Boston Bruins 2024-2025 Roster & Salary Cap Discussion III

[Patdud]

I'd rather see them trade Frederic than Geekie

I know that he went and scored 17 goals and it may be hard to truly describe correctly, but man that guy has zero offensive Hockey IQ.

Freddy has the smarts to play on the 2nd line, maybe fit in on the first like heinen does as a complimentary player (people forget sometimes that you dont need a "True" top six player at every position in the top six. finding balance on your lines to beat matchups is the most important thing. hell it cost us a cup in 2019 probably (flat out refusal to balance lines 1-3).

Geekie never really fit with Pasta and zacha to me, pts aside, Id be fine trading him and giving someone in the system an opportunity to take a 3rd line role (Merkulov, Poitras or Lysell if any or all are still in the bruins system come game 1).

also, never liked Freddy at Center, but this year he actually played pretty well when slotted there, his game from a playing without the puck standpoint looked good. He should be playing with Coyle on his right (wherever Coyle gets slotted) as they work well together.

 

[Hookslide]

For 2.1 mil he’s great. Put him in a Ullmark deal I’m fine, just sign a Liam O’Brien type

I was on the O'Brien train for awhile, but have you seen him fight, he can't.

 

[Patdud]

I'm surprised at the praise Sweeney is getting for the 2023 trade deadline. Everyone agrees that the players are to blame for the disappointing exit. For me personally, Sweeney bears the greatest blame. Yes, did he improve the team but really in the way that was necessary? For me, the third defensive pairing was one of the team's biggest weak points and Sweeney didn't do anything about it. They were one of the weak points for many playoff series in a row. Still, Sweeney was okay with one of Gryz, Forbort, Zboril and Clifton having to play on the third line. And exactly what had to happen happened. Gryz showed that he couldn't handle the physicality of the playoffs. Cliffy had very bad games and Forbort is Forbort, nothing special. Praising Sweeney for last year's playoffs and saying he did everything he could to improve the team is one of the biggest myths on this board.

Him and Gold navigated the cap like f***ing nostradami this year and last.

 

[Fenian24]

What's the love affair with this kid? Just keep Jake, he's a better player

I don't think so. I am not high on Necas but the incredible disappearing DeBrusk has run his course in Boston. I am good with letting JDB go and getting a better player than Necas

 

[Sevendust]

So a resounding no from everyone. Yeah I get it, huge risk and to do it back to back in the playoffs was pretty selfish.


2 things:

They literally went to the cup with a third pairing built of two of those guys you mentioned - Gryz-Clifton

He addressed the LD by adding Orlov on the left side to push Gryz off the 1st pair and down to the 3rd pair.

How long ago was that Cup Final? How many times did Gryz show that his game collapses in the playoffs?

I'd rather see them trade Frederic than Geekie

This is what I think as well. I didn´t likes Frederic´s playoffs. Both are up for new contracts after next season. Right now I would be more willing to give Geekie what he is going to get than Frederic.

 

[JoeIsAStud]

I'd rather see them trade Frederic than Geekie

If you are considering trading one of the 2, I would have a discussion about an extension with both of them first. I know you might not be officially able to sign the extension til summer. But if I can lock one up to an extension for a reasonable rate, and the other is a not, then I'll take the reasonable rate player to stay

 

[Hookslide]

Looks like Saros is about to be taken off the trade market. Where does that leave Ullmark and the Devils? Does Ullmark + Geekie get the Bruins closer to the #10 overall pick for NJ?

News: - Barry Trotz working to extend Juuse Saros and sees no reason why he won't get it done

Speaking of goalies, Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz hopes to take Juuse Saros’ name out of the trade rumors by signing him to an extension this summer. He can do that as of July 1, and the plan is to meet with Saros’ agent, Kevin Epp, this week in Buffalo. Saros will be a UFA in July 2025...

forums.hfboards.com

Not adding Geekie to that, add a prospect, but not Geekie.

