Boston Bruins 2024-2025 Roster & Salary Cap Discussion IV

[dafoomie]

How is 60 the floor for him when he has only done it 3 times?

In his career he has scored at a 55 point pace. Since leaving Carolina he has scored at a 68 point pace.

 

[UncleRico]

How is 60 the floor for him when he has only done it 3 times?

People must be using the same calculator as the Debrusk people who called him a 30 and 35 goal scorer

 

[Fenian24]

Oh, I can see your point totally. But this site loves to point out the huge flaws in guys like the entire Vegas roster, many Panthers, Boeser, etc. as flawed and not worth getting. Then, the team gets them on a cheap deal and they turn it around.

I'd imagine that getting yourself clean in the player assistance program has a largely positive effect on you. Add in having played in Winnipeg and Columbus your entire career has an effect as well.

I'm not saying he is going to return to the elite form he was last year, but for the right price I'm willing to bet he could be a nice replacement for DeBrusk at a minimal cost.

Hard to stay healthy when you are dealing with other issues. He is still close to a PPG player when healthy and if the price tag is right, taking a flyer on him over giving 7-8 million and term to some of these wingers hitting the market seems like a better risk/reward if Columbus is retaining.

Laine under 5 million getting Jake's old money? Still leaves you with your UFA money and assets to go after the big German fish if he becomes available.

Imagine this team had bought insanely low on Boeser this time last year (who was rightfully criticized on this site for all the same comments we are hearing about Laine now)?

That secondary scoring that was lacking? Buy low.

I see your point as well but I remember listening to NHL radio on XM and a couple if hosts ripping him for being selfish, lazy, uninterested and not the best locker room guy. That's when he was producing.

The Bruins being in the posistion they are in and desperately needing top 6 players I see the appeal of Zegras, PLD and Laine, but if you take a risk on one of them, and to me it cannot be more than one, you need to offset that with more and better leadership. Brendan Dillon and Maroon add that, I don't care if Maroon plays 8 minutes a night with what he brings in leadership, Dillon can play and is also a great leader. Make sure your dressing room can handle attitudes of lazy, selfish players, make them accountable and I can then see adding a Laine but he has to be offset by moves to bring in and keep strong leadership.

For the people who say leadership is overrated just watch the final or the last 15 years of Maple Leaf hockey.

 

[dafoomie]

He had two of them. That's the difference.

And he plays closer to the net on the PP, not the bumper.

It's not so much about displacement as it is the same role (scoring line center who gets the toughest defensive assignments of the scoring lines, plays both special teams). How much cap space can you spend on the same role? Defensively the forward group is more than capable. They need to invest more cap space towards the roles their forward group doesn't have which is another primary scorer/play driver. Spend the cap space on Lindholm, is there cap space to get that primary scorer if/when the opportunity presents itself.

Now if they want to move Coyle (two years left coming off a career year) and allocate that cap to Lindholm, that's an idea I might get behind. I don't know what you get for Coyle but if it's just cap space they want, he can only block 8 teams. Although there's still a part of me that thinks they are better off just keeping Coyle, ignoring Lindholm, and gaining the flexibility from Coyle's deal expiring Summer 2026.

Morgan Geekie was their top center when they were eliminated. Their need at the position is dire.

I would trade Coyle if they can add two centers who are more offensive minded, and if they can sign or trade for a better center than Lindholm I'm in favor of it. If they go with what they've got, they're in another bridge year with no guarantee of anything better on the other side.

 

[Alan Ryan]

I think the right call to make is to go for Lindholm, who comes in to the team and is instantly Boston's best center. I am concerned that he may not age into his 30's like Bergeron did but for the next couple of seasons, I think he'll still be a very good player.

I like Poitras and I think ideally he comes in as Boston's 2nd line center, but it's hard to predict right now how he'll look in season 2 on a team that is looking to compete. He would certainly help make it easier for Boston to focus on a winger for the 2nd line if they feel he's ready. Can Bertuzzi play RW? A very interesting scenerio there, as the Bruins have a top prospect RW who would be perfect for a 2nd line if he's ready, which would be ideal for them to have another ELC contract in a key spot to fit some other bigger tickets on the team.

