Boston Bruins 24-25 Roster/Cap thread XIII

[quietbruinfan]

I think the original post was about impact offensive players. Nash I would say was a try, but a fail because of the concussion, and Lindholm wouldn't count in that conversation (but a good trade). Coyle was a really good trade, but I am not sure he quite fits- ymmv with him. He is on the line for me as a top 6/middle 6 guy. Still, all in all, Don's record in trades is not awful.

I would say his record is hit or miss with Hampus being the major win and Nash being an awful trade. Coyle, we got a decent player for nothing, but I still have mixed feelings about Coyle.

 

[DKH]

Sweeney can handle a "retool," meaning moving out several roster players and bringing in new ones.

He is clearly not the manager to place in charge of an actual rebuild. (Of which, more later.)

A rebuild does not necessarily mean tearing everything down and beginning from scratch. There's no reason to do that.

However, what we are talking about in this case is, fundamentally, changing the complexion and character of this team.

If that is what you want to do, and that is not what they're going to do as long as Sweeney and Neely are here (and as long as Charlie is in love with both of them), then every player on this roster has to be on the table.

Especially McAvoy, Swayman and Pastrnak.

I don't see that happening.

But, dear reader, ask yourself:

*Are these three truly leaders, are they capable of maintaining and growing the lauded Bruins culture, and are they worthy of building a team around?

The answer for me is no on all counts.

For different reasons, which are certainly debatable.

Leadership of the kind exemplified by Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand is simply not in their DNA.

From my perspective, Jeremy Swayman, young as he is, has proven immature, selfish and willing to damage room/culture in service of his own ends, whether financial or, if you will, ideological.

His behavior during the holdout and the unwelcome distraction it created could not, one assumes, have gone down well in the locker room. Especially with the Captain.

(It is perhaps no coincidence that Don Sweeney cited a team wide training camp malaise as an early red flag of what was to come in the regular season. It is safe to say that Jeremy's conspicuous absence did not help matters.)

Jeremy is very bright, very articulate, and when he is on his game, an exceptional No. #1 goaltender, easily one of the best in the league.

The fact remains that Swayman placed himself above the team, demonstrated bad form by speaking out in the media, was apparently willing to hold out until December 1st, and missed the entirety of training camp.

Training camp may not be that big a deal for, say, Elias Lindholm, who took a pass on his first training camp with Boston to nurse an old Army injury. (Maybe he regrets that decision now. But that's another thread.)

Training camp for goaltenders, on the other hand, is very important.

The repetitions, positioning, angle work, etcetera are vital to an NHL goaltender's preparation, physically and mentally, for the upcoming regular season.

Needless to say, Jeremy's play through much of this season's first half was poor or mediocre at best.
Swayman has a major chip on his shoulder, never a bad thing in sports, and appears to be the decent sort.

He may well put the preseason unpleasantness behind him and, eventually, grow up. He probably will.

But the whole business left a sour taste for many. He has some repair work to do.


I like Charlie McAvoy very much, as a player, and as a person who wants to do the right thing. However, as noted previously, my dime store psychology tells me that he has struggled to live up to a $9.5 million contract.

He has tried to do too much, and much that is beyond his talents as a player. Ultimately, this has limited his effectiveness.

Specifically and obviously, McAvoy's attempt to quarterback the power play's first unit has produced little more than frustration and meager results.

Charlie has tried to be Raymond Bourque.

He is not Raymond Bourque, and he doesn't need to be.

I suspect that the contracts and expectations from management, fans, media and not least, himself, have led to overthinking and befuddlement.

At the very least, McAvoy should be moved to the second power play group. Less responsibility and attendant pressure would likely free up his mind, and thus his game.

David Pastrnak is a superstar, a great guy in the room, a reliable production machine, and a creative, dynamic presence other teams must plan for and respect.

He has expanded his game in recent years to include exceptional playmaking and passing as well as that wicked wrister from the dot we have come to know and love.

David can and does lead by way of a loose, happy-go-lucky personality that lightens the mood in the room, and more importantly, through his offensive skill and production.

It is not his forte to speechify or cajole. These qualities are not in his nature nor necessary to effective leadership. Again, his leadership derives from what he does, reliably, on the ice: score oodles of goals and pass like a thief.

Yet, though stapled to Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand for years, two of the greatest three zone players ever, David has not developed his defensive game much. At all.

Too often, at least for my liking, he makes careless, low percentage plays that can and do come back to bite the Bruins in the ass. I've seen him casually fling the puck out of the defensive zone up the middle of the ice. I've seen him fling the puck out of the defensive zone on his backhand, without looking. Who does that? Use the boards David, they are your friends. Chip it out. It's not rocket science.

Hence, one wonders why this is the case. And my answer is that, evidently, David isn't interested in developing his defensive capabilities.

A hallmark of athletic greatness is a commitment and follow through to improve on the weakest elements of your game.

My eyes tell me that David has not done that. And that it is unlikely he ever will. That isn't leadership.

So, you know, here we are.

Sadly, I continue to hope my Boston Bruins fail to make the 2025 playoffs. "Then and only then *might* change occur.

I actually believe change of a significant order is in the offing.

A confluence of unhappy events -- the Swayman holdout, the Montgomery fiasco (by these lights, from