Boston Bruins 24-25 Roster/Cap thread IX

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I think him having a down year might make this more likely. A small cap number seems worth the gamble. Pay him like a 3rd liner. And pray he's not a 4th liner.

Have to give him an offer he’d actually accept though. With the cap going up hard there isn’t a huge reason for him to accept a low end deal without going to UFA.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

The only way that happens is if we let him walk to free agency so kind of a moot point.

If Freddy doesn’t like the offer or doesn’t want to be here I think you’d be surprised what his value would be, either in trade or on the market.


It’s easily a first at the deadline and probably a decent amount more.

You are correct, I would be surprised if he brought a first-round pick plus.

Of course, how he would be trending at the deadline would be a huge factor.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Consider this ... the NHL has expanded to the point where the product is very watered down. A team picking late in the first round 19th overall or later today wound be if it were 50 years ago picking in the second round of the draft. 1974 there were 18 teams, by 79 - 21 teams.

I've been around long enough to feel that a late first round pick today isn't really a first round pick.

Usually all the top talent is gone by the 15th pick in the draft if not much sooner. Anything later is usually just a crap shot. Sure, players will slip in the draft for various reasons but that's more an anomaly. Overall for where Boston has picked in the draft they have done a very decent job finding players.

Frederic may have been drafted in the first round, but that doesn't mean he should have been. Rumors were the Bruins reached and took him because Anaheim was rumored to want him. A reach? Yes. Best possible pick in hindsight, no. But can't really complain too much. He is playing the NHL when so many others picked where he was taken never made it. Even more amazing because it was a reach. Just saying.

50 years ago there were basically only Canadians available to draft.

As for the Freddy first round pick, consider some of the other first round picks that year:

5th overall by Vancouver - Olli Juolevi (played 41 NHL games)
11th overall by Ottawa - Logan Brown (played 99 NHL games)
19th overall by Islanders - Keifer Bellows (played 95 NHL games)
22th overall by Flyers - German Rubtsov (played 4 NHL games)
25th overall by Dallas - Riley Tufte (has played 25 NHL games)
28th overall by Washington - Lucas Johansen (played 9 NHL games)

Some fans don't realize how much of a crap shoot the NHL draft really is.

 

[Gordoff]

Debrusk had been dying to move back to Western Canada since he got here.

I don't think he had any intension of signing here once he was an unrestricted free agent.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Look at who has gone for a first the last several years. A super cheap 26 year old versatile forward who - despite this boards tendency to assess value week by week - can play all three forward positions, PK, and is physical is worth a lot more than people think. Especially being able to easily fit into even the tightest cap situations.

First and a good prospect (not elite) would certainly be in the ballpark. Even non-playoff teams would be in the mix for him (not that he’d return a top 10 pick or anything).

"Can play" doesn't mean he can play them well. Freddy is not a center. Doesn't handle the puck well enough and can't win a faceoff. He's averaging 18 seconds game on the PK.

He's a spare part on a contending team at this point. My hope is he heats up a little, gets some confidence back and makes himself more useful for the rest of this season.

 

[Gordoff]

Off topic but crazy how good Robertson is with how slow of a skater he is. Fast mind is better than fast skates sometimes.

I wonder where David Krejci would be on that list? Because the same could be said for him.

 

[HustleB]

9 points in 28 games, -9 ~14 mins TOI. That's a first round pick?
This team is going nowhere, whether they trade him or not. might as well get something for the future.

This team has played about as poorly as it can and still finds itself firmly in the second tier of teams in our conference. It’s the perfect type of team that could see things come together and push itself toward the fringe of the first tier. The nice part is that, while other teams have games in hand, none have run away with the standings.

Currently, we have a points percentage of .554. The Rangers are at .563, and the Lightning sit at .583. The Flyers are also in this mix at .519. The top-tier teams include Washington, clearly in first place at .720, followed by four teams with points percentages between .630 and .680: Toronto, Carolina, New Jersey, and Florida. Outside of Washington, the gap to the top tier is manageable this early in the season, even with our underwhelming start.

The bonus is that the team is clearly improving under the new coach. By the midway point, we could easily climb a couple of spots in the standings. Of course, there’s always the chance they revert to the consistently awful play we saw under Montgomery, but I’m betting on the improved form continuing. If it does, this could turn into a fun year yet!

 

[HustleB]

50 years ago there were basically only Canadians available to draft.

As for the Freddy first round pick, consider some of the other first round picks that year:

5th overall by Vancouver - Olli Juolevi (played 41 NHL games)
11th overall by Ottawa - Logan Brown (played 99 NHL games)
19th overall by Islanders - Keifer Bellows (played 95 NHL games)
22th overall by Flyers - German Rubtsov (played 4 NHL games)
25th overall by Dallas - Riley Tufte (has played 25 NHL games)
28th overall by Washington - Lucas Johansen (played 9 NHL games)

Some fans don't realize how much of a crap shoot the NHL draft really is.

I thought Bellows was going to be awesome.

 

[sarge88]

I wonder where David Krejci would be on that list? Because the same could be said for him.

I think speed is the most overrated aspect of the game.

You can have elite speed and no skill or hockey sense and be useless.

You can be slow as molasses and have skill and hockey sense and be a Hall of Famer.

I still believe that if you looked at the entire league and rated them by speed on a 1-5 scale, about 80% of players would be between a 3 and 4, and 10% would be 1-2 and 10% would a 5.

I think because it's the easiest thing to notice when watching a player, it gets very overrated.

 

[RoccoF14]

I think speed is the most overrated aspect of the game.

You can have elite speed and no skill or hockey sense and be useless.

You can be slow as molasses and have skill and hockey sense and be a Hall of Famer.

