Boston Bruins 24-25 Roster/Cap thread VI

[Dennis Bonvie]

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.

Clearly due to referee bias.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

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 muUch not a 0% possibility.

Bruins should have given Marchand October for additional healing and conditioning
given 3 surgeries.

 

[Number8]

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 agree. Big man with undeniable hands.

Brazzeau may not be the total answer to our early season woes. But he's not even remotely the reason for them either.

Defense has been sloppy and undisciplined. Minor penalties have been far too frequent. Top lines are playing like frogs that have been pithed, and only line showing any intensity chemistry and passion has been the 4th.

We're not as bad as we've been showing. But we also can't shitcan a decent source of secondary scoring while we wait for things to settle in. Why? Because our primary sources of scoring have been that poor.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I agree. Big man with undeniable hands.

Brazzeau may not be the total answer to our early season woes. But he's not even remotely the reason for them either.

Defense has been sloppy and undisciplined. Minor penalties have been far too frequent. Top lines are playing like frogs that have been pithed, and only line showing any intensity chemistry and passion has been the 4th.

We're not as bad as we've been showing. But we also can't shitcan a decent source of secondary scoring while we wait for things to settle in. Why? Because our primary sources of scoring have been that poor.

Brazeau has 8 points in 24 career regular season games, and 5 of them came in a 3 game stretch. He had 2 points in 9 playoff games. He has 1 point in 5 games this year. He's not a decent source of secondary scoring at all.

He's not the "reason" for our woes, but it's players like him who have been completely unproductive that worsen things while we wait for the top players to get their heads out of their asses.

 

[Hookslide]

Bruins should have given Marchand October for additional healing and conditioning
given 3 surgeries.

You are probably right, but I really think father time as really taken over, he was not producing last year before the surgeries, although maybe the injuries, I am sure had an effect, but I am betting more on father time. Now the problem will be for the coach and maybe future coach, will handle this issue, I am sure the fans will have their say. The front office will not have to be concerned with the negative back lash until contract time. There will be fans that will be screaming that they are not showing him respect, and should give a contract, but those are the same fans, want to know why they cannot win a cup.

 

[dugg133]

I agree. Big man with undeniable hands.

Brazzeau may not be the total answer to our early season woes. But he's not even remotely the reason for them either.

Defense has been sloppy and undisciplined. Minor penalties have been far too frequent. Top lines are playing like frogs that have been pithed, and only line showing any intensity chemistry and passion has been the 4th.

We're not as bad as we've been showing. But we also can't shitcan a decent source of secondary scoring while we wait for things to settle in. Why? Because our primary sources of scoring have been that poor.

he hasn't been a decent source of secondary scoring though? He has a longer leash then Tufte and Jones though, so he's not getting waived anytime soon.

 

[LouJersey]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5867941/2024/10/24/bruins-clear-sight-analytics/?source=user_shared_article

 

[Number8]

Brazeau has 8 points in 24 career regular season games, and 5 of them came in a 3 game stretch. He had 2 points in 9 playoff games. He has 1 point in 5 games this year. He's not a decent source of secondary scoring at all.

He's not the "reason" for our woes, but it's players like him who have been completely unproductive that worsen things while we wait for the top players to get their heads out of their asses.

He easily could have many more points than that over that 24 RS career. The "eye test", to me, suggests that you don't quit on him yet.

Regardless, he is not even remotely the problem. Hell, as poor as our offense has been at the top of our lineup, it's not even that bad in the big picture.

The real issue is our defense looks like total dog shit. And THAT is not a personnel issue. As presently constituted it should be much much better. But, yeah, let's focus on Brazeau.

he hasn't been a decent source of secondary scoring though? He has a longer leash then Tufte and Jones though, so he's not getting waived anytime soon.

I agree -- I should have said "decent secondary scoring potential". If you asked me to list players who "look like" they might score, Brazeau is often there. When he plays, he's always near the net and always looking to put the puck on net.

Meanwhile, speaking of nets, there are several players who right now look like they couldn't score a goal if the net was the size of the Atlantic Ocean.

 

[Over the volcano]

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

Tied with Geekie at the moment

 

[PB37]

He easily could have many more points than that over that 24 RS career. The "eye test", to me, suggests that you don't quit on him yet.

Regardless, he is not even remotely the problem. Hell, as poor as our offense has been at the top of our lineup, it's not even that bad in the big picture.

