Boston Bruins 24-25 Roster/Cap thread XII

[Coach Parker]

This team feels like a dangerous opponent in the first round for Washington OR Toronto:

Zacha - XXX - Pastrnak
Marchand - Lindholm - Merkulov/Lysell
Geekie - Poitras - Brazeau
Kopke - Kastelic - Beecher
XXX

Zadorov - McAvoy
Lindholm - Peeke
Lohrei - Wotherspoon/Osterle/XXX
XXX

Swayman
Korpisalo

 

[PlayMakers]

I hope you don't think I believe it's outrageous that he's on his third coach. It's just a factor that goes into the discussion. If Sweeney was getting what he wanted out of his teams, there wouldn't be the changes and at some point it's on him for building the team. I don't necessarily think he should be fired or will be, but I think if the team does not qualify, he should be on the hot seat, and maybe a change could be looked at. That's the firing line to me, not 'sack his ass forthwith'

At the end of the day, I come back not to regular season performance, where the Bruins have excelled for the most part under Sweeney's tenure, but the lack of solid playoff success outside of 2019 (and that *should* have been a Cup). Out after the first or second round every year they've made it when they've had one of the winningest teams in the league in the same span is not great and might be worth looking at going in another direction.

I don't believe it's outrageous that he's on his third coach. Or to say it more simply, I think it's normal to have 3 coaches in 9 years. St. Louis is on their 3rd coach in 1 year. Nobody seems to think that's crazy or is talking about firing the St. Louis GM even though he's missed the playoffs 2 years and counting.

The long stints of Julien and Cassidy were extremely rare exceptions.

In terms of playoff success. Like you said, Sweeney built a team that should have won a Cup. At the very least, he's shown he can build a team that's capable. At what point do you say, it's the players fault for not winning, like in 2023? He's not perfect but at the end of the day I just don't think any owner would find it reasonable to think any part of his resume is termination worthy.

 

[bp14]

This team feels like a dangerous opponent in the first round for Washington OR Toronto:

Zacha - XXX - Pastrnak
Marchand - Lindholm - Merkulov/Lysell
Geekie - Poitras - Brazeau
Kopke - Kastelic - Beecher
XXX

Zadorov - McAvoy
Lindholm - Peeke
Lohrei - Wotherspoon/Osterle/XXX
XXX

Swayman
Korpisalo

Here’s my problem…that void you have on the first line is HUGE. To fill it, you will likely need to part with a 1st round pick. A pick likely to be in the low teens.

I have no interest in parting with yet another 1st round pick so we can be a “dangerous opponent” to a top seed in the 1st round.

Moreover, while it might look good on a paper, we’d have 2nd line winger and 3rd line center with zero playoff experience and questionable ability to play physical playoff hockey as such. Moreover your D lacks physicality and kn a few cases, the ability to actually defend well.

 

[Coach Parker]

Here’s my problem…that void you have on the first line is HUGE. To fill it, you will likely need to part with a 1st round pick. A pick likely to be in the low teens.

I have no interest in parting with yet another 1st round pick so we can be a “dangerous opponent” to a top seed in the 1st round.

Moreover, while it might look good on a paper, we’d have 2nd line winger and 3rd line center with zero playoff experience and questionable ability to play physical playoff hockey as such. Moreover your D lacks physicality and kn a few cases, the ability to actually defend well.

You can also see that Frederic, Carlo and Coyle are missing from this equation. You are using them and the 1st to fill the first line XXX or expecting an early playoff exit or DNQ.

I would gladly move the 1st this year if it meant the first line C that the pick MAY possibly one day come close to being as as skilled as the 1st line forward you acquired.

 

[The don godfather]

Dont trade poitras and lohrei that's all I ask. They are the future face of the team.

 

[shelbysdad]

Here’s my problem…that void you have on the first line is HUGE. To fill it, you will likely need to part with a 1st round pick. A pick likely to be in the low teens.

I have no interest in parting with yet another 1st round pick so we can be a “dangerous opponent” to a top seed in the 1st round.

Moreover, while it might look good on a paper, we’d have 2nd line winger and 3rd line center with zero playoff experience and questionable ability to play physical playoff hockey as such. Moreover your D lacks physicality and kn a few cases, the ability to actually defend well.

How do they get playoff experience?

 

[Dr Hook]

I don't believe it's outrageous that he's on his third coach. Or to say it more simply, I think it's normal to have 3 coaches in 9 years. St. Louis is on their 3rd coach in 1 year. Nobody seems to think that's crazy or is talking about firing the St. Louis GM even though he's missed the playoffs 2 years and counting.

The long stints of Julien and Cassidy were extremely rare exceptions.

In terms of playoff success. Like you said, Sweeney built a team that should have won a Cup. At the very least, he's shown he can build a team that's capable. At what point do you say, it's the players fault for not winning, like in 2023? He's not perfect but at the end of the day I just don't think any owner would find it reasonable to think any part of his resume is termination worthy.

