Boston Bruins 24-25 Roster/Cap thread VIII

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I found in last year's playoffs that inserting Lohrei and putting him up with McAvoy was a major turning point in the Leaf series. Bruins started breaking the puck out, even skating the puck out, much more consistently.

Conversely, I felt it was a huge mistake to dress Forbort against Florida when he hadn't played in almost 2 months.

Lohrei is one of those players whose mistakes are loud but his actual good plays are quiet. Kid should be playing 22 a night next to McAvoy. Its Chucks turn - he needs to own that.

 

[BruinDust]

Lohrei is one of those players whose mistakes are loud but his actual good plays are quiet. Kid should be playing 22 a night next to McAvoy. Its Chucks turn - he needs to own that.

I think you get much more out of McAvoy offensively when he has someone mobile and confident opposite him in the offensive zone.

All that being said, if there is one zone I don't have much issue with Zadorov is the offensive zone. I felt he's been OK back there on the offensive blue-line. Not the right partner for McAvoy (should be Lohrei, better with the puck, skater). But he's been OK from the blue-line in. He's been decent on breakout passes.

But defending the rush and the cycle have been adventures thus far. Then factor in all the minor penalties.

IDK I see this D-corps and I don't really understand why they are so bad this year. It looks on paper to be a good mix. Could a different coaching staff get more out of the D-men? Defensively they need more from the nearly 20 million they give McAvoy/Carlo/Zadorov?

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I think you get much more out of McAvoy offensively when he has someone mobile and confident opposite him in the offensive zone.

All that being said, if there is one zone I don't have much issue with Zadorov is the offensive zone. I felt he's been OK back there on the offensive blue-line. Not the right partner for McAvoy (should be Lohrei, better with the puck, skater). But he's been OK from the blue-line in. He's been decent on breakout passes.

But defending the rush and the cycle have been adventures thus far. Then factor in all the minor penalties.

IDK I see this D-corps and I don't really understand why they are so bad this year. It looks on paper to be a good mix. Could a different coaching staff get more out of the D-men? Defensively they need more from the nearly 20 million they give McAvoy/Carlo/Zadorov?

This is the least confident I’ve seen McAvoy since the Ottawa series. I think it’s just a down period for him for whatever reason.

I think when the offense is this bad and Swayman is an average goalie any D would get exposed.

 

[wintersej]

We talked about this as it happened. The learned the wrong lesson from losing to Florida twice. I bet Cam wishes he has Derek Forbort back.

Florida isn’t tough they’re ratty. They’re tall but they can skate. They’ll hammer you on the half wall especially with their top 2 lines but they’ll leave open an odd man if you can reverse the puck. Or we’ll sit back in a Boucher 1-2-2 if we can’t get there.

The idea that Derek Forbort or now Zadorov is the right guy to deploy against that system - if you’re trying to counter Florida which is silly anyway - is madness. You beat them with more Lohrei and less Peeke.

When they had McAvoy, Orlov, Lindholm, Gryz, etc they still got beat by the Panthers. At some point it’s the “puck moving D” folks that are being stubborn despite obvious evidence flying in their faces. To be clear, I have historically very very very much been in that camp. But, they can’t move the puck fast enough to beat the endless Florida pressure. So do you keep doubling down on it or do you start making the simple play to flip it out and start trying to win battles in center ice? As is, they don’t have the speed to have those flip outs turn into odd man rushes, they have not been good at making plays when they do get possession and they don’t have the quickness to be fast on forecheck if they are forced into a dump in. The making plays, I think, is mentally getting on the same page which is just gonna take reps. The team speed issue is of course something completely different.

 

[Gee Wally]

Could boost the Bruins need to go on a winning run come from Joonas Korpisalo? The backup goalie may be that guy. - The Boston Globe

Realistically, the Bruins may have but these next five-eight games to shake their sleepwalking ways and gain some traction in the East.

www.bostonglobe.com

In a season leaning Pisa-like toward a potential crash and crumble, the Bruins remain in search of something or someone to prop up their sagging hopes.