The real issue is our defense looks like total dog shit. And THAT is not a personnel issue. As presently constituted it should be much much better. But, yeah, let's focus on Brazeau.


I agree -- I should have said "decent secondary scoring potential". If you asked me to list players who "look like" they might score, Brazeau is often there. When he plays, he's always near the net and always looking to put the puck on net.

Meanwhile, speaking of nets, there are several players who right now look like they couldn't score a goal if the net was the size of the Atlantic Ocean.

Agreed. Size + hands = give these types of players more rope to figure it out. I like Brazeau's game as he keeps it simple and doesn't try to do anything outside of his toolbox. I'll be honest in saying I'm a little confused as to why they've picked him to rotate in/out when I thought he was one of the players who looked like they were effective in what they were doing out on the ice.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Agreed. Size + hands = give these types of players more rope to figure it out. I like Brazeau's game as he keeps it simple and doesn't try to do anything outside of his toolbox. I'll be honest in saying I'm a little confused as to why they've picked him to rotate in/out when I thought he was one of the players who looked like they were effective in what they were doing out on the ice.

Interesting - I haven't seem him do much of anything and he's been late everywhere. But again, I am not going to be as tough on the complementary players until the top veterans figure it out.

 

[22Brad Park]

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.

Pretty good for a guy coming off that gruesome leg injury.

 

[Ned Bouhalassa]

Crazy thought: make 4 lines, stick with them for a dozen or more games, no changes. See what happens.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Crazy thought: make 4 lines, stick with them for a dozen or more games, no changes. See what happens.

Right now I'm completely against that. I'm good with the blender being out in full force until they figure it out.

 

[dugg133]

Agreed. Size + hands = give these types of players more rope to figure it out. I like Brazeau's game as he keeps it simple and doesn't try to do anything outside of his toolbox. I'll be honest in saying I'm a little confused as to why they've picked him to rotate in/out when I thought he was one of the players who looked like they were effective in what they were doing out on the ice.

I'm not seeing this at all tbh, he's looked very ineffective to me to this point. But so has pretty much everyone besides the 4th line.

 

[Alicat]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849481590369288508

 

[Kegs]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849481590369288508

what a beauty.

 

[BamBamCam]

The question is why do the Bruins have 14 forwards on their roster why isn't someone waived. They could waive on1or 2 of Tufte, Jones or Brazeau and start accumulating some capspace.

 

[LSCII]

Bruins should have given Marchand October for additional healing and conditioning
given 3 surgeries.

Absolutely agree with this.

 

[JoeIsAStud]

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.

There is no way I would have traded McAvoy for that package .

 

[NDiesel]

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.

The Bolts also have Hedman ahead of Sergachev, wouldn't make as much sense for us anyway.

 

[Over the volcano]

Bruins should have given Marchand October for additional healing and conditioning
given 3 surgeries.

If he wants to play his way back in they're not going to tell him no. He just needs to make better decisions out there if he's not at 100%

 

[JAD]

Agreed. Size + hands = give these types of players more rope to figure it out. I like Brazeau's game as he keeps it simple and doesn't try to do anything outside of his toolbox. I'll be honest in saying I'm a little confused as to why they've picked him to rotate in/out when I thought he was one of the players who looked like they were effective in what they were doing out on the ice.

I wouldn't blame Brazeau too much. Like with some of these other guys trying to earn an every game spot on the team their 'toolbox' are limited. They rely on the other players on their line to play well, which usually helps them to look better. None of them can drive a line alone. When Brazeau tries to get open his linemates are not doing their job so he is rushing and trying to do more and looks worse than if his linemates were playing well.

So he sits as the coaching staff is trying to find a combination that is clicking. Unfortunately, with a few exceptions, the whole team is struggling and since many of the 'better' players are playing below their capabilities it is causing the fringe players to look even worse than they really are.
Vicious cycle.

Get the better players playing better doing the things they should be doing and those fringe players won't look so bad. Everything right now is exaggerated, because so many right now are in a funk.

 

[Babajingo]

JDB is on a line with JT Miller and Boeser and has 4 points (all assists). I don't think he would've made much of a difference on the Bs so far.

 

[Number8]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849481590369288508

Marchand is no whimp. Walks the walk, and talks the talk,

I just wish he’d stop having multiple surgeries over the summer and coming back in record time. He looks beat up to me.