Zacha -- Lindholm -- Pasta

Marchand -- Poitras -- XXXXX

Frederic -- Coyle -- Geekie

Beecher -- Boqvist -- Brazeau

Your forward lines look good. I have three questions.

Is Poitras ready for the #2 center role or is he better off in Providence for a full year of seasoning?

Is Bertuzzi the right addition as #2 RW or can they do better than him?

Can youngsters fill those forward roles—specifically Merkulov and Lysell?

 

[LouJersey]

Lindholm is right here, right now

If you get him you become better

Let’s go for it while Marchand is still good

If you can get EL you don’t pass because just maybe Necas Or Draisaitl could be signed

You can’t operate like that

Pastrnak would have a legit C who’s a good defender and FO guy who will get the Bruins puck possession

Didn’t the Bruins lose a gazillion leads with goalie pulled - you get Lindholm on ice strong defensively and able to win draws

we don’t even know if he wants to play here - but if so they need to add him

all spot on

Your forward lines look good. I have three questions.

Is Poitras ready for the #2 center role or is he better off in Providence for a full year of seasoning?

Is Bertuzzi the right addition as #2 RW or can they do better than him?

Can youngsters fill those forward roles—specifically Merkulov and Lysell?

Poitras 100% 2/3 role. Get better than Bertuzzi. Merk and Lysell need to earn it, I wouldn't count on either for the top 6

 

[wintersej]

Your forward lines look good. I have three questions.

Is Poitras ready for the #2 center role or is he better off in Providence for a full year of seasoning?

Is Bertuzzi the right addition as #2 RW or can they do better than him?

Can youngsters fill those forward roles—specifically Merkulov and Lysell?

I’d rather have Poitras learn on the job, but he can’t have it handed to him.

Lysell I think you really need to give a shot to next year.

 

[BruinDust]

Morgan Geekie was their top center when they were eliminated. Their need at the position is dire.

I would trade Coyle if they can add two centers who are more offensive minded, and if they can sign or trade for a better center than Lindholm I'm in favor of it. If they go with what they've got, they're in another bridge year with no guarantee of anything better on the other side.

Put an top end play driver on the other wing of Pasta's line and I really don't care about who is their center as long as that center isn't doggy-poo in his own end which the Bruins current centers are already capable in that sense. There is a need for some better face-off ability but they don't need to commit long-term to Elias Lindholm to improve that one specific area.

Everyone rags on the Bruins center-ice depth but I see Coyle, Geekie, Zacha, Frederic, Poitras, Beecher, Boqvist all in the mix.

Where is the scoring and play driving talent on the wing? Pasta and a 36-year old Marchand. Those names mentioned above are capable in their own end (I guess Poitras is a bit of a question there still) but even the ones who can shift over aren't about to shoot the lights out. What happens when Marchand declines or retires? And we think they have trouble scoring now. All the reasons cited here as to why they lost to Florida ultimately their lack of primary scoring got exposed and isn't good enough to beat top teams who defend well and have top end goaltending.

Adding Lindholm I don't think changes their fortunes very much. Doesn't solve their main problems. Primary scoring along with a lack of skating ability overall among the forward group. Everyone wants to copy Florida well they dress practically zero slow forwards. Stenlund is so-so. Bruins had at least 4 of them in the line-up in Game 6.

 

[Hookslide]

Sure free as the 8th dman

let me edit this for you, he pays to be 18th dman

 

[wintersej]

Put an top end play driver on the other wing of Pasta's line and I really don't care about who is their center as long as that center isn't doggy-poo in his own end which the Bruins current centers are already capable in that sense. There is a need for some better face-off ability but they don't need to commit long-term to Elias Lindholm to improve that one specific area.