Now 8-8-3, and the Blue Jackets in town for a 7:08 p.m. puck drop Monday, it’s possible that one-time Columbus goalie Joonas Korpisalo will be the prop of the hour.

Anyone expect that when training camp opened two months ago? Back when most of us considered Korpisalo a curious cast extra, and figured the Black and Gold were shoo-ins for a ninth straight visit to the postseason?

“He did have a really good game, but you know …,” mused coach Jim Montgomery, asked following Sunday’s practice how the Finnish ‘tender’s stout performance in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Blues factored into picking Monday’s starter, “… we’re going to evaluate where we’re at, what gives us the best opportunity. This is his prior team, right? Sometimes that’s a motivating factor for a goalie — or any player.”

It’s mid-November and these are not ordinary times for the Bruins. A Berra-esque read of things is that the season is getting late early this year. Something’s got to give, even if it means hoping the backup goalie right now is the better choice, ahead of Jeremy Swayman and his top-dollar (eight years/$66 million) credentials.

Yes, Swayman is and remains the franchise No. 1, despite his current Palookaville stats (5-6-2/3.35/.888). It’s just that, realistically, the Bruins may have but these next 5-8 games to shake their sleepwalking ways and gain some traction in the East. Absent that, they could be positioned to while away the final two-thirds of the season explaining how an $84.25M investment in center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov would have been pennies better left in that bloated Jacobs family piggy bank.

“We are looking for a spark,” agreed Montgomery amid his late-morning media gaggle in Brighton. “Yeah.”

If you’re into reading tea leaves, the 30-minute workout wrapped up with somber-faced associate coach Joe Sacco and Montgomery chatting a couple of minutes along the boards with an attentive Swayman. Korpisalo then quickly was on his way to the dressing room while Swayman continued to toil, after-class work that made him one of the last players to call it a day.

All that could point to “Korpy” getting the call Monday. It also could be a whole lot of nothing, of which we certainly have seen plenty of around here since the puck first dropped Oct. 8. We’re now officially at the seven-week itch, and man, get out the calamine.

On Saturday, while his teammates could muster but 17 shots and two goals on Jordan Binnington, Korpisalo turned aside 28 of 31 St. Louis offerings. Across the 60:00 of regulation, he made a handful of big stops, what might have/should have been the kind of work that banked 2 points — if only the Black-and-Gold forwards and defensemen matched the goalie’s effort and execution.

Korpisalo (3-2-1/2.74/.901) hadn’t faced live fire since Nov. 7, when he thwarted 34 Calgary shots in a 4-3 OT win. Nine days later, following three starts by Swayman (1-1-1), Korpisalo stepped in and outperformed the 18 skaters he dutifully backed from the start to the finish that was Brayden Schenn’s goal 2:53 into the three-on-three free skate.

OK, small sample case. Duly noted. But for an afternoon, Korpisalo was the hot hand on a club needing exactly that. He provided it from a cold start, after sitting around for nine days while the club was stuck in that win one-lose-one-lose-another-in-OT cycle.

Maybe it will be Swayman on Monday night, but the logical pick, the deserving pick, perhaps the necessarypick, would be the 6–foot-3-inch Korpisalo.

Going back to the 2012 draft, he spent more than a decade as Blue Jackets property, often stuck behind No. 1 Sergei Bobrovsky, ultimately to be sent packing to the Kings at the March 2023 trade deadline. Roster churn being what it has been in Columbus, Korpisalo noted Sunday there are only “maybe a handful of guys” still there who there with him along the way.

But a former team is a former team, which leaves Korpisalo with that lingering desire to prove he’s got the goods that the former team felt weren’t, well, good enough.

“Of course, you want to play against your former team,” he said. “You want to show up — there’s not many familiar faces [in the Columbus lineup — but the staff is the same, right? It’s always kind of nice to showcase yourself against your old team, you know? But, whatever goes, goes.”

