Boston Bruins 24-25 Roster/Cap thread VII

Hookslide

Registered User
Nov 19, 2018
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In Coyle's defense Montgomery is not using him properly. Last season was an anomaly and to be fair not sustainable for Coyle. That doesn't mean Coyle doesn't have his strengths and can not contribute, but I'll bet a nickel, half his struggles are a result of how he is being used and the expectations.
Coyle is a good hockey player, and in the end he will prove that he is doing his job. No right wing, and Marchand is not the player he once was, lets be honest that has not helped, and when Fredrics has been with him he seems a little better. This team has other problems other than Coyle, he needs to be better and I, think he will.
 

BigGoalBrad

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Jun 3, 2012
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If I’m dealing McAvoy he’s not going to be the best player in the trade
What realistically better player is on the block. Could we add enough to get Adam Fox and send him to his favorite team? Doubt it. You could take Trouba and another good older forward and send them Coyle and probably pocket a pick.
 

PlayMakers

Registered User
Aug 9, 2004
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Medfield, MA
This is more than a talent issue.

The level of disorganization out there is staggering. That's on the coach.

The level of sloppiness and the lack of compete level is also staggering. That's on the players and particularly the leadership group, who have been the biggest offenders. Marchand, Pastrnak, McAvoy, Lindholm, Carlo, Swayman should all be ashamed.
 

TD Charlie

Registered User
Sep 10, 2007
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This is more than a talent issue.

The level of disorganization out there is staggering. That's on the coach.

The level of sloppiness and the lack of compete level is also staggering. That's on the players and particularly the leadership group, who have been the biggest offenders. Marchand, Pastrnak, McAvoy, Lindholm, Carlo, Swayman should all be ashamed.
As for the last sentence, it just doesn’t feel to me like they are. At all.
 

BruinDust

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
25,207
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Didn’t get much steam on the main board but some flyers fans thought Geekie for Frost was fair

Feel like this has a Sweeney feel to it almost like Haula for Zacha

I don’t think it solves all of our issues but I think he offers some skill and playmaking that the top six could use

He could have more to give outside of Torts

I'd like to see them take a look at Michael Carcone in Utah. Scored 21 goals last year but has fallen out of the line-up. Immediately becomes Boston's fastest forward.

He's a natural winger and honestly if they aren't going to use Geekie as a C then he's being wasted because he's a terrible winger and the Bruins could use some speed and skill added to the wing.

Even if not a straight swap with Utah the Bruins should have zero problems moving Geekie for whatever to whomever (Nashville maybe? They want a C and have cap space) to clear a roster spot and make a separate deal for Carcone. Gives the Bruins some cap savings (1.25 million) and cap flexibility.
 

Gee Wally

Old, Grumpy Moderator
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Feb 27, 2002
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HF retirement home

Saying a team is “.500″ is commonly understood to mean it has equal numbers of wins and losses.

It means something slightly different in the NHL, because of the single point teams get for an overtime or shootout loss in the regular season, dubbed the “loser point” shortly after Gary Bettman foisted it on hockey fans in the fall of 1998.

In any sport, it means mediocre. At present, that would be a generous description of the Bruins.

After they got their doors blown off in Raleigh on Thursday, they were decidedly under NHL .500, at 4-6-1. Before that no-show, they had a chance to move to 1 “loser” point above NHL .500. They are now looking up at the entire Atlantic Division and most of the Eastern Conference.

Montreal has the same record as 14th-place Boston, but holds a tiebreaker. Detroit and Buffalo (both 4-5-1) are below NHL .500. Ottawa, Columbus, and Toronto are slightly above. Florida and Tampa are battling for the top of the division.

It’s a crowded scene, and with an Atlantic-low two wins in regulation, Bruins are in the background. Strange environs for a group that was leading the East on the previous two Halloweens. Boston was a combined 31-5-3 at the previous two Thanksgivings, and spent zero days outside of the playoff format in either season.

This edition, clearly diminished but still potentially capable, will have to swim against the current. Is it too early to worry? Not at all.

Historically, teams that start a bit slower than these Bruins almost never make the playoffs.

Since 2013-14, when the NHL introduced its wild-card format, 14 of 176 teams that were at least 4 points out wound up making the playoffs, or just shy of 8 percent. Between the last two lockouts, 9.4 percent of those teams got in.

Before disregarding the idea because the Bruins aren’t that poorly off — they woke up 2 points out of the playoffs— consider they are tied, points-wise, with five other teams, with Ottawa 1 point ahead. Teams that are out by any number come Nov. 1 don’t often make it in.

In the last 11 seasons, 27.8 percent of finishers — 40 of 144 — that did not hold a playoff spot on Nov. 1 righted the ship and made the playoffs. (That’s not including the two pandemic seasons, during which the NHL altered its postseason criteria. Including the COVID years, 48 of 176 made it, or 27.3). Those who overcame include last year’s Panthers, who were two 2 points out last Nov. 1 and went onto greater things. Same thing with the Oilers, who were 4 points out that day.

If the Bruins are actually a Stanley Cup contender, they are wearing the Halloween costume of a tentative, slow-skating, team that can’t possess the puck, can’t score, can’t lock it down defensively, and can’t stay out of the box. They look haunted. History shows things had better not get worse.

Six teams in the last 11 years were six 6 or more points out on Nov. 1 and still made it in. The biggest such outlier is the 2013-14 Flyers, who were 10 points out (3-9-1). Only one other team — the 2015-16 Ducks, 9 points — was more than 6 points behind the pack on that date (they won the Pacific Division). The Blues were 4 points off the pace on Nov. 1, 2018, before they found success with a new coach and a goaltender.

The Bruins were 4 points out on Nov. 1, 2011, coming off Brad Marchand’s breakout Stanley Cup run, and eventually won the Northeast Division. That was a team with all the championship elements save a reliable power play.

These Bruins don’t have one of those, either, and the rest of those elements have yet to reveal themselves. If they’re on the way, they can’t come soon enough.
 

goldenblack

Registered User
Apr 15, 2024
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The big saving grace is 15 free agents over the next 2 seasons. If you want to do it different, you're going to get your chance.
 

TCB

Registered User
Dec 15, 2017
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North Of The Border
What realistically better player is on the block. Could we add enough to get Adam Fox and send him to his favorite team? Doubt it. You could take Trouba and another good older forward and send them Coyle and probably pocket a pick.
Then I don’t move him as simple as that. This teams woes is far from McAvoys fault. I’m just don’t to keen on moving out McAvoy and the best player your getting back is a Huberdeau, big time pass for me.
 

PB37

Mr Selke
Oct 1, 2002
26,202
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Maine
It feels to me like they’re trying to get Monty fired, or at the very least, force a change in how they play.

Another tin foil hat conspiracy theory: maybe there's a rift in the locker room and because things have always been great in there since 07, nobody knows how to handle it and the disfunction has bled over to the on ice product. It seems odd that 95 percent of the team just all of a sudden suck at playing hockey at the same time. Nobody is playing for each other.
 

Hookslide

Registered User
Nov 19, 2018
5,286
4,619
Another tin foil hat conspiracy theory: maybe there's a rift in the locker room and because things have always been great in there since 07, nobody knows how to handle it and the disfunction has bled over to the on ice product. It seems odd that 95 percent of the team just all of a sudden suck at playing hockey at the same time. Nobody is playing for each other.
One of the problems with moving someone or more players out, is these no trade, movement contracts this team has, again that falls on Sweeney.
 

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