Nor do I, just that it's part of the overall assessment. I agree it's the players' fault too, for not coming up with what they needed when it mattered. That said, he's picked the players, so the buck ultimately stops with him. None of the resume is necessarily screaming for him to be fired, but if they miss the playoffs this year (and it's as much as how they've looked as a team doing it, I'd say), the question also comes up with what does it look like next year, and the one after that? Is Sweeney the guy to turn it around and 'rebuild' the team?

My gut feeling (which, as you know, has proved to be infallible!) is he does get the chance, but I don't think it's out of the question that the club could move in a different direction and that should be on the table if there is a DNQ this year.

Dont trade poitras and lohrei that's all I ask. They are the future face of the team.

You gotta give to get my Don. Landing a big fish 1C is going to cost and probably hurt a little. One of those two could very well be part of the price. Sweeney has to do it, though if so, though, no?

 

[PlayMakers]

Bottom line is he inherited a team with possibly 5 HOF players and proceeded to blow 3 consecutive drafts that not only blocked at least 1 Cup, but has also closed the window on Cup contention. How anyone can argue otherwise with a straight face is beyond me.

He also inherited a team that missed the playoffs, that was over the cap and those 5 HOF'ers you mentioned were all past their prime. Chara was already 38 years old. Bergeron and Krejci were 30.

I know those 5 guys went on to have great years in their 30's but age matters in the playoffs, not the least of which, it affects your ability to stay healthy. How many playoffs were derailed by Bergeron or Krejci getting injured right before they started, or in the first round?

I mean, would you trade for three guys in their 30's right now? Even if you could have them for free, would you want to build a team around Pasta, a 37 year old Marchand and three more aging stars? Do you see a lot of Cups being won by teams whose core players are all in their 30's?

And with regard to the draft, he picked McAvoy in 2016 and Swayman in 2017 so not sure what you mean by he blew 3 consecutive drafts. 2018 and 19 only netted 2 role players, in 2020 he picked Lohrei, 2021 he got Lysell, Jelvik, Gasseau (and we'll see what they can do), 2022 he got Poitras, and in those 5 drafts (2018 to 2022) he only had 2 first round picks... I'm not seeing 3 consecutive draft fails.

 

[Gee Wally]

It certainly didn't help. But from my memory even though we were leading on the scoreboard we were shooting like 40-50% at one point. So we had like 5 shots and 2 or 3 goals and they had double digit shots. But yes as the game progressed playing more prevent wouldn't help.


Also, I need dark mode back

Dark mode is back

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

There’s a lot of in game flexibility on those d pairs and I’d flip Braz and Beecher but I like where you’re at.

You'd take Brazeau out of the lineup?

Why?

 

[DaStinger]

Dark mode is back

My eyes thank you.

 

[GordonHowe]

4 goals on 9 shots if I remember correctly.

Should have dark mode. I do.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

He also inherited a team that missed the playoffs, that was over the cap and those 5 HOF'ers you mentioned were all past their prime. Chara was already 38 years old. Bergeron and Krejci were 30.

I know those 5 guys went on to have great years in their 30's but age matters in the playoffs, not the least of which, it affects your ability to stay healthy. How many playoffs were derailed by Bergeron or Krejci getting injured right before they started, or in the first round?

I mean, would you trade for three guys in their 30's right now? Even if you could have them for free, would you want to build a team around Pasta, a 37 year old Marchand and three more aging stars? Do you see a lot of Cups being won by teams whose core players are all in their 30's?

And with regard to the draft, he picked McAvoy in 2016 and Swayman in 2017 so not sure what you mean by he blew 3 consecutive drafts. 2018 and 19 only netted 2 role players, in 2020 he picked Lohrei, 2021 he got Lysell, Jelvik, Gasseau (and we'll see what they can do), 2022 he got Poitras, and in those 5 drafts (2018 to 2022) he only had 2 first round picks... I'm not seeing 3 consecutive draft fails.

The blown picks are in reference to taking the wrong player 4 out of the 6 first round picks from 2015-2017, which I had alluded to in another post a day or two ago. So that's what I meant.

The only true impact player he has remaining is McAvoy. That's a complete failure on his part. We all know about 2015, which is by far the worst drafting of the three years, but in 2016 he took Frederic with Kyrou and DeBrincat taken shortly thereafter and took a falling Vaak when Josh Norris and Robert Thomas was taken right after in 2017.

Swayman he gets credit for sure, but it was a 4th round pick which are far more crapshoots in development and there was always the opportunity being the what #111 pick some other team could have taken him.

As far as the players he inherited, it is what it is, they all played great for years after he assumed the GM role and he benefited from their presence and impact.

He made his bed with his 1st Round misses and is paying the price now with the window now closed completely.

 

[Oates2Neely]

Hasn't he reached the playoffs 8 of 9 times? The only time he missed was his first season on the job. This is his 10th season, and we don't know if they're going to miss this year. So reached the playoffs: 89%

Yeah, the lack of a Cup is a black mark, but my guess is an owner would say he built a team that got to Game 7 of the Cup Finals, at home. At some point it's the players have to take some responsibility for not being able to win the last game. I also think 25 other owners would kill to have the 5th most playoff wins in the league, over the last 9 years. I know that means nothing to fans, but it's literally millions of dollars in revenue to an owner.

