Boston Bruins 24-25 Roster/Cap thread VI

[NDiesel]

Hindsight is 20/20 but a retool could've started if McAvoy was traded at the draft. Something like the Sergachev package. (*Note Sergachev cap hit brought in Guentzel.)

Lmao, as soon as I saw that you posted in this thread I knew it was to bash McAvoy...props for consistency, wish I didn't have to read your opinion on him in every single thread though, maybe keep it to one or two?

 

[Over the volcano]

Sign Johnson

For the next 5ish games run with

Pastrnak Zacha poitras
Marchand lindholm kopeke
Johnson Coyle Brazzeau/Jones
Beecher Kastellic Frederic

Poitras needs some high end offensive on his line. Koepke gets rewarded for being their most productive forward. Frederic gets to remember how to play with speed and confidence. Coyle gets a seasoned vet with some offense on his line he doesn't have to think about.

Keep their eggs in different baskets and play to their strengths. Geekie gets a full on reset.

 

[NDiesel]

Sign Johnson

For the next 5ish games run with

Pastrnak Zacha poitras
Marchand lindholm kopeke
Johnson Coyle Brazzeau/Jones
Beecher Kastellic Frederic

Poitras needs some high end offensive on his line. Koepke gets rewarded for being their most productive forward. Frederic gets to remember how to play with speed and confidence. Coyle gets a seasoned vet with some offense on his line he doesn't have to think about.

Keep their eggs in different baskets and play to their strengths. Geekie gets a full on reset.

Honestly they should roll their lines like the Kraken did a couple years ago when they had Sprong/Geekie on their bottom two lines. Pretty much had 4 lines, all spread out playing similar minutes. Keep it simple and forecheck and play with some speed

We have a way more skilled 1st line and should just spread the rest of the skill through lines 2 to 4 and play them equally

 

[Over the volcano]

Honestly they should roll their lines like the Kraken did a couple years ago when they had Sprong/Geekie on their bottom two lines. Pretty much had 4 lines, all spread out playing similar minutes. Keep it simple and forecheck and play with some speed

We have a way more skilled 1st line and should just spread the rest of the skill through lines 2 to 4 and play them equally

Always like thinking of lines as pairs - right now it'd be

Zacha Pastrnak
Lindholm Marchand
Coyle Johnson
Beecher Kastellic

And compliment them with the strengths of the remaining forwards

 

[CellyHard]

I still don't understand why they don't give Lysell a shot

I look at Calgary who is undefeated on the year and it's crazy. They have Kuzmenko who doesn't play a lick of defense on their first line with Matt Coronato...you know the 2021 1st round pick selected 8 picks before Lysell. He's a right wing...same size, speedy kid.

They are getting scoring all over their lineup and they are trusting their kids like Pospisil and Zary with big roles on their team.

If you can plug him into the 2nd line RW spot, it actually slots players in their right roles so we don't have to rotate lines all year long. I go

Zacha Lindholm Pastrnak
Marchand Coyle Lysell
Frederic Poitras Geekie
Beecher Kastelic Koepke

I rotate Brazeau in when needed to get heavy but otherwise, let's get some skill in this lineup and put our prospects in a position to succeed

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I'm still hoping for Brazeau to come around, if given the chance.

Five games seems a little quick to give up on a guy that looked so good last season.

 

[Spoon fed]

I still don't understand why they don't give Lysell a shot

I look at Calgary who is undefeated on the year and it's crazy. They have Kuzmenko who doesn't play a lick of defense on their first line with Matt Coronato...you know the 2021 1st round pick selected 8 picks before Lysell. He's a right wing...same size, speedy kid.

They are getting scoring all over their lineup and they are trusting their kids like Pospisil and Zary with big roles on their team.

If you can plug him into the 2nd line RW spot, it actually slots players in their right roles so we don't have to rotate lines all year long. I go

Zacha Lindholm Pastrnak
Marchand Coyle Lysell
Frederic Poitras Geekie
Beecher Kastelic Koepke

I rotate Brazeau in when needed to get heavy but otherwise, let's get some skill in this lineup and put our prospects in a position to succeed

This is the way IMO.
Anyone that wants to break up the 4th line is crazy.

