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

[JEM28]

Interesting article, but I don’t think the assertion that Chara “was not invited back” is accurate. As I recall, they offered him a contract with a reduced minutes role and he wasn’t interested.

Bingo

 

[GordonHowe]

Interesting article, but I don’t think the assertion that Chara “was not invited back” is accurate. As I recall, they offered him a contract with a reduced minutes role and he wasn’t interested.

That's my recollection.

KPD.

I would only add, Georgie had been tagged as a defensive liability. My understanding is that he was the second highest scorer in the AHL last season. My further understanding, according to Mick Colageo, is that Georgie is the BEST PRO defensive forward.

Colageo -- who's been around a long, long time and knows his stuff -- posited the possibility that GM might even compete for top six C.

 

[Kegs]

That's my recollection.

KPD.

I would only add, Georgie had been tagged as a defensive liability. My understanding is that he was the second highest scorer in the AHL last season. My further understanding, according to Mick Colageo, is that Georgie is the BEST PRO defensive forward.

Colageo -- who's been around a long, long time and knows his stuff -- posited the possibility that GM might even compete for top six C.

Who needs draft picks. We can just sign all the good college free agents.

 

[JOKER 192]

Who needs draft picks. We can just sign all the good college free agents.

Sounds good but which Bruin on the roster is one of those?

 

[GordonHowe]

Who needs draft picks. We can just sign all the good college free agents.

Well, as noted in the podcast here, the Bruins won't have a first or second round selection until 2026.

So, you have to get them somewhere and they're very good about getting undrafted collegiate players. Or, guys who don't want to sign with AZ.

I'll take it.

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

Well, as noted in the podcast here, the Bruins won't have a first or second round selection until 2026.

So, you have to get them somewhere and they're very good about getting undrafted collegiate players. Or, guys who don't want to sign with AZ.

I'll take it.

Might as well sell someone at the deadline regardless and try to get a 1st round pick for next year, squeak in the playoffs and make JJ happy with his couple home playoff games and call it a year.

Half sarcastic but not really. A 1st rd pick before 2026 would be a solid start.

 

[dugg133]

No. It won't happen.

I think there's too much respect, too much affection, for what Milan has meant to the Bruins.

It might not work out, but I think most fans will be respectful. He's not going to be here more than a few years anyway.

Remember, other clubs came calling. Milan wanted to come back to Boston. He's not going to dog it. He's passionate, and that's always been the engine of his game.

I think it's fair to say that he's passionate about Boston, and he's passionate about the Bruins.

Besides, Luci will go looking for any detractors.

And he will find them.

Have you met Bruins fans?

Jokes aside I really do hope people keep their expectations reasonable. He's a 4th line bruiser at this point, and not much more. Which is fine, clearly there's still a want for that around the league since he had so much interest like you said. But I would genuinely be very sad if people start to turn on him cause he isn't scoring much when that's just not really what he does anymore. He'll add toughness and leadership to the bottom 6, and as a fan it'll be fun to root for my favorite player from those early 2010s teams again. That's enough for me.

 

[mar2kbos]

Bertuzzi only played like 15 games for them. Why even include him?

Real simple, because he was what pushed Hall down to the third line. Both are gone, both played in the top 6 during the year. You can dig your head deep in the sand if you want to, I'm not sugar coating the fact they lost a lot of good players, and it will have an impact.. They also have a winger that is close to retirement, and just had two hip surgeries. Again things could shake out, but to not think that they will be an impacted is just plain naïve.

 

[mar2kbos]

Because it makes things look worse

Because they lost both wingers, did they not? So the guy that put Hall on third line for 15 games is gone, and Hall is gone too. Not rocket science. There top 6 is one injury, bad year from being just plain bad. Defense and goaltending is going to have to be stellar this season.

 

[JOKER 192]

Well, as noted in the podcast here, the Bruins won't have a first or second round selection until 2026.

So, you have to get them somewhere and they're very good about getting undrafted collegiate players. Or, guys who don't want to sign with AZ.

I'll take it.

Again, which ones on the roster are those ?

If they have been forgotten it's because they are forgettable

 

[JOKER 192]

Real simple, because he was what pushed Hall down to the third line. Both are gone, both played in the top 6 during the year. You can dig your head deep in the sand if you want to, I'm not sugar coating the fact they lost a lot of good players, and it will have an impact.. They also have a winger that is close to retirement, and just had two hip surgeries. Again things could shake out, but to not think that they will be an impacted is just plain naïve.

Because they lost both wingers, did they not? So the guy that put Hall on third line for 15 games is gone, and Hall is gone too. Not rocket science. There top 6 is one injury, bad year from being just plain bad. Defense and goaltending is going to have to be stellar this season.

gee, how do stay so positive ?

 

[GordonHowe]

Again, which ones on the roster are those ?

If they have been forgotten it's because they are forgettable

Those who have yet to make the roster, Providence or Boston, and may never.