Everyone rags on the Bruins center-ice depth but I see Coyle, Geekie, Zacha, Frederic, Poitras, Beecher, Boqvist all in the mix.

Where is the scoring and play driving talent on the wing? Pasta and a 36-year old Marchand. Those names mentioned above are capable in their own end (I guess Poitras is a bit of a question there still) but even the ones who can shift over aren't about to shoot the lights out. What happens when Marchand declines or retires? And we think they have trouble scoring now. All the reasons cited here as to why they lost to Florida ultimately their lack of primary scoring got exposed and isn't good enough to beat top teams who defend well and have top end goaltending.

Adding Lindholm I don't think changes their fortunes very much. Doesn't solve their main problems. Primary scoring along with a lack of skating ability overall among the forward group. Everyone wants to copy Florida well they dress practically zero slow forwards. Stenlund is so-so. Bruins had at least 4 of them in the line-up in Game 6.

Frankly, they need both.

 

[sarge88]

Put an top end play driver on the other wing of Pasta's line and I really don't care about who is their center as long as that center isn't doggy-poo in his own end which the Bruins current centers are already capable in that sense. There is a need for some better face-off ability but they don't need to commit long-term to Elias Lindholm to improve that one specific area.

Everyone rags on the Bruins center-ice depth but I see Coyle, Geekie, Zacha, Frederic, Poitras, Beecher, Boqvist all in the mix.

Where is the scoring and play driving talent on the wing? Pasta and a 36-year old Marchand. Those names mentioned above are capable in their own end (I guess Poitras is a bit of a question there still) but even the ones who can shift over aren't about to shoot the lights out. What happens when Marchand declines or retires? And we think they have trouble scoring now. All the reasons cited here as to why they lost to Florida ultimately their lack of primary scoring got exposed and isn't good enough to beat top teams who defend well and have top end goaltending.

Adding Lindholm I don't think changes their fortunes very much. Doesn't solve their main problems. Primary scoring along with a lack of skating ability overall among the forward group. Everyone wants to copy Florida well they dress practically zero slow forwards. Stenlund is so-so. Bruins had at least 4 of them in the line-up in Game 6.

I agree with 95% of this.

Get guys who can score since you can use Zacha and Coyle as 1C and 2C, provided they have quality wingers.

The one caveat to that is that I think you need to get a legit 57-60% faceoff guy for line 3 or 4. I don’t think Beecher is there yet, so that might make him the odd man out, depending on other moves.

Wonder what it would take to get Sturm out of SJ. Cheap, UFA after next season, kills penalties.

 

[Hookslide]

Say what you want about Elias Lindholms year in Vancouver. He turned it on in the playoffs. He had as many goals as our entire center group and a little over 51% from the face off dot.

Maybe he’s not the answer but the bruins aren’t making a playoff run until they solve that issue.

Can’t be having a center by committee in the playoffs again where Morgan Geekie finishes out as our top line center again.

They made the playoffs this season without him........And they will make the playoffs next season without him.

 

[BruinDust]

I agree with 95% of this.

Get guys who can score since you can use Zacha and Coyle as 1C and 2C, provided they have quality wingers.

The one caveat to that is that I think you need to get a legit 57-60% faceoff guy for line 3 or 4. I don’t think Beecher is there yet, so that might make him the odd man out, depending on other moves.

Wonder what it would take to get Sturm out of SJ. Cheap, UFA after next season, kills penalties.

They have to get better on face-offs. I felt the deadline their biggest miss (relative to having minimal cap space to work) was not grabbing a reliable face-off guy for that 4th line. We had Beecher out there taking face-offs in some pretty key moments that's not ideal (even though he held his own).

 

[Son of Donegal]

But his point is that if you are a guy that can make quick quick retrievals you are going to look a lot better if you are getting the puck to forwards that are going to keep it on the attack than if they don't do anything with it. Gryz always put up monster numbers (2nd among all D in the NHL in +/- over his time here before this season) because the Bruins had way better forwards than they did this last season. Forsling brings more in the offensive zone, of course, but neither are amazing in their own end actually defending.