This slots everyone as they should be and maybe, just maybe they can start to build some chemistry.

 

[wintersej]

Always like thinking of lines as pairs - right now it'd be

Zacha Pastrnak
Lindholm Marchand
Coyle Johnson
Beecher Kastellic

And compliment them with the strengths of the remaining forwards

I think the problem is finding the compliments is easier said than done.

Zacha and Pasta you are probably trying to recreate a Tyler Bertuzzi role if you are taking away Lindholm. I guess that’s either Frederic, Geekie or one of the 4th line guys.

Marchand and Lindholm I think that line needs a puck hound with speed. Someone who can be F1 and can help transition the puck and take things off Marchand’s plate…but also can get to the net and cycle with Brad. Basically, they need 22-23 Jake DeBrusk. Lysell? Poitras? Koepke?

Coyle needs someone who can help transition the puck. And he needs someone who wants to shoot. I think in my head “and someone for him to cycle with”…but it sure does feel like Coyle as a one man cycle doesn’t look a lot different than when he is cycling with friends.

So let’s just start with Frederic in the Bertuzzi role, and one of Lysell/Poitras in the DeBrusk spot.

Coyle ends up on an all righty line with Geekie/Johnson/Lysell/Poitras all looking to get in on it. You could keep Frederic down with Coyle and move Geekie up with Zacha and Pasta like you did in the playoffs. Or maybe break up the fourth line and put one of those guys on the top line…but that doesn’t feel super sustainable.

No matter how things are shuffled it all comes back to the same thing: you can have one of Coyle, Poitras, Geekie, Lysell, Johnson, etc in the top six, but two means you have a hole in the roster.

And if Marchand is cooked it gets scary fast. Since February 1st (51 games including post season), Marchand has 4 even strength goals. For comparison, Jesper Boqvist had 6 in 47 last season. I don’t think he is done, but it’s also very much not a 0% possibility.

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

I'm still hoping for Brazeau to come around, if given the chance.

Five games seems a little quick to give up on a guy that looked so good last season.

I like Braz a lot and think he has the toolbox and tools to be an okay nhl'er but him not coming to camp faster is a bit concerning on his level of effort but in a massive defense to him no one on the team has looked theirself so it's probably not a fair judgement.

 

[BruinsFanMike82]

Of all skaters in the entire league (min. 2 games played)
Bruins players rank one, two and three in worst penalty differential per 60 min.
Four of the top-20 spots are held by Bruins:

1. Max Jones = -7.92
2. Riley Tufte = -3.69
3. Nikita Zadorov = -3.64
18. Charlie McAvoy = -2.22

No other team has more than two players in the top-20.
I'm not sure this team can afford to keep rolling Jones out there.


The team absolutely has to focus on staying out of the box.

 

[BostonBob]

Hindsight is 20/20 but a retool could've started if McAvoy was traded at the draft. Something like the Sergachev package. (*Note Sergachev cap hit brought in Guentzel.)

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

I still don't understand why they don't give Lysell a shot

Have to think an opportunity is coming soon if this keeps up.

He'll make some mistakes but everyone on the team right now is. Nothing to lose I say!

 

[Fenian24]

Can't wait for the Ryan Spooner, I mean Fabian Lysell call up.

Here's a prediction for the self serving contractor. He will play 5 games,be zeros across the board, the Lysell fans will find excuses ( the normal coach didn’t like him or not enough ice time or bad linemates) he will then be dealt as an add on at the deadline or before and the Spooner/Khokhlachev/Lysell crew will bemoan his loss.

Lysell is fast, that's it, he is not an NHL player, I would like to see him get a chance so they can just move on from him.

 

[GordonHowe]

So busy I have not followed every jot and tittle of the 2024-2025 Bruins.

What I have seen is underwhelming though not cause for concern.

