Boston Bruins 2023 Off-Season CAP, Trade Rumors and Free Agent Talk VIII

[Gee Wally]

 

[PatriceBergeron]

The forwards weren’t the issue in the playoffs last season.

Clifton, Grzcelyk, McAvoy, and Lindholm being pizza makers while Ullmark couldn’t stop a beach ball is why they lost.

 

[DKH]

NHL teams impose their physical will the the time, especially come playoff time and its huge psychological edge..is this a joke? If you lack in that area its going to show

Ullmark for 4 games was all world - a winner, tough, nails: 3-1 with a 926 save % and first star game 1 at home and 4 on the road and then it happened

The soft and choke fairies visited him during his sleep before game 5 and ruined my life.

Hurt me real bad

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

If the regular season is meaningless why spend 9 months watching? Why punch the couch pillows when we lose a game in October to Toronto? Why get excited about Bergeron’s 6th Selke?

If the regular season is meaningless why do people care about it so much?

Meaningless may be exaggerated, but it's only half the battle.

To me, the regular season is this:
1. To see if the team is good enough vs the rest of the league to get into the playoffs. That part is fun.
2. Pre-cursor to the playoffs, it's the extended chance to prepare for the playoffs. While players are technically paid for their regular season, playoffs are where the important stuff happens.
3. If the team needs help/or if the team is not good enough, buy or sell pieces to set the team up for either the playoffs or the next season.
4. Regular season can have it's ups and downs and some people are extremely passionate when we don't win all 82 games It's the nature of fandom. I'd also be just as happy as squeezing in as an 8th seed and making it to the final. Sure we wouldn't have broken any records, but nothing can beat playoff excitement.

So, while the regular season takes up 3/4 of the hockey season, to me, it is only 1/2 of the equation. As a fan, a mediocre season with an extended playoff run is better than a spectacular regular season and a disappointing 1or 2 round run.

As a fan, setting records in the regular season, but losing in the 1st round, felt much much worse than heading into deep run and losing in the finals (a la 2019). At least that team made it that far.

Given the point in the career of a guy like Bergeron and Krejci, it really was likely their last hurrah, together.

I know you weren't responding to me, but while meaningless may be an exaggeration, it's part of the equation is only half of it for me.

 

[Patdud]

That being said it was nice having Bertuzzi's size in the top 6, too bad they haven't found someone to replace it.

Marchand plays bigger than bertuzzi

then it happened

Why is Forbort still on the roster?

 

[HustleB]

So it was not a herniated back disk for Bergeron then?

 

[PatriceBergeron]

Teams must really not value Grzcelyk if the Bruins couldn’t afford to get rid of a 3.7M healthy scratch in the playoffs

 

[DKH]

I'm with you DK...

McQuaid, K.Miller, Seidenberg, Chara, Boychuk, Ference… not soft.

Grzelcyk, Carlo, Lindholm, Forbort… soft

Ok just don’t tell me you are tougher than a professional hockey player

Forbort Carlo & Lindholm blocking 100 mph shots and going up against the toughest forwards in game are soft

I have met many wonderful people here but not one I can see blocking a shot or moving even Matt Grzelcyk out of the crease

 

[DKH]

So it was not a herniated back disk for Bergeron then?

He’s good now - he’s around town

Back has healed

Great news

A fellow season ticket holder and former mod here ran into him

Bergy smiling with the family

 

[EverettMike]

I know people like Ty, but I think he is a water carrier for the team and tends to be really condescending to the fan base in ways that are often subtle compared to other media members.

 

[Bruinaura]

I buy it Mike.
we often forget here at dear old HF we are at the koo koo end of fandom l
Thats why we’re here day after day.

At least we have cookies.

 

[DKH]

Simple solution to avoid the “choker” tag: win the f***ing Cup.

My 80/20 rule no matter what you are getting 20 % to use choker & soft

It’s just the way it is

1 in 5 here is a soft & choke label user - it’s one of the most derogatory things you can say to an athlete

That’s why it said

 

[Bruinfanatic]

He’s good now - he’s around town

Back has healed

Great news

A fellow season ticket holder and former mod here ran into him

Bergy smiling with the family

I don’t think herniated disc ever totally heal

 

[Babajingo]

"Couldn't afford to give more players away". I hope that Sweeney's bosses can see that he is the reason for this. This whole cap crunch is his making.
Would be interesting to see what was offered for Gryz (if anything).

Bergeron is going to bail him out again. He should get a cut of the GMs salary.

 

[Beesfan]

I think the reason we didn't clear room for Bertuzzi is that it would have required trading Ullmark. Moving just Grzelcyk would only clear a net $2.7 considering you have to replace him with someone at ~$1m.

Sweeney's MO seems to be to keep as much of a record-breaking roster in tact as possible. It's not a bad theory. I'd like to see Lauko, Beecher and McLaughlin break into the lineup and provide that youth spark that vaults teams upward.