No. I get it. Up until this season, Gryz had excellent forwards to pass to. In the regular season he has mostly been excellent. He craters in the postseason even with those forwards. He was scratched this postseason.

Forsling seems to be better defensively from the blue line in, rather than simply as a puck retriever. He has a long stick and stands up into passing lanes. It doesn’t matter if teams attempt to skate into the zone or dump and chase. He adapts and snuffs out opportunities.

Ekblad has stepped up lately as well.

Anyway, I get the comparison but the gap is pretty wide and I think Forsling is being underrated as a defensive defenseman.

 

[UncleRico]

They made the playoffs this season without him........And they will make the playoffs next season without him.

That’s great if your goal is to just simply make the playoffs. Whether it’s Lindholm or someone else, the bruins desperately need to find a top line center or else the will continue to suck in the playoffs.

 

[Absurdity]

Season '23-'24	Faceoffs Won	Faceoffs Lost	FO%
Lindholm	753	583	56.4%
Coyle	762	715	51.6%
Zacha	585	483	54.8%

 

[JCRO]

Don’t waste another David’s years.

Get this man a center ASAP.

 

[DKH]

In his career he has scored at a 55 point pace. Since leaving Carolina he has scored at a 68 point pace.

He’s in that Bergeron area I’d think production wise

On this team with the back end and goalies he could be a +35-40 guy if your into that

I’ll take 4-5 years of a real good player and rail against Sweeney in 2030 if he falls off

 

[pucksindeep92]

I think we need a guy on each line; ideally two goal scorers for the top 2 lines, and two pretty heavy guys for the bottom six (I'm sold on Maroon, Beecher, Brazeau, Lauko). I also think we need a hammer on the backend that can play; I'm pretty sold on Edmundson, I think he'd be about the right price and thought he looked good in the opening round. Then of course Swayman & a backup.

Using some estimates from an analytics spreadsheet someone shared here a while back. Pick two of these guys & one third liner below; outside of a trade of course. I'm not sure if I'm missing anyone.

LW -
Bertuzzi - $5,300,000 for 4
Mantha - $,4,750,000 for 4
DeBrusk - $5,800,000 for 5
Teravainen - $5,300,000 for 4

C -
Lindholm - $7,000,000 for 5
Stephenson - $5,750,000 for 5

RW -
Marchessault - $6,300,000 for 3
Bertuzzi - $5,300,000 for 4
Mantha - $4,750,000 for 4
Toffoli - $6,000,000 for 4

Then pick one of these guys for the third line;
Domi - $3,750,000 for 3
Joshua - $3,400,000 for 4
Heinen - $2,750,000 for 3
Lafferty - $2,400,000 for 3

for me, I think it's
Bertuzzi at LW, Marchessault at RW, and Joshua at LW for the third line. Add Swyman, Maroon & Edmundson and that's a big jump in scoring and physicality from this year. The numbers work based off those analytics, along with Ullmark being traded for pick

Unfortunately I feel like many if these numbers are low on term and money.

I see benefits to both Stephenson and Lindholm, and would happily take either.

He had two of them. That's the difference.

And he plays closer to the net on the PP, not the bumper.

It's not so much about displacement as it is the same role (scoring line center who gets the toughest defensive assignments of the scoring lines, plays both special teams). How much cap space can you spend on the same role? Defensively the forward group is more than capable. They need to invest more cap space towards the roles their forward group doesn't have which is another primary scorer/play driver. Spend the cap space on Lindholm, is there cap space to get that primary scorer if/when the opportunity presents itself.

Now if they want to move Coyle (two years left coming off a career year) and allocate that cap to Lindholm, that's an idea I might get behind. I don't know what you get for Coyle but if it's just cap space they want, he can only block 8 teams. Although there's still a part of me that thinks they are better off just keeping Coyle, ignoring Lindholm, and gaining the flexibility from Coyle's deal expiring Summer 2026.

have to imagine something like Ullmark, Coyle, Frederic/Geekie would be pretty valuable for a big fish. Or even just Ullmarks trade for picks + Coyle and Frederic/Geekie in separate trades if you can’t get it all done under one roof.