Nonetheless, there is potential value in accumulating these kind of players. If they aren't good enough, they aren't good enough. Very little is lost in the exploration of that question.

 

[GordonHowe]

Have you met Bruins fans?

Jokes aside I really do hope people keep their expectations reasonable. He's a 4th line bruiser at this point, and not much more. Which is fine, clearly there's still a want for that around the league since he had so much interest like you said. But I would genuinely be very sad if people start to turn on him cause he isn't scoring much when that's just not really what he does anymore. He'll add toughness and leadership to the bottom 6, and as a fan it'll be fun to root for my favorite player from those early 2010s teams again. That's enough for me.

Well said.

Yes, I've met Bruins fans. I'm one of them.

And if some expect Milan to be anything other than a fourth line player who keeps other clubs in check and perhaps scores a goal or two, they are not realistic.

Don't do it, guys.

 

[Kegs]

Real simple, because he was what pushed Hall down to the third line. Both are gone, both played in the top 6 during the year. You can dig your head deep in the sand if you want to, I'm not sugar coating the fact they lost a lot of good players, and it will have an impact.. They also have a winger that is close to retirement, and just had two hip surgeries. Again things could shake out, but to not think that they will be an impacted is just plain naïve.

Hall was on the third line almost the entire season.

 

[The Andrew Peeke Fan]

That's my recollection.

KPD.

I would only add, Georgie had been tagged as a defensive liability. My understanding is that he was the second highest scorer in the AHL last season. My further understanding, according to Mick Colageo, is that Georgie is the BEST PRO defensive forward.

Colageo -- who's been around a long, long time and knows his stuff -- posited the possibility that GM might even compete for top six C.

Whoever called Merkulov a defensive liability did not watch him in Providence last year, or is a prohibitively unintuitive evaluator of individual players.

 

[GordonHowe]

 

[Blowfish]

I like these 2 however Conor has a mix of some great takes/insight and some down right brutal takes.

 

[mar2kbos]

gee, how do stay so positive ?

I try to be positive but mostly I’m a realist. I do hope they all have career years and win the cup. I think that every year regardless of the players, but if you can’t admit at least on paper that this team has lost important players and filling that void with career third liners is not starting with a strong hand then you might be wearing bruin blinders on.

 

[mar2kbos]

Hall was on the third line almost the entire season.

There was definitely some flipping with Zacha and Hall on the second line during the season. Still taking career third liners and asking them now to provide at a top 6 level while facing stiffer defensive competition is a gamble. I understand this is the price from going all in it but not going to sugar coat the player losses. They are significant

 

[JEM28]

Sounds good but which Bruin on the roster is one of those

Who needs draft picks. We can just sign all the good college free agents.

Right, It’s easy. Like the Jimmy Vesey experience.

 

[Kegs]

There was definitely some flipping with Zacha and Hall on the second line during the season. Still taking career third liners and asking them now to provide at a top 6 level while facing stiffer defensive competition is a gamble. I understand this is the price from going all in it but not going to sugar coat the player losses. They are significant

According to Google hall played 61 games with coyle last year.

I admit Hall + coyle was a dominant line. I’ll miss hall a lot.

 

[JEM28]

According to Google hall played 61 games with coyle last year.

I admit Hall + coyle was a dominant line. I’ll miss hall a lot.

I often found myself thinking cmon Hall finish man, finish. While I don’t know what the possession numbers, advanced stats etc say and I’m too lazy to look up, despite what I felt was lack of finish given opportunities created, hard for the other team to score when you’re possessing and pressing the D. I will miss what I perceived to be that positive aspect of Hall.

 

[Hookslide]

According to Google hall played 61 games with coyle last year.

I admit Hall + coyle was a dominant line. I’ll miss hall a lot.

Thank you for that , I was pretty sure that was the case but was too lazy to do the research .............I guess that shuts down the narrative of some of these posters........again thank you

 

[Dr Quincy]

Have you met Bruins fans?

Jokes aside I really do hope people keep their expectations reasonable. He's a 4th line bruiser at this point, and not much more. Which is fine, clearly there's still a want for that around the league since he had so much interest like you said. But I would genuinely be very sad if people start to turn on him cause he isn't scoring much when that's just not really what he does anymore. He'll add toughness and leadership to the bottom 6, and as a fan it'll be fun to root for my favorite player from those early 2010s teams again. That's enough for me.

I don't think anyone is thinking he's going to be a 30 or 40 pt scorer.

OTOH putting away offense for a minute, I think many are underestimating just how bad he was last year defensively. And I'm willing to bet that even if he is bad defensively this year people will either willfully or more likely subconsciously, ignore it because he's Lucic. I think he's the safest guy on this team as far as criticism goes.

I think going into the season it's Coyle, Frederic, JVR, Forbort and Shattenkirk who are most likely to get a short leash from fans.

 

[GordonHowe]

I like these 2 however Conor has a mix of some great takes/insight and some down right brutal takes.

How so?

Floating Freddie with Coyle?