Boston Bruins 2026 OFFSEASON Roster & Salary Cap III.

[BruinDust]

Just can’t see why Yzerman would even realistically do this, unless he gets a Pasta back, which is a no brainer for the Bruins, not to do.

He’s not going to deal Larkin to a divisional rival making his path to the playoffs, and ending his 7 yr drought significantly harder.

I mean if Yzerman thinks for one second he's getting a player on Pastrnak's level for Dylan Larkin then Larkin is going nowhere.

But unless Boston is on Larkin's short (very short) list then I believe your right, Yzerman isn't dealing him within the division unless the Larkin camp completely forces his hand.

Let's just say I'm not about to hold my breath on Larkin-to-Boston deal this summer.

 

[quietbruinfan]

Larkin, Barzal, Thomas and *Pettersson are all on the market. I don't think this type of saturation will happen again for a while. Unfortunately, I don't see us getting any of them.

Don would be wise to trade Zacha to one of these teams losing a top six center. The Isles are most likely losing Lee too. I would offer them Zacha in a New York minute. (Pun intended) My hunch, and someting I have read here a few times, is Barzal for EP40 plus, but that still leaves the Isles short.

 

[The don godfather]

Not so sure about that. The guy has only broken 70 points twice and never broke 80. Edit: actually broke 70 3 times.

He is 29 and his contract brings him to age 34. He’s been the leader of a team that has the talent to be a playoff team but can’t get there. His biggest asset is his speed and that goes first as guys hit 30.

He’s a great player that could really help the Bruins, I just don’t think he has sky high trade value given the above. Yzerman loves drafting and developing, maybe a couple firsts and a good prospect gets it done.

Wanna give up Minten and leafs 1st round pick that's probably the return.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

They could offer Wallstedt in a trade as well, but also when I said pitch, I didn't mean what they could offer Detroit. I meant what they could offer Larkin in coming there given they actually won a playoff series, and would have more talent to work with in Minnesota, compared to Boston.

Larkin is going to be able to pick wherever he wants to go, you still have to offer a reasonable package after the fact, but the bigger thing you need to do is convince Larkin to come here.

Don't tell him about the taxes.

And forget the original 6 bullshit. He's pretty wise to that.

 

[BruinDust]

And Larkin has full control of where he’ll go, which probably means one of. Vegas, Dallas, Florida, Tampa, or Nashville.

Somewhere Bill Guerin is licking his chops right now.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Somewhere Bill Guerin is licking his chops right now.

Larkin is what they need but I’m not sure they really have enough to get him. Detroit really doesn’t need a young netminder. And Yurov…that prospect would get beat easily. Plus very late pick if Y wants picks too.

If he’d go to SJ and SJ could offer Misa plus…and keep the #2 and take Stenberg..,

Too many scenarios where unless Larkin has a very, very short list, we won’t be in the running.

 

[GHFC79]

You can make that sort of argument on paper looking at points and standings and what ifs but you're not looking at what's actually on the ice.
I'd argue the Bruins were extremely lucky this season, stole numerous points with goaltending and Strums shut down system is effective at regular season pace but breaks down with the speed of the playoffs. That first game is indicative of exactly what the problem is. Even if the system functions perfectly those teams are young and energetic and they keep coming and coming and coming and you just can't stay perfect forever. Eventually it breaks down, one or two little mistakes and it's over. You might steal a series that way but there is absolutely no way you're getting through 4 series. The speed and talent of those teams will win out and the Bruins way won't keep up. Thus, as I was saying, we won't get past the middle. Roughly where we are and an early exit if we make the playoffs at all.

In many ways I think Sturms solid system has had a detrimental effect on the Bruins future. Much like he did for Germany, he got a team of lesser talent to over achieve and thus they didn't sell off again and didn't get high picks and stalled the retool. So we got a one series playoff loss and ask yourself was it worth it? Now what?

Consider if they'd been worse and then sold off at the deadline. Moved Peake, maybe Zacha, all free agents and such. You end up bottom 10 with your own top pick. Maybe that bumps Toronto above them out of the bottom 10 and you get that pick too. Plus whatever you got at the deadline. Your rebuild is now stocked and in full swing. Hagens becomes just one of many.

But now? Now what? How do you match the speed and skill of those young cores on Buffalo, Montreal, even Ottawa. With Florida back I doubt they even make the playoffs next year unless somebody completely falls apart. I see some Boston fans talking about "should we take a chance on Laine", a guy Montreal didn't even want on their roster and kept on IR even when he was healthy. Is that sort of move really going to get you there? I think not. Just show me one scenario where the talent on the ice can match what Buffalo or Montreal have (and keep in mind it's young and still improving) and maybe I will change my mind, but right now I think the future is middling to bleak.