 

[PB37]

Nice -- does Muay Thai translate to:

"put the freaking puck in the net"?

Your forward lines look good. I have three questions.

Is Poitras ready for the #2 center role or is he better off in Providence for a full year of seasoning?

Is Bertuzzi the right addition as #2 RW or can they do better than him?

Can youngsters fill those forward roles—specifically Merkulov and Lysell?

I'm not sure if Poitras will be ready or not but he sure did look the part early last year before he hit the rookie wall and then got injured. Its a roll of the dice they'll have to make a decision on.

There's better... maybe they'll swing Necas for Ullmark or resign DeBrusk.

I like Lysell more than Merk but both have a steep hill to climb to make the roster.

 

[dafoomie]

He’s in that Bergeron area I’d think production wise

On this team with the back end and goalies he could be a +35-40 guy if your into that

I’ll take 4-5 years of a real good player and rail against Sweeney in 2030 if he falls off

If he declines he could slide into a 3C role and the cap hit wouldn't be as bad with the cap increasing. He's not a perfect solution but he's a good one, I don't think perfect is out there.

 

[DKH]

If he declines he could slide into a 3C role and the cap hit wouldn't be as bad with the cap increasing. He's not a perfect solution but he's a good one, I don't think perfect is out there.

I think he’s exactly what you want with a guy like Pastrnak though

The Bruins are wanting to be a top 5x5 team

He is good here

And if you had me make a list of 5 things they need to improve on- Faceoffs & last minute of games and he would project to help both

I like Hertl and this guys a bit younger and more suited for this team

There are no guarantees he signs so we will have to see if he’s even available but to me good match

 

[Patdud]

Oh, I can see your point totally. But this site loves to point out the huge flaws in guys like the entire Vegas roster, many Panthers, Boeser, etc. as flawed and not worth getting. Then, the team gets them on a cheap deal and they turn it around.

I'd imagine that getting yourself clean in the player assistance program has a largely positive effect on you. Add in having played in Winnipeg and Columbus your entire career has an effect as well.

I'm not saying he is going to return to the elite form he was last year, but for the right price I'm willing to bet he could be a nice replacement for DeBrusk at a minimal cost.

Hard to stay healthy when you are dealing with other issues. He is still close to a PPG player when healthy and if the price tag is right, taking a flyer on him over giving 7-8 million and term to some of these wingers hitting the market seems like a better risk/reward if Columbus is retaining.

Laine under 5 million getting Jake's old money? Still leaves you with your UFA money and assets to go after the big German fish if he becomes available.

Imagine this team had bought insanely low on Boeser this time last year (who was rightfully criticized on this site for all the same comments we are hearing about Laine now)?

That secondary scoring that was lacking? Buy low.

He could be available for very little, plus jarmo is gone so the bad blood has moved on from CBJ. perhaps there is something to be done? is Laine a RW or LW?


he adds goals, but not speed tbf

 

[I am Bettman]

He could be available for very little, plus jarmo is gone so the bad blood has moved on from CBJ. perhaps there is something to be done? is Laine a RW or LW?


he adds goals, but not speed tbf

Play him with Marchand and Coyle, find a LW to go with Zacha and Pasta and that’s two first lines. Wouldn’t even matter that Zacha and Coyle would be in the top six. A cheaper option might be Stamkos to fill the same role. Older, and will only have a couple good years left, but cheaper and probably more likely.

 

[Patdud]

Play him with Marchand and Coyle, find a LW to go with Zacha and Pasta and that’s two first lines. Wouldn’t even matter that Zacha and Coyle would be in the top six. A cheaper option might be Stamkos to fill the same role. Older, and will only have a couple good years left, but cheaper and probably more likely.

just sign Lindholm

Zacha - Lindholm - Pasta
Marchand - Coyle - Laine