Boston Bruins 24-25 Roster/Cap thread IX

[Hookslide]

When he was upgraded to associate coach the writing was on the wall and now since he’s been appointed to interim coach, it’s still there, it’s inevitable that he won’t be back. Hopefully theres a new GM and he will be able to bring in his guy.

I do not like " tin hat theories " but I am going there anyways, does anyone else think there is a possibility that this teams problems are not just on ice? I am honestly believe there is more to the issues on this team, than just on ice.

 

[TCB]

I do not like " tin hat theories " but I am going there anyways, does anyone else think there is a possibility that this teams problems are not just on ice? I am honestly believe there is more to the issues on this team, than just on ice.

No question it goes beyond the ice. It starts and ends in the front office. Like them, hate them or if you sit somewhere in between, It’s time for a change.

 

[GordonHowe]

Even under Sacco they've been mixing things up on the fly trying to catch lightning in a bottle, often when they get offensive zone draws. Every wing may end up out there longer depending on what side of the ice they are on in a given period. It's clearly a concerted effort on the coaching staffs part trying to generate offense.

It appears to be working.

 

[Hookslide]

No question it goes beyond the ice. It starts and ends in the front office. Like them, hate them or if you sit somewhere in between, It’s time for a change.

I agree something needs to be changed, but has this filtered down into the Lockeroom

 

[GordonHowe]

Exactly, if it was productive we wouldn't care. But instead it appears McAvoy is part of the problem (I've felt this way for awhile).

Which makes scratching Lohrei with Hampus still out even more mind-boggling. He's the only option to replace McAvoy on the PP.

It's like continuing to use Elias in the bumper. Zero goals scored via this strategy. But they keep running it out there.

He's clean up the team defensively going back to a more passive forecheck and collapsing zone D. Other than that, Sacco hasn't improved anything else. PP still a mess. Questionable line-up decisions and way too much mixing and matching on the fly. Troubling to hear Marchand already talking about sloppiness in practices. Watching him on the bench he doesn't come across as a coach that has grabbed this group by the throat, the change from Monty to Sacco has been minimal really. Even before Monty got fired they were shutting down bad offenses and getting lit up by good ones.

Okay. That's one diagnosis among others.

Other than major player personnel subtractions and additions, no one off the table, what's the solution?

Assuming there is one.

Prescriptions welcome from all,

 

[SPV]

Trade Coyle, Frederic, and one of Carlo or Peeke. Call up Poitras, Merkulov, and Mitchell. Hope for the best. If not, at least you got a return on some dead weight.

 

[Gee Wally]

The biggest issues to me is no matter what happens this team is nowhere near a legit contender.
However as long as they are still in the hunt of a playoff spot nothing of importance will change.
Not making the playoffs is the only mortal sin that gets the attention of Buffalo.

Its a lousy position to be in.

 

[mjhfb]

Okay. That's one diagnosis among others.

Other than major player personnel subtractions and additions, no one off the table, what's the solution?

Assuming there is one.

Prescriptions welcome from all,

Wondering if anything will change until after the 4 nations tournament. Tons of pressure on Sweeney as Canada GM to win that.

 

[HustleB]

I like Sweeney. I liked Neely more as a player. I like the players on the team. However it’s broken and it feels like it may be rotting. I would be on board with wholesale changes starting at the top.

 

[GordonHowe]

Thus far I see no reason to want to bring him back.

Bottom line is they absolutely need to start having better games against the stronger teams. The games before Winnipeg were almost like a mini pre-season. The real regular season started on Tuesday.

How does that happen when the malaise is top to bottom, from management to coaching to players?

At this point, it is clear that this is not simply about coaching. It's about personnel.

I have my binkies, but again, a major shake up is my preference.

Management may as well accept that the present group doesn't have it.

They might also conclude that they are in the middle of a rebuild, whether they know this or can admit this, even to themselves.

Seems pretty plain to me.

 

[GordonHowe]

I didn't like the fight all that much either when I found out Gustafsson was a non-fighter but once it was reported that he asked Frederic to go, all bets are off. It's odd that you are still hung up on it and have such a deep hatred for this player.

I remember another similar one punch on Lane Pederson when he cross-checked Bergeron...only guy on the team to stick up for our captain and he's done it multiple times for other teammates throughout the years.

It's one thing if you were talking about someone like Mitchell Miller or you simply just want him traded for a new look but it seems a little irrational to "despise" someone who wears the Bruins jersey with pride like Frederic.

Hold onto it if you want, just saying

Fan.

Short for fanatic.

 

[BruinDust]

Okay. That's one diagnosis among others.

Other than major player personnel subtractions and additions, no one off the table, what's the solution?

Assuming there is one.