I still believe that if you looked at the entire league and rated them by speed on a 1-5 scale, about 80% of players would be between a 3 and 4, and 10% would be 1-2 and 10% would a 5.

I think because it's the easiest thing to notice when watching a player, it gets very overrated.

One thing I really noticed at the game this week that I hadn't really thought about, is just how much the Overall speed of the game has increased over the past 15-20yrs.

A middle of the pack skater in today's game would have been considered an elite skater 15-20 years ago. Just about EVERYBODY can fly up and down the ice these days. We give guys like Brazeau etc. a little bit of grief about how slow he is, but the definition of slow has really changed...

When you are close to the ice, it really is noticeable. Much more than watching it from TV. I have no idea how these referees see half the shit that they do. I got a whole new appreciation for how hard that job is.

 

[The don godfather]

Rangers are a tire fire maybe Donny gonna do some bargain basement shopping there.

 

[sarge88]

One thing I really noticed at the game this week that I hadn't really thought about, is just how much the Overall speed of the game has increased over the past 15-20yrs.

I middle of the pack skater in today's game would have been considered a burner 15-20 years ago. Just about EVERYBODY can fly up and down the ice these days. We give guys like Brazeau etc. a little bit a grief about how slow he is, but the definition of slow has really changed...

When you are close to the ice, it really is noticeable. Much more than watching it from TV. I have no idea how these referees see half the shit that they do. I got a whole new appreciation for how hard that job is.

Agreed --- I think instead of worrying about what a players top speed is --- we should focus more on what he can do while skating at his top speed --- because, like you said, most of these guys are "fast".

 

[RoccoF14]

Rangers are a tire fire maybe Donny gonna do some bargain basement shopping there.

...and yet they still have a higher points percentage than we do. So they are sellers and we are buyers now?

 

[Mad-Marcus]

Speed being overrated = Fabian Lysell

 

[RoccoF14]

Speed being overrated = Fabian Lysell

Speed isn't overrated. Its just a necessity now, if you wanna play in the NHL.

Shooting accuracy, and guys who can FINISH are the premium these days. Something we definitely could use more of.

 

[The don godfather]

...and yet they still have a higher points percentage than we do. So they are sellers and we are buyers now?

You gotta read their boards they have pitchforks ready for drury.

 

[BruinDust]

Agreed --- I think instead of worrying about what a players top speed is --- we should focus more on what he can do while skating at his top speed --- because, like you said, most of these guys are "fast".

How quickly a player can get up to a decent speed probably means more now than what their top end gear is. As fast as McDavid is in a straight line, it's his ability to get up to a high speed so quickly that really sets him apart. A couple cross-overs and boom he's gone. You watch a player like Morgan Geekie and that's his biggest weakness, he's got decent speed once he gets going, but his first few strides take awhile. I'd say the same thing about Frederic who is faster than Geekie at the top end but doesn't have good acceleration either. Meanwhile a guy like Brazeau his skating is mitigated with his massive reach.

None of that matters if you can't think the game fast like you said earlier.

Speed isn't overrated. Its just a necessity now, if you wanna play in the NHL.

Shooting accuracy, and guys who can FINISH are the premium these days. Something we definitely could use more of.

Every team needs at least a couple forwards that can push the D back off the blue-line with their speed. Otherwise it just becomes too easy for the opposing D to hold the line and force the dump-in. Between this and the lack of shooting/finishing, it's the Bruin forward's groups biggest weakness.

 

[RoccoF14]

You gotta read their boards they have pitchforks ready for drury.

This board is plenty enough for me...

 

[RoccoF14]

Every team needs at least a couple forwards that can push the D back off the blue-line with their speed. Otherwise it just becomes too easy for the opposing D to hold the line and force the dump-in. Between this and the lack of shooting/finishing, it's the Bruin forward's groups biggest weakness.

Yep. That's where I think we miss DeBrusk more than just his goals.

Not my intent to reignite the DeBrusk debate. What's done is done. But his speed through the neutral zone was something that a lot of people took for granted.

 

[BruinDust]

Yep. That's where I think we miss DeBrusk more than just his goals.

Not my intent to reignite the DeBrusk debate. What's done is done. But his speed through the neutral zone was something that a lot of people took for granted.

Absolutely, he brought that element more than any Bruin forward this year or last year.

 

[Hookslide]

You gotta read their boards they have pitchforks ready for drury.

The days of Williamsport, seem like yesterday.

 

[Mad-Marcus]

Speed isn't overrated. Its just a necessity now, if you wanna play in the NHL.

Shooting accuracy, and guys who can FINISH are the premium these days. Something we definitely could use more of.

You completely miss the context from the post I responded to. When it's all you have as an NHL skill to offer, it's overrated.

 

[Gee Wally]

 

[Ozzy Osbourne]

Rangers are a tire fire maybe Donny gonna do some bargain basement shopping there.

Plenty of players I like on that team. Zibanejad, Trouba, etc but one player on that team is a perfect fit and that’s Kreider.

 

[TCB]

Look at who has gone for a first the last several years. A super cheap 26 year old versatile forward who - despite this boards tendency to assess value week by week - can play all three forward positions, PK, and is physical is worth a lot more than people think. Especially being able to easily fit into even the tightest cap situations.

First and a good prospect (not elite) would certainly be in the ballpark. Even non-playoff teams would be in the mix for him (not that he’d return a top 10 pick or anything).

You very well maybe right especially come deadline Gms are looking for that quick fix and anything’s possible. It wasn’t to long ago Tampa gave up 3 first for Tanner Jeannot as the deadline was expiring.

With that said though, I don’t see it as a deadline deal for futures only because I think the Bruins will batting for a wild card spot right up to the very end.