I don't know if Jim Montgomery will be coaching Boston when they finally get it together, but I believe they will, one way or another.

At this point, as the savants of Causeway Crowd have it, changes are in order.

Some need to sit.

Some should be cut or demoted.

Tyler Johnson should get a chance.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but perhaps Lysell and Merkulov do as well.

Because it ain't workin'.

The lines*as constructed by Montgomery,* save the fourth, are not getting it done. At all.

It's early. No panic button.

Clearly, however, changes must be made.

These Boston Bruins can, and will, gel over time.

That may take a while. They aren't a team yet.

I'm fine with that.

Sorry to be a jerk, but I am less fine with Jim Montgomery as their head coach.

To his credit, through (many) poor decisions and painful experience, he has learned and grown in the job.

I am not at all certain he has learned or grown enough.

Or that Sunny Jim is the "right" coach to lead this, or any, Bruins bunch.

I am no expert, and have never been a coach at any level.

Even so, the Montgomery minted, confused and confusing tactics & strategy remain deeply problematic.

We shall see,

 

[slim399]

Roll out the kids. It won’t happen, but this sure would be entertaining to watch.

Merkulov-Zacha-Pastrnak
Frederic-Lindholm-Lysell
Marchand-Coyle-Poitras
Beecher-Kastelic-Koepke
Geekie

 

[smithformeragent]

The organization has been sort of whistling past the graveyard for a while.

I will be the first to admit that I was wrong and they were right when myself and others were calling for a tear down in a rebuild a handful of years back.

Sweeney has managed to break free from the sleeper hold and avoid the rebuild for years now. And he should get credit for that.

However, the top six forwards have been an issue for sometime now. Whether it’s been a failure to hit in the draft, or cap mismanagement. You have had guys slotted at a position and it is really burned you in the playoffs when other teams can match up and shut down Pastrnak.

The injuries have piled up for Marchand, and the surgeries take a toll after a while.

Lindholm was the best guy available to come in and give the center group an injection of talent. But Marc Savard, he is not.

So if they’re not going to score goals in buckets, can they shore up the defense and win games 2-1 Claude Julien style? Do they have the horses and the coaching philosophy to do that?

 

[NDiesel]

Can't wait for the Ryan Spooner, I mean Fabian Lysell call up.

Here's a prediction for the self serving contractor. He will play 5 games,be zeros across the board, the Lysell fans will find excuses ( the normal coach didn’t like him or not enough ice time or bad linemates) he will then be dealt as an add on at the deadline or before and the Spooner/Khokhlachev/Lysell crew will bemoan his loss.

Lysell is fast, that's it, he is not an NHL player, I would like to see him get a chance so they can just move on from him.

The absolute horror if Lysell can get 49 points like Spooner did, we can't use that at all right now right?

 

[wintersej]

The organization has been sort of whistling past the graveyard for a while.

I will be the first to admit that I was wrong and they were right when myself and others were calling for a tear down in a rebuild a handful of years back.

Sweeney has managed to break free from the sleeper hold and avoid the rebuild for years now. And he should get credit for that.

However, the top six forwards have been an issue for sometime now. Whether it’s been a failure to hit in the draft, or cap mismanagement. You have had guys slotted at a position and it is really burned you in the playoffs when other teams can match up and shut down Pastrnak.

The injuries have piled up for Marchand, and the surgeries take a toll after a while.

Lindholm was the best guy available to come in and give the center group an injection of talent. But Marc Savard, he is not.

So if they’re not going to score goals in buckets, can they shore up the defense and win games 2-1 Claude Julien style? Do they have the horses and the coaching philosophy to do that?

I think they have the horses for 2-1 grind it out. Maybe you wish you had another defensive minded center in the Danault or Pageau kind of mold.

But I don’t think Monty is the coach for that.

 

[Hookslide]

I believe (and I could be wrong) that he is on an AHL contract. So he SHOULD be available to sign an NHL deal with whomever.

Doubtful it happens with the Bruins. But he should be available.

Thanks

 

[Hookslide]

The organization has been sort of whistling past the graveyard for a while.