I think we simply disagree, and that's okay.

Every team has flaws. The difference is that we watch the Bruins every night, so we know every weakness, every bad shift, every prospect who hasn't developed fast enough, and every roster hole. We don't apply that same level of scrutiny to other teams. Every contender and every rebuilding team has questions.

I also think we sometimes convince ourselves there's only one path to contention. If that were true, Vegas wouldn't be where they are.

That's not to say Boston is secretly a contender today. It's simply that hockey isn't as linear as "young core = future contender" and "older roster = doomed." If it were that simple, we'd be able to predict the standings years in advance.

Maybe you're right and the Bruins end up stuck in the middle. That's certainly possible. But I don't think it's nearly as certain as you're making it sound. Hockey has a way of humbling anyone who thinks they've figured out exactly where every team will be next season. Just look at where many of the experts who do this for a living had Buffalo and other teams in their preseason projections. Some of those same people were calling Buffalo an embarrassment not that long ago. Now they're suddenly being held up as one of the league's most talented young teams.

Who knows what people will be saying about Boston a year from now if Minten, Khusnutdinov, or Lohrei take meaningful steps forward? Development isn't linear, and perceptions can change surprisingly fast.

 

[wintersej]

And Larkin has full control of where he’ll go, which probably means one of. Vegas, Dallas, Florida, Tampa, or Nashville.

I would dangle that 1st if I was Florida.

 

[GHFC79]

Geekie can be apart of the Larkin trade

Geekie might be the ideal piece in a Barzal deal. The Islanders desperately need goals, while Geekie is younger, coming off a strong offensive season, and carries one of the better contracts in the league relative to his production.

 

[PlayMakers]

If Carolina wins, they would be the first team since Colorado in 2021-22 to win the Stanley Cup with under-25 players playing major roles.

Over the last four seasons, Florida (three Finals appearances), Edmonton (two), and Vegas (two) have largely been driven by players in their prime years, not by young players. Vegas, for example, has only one 25-year-old on the roster this year. Most of their key players are in the 28-32 age range.

This isn't meant as an anti-young-player argument. It's more of a reminder that there isn't only one way to build a successful team.

I also think there's a tendency to develop a bias against players once they reach a certain age, regardless of how they're actually performing.

I disagree. These teams are largely driven by guys under 30. Eichel is 28, Marner is 28, Dorofyev 24, Barbashev 29, Hanifin 28, Rasmussen 28, Howden 27, Kolesar is 28... For Carolina, Stankoven is 22, Aho is 28, Ehlers 29, Svechnickov 25, Jarvis 23, Blake 22, K'Andre Miller 25, Nikishin 23...

Florida was no different. Barkov, Bennett, Tkachuk, Verhaeghe, Reinhart, Lundell, Ekblad, Rodrigues, Forsling, Luostarinen, Jones, Montour all under 30...

I think it's fine to have a handful of older players, but it's very rare to see a team win when their primary drivers are 31+, or the majority of the team is 31+.

 

[yazmybaby]

Just heard that Larkin wants out of Detroit, big news.
Report was per Alex Crescenti WXYZ in Detroit.
He has 5 years left at 8.7M a year, not a bad contract.
DS should be on the phone.

 

[PlayMakers]

29 is prime but several people here say 30 is old

28 to 32 has always been prime age for hockey players in my opinion.

Statistically, an NHL player's "prime" in the 2020s occurs between ages 25 and 28, with age 26 often marking the absolute apex for offensive output. During this window, players generally provide their maximum maximum on-ice value and point production. NYTimes

The breakdown of this aging curve highlights several distinct trends:

• Forwards: Peak scoring and even-strength performance metrics typically arrive around age 24 to 25, with a sustained prime plateau lasting through age 29. After 29, offensive production sees a steady, measurable decline.
• Defensemen: Because of the different physical and tactical demands of the position, defensemen reach their statistical prime slightly later, typically between ages 27 and 29.
• Goaltenders: Statistically, goaltender performance demonstrates little to no change based strictly on age. Their primes are generally defined by experience rather than standard physical peaks.

 

[BergyWho37]

Its not mortgaging the future if you go out an acquire young players like Robert Thomas or tippet(doesnt have to be them but just examples). Thats actually creating a future with a nice long window.