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

What's the love affair with this kid? Just keep Jake, he's a better player

For real, I’d rather have the pick. Necas is a great player but more of the same cerebral emotionless archetype that we already have too many of that treat the regular season and playoffs with the same intensity. I don’t care if he’s the fastest skater in the East he will be munch meat for Florida as soon as he gets hit or pressured and that’s the team you’re gonna have to get through.

It is hilarious seeing the usual suspects clamor at the thought of signing Necas for 8 million but lose it if Debrusk is making over 6.5.

 

[Hookslide]

Devils fans on the main board say it's not enough value and Geekie doesn't move the needle. Maybe the Bruins can get a LD for Ullmark instead.

Good let the Devils stay with what they have, and the Bruins should start talks with other teams, do not let N.J. or any other teams control the talks , take charge Donny.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Not saying i would, but for sake of discussion If you could get Nichushkin for Ullmark do you take the risk that he'll turn his problem around and not f*** you over come playoff time? If any coach would be a good fit you gotta think it's Monty.

We’d be forced to act like Vegas or Tampa for once and he’d be stashed for the playoffs. Sounds great to me.

Buyer beware though I’d be more concerned about his off ice incident that happened last year and what led to it than this one.

 

[Sevendust]

Him and Gold navigated the cap like f***ing nostradami this year and last.

And now should I praise Sweeney for it? Sweeney f***ed up his own contracts and had to live the mess he put up. No praise from me. Forbort = overpaid and had no leverage to get the contract he got, Gryz = after his playoff showings in the past should have been long gone, Reilly = dead cap space 1.3 million.

 

[Hookslide]

Why are so many people clamoring to trade Geekie?

Good question, along with why they want to trade Freddy, but want to resign Heinen.

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

I don't think so. I am not high on Necas but the incredible disappearing DeBrusk has run his course in Boston. I am good with letting JDB go and getting a better player than Necas

Unfortunate but I feel there are lots of players in todays league that disappear on many occasions. Its not a Jake thing.

He plays his best in big games I will give him that. As far as Necas goes, good player but meh as far as an upgrade over Jake.

Jake is an underrated 200 foot player even when he disappears on the score sheet.

 

[Sevendust]

The team desperately needs a young top 6 center, ideally an elite first line center. Do they think Poitras could be that? I don't know, at least he was able to show that his hockey IQ and skill level enabled him to play in the NHL but unfortunately his physicality wasn't ready and I doubt that it will be next season after the shoulder surgery. I think he should first develop physically and play in the AHL for a year. Then hopefully he will be ready for the physicality of the NHL.

Ideally, you get a haul for Ullmark and use him to get a young elite center. With the cap space he has this offseason and Ullmark as a trade chip, Sweeney can make up for a lot of what he did wrong in the past.

 

[Kegs]

I would not take the deal for the 10th overall pick from NJ if it's Ullmark + based on the info I reference below. With the exception of Selanne (HOF, generational type talent from a period prior to this dataset) and Rantanen, there isn't enough of a hit percentage of the 10th overall pick historically to think that you are guaranteed on getting a player to plug into the lineup within the next couple of seasons. I still rather get a proven, productive player (Necas or otherwise) for Ullmark ++ than take a chance on an NHL lottery ticket. This team needs help now not 2 years from now. Just my opinion, I can see it both ways. Apologies for not actually linking the webpage below, that's above my tech level .

Oh wow, the link actually pre-populated, I apologize for my tech savvy ways. Hahahaha

NHL 10th Overall Picks | StatMuse

Anton Silayev was chosen by the New Jersey Devils with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft.

www.statmuse.com

Cole perfeti, Evan bouchard, nichushikin, kostitsyn, Owen tippet after I scrolled through that list. And probably a few more gems in there I’m missing. Lots of nice impact players on this list.