I will be the first to admit that I was wrong and they were right when myself and others were calling for a tear down in a rebuild a handful of years back.

Sweeney has managed to break free from the sleeper hold and avoid the rebuild for years now. And he should get credit for that.

However, the top six forwards have been an issue for sometime now. Whether it’s been a failure to hit in the draft, or cap mismanagement. You have had guys slotted at a position and it is really burned you in the playoffs when other teams can match up and shut down Pastrnak.

The injuries have piled up for Marchand, and the surgeries take a toll after a while.

Lindholm was the best guy available to come in and give the center group an injection of talent. But Marc Savard, he is not.

So if they’re not going to score goals in buckets, can they shore up the defense and win games 2-1 Claude Julien style? Do they have the horses and the coaching philosophy to do that?

Good post, I have a few questions and points to make.
They have done a good job avoiding a full rebuild, in my opinion would not be welcomed in this market. This team for the most part has been competitive, but always seem to be that one player away, and this goes back to when Neely and Middleton played. How many years were they looking for a wing to play with Krecji, and when that was not a problem they had Horton and won the cup.
Sweeney said at the end of the season that the team would not have surgeries, but then we find out Marchand had three, problematic for me, how about you.
Lindholm, you stated was the best available forward, do you agree with signing at that cost and term, I don't ?
Are you also proposing bringing back a Claude Julien, or a like.
Warning this is for discussion purposes....... HAHA

 

[yazmybaby]

Sign Johnson

For the next 5ish games run with

Pastrnak Zacha poitras
Marchand lindholm kopeke
Johnson Coyle Brazzeau/Jones
Beecher Kastellic Frederic

Poitras needs some high end offensive on his line. Koepke gets rewarded for being their most productive forward. Frederic gets to remember how to play with speed and confidence. Coyle gets a seasoned vet with some offense on his line he doesn't have to think about.

Keep their eggs in different baskets and play to their strengths. Geekie gets a full on reset.

Where is Geekie???

 

[smithformeragent]

Good post, I have a few questions and points to make.
They have done a good job avoiding a full rebuild, in my opinion would not be welcomed in this market. This team for the most part has been competitive, but always seem to be that one player away, and this goes back to when Neely and Middleton played. How many years were they looking for a wing to play with Krecji, and when that was not a problem they had Horton and won the cup.
Sweeney said at the end of the season that the team would not have surgeries, but then we find out Marchand had three, problematic for me, how about you.
Lindholm, you stated was the best available forward, do you agree with signing at that cost and term, I don't ?
Are you also proposing bringing back a Claude Julien, or a like.
Warning this is for discussion purposes....... HAHA

• My gut tells me that they won't get value out of the Lindholm signing. It feels like "We need a playmaking center to replace Krejci and Bergeron and he's the best available so pay him what the market says he's worth."
• I'm not bringing back Clode. And I love Clode. I'm not sure what the answer is. But it feels like they don't have the horses to play run-and-gun.
• We'll see what this roster is. Are they a middler? If so, then what?

 

[yazmybaby]

I hope lysell can be a difference maker offensively if called up. They need it bad.

Me too, but based on Lysell having 2 points in 4 AHL games, he is not lighting it up this year.
I would rather have us sign Johnson and get him in the lineup.
Waive Jones.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Me too, but based on Lysell having 2 points in 4 AHL games, he is not lighting it up this year.
I would rather have us sign Johnson and get him in the lineup.
Waive Jones.

I don't know...Johnson has zero points this year so he's not lighting it up either.

 

[yazmybaby]

Hindsight is 20/20 but a retool could've started if McAvoy was traded at the draft. Something like the Sergachev package. (*Note Sergachev cap hit brought in Guentzel.)

The Sergachev trade looks great for TBay so far.
They got a solid #3 dee in Moser, a potential top 6 forward in Geekie, who is playing as a 20 YO this year and a 2nd pick in this years draft.
And saved around 5M in cap space.
I would not have confidence in our Management team to trade McAvoy and get fair or better value.