Prescriptions welcome from all,

A new management team with a different vision for what this league is now and what the Bruins will need to be moving forward. This past summer clearly showed their vision is flawed.

 

[JCRO]

The biggest issues to me is no matter what happens this team is nowhere near a legit contender.
However as long as they are still in the hunt of a playoff spot nothing of importance will change.
Not making the playoffs is the only mortal sin that gets the attention of Buffalo.

Its a lousy position to be in.

100 percent this Wally.

I dont want to speak for everyone else, but my expectations coming out of this offseason were conference finals. I thought without a doubt they were going to be a better team than last year. That is not the case.

And now they're hanging out in Medicoreville ala the Penguins. At least not all of our core guys are one foot into retirement like the Pens I guess..

 

[Dr Hook]

100 percent this Wally.

I dont want to speak for everyone else, but my expectations coming out of this offseason were conference finals. I thought without a doubt they were going to be a better team than last year. That is not the case.

And now they're hanging out in Medicoreville ala the Penguins. At least not all of our core guys are one foot into retirement like the Pens I guess..

The one that is is having a good season, the rest are playing like they've already retired.

 

[Bocephus86]

The biggest issues to me is no matter what happens this team is nowhere near a legit contender.
However as long as they are still in the hunt of a playoff spot nothing of importance will change.
Not making the playoffs is the only mortal sin that gets the attention of Buffalo.

Its a lousy position to be in.

Ya we appear to be looking at a long time as a borderline playoff team where we acquire mid-level FAs to keep the status quo. Hard to retool on the fly with the major long term contracts right now and mid-round picks every year. Things could be looking up if McAvoy / Swayman / Pasta (to an extent) turn it around, and E Lindholm becomes a 20/50/70 guy, but otherwise a lot of my hopes going into the season are dashed.

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

Wondering if anything will change until after the 4 nations tournament. Tons of pressure on Sweeney as Canada GM to win that.

Lol If that's the case he should be fired today,

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Okay. That's one diagnosis among others.

Other than major player personnel subtractions and additions, no one off the table, what's the solution?

Assuming there is one.

Prescriptions welcome from all,

That's the question.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Ya we appear to be looking at a long time as a borderline playoff team where we acquire mid-level FAs to keep the status quo. Hard to retool on the fly with the major long term contracts right now and mid-round picks every year. Things could be looking up if McAvoy / Swayman / Pasta (to an extent) turn it around, and E Lindholm becomes a 20/50/70 guy, but otherwise a lot of my hopes going into the season are dashed.

Can't see anyway other than that.

 

[Fenian24]

If Sweeney put a mid season tournament ahead of the Bruins that should move to the top of the list of reasons to fire him

 

[The don godfather]

Sway and that D will get us in. Book it! I'm calm.

 

[gerrycheeversmask]

Sway and that D will get us in. Book it! I'm calm.

Who's going to replace Geekie and Brazeau in the top 6?

 

[The don godfather]

Who's going to replace Geekie and Brazeau in the top 6?

Donny will get some wingers he knows scoring is major issue. Get ready for playoffs.

 

[GordonHowe]

yeah, fair play. It's rather shocking.

I understand.

Yet how much post season success have the Bruins enjoyed with the skilled speedy Smurf approach?

It produced playoff berths, true.

Once safely ensconced in the Second Season, however, Boston repeatedly proved inadequate to the task of handling bigger, more physical clubs who routinely ran them out of the building (frequently their own).

The result: chronic failure and annual frustration.

It is now coming up on a decade of playoff futility under the stewardship of Cam Neely and Don Sweeney.

So, absent a change in management, unfortunately unlikely, what is the solution?

At this point I'm not certain there is one.

 

[wintersej]

Being the worst rush and PP team in a league where almost all the goals are scored that way ain't gonna get you success. The cycle/dirty goal game becomes more important in the spring, but even then you still need the other kinds of scoring.

 

[BruinDust]

At this point I'm not certain there is one.

This is the worst Bruins team I've seen since 2005-06. But they don't have a Joe Thornton in his mid-20s on fresh 3-year contract to trade. Elias Lindholm isn't about pull a Zhamnov and get a career-ending injury (and the cap relief that goes with it). They don't have a Bergeron and Krejci in the system.

There is no golden parachute for the current Bruins franchise. Short-term, long-term, it's a mess.

New management, new pro scouts, a new coaching staff. Start there and try to re-tool the group around your current core players (Pasta/McAvoy/Swayman). I'd even trade McAvoy if a comparable D-man in age and pedigree was available.

But they won't do any of that.

Yet how much post season success have the Bruins enjoyed with the skilled speedy Smurf approach?

Let's be honest, they've never truly gone in that direction. Not in the entire history of this franchise or at least since Orr came along.