 

[wintersej]

I'm surprised at the praise Sweeney is getting for the 2023 trade deadline. Everyone agrees that the players are to blame for the disappointing exit. For me personally, Sweeney bears the greatest blame. Yes, did he improve the team but really in the way that was necessary? For me, the third defensive pairing was one of the team's biggest weak points and Sweeney didn't do anything about it. They were one of the weak points for many playoff series in a row. Still, Sweeney was okay with one of Gryz, Forbort, Zboril and Clifton having to play on the third line. And exactly what had to happen happened. Gryz showed that he couldn't handle the physicality of the playoffs. Cliffy had very bad games and Forbort is Forbort, nothing special. Praising Sweeney for last year's playoffs and saying he did everything he could to improve the team is one of the biggest myths on this board.

That D group was better than any D group in this years playoffs.

 

[Healthy Wrap]

I know that he went and scored 17 goals and it may be hard to truly describe correctly, but man that guy has zero offensive Hockey IQ.

Freddy has the smarts to play on the 2nd line, maybe fit in on the first like heinen does as a complimentary player (people forget sometimes that you dont need a "True" top six player at every position in the top six. finding balance on your lines to beat matchups is the most important thing. hell it cost us a cup in 2019 probably (flat out refusal to balance lines 1-3).

Geekie never really fit with Pasta and zacha to me, pts aside, Id be fine trading him and giving someone in the system an opportunity to take a 3rd line role (Merkulov, Poitras or Lysell if any or all are still in the bruins system come game 1).

also, never liked Freddy at Center, but this year he actually played pretty well when slotted their, his game from a playing without the puck standpoint looked good. He should be playing with Coyle on his right, wherever Coyle gets slotted as they work well together.

Ironically, the bolded is exactly how I feel about Frederic. Watching him with the puck on his stick in open ice can be brutal sometimes. I think he's extremely limited offensively. He's very good at finding the "soft" areas of the ice and banging home easy goals, but there's a reason the team doesn't give him top 6 minutes or power play time.

Frederic fans, both adults and three-handed babies alike, are adamant that he's capable of being more than a 3rd line player. I think if the team felt that way, we would have seen him slotted further up in the lineup, even if only on a temporary basis due to injuries in the top 6.

Geekie is an RFA after this year (vs Frederic being a UFA) so it will be feasibly easier/cheaper to resign him. And the team clearly likes his versatility, seeing as he played up and down the lineup this year. We'll just have to agree to disagree on Frederic. But I certainly don't think the idea of choosing Geekie over him is something to flippantly dismiss.

 

[sarge88]

Not saying i would, but for sake of discussion If you could get Nichushkin for Ullmark do you take the risk that he'll turn his problem around and not f*** you over come playoff time? If any coach would be a good fit you gotta think it's Monty.

Probably not, because an injury is different from addiction. With an injury, there is typically a time frame for the recovery. Addiction doesn’t afford that.

 

[Patdud]

Ironically, the bolded is exactly how I feel about Frederic. Watching him with the puck on his stick in open ice can be brutal sometimes. I think he's extremely limited offensively. He's very good at finding the "soft" areas of the ice and banging home easy goals, but there's a reason the team doesn't give him top 6 minutes or power play time.

Frederic fans, both adults and three-handed babies alike, are adamant that he's capable of being more than a 3rd line player. I think if the team felt that way, we would have seen him slotted further up in the lineup, even if only on a temporary basis due to injuries in the top 6.

Geekie is an RFA after this year (vs Frederic being a UFA) so it will be feasibly easier/cheaper to resign him. And the team clearly likes his versatility, seeing as he played up and down the lineup this year. We'll just have to agree to disagree on Frederic. But I certainly don't think the idea of choosing Geekie over him is something to flippantly dismiss.

Geekie is better at draws and the team trusts him more as a center. That is the ONLY reason he played up the lineup between Pasta and Zacha.

Nash got 1C time in 2018 when Bergeron was injured, was that because the team thought he was better than David Krejci? No they were balancing the lineup and letting him play spot duty.

also the bolded part of your post is literally one of the defining characteristics of a player with high hockey IQ. without looking up the stats, Im going to guess he had more goals off rush snapshots than inside paint.