To date, the Bruins' first quarter has shown there appears to be no quick, easy fix. Andrew Peeke, sidelined by injury the last couple of weeks, could draw back into the lineup vs. Columbus. Riley Tufte, called up from AHL Providence for Saturday’s matinee, was returned promptly to the WannaB’s. Georgii Merkulov (first career point Saturday) remained with the varsity. Tyler Johnson will be back in the lineup after needing a couple of days home on personal leave.

If one of those guys proves to be the change agent, so be it. Montgomery, his career arc here possibly trending toward Lilliput, would appreciate someone being that guy as early as 7:08 Monday evening.

Promise is fine, and no doubt Swayman eventually will be fine. At the moment, however, after losing 11 of their first 19, the Bruins only need results, a big game, a hot hand. On Saturday, that was Korpisalo, the former Blue Jacket with that tiny bit to prove to his old team. As they’ve known in Pisa for centuries, a little extra push could change everything.

 

[BruinDust]

This is the least confident I’ve seen McAvoy since the Ottawa series. I think it’s just a down period for him for whatever reason.

I think when the offense is this bad and Swayman is an average goalie any D would get exposed.

I have no issues with either Swayman or Korpisalo thus far. They are stopping most of the shots they are suppose to stop. The number of goals they basically had no chance on is numerous. If anything it's the D (and forwards) who have left both guys hung out to dry. Swayman got lit up against Carolina and Dallas and those are two of the worst games defensively I've ever seen the Bruins play. Bruins had no answer for Carolina's or Dallas's speed, depth, and pace. While I do think both could be better, they are the ONLY reason Boston isn't in the basement right now.

 

[Hookslide]

Bertuzzi isn't coming back here,so forget it!

Hope not,

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

I have no issues with either Swayman or Korpisalo thus far. They are stopping most of the shots they are suppose to stop. The number of goals they basically had no chance on is numerous. If anything it's the D (and forwards) who have left both guys hung out to dry. Swayman got lit up against Carolina and Dallas and those are two of the worst games defensively I've ever seen the Bruins play. Bruins had no answer for Carolina's or Dallas's speed, depth, and pace. While I do think both could be better, they are the ONLY reason Boston isn't in the basement right now.

No Idea what you put in your coffee this morning but I would like some.

 

[BruinDust]

No Idea what you put in your coffee this morning but I would like some.

Am I wrong though? It's not the goaltenders fault the Bruins are averaging under 2.00 goals per game the past month?

Good teams especially have picked apart the Bruins defensively. A field day down near the crease area. Lots of high danger chances off the rush and cycle. When they've played weak offensive teams both Swayman and Korpisalo have decent numbers.

They've only allowed more than 3 goals six times. Twice against Florida, twice against Dallas, Carolina and the home opener against Montreal in Swayman's first action of the season. Carolina are averaging over 4.00 goals per game.

 

[wintersej]

Necas up to 30 points in 17 games. Feel more than vindicated that offering Carlo for him would have been a great move.

 

[Blowfish]

Necas up to 30 points in 17 games. Feel more than vindicated that offering Carlo for him would have been a great move.

He’s exactly what is missing !

 

[NDiesel]

Necas up to 30 points in 17 games. Feel more than vindicated that offering Carlo for him would have been a great move.

Probably the right move, but on the other hand we'd have wotherspoon in our top 4 with Peeke out, which for a team that looks as bad as they do defensively would not be ideal

 

[wintersej]

Probably the right move, but on the other hand we'd have wotherspoon in our top 4 with Peeke out, which for a team that looks as bad as they do defensively would not be ideal

Yeah you would have had to allocate the Zadorov money the other side.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I think you get much more out of McAvoy offensively when he has someone mobile and confident opposite him in the offensive zone.

All that being said, if there is one zone I don't have much issue with Zadorov is the offensive zone. I felt he's been OK back there on the offensive blue-line. Not the right partner for McAvoy (should be Lohrei, better with the puck, skater). But he's been OK from the blue-line in. He's been decent on breakout passes.

But defending the rush and the cycle have been adventures thus far. Then factor in all the minor penalties.

IDK I see this D-corps and I don't really understand why they are so bad this year. It looks on paper to be a good mix. Could a different coaching staff get more out of the D-men? Defensively they need more from the nearly 20 million they give McAvoy/Carlo/Zadorov?