Fwiw, I'm not even a "Sweeney guy." His press conferences and non-answers annoy me, his hiding from the media annoys me, I think he has a disdain for the fans, the way they try to hide bad news behind other big events bugs me. I feel like I criticize him for his mistakes (like signing Elias Lindholm and Backes) but I try to be impartial so I also defend him when I think people are being unfair or off base. I mean, outside of HFBoards, I think Sweeney is well respected. Around the league, I think Sweeney is considered one of the best GM's in the league. Yet, a lot of folks here act like he's a buffoon.

All fine points. Sweeney is a “good” GM. Lots of teams would welcome the regular season success and the playoff gates. But they’ve become the Pittsburgh Steelers at this point. 1st round exits suck more than DNQ. And if the Bruins don’t play the Leafs in round one they’re losing more often than not.

You mentioned Sweeney inherited 30 year old Bergeron & Krejci in 2015. It infuriates me that he’s had 10 seasons to find replacements for his 1A & 1B center yet here we are watching Zacha Coyle now Lindholm being forced into a spot they aren’t capable of holding down. He drafted Frederic & Beecher in round one and immediately tells the fanbase that they project as bottom 6 centers.

Why didn't Sweeney take 1st round swings at centers who at least had the potential to play in your top 6 in the future?? What is his plan now? They are a team stuck in the middle of the pack. Unless Poitras or Lohrei really take a major step forward this season or next, they’ll be here again next season. I don’t trust him to make hockey trades. He no longer can afford to trade 1st round picks at the deadline. Is he headed for a retool? If so, how long is this retool going to take? He lacks vision imo.

Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, Dylan Strome, JT Miller, Bo Horvat, Vincent Trochek, Sam Bennett, Matt Duchene are just some of the centers who’ve been available recently whom I’d argue would all be an upgrade here at center. Rumor has it Petterrsson in Vancouver may be available. There is next to zero chance Sweeney has the skill set to pull off that trade.

 

[Drift]

Dark mode is back

wohoooooo!

 

[The don godfather]

Nor do I, just that it's part of the overall assessment. I agree it's the players' fault too, for not coming up with what they needed when it mattered. That said, he's picked the players, so the buck ultimately stops with him. None of the resume is necessarily screaming for him to be fired, but if they miss the playoffs this year (and it's as much as how they've looked as a team doing it, I'd say), the question also comes up with what does it look like next year, and the one after that? Is Sweeney the guy to turn it around and 'rebuild' the team?

My gut feeling (which, as you know, has proved to be infallible!) is he does get the chance, but I don't think it's out of the question that the club could move in a different direction and that should be on the table if there is a DNQ this year.



You gotta give to get my Don. Landing a big fish 1C is going to cost and probably hurt a little. One of those two could very well be part of the price. Sweeney has to do it, though if so, though, no?

It better be for some shark no fish then. Ep40?

 

[Number8]

Was hoping for some 2015 draft talk. Under discussed topic around here - glad we're getting around to it.

What’s the issue with the 2015 draft? Been super crazy past 10 years or so for me — so bit behind on things.

 

[Number8]

Hasn't he reached the playoffs 8 of 9 times? The only time he missed was his first season on the job. This is his 10th season, and we don't know if they're going to miss this year. So reached the playoffs: 89%

Yeah, the lack of a Cup is a black mark, but my guess is an owner would say he built a team that got to Game 7 of the Cup Finals, at home. At some point it's the players have to take some responsibility for not being able to win the last game. I also think 25 other owners would kill to have the 5th most playoff wins in the league, over the last 9 years. I know that means nothing to fans, but it's literally millions of dollars in revenue to an owner.

Fwiw, I'm not even a "Sweeney guy." His press conferences and non-answers annoy me, his hiding from the media annoys me, I think he has a disdain for the fans, the way they try to hide bad news behind other big events bugs me. I feel like I criticize him for his mistakes (like signing Elias Lindholm and Backes) but I try to be impartial so I also defend him when I think people are being unfair or off base. I mean, outside of HFBoards, I think Sweeney is well respected. Around the league, I think Sweeney is considered one of the best GM's in the league. Yet, a lot of folks here act like he's a buffoon.

I’m not always a the very biggest Sweeney fan. My main issue, that I admittedly got a bit manic about a couple years back,
was not seeing or addressing the CENTER trainwreck coming right at us the last years of Krej/Bergie.

With that said, I want to say that what you laid out above is very well said and, also IMO, a very fair argument.

 

[HustleB]

You'd take Brazeau out of the lineup?

Why?

After reconsidering I’d have to say you and the OP have this one right. Last night I loved the increased speed and aggression. Sometimes I worry that we have too many really slow guys in the lineup but removing Wahlstrom already helps with that and Brazeau as well as Geekie have been producing. I’d keep Braz in. It would come down to Beecher or Koepke in this scenario.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

You'd take Brazeau out of the lineup?

Why?

Too slow. I'd put him in Beechers spot.

Middle 6 need wheels.