 

[BTO]

My 80/20 rule no matter what you are getting 20 % to use choker & soft

It’s just the way it is

1 in 5 here is a soft & choke label user - it’s one of the most derogatory things you can say to an athlete

That’s why it said

Yeah whatever. Who cares what it’s/they’re called. Winning the Cup is what matters, not what not-winning it is called. And they didn’t. This year and in several previous chances that they had. Call it whatever you wish, they didn’t win it. And aren’t likely to win it anytime soon (although, of course, I could be wrong, and would be happy to be so). It’s going to take drafting Gavin McKenna in 2025 or something for me to give a crap again. I’m past caring with these guys.

 

[Oates2Neely]

Ok just don’t tell me you are tougher than a professional hockey player

Forbort Carlo & Lindholm blocking 100 mph shots and going up against the toughest forwards in game are soft

I have met many wonderful people here but not one I can see blocking a shot or moving even Matt Grzelcyk out of the crease

Am I as a fan the bar?? I have no issues blocking shots but fortunately for me the hardest shot in my beer league is maybe 60 mph?!

DKH you’re a smart guy. I get it you’re a glass half full guy and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, I actually am working on getting there myself. But you can’t tell me that the guys I referenced above aren’t a much tougher group than todays Bruins blue line. McAvoy is a gamer. Clifton was too. But Ference was a smaller guy, but he just had a “don’t F with me/ us” attitude that this D core is sorely lacking. It’s not about size. It’s about the fight within. I personally think Sweeney can do a better job of acquiring those type of players. Find us a Horton, a Ference, a Boychuck. Guys who leave it all on the ice. Grzelcyk is really talented, but he doesn’t have the “it” factor. Cassidy & Montgomery both agreed and benched him when it mattered most.

There’s no reason why Grzelcyk is still on this team and Bertuzzi isn’t. Some guys get it done in the playoffs, others don’t. Keep the players who do.

 

[PlayMakers]

Teams must really not value Grzcelyk if the Bruins couldn’t afford to get rid of a 3.7M healthy scratch in the playoffs

Does that also mean teams really didn’t value Ullmark or Swayman?

 

[Forester65]

The Bruins need physicality throughout their line up for post season hockey. Not a guy on the 4th line who hits other 4th liners in a 7 game playoff series, that shit is so counter productive at this stage.

Marchand - Bergeron - DeBrusk
Zacha/Bertuzzi - Krejci - Pastrnak

According to Hockeyreference, not one player over 200 pounds in their top 6.

That was your top 6 for the most part in the post season last year. Is it skilled? Damn right it's skilled. Is there size and physicality in there? Absolutely not. You need a mix of it through your lineup. There's not one player in that top 6 capable of wearing on other teams top guys.

That's why I cringe when people want to continue the method of small, non physical forwards rounding out your top 6 and even top 9 forward groups. Even a guy who's supposed to be "physical" like Trent Frederic isn't really physical at all. He's often floating around during the play and gives a gloved jab or two in a scrum after the whistle.

As for the defense. Again, not really anyone there that you fear going into the corners with. McAvoy is physical for the most part but often times needs to be pushed there. He's a reactionary hitter. It almost feels like something has to be brewing in the game for him to up his physicality to another level. Lindholm isn't physical, but doesn't need to be. Carlo isn't physical. Grzelcyk is afraid of his own shadow in April. Forbort is kind of physical? But yeah, no one there who's going to really make you think twice.

Again, broken record, I know. It's just frustrating to me. You can go grab 2-3 physical guys and stuff them on your 4th line but what does that accomplish at the end of the day when matched up against other 4th liners?

Regarding fourth liners: when you have the last change at home you can match them against whatever lines you want.

 

[Sheppy]

Regarding fourth liners: when you have the last change at home you can match them against whatever lines you want.

Sure, but you probably don't want them on the ice against top lines.

 

[Forester65]

If Bergeron decides to retire, then yes that's likely your top 3 centers.

Don't forget Krejci! He was always capable of stepping into the #1slot but was stuck playing with one wing for several years. If Bergi retires but he continues we may make out alright.

 

[Patdud]

I know people like Ty, but I think he is a water carrier for the team and tends to be really condescending to the fan base in ways that are often subtle compared to other media members.

I would actually say quite the opposite. He is always seemingly trying is best to be a pest to Sweeny/Neely.

 

[bruinmann77]

I think he also gets under the skin of Fleger

 

[CDJ]

Like I said at the time, signing Bertuzzi for a year made absolutely zero sense for them. I don’t look at them as a true contender and in order to fit him in for a season they would have had to lose further assets/futures. And if you’re not a true contender then why would you do all of that to fit him in? To not win the cup next year and then watch him leave to the highest bidder? Sounds like a waste of time and effort and assets.

Would make zero (0) sense to do it. Would also make zero sense for Bertuzzi to sign a 1 year deal playing next to Zacha/Pastrnak as opposed to boosting his value riding shotgun to Matthews and Marner

They actually did what I was hoping they’d do with him

1 yr = no
4 yr = yes
6 yr = no

I would’ve been ok with 5 years but it doesn’t seem like the bruins would be- and honestly to me that shows they’re learning when it comes to UFA contracts (and I’m not lol)

 

[TCB]

I think the Guy flying Jimmy superfly like into the bench isn't soft, but the guy running onto the bench just might be. A little bit anyways.