 

[Alan Ryan]

Ironically, the bolded is exactly how I feel about Frederic. Watching him with the puck on his stick in open ice can be brutal sometimes. I think he's extremely limited offensively. He's very good at finding the "soft" areas of the ice and banging home easy goals, but there's a reason the team doesn't give him top 6 minutes or power play time.

Frederic fans, both adults and three-handed babies alike, are adamant that he's capable of being more than a 3rd line player. I think if the team felt that way, we would have seen him slotted further up in the lineup, even if only on a temporary basis due to injuries in the top 6.

Geekie is an RFA after this year (vs Frederic being a UFA) so it will be feasibly easier/cheaper to resign him. And the team clearly likes his versatility, seeing as he played up and down the lineup this year. We'll just have to agree to disagree on Frederic. But I certainly don't think the idea of choosing Geekie over him is something to flippantly dismiss.

I like both players but Geekie is a better choice to retain if the Bruins choose only one of them. Among all the recent additions Geekie is one of the best.

 

[False Start]

Ironically, the bolded is exactly how I feel about Frederic. Watching him with the puck on his stick in open ice can be brutal sometimes. I think he's extremely limited offensively. He's very good at finding the "soft" areas of the ice and banging home easy goals, but there's a reason the team doesn't give him top 6 minutes or power play time.

Frederic fans, both adults and three-handed babies alike, are adamant that he's capable of being more than a 3rd line player. I think if the team felt that way, we would have seen him slotted further up in the lineup, even if only on a temporary basis due to injuries in the top 6.

Geekie is an RFA after this year (vs Frederic being a UFA) so it will be feasibly easier/cheaper to resign him. And the team clearly likes his versatility, seeing as he played up and down the lineup this year. We'll just have to agree to disagree on Frederic. But I certainly don't think the idea of choosing Geekie over him is something to flippantly dismiss.

I'm one of the biggest Trent Frederic detractors.

But he's improved from:

• Puck dies on his stick to
• Puck only dies on his stick sometimes

While I agree he hasn't shown any ability to play above the bottom six, I have to acknowledge his continued improvement over the years, from being invisible to a 40 point player. He's both improved his skating and two way play while developing a strong wrist shot. All while removing some of the physical effectiveness he had early in his career.

All that is to say there's a chance he continues his improvement and becomes a player worthy of his next contract. And even I can admit that as a person who doesn't generally like his style of play.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

How long ago was that Cup Final? How many times did Gryz show that his game collapses in the playoffs?



This is what I think as well. I didn´t likes Frederic´s playoffs. Both are up for new contracts after next season. Right now I would be more willing to give Geekie what he is going to get than Frederic.

Freddy had the best plus/minus on the team at +5.

Also had the same point total (3-2-5) as Geekie (4-1-5) while playing 3 less minutes a game.

 

[Absurdity]

Could Frederic + Lysell/Merkulov return someone like Buchnevich? In my opinion, he would be a nice add in the top 6.

Here's an idea, what if we take Palat from the Devils in an Ullmark deal including the #10 overall? Throw Palat next to Zacha and Pastrnak and then the Bruins can focus on getting a center either by packaging the #10 overall or focus on signing Lindholm or Stephenson in free agency.

 

[Bodit9]

Value, 1 year left on his deal, end of the day he is a JAG. Cheaper replacement in Brazeau, I wouldn't give him away but he is no where near as valuable as a Frederic who will get you more points, hits and is dramatically more physical.

Someone suggested trading Frederic instead which to me is asinine

Why does everyone want to trade Freddy? He is what we are lacking. Size, physical enough, good 5v5, decent offense, and willing to drop the mitts. I wish we had more guys like Freddy.

 

[DominicT]

Remember when SJ wanted Martin Jones and LA wouldn't trade him there. Then Boston acquired him and did?

Is there a team Boston wouldn't trade Ullmark too but a third team would?

Its been done before.