Who he plays with shouldn't be an issue for Charlie.

The top defensemen should be able to play with anyone.

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

Who he plays with shouldn't be an issue for Charlie.

The top defensemen should be able to play with anyone.

Then why not have an AHL player next to him, think of the money we could save

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Necas up to 30 points in 17 games. Feel more than vindicated that offering Carlo for him would have been a great move.

Do you know that Carlo wasn't offered for him?

Necas also makes $2.5 mil more than Carlo, and you would need to get another defenseman somehow.

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

Necas up to 30 points in 17 games. Feel more than vindicated that offering Carlo for him would have been a great move.

Who else would we need to add to Carlo? Not getting that player for the likes of Carlo, you can also say goodby to our first rounder.

 

[wintersej]

Do you know that Carlo wasn't offered for him?

Necas also makes $2.5 mil more than Carlo, and you would need to get another defenseman somehow.

I just got slammed on this board for the idea before the UFA period opened. Who knows what happens in real life. Obviously, there would have been a domino effect on any other moves they made last offseason.

 

[LouJersey]

Who he plays with shouldn't be an issue for Charlie.

The top defensemen should be able to play with anyone.

You are correct, it shouldn't be., but it clearly is, which means to me McAvoy is probaly being overrated by us.

 

[PlayMakers]

I would of rolled Lohrei in the Top 4. A left-shot at around 1 million to go with Wotherspoon and Peeke on the 3rd pair. Is it ideal? No. But this is a salary cap system. Most teams can afford 3 substantial salaries on D, 4 is pushing it unless you have a bevy of young forwards on ELCs and bridge deals. Boston doesn't have any of that.

Their paying Zadorov 5 million a year and I still don't trust him out there defensively against other team's top forwards.

It was so blatantly obvious they needed an injection of speed/skill/shooting/play driving in their forward group and they failed to address it.

Yes they knew. Neely admitted as such. And it was a huge miscalculation and ultimately the lack of offensive will submarine this season.

I think we'd just be losing a different way with that plan. Lohrei hasn't shown capable of playing top4 minutes yet. Plus we still would have had to add a defensemen to fill in the 7th spot. So you'd have $4m to add a forward.

I also think people forget that we were all excited about Lysell's chances this year. Adding an Anthony Duclair, would have blocked a spot for Lysell who most felt was going to take a step and be ready after his second half. Lysell really is a guy who is pure skill/skating/play driving at a league minimum salary. People here lost their minds when they thought Tyler Johnson was going to block Lysell.

 

[dugg133]

I think we'd just be losing a different way with that plan. Lohrei hasn't shown capable of playing top4 minutes yet. Plus we still would have had to add a defensemen to fill in the 7th spot. So you'd have $4m to add a forward.

I also think people forget that we were all excited about Lysell's chances this year. Adding an Anthony Duclair, would have blocked a spot for Lysell who most felt was going to take a step and be ready after his second half. Lysell really is a guy who is pure skill/skating/play driving at a league minimum salary. People here lost their minds when they thought Tyler Johnson was going to block Lysell.

I still think this is dumb fwiw

 

[BruinDust]

I think we'd just be losing a different way with that plan. Lohrei hasn't shown capable of playing top4 minutes yet. Plus we still would have had to add a defensemen to fill in the 7th spot. So you'd have $4m to add a forward.

I also think people forget that we were all excited about Lysell's chances this year. Adding an Anthony Duclair, would have blocked a spot for Lysell who most felt was going to take a step and be ready after his second half. Lysell really is a guy who is pure skill/skating/play driving at a league minimum salary. People here lost their minds when they thought Tyler Johnson was going to block Lysell.

I was never on the Lysell bandwagon for this coming season starting off out of camp. Felt best case he'll get a call-up due to injuries and we'll see. His timeline to me was he'll challenge for a spot out of camp in 2025-26. This year is the injury call-up year.

Zadorov hasn't shown capable of playing Top 4 minutes either.