably translates into a first or second round playoff flame out.

Only now, when every team in the NHL understands the way to beat the Bruins is to push them around, which has contributed to mounting losses, does "snarl" suddenly become a need.

Teams that realize what it takes to instill "anxiety" in the opposition also realize that physical intimidation opens up time and space, and most important, fear and respect from adversaries.

Don Sweeney has never learned this basic lesson and remains blind to it.

The time to build team-wide toughness is not at the trade deadline.

It takes time -- a few seasons at least -- to build that kind of roster, and you do so a] by valuing and drafting for it consistently, and b] accruing the long list of physically willing and able players that Peter Chiarelli brought to the Bruins within roughly three years.

Sweeney has had a decade to prove he understands what wins in the playoffs and construct his rosters accordingly.

The smartest guy in the room has failed, utterly, completely, and repeatedly to recognize the utility of physical intimidation in building team pride and a winning culture.

You see the result.

The result. Fish Rota from the head right?

Another Chiarelli fan popping his head out?

 

[Sheppy]

He's not wrong, though.

 

[SwayHeyKid]

Because Sweeney clearly doesn't value it. He never has.

Look at his roster construction over nearly ten years. It tells the same story, over and over: built for regular season success with "speed and skill," which inevitably translates into a playoff flame out.

Only now, when every team in the NHL understands the way to beat the Bruins is to push them around, which has contributed to mounting losses, does "snarl" suddenly become a need.

Teams that realize what it takes to instill "anxiety" in the opposition also realize that physical intimidation opens up time and space, and most important, fear and respect from adversaries.

Don Sweeney has never learned this basic lesson and remains blind to it.

The time to build team-wide toughness is not at the trade deadline.

It's a process -- a few seasons at least -- to build such a roster, and you do so a] by valuing and drafting for it consistently, and b] by acquiring the physically willing and able players to fulfill that process. Peter Chiarelli did this for the Bruins within roughly three years.

Sweeney has had a decade to prove he understands what wins in the playoffs and construct his rosters accordingly.

The smartest guy in the room has failed, utterly, completely, and repeatedly to recognize the utility of physical intimidation in building team pride and a winning culture.

You see the result

Rinaldo, Backes, Beleskey. Wagner, reupping Killer for 4 years….he certainly didn’t ignore it. Those guys just didn’t work out for the most part

Who are these mythical tough guys with snarl that would have gotten them over the hump?

 

[Sheppy]

Rinaldo, Backes, Beleskey. Wagner, reupping Killer for 4 years….he certainly didn’t ignore it. Those guys just didn’t work out for the most part

Who are these mythical tough guys with snarl that would have gotten them over the hump?

Rinaldo sucked and was a 13th forward at best, Backes was half decent and honestly probably should have played more in the cup final (that said, he was cooked at the time, but i feel he would have been more energized) - Wagner was more than fine in his role for this team, again, a 4th line guy. Beleskey was good in his first year as a Bruin. Miller was an ideal bottom pair guy until injuries got in his way.

You need to find these players for your top 9 or top 6. It's not easy to find these guys, but ignoring that it's an issue is just as ignorant.

How is this team doing without those type of players? Pretty shitty.

 

[goldnblack]

Right.

The way I see it, when a cup winning coach AND a Jack Adams winning coach scratch a guy when it matters most, TWICE, that's a guy you NEED in there. You build around that guy as much as you can.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

The way I see it, when a cup winning coach AND a Jack Adams winning coach scratch a guy when it matters most, TWICE, that's a guy you NEED in there. You build around that guy as much as you can.

Both Of them lost the series. They both played Derek Forbort. And one of them benched Trent Frederic.

 

[Sheppy]

Trent Frederic was bad in that series. He looked like he didn't know what to do half the time.

 

[GordonHowe]

Rinaldo, Backes, Beleskey. Wagner, reupping Killer for 4 years….he certainly didn’t ignore it. Those guys just didn’t work out for the most part

Who are these mythical tough guys with snarl that would have gotten them over the hump?

I don't know who they are.

What I know is that many if not most clubs have these kind of players on their roster.

It's not rocket science, or it shouldn't be, anyway.

 

[goldnblack]

Both Of them lost the series. They both played Derek Forbort. And one of them benched Trent Frederic.

Hey man, your cup and Jack Adams speak for themselves. I'm not here to doubt you.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Hey man, your cup and Jack Adams speak for themselves. I'm not here to doubt you.

Huh? Grizz scratched twice. Both series lost. One of which Connor Clifton had the worst playoff performance since Jake Gardiner. Not sure what gotcha you’re going for, especially when I’ve said Grizz hasn’t been good thisnyear

Trent Frederic was bad in that series. He looked like he didn't know what to do half the time.

he scratched him game 1. How did Hathaway do? He has a lot of snarl.

 

[Sheppy]

Huh? Grizz scratched twice. Both series lost. One of which Connor Clifton had the worst playoff performance since Jake Gardiner. Not sure what gotcha you’re going for, especially when I’ve said Grizz hasn’t been good thisnyear


he scratched him game 1. How did Hathaway do? He has a lot of snarl.

Hathaway didn’t do anything either.

 

[TobanWest]

Huh? Grizz scratched twice. Both series lost. One of which Connor Clifton had the worst playoff performance since Jake Gardiner. Not sure what gotcha you’re going for, especially when I’ve said Grizz hasn’t been good thisnyear


he scratched him game 1. How did Hathaway do? He has a lot of snarl.

Who is your ideal trade candidate for this year's playoffs to add grit? Would love to know who you deem worthy. Since almost all talking heads as well as Neely and Sweeney want to address it? Honestly wondering who you think would be a good fit for that role

 

[TCB]

Markstrom isn't too happy, maybe his availability is back on again. I hope not, rather see Ullmark moved