Tippet I said it’ll cost more than he presented. Thomas I said it could be worth it but it’ll deplete our higher end prospects pool to get. Hagens or Letourneau is definitely gone and then keep adding you know this. Could even be Minten Letourneau and a 1st

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

I disagree. These teams are largely driven by guys under 30. Eichel is 28, Marner is 28, Dorofyev 24, Barbashev 29, Hanifin 28, Rasmussen 28, Howden 27, Kolesar is 28... For Carolina, Stankoven is 22, Aho is 28, Ehlers 29, Svechnickov 25, Jarvis 23, Blake 22, K'Andre Miller 25, Nikishin 23...

Florida was no different. Barkov, Bennett, Tkachuk, Verhaeghe, Reinhart, Lundell, Ekblad, Rodrigues, Forsling, Luostarinen, Jones, Montour all under 30...

I think it's fine to have a handful of older players, but it's very rare to see a team win when their primary drivers are 31+, or the majority of the team is 31+.

I saw something while back that all cup teams are usually 27-29 and older or younger teams usually falter somewhere along the way in the playoffs

 

[UncleRico]

Tippet I said it’ll cost more than he presented. Thomas I said it could be worth it but it’ll deplete our higher end prospects pool to get. Hagens or Letourneau is definitely gone and then keep adding you know this. Could even be Minten Letourneau and a 1st

If Thomas only costs minten, letourneau and a first you do that immediately

 

[The don godfather]

Just heard that Larkin wants out of Detroit, big news.
Report was per Alex Crescenti WXYZ in Detroit.
He has 5 years left at 8.7M a year, not a bad contract.
DS should be on the phone.

Hes on the phone with the few chips he has and can't afford to play.

 

[The don godfather]

If Thomas only costs minten, letourneau and a first you do that immediately

Pass. Minten has me excited for the next decade.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

If Thomas only costs minten, letourneau and a first you do that immediately

No you don’t good lord.

 

[mtlbruinstrooper]

If we exclude Hagens, who was a top-10 pick, our last four first-round selections were Letourneau, Lysell, Beecher and Vaakanainen.

Maybe not Dorofeyev, but there are definitely a few players I'd pay without hesitation.

Yep, not for him.

 

[finaliz3d]

If Thomas only costs minten, letourneau and a first you do that immediately

No you don’t good lord.

It's a moot point because Thomas isn't likely to be traded anymore, and even if he was, they wouldn't accept a deal that doesn't have Hagens in it to begin with.

I will say though, we have to have realistic evaluations on what Letourneau and Minten are going to become. The odds of either of them getting anywhere close to Thomas' level of production are fairly low.

 

[BruinDust]

If Thomas only costs minten, letourneau and a first you do that immediately

I'd argue Minten outplayed Thomas at the World Championships.

 

[mtlbruinstrooper]

No way



Bingo!

$1,575,969 or less	None
$1,575,969 to $2,387,832	Third-round pick
$2,387,832 to $4,775,666	Second-round pick
$4,775,666 to $7,163,498	First- and third-round picks
$7,163,498 to $9,551,332	First-, second- and third-round picks
$9,551,332 to $11,939,166	Two firsts, one second and one third
$11,939,166 or more	Four first-round picks

From memory, one of the pick require for a lesser offer is not ours, the tird rounder i think. All the picks must be the teams own pick but maybe im mistaken.

 

[GHFC79]

I disagree. These teams are largely driven by guys under 30. Eichel is 28, Marner is 28, Dorofyev 24, Barbashev 29, Hanifin 28, Rasmussen 28, Howden 27, Kolesar is 28... For Carolina, Stankoven is 22, Aho is 28, Ehlers 29, Svechnickov 25, Jarvis 23, Blake 22, K'Andre Miller 25, Nikishin 23...

Florida was no different. Barkov, Bennett, Tkachuk, Verhaeghe, Reinhart, Lundell, Ekblad, Rodrigues, Forsling, Luostarinen, Jones, Montour all under 30...

I think it's fine to have a handful of older players, but it's very rare to see a team win when their primary drivers are 31+, or the majority of the team is 31+.

Defese: McNabb (35), Theodore (30), Hanifin (29), Andersson (29), Lauzon(29) and Coghlan(28)
Lines: Barbashev (30), Eichel(29), Dorofeyev(25), Howden(28), Karlsson(33), Marner(29), Hertl(32), Sissons(32), Stones(34), Smith(30), Dowd(36) and Kolesar(29)

Vegas literally have only one regular player under 28 years old: Dorofeyev at 25.

"If Carolina wins, they would be the first team since Colorado in 2021-22 to win the Stanley Cup with under-25 players playing major roles."

I don't really see what's wrong with what I said. I never denied that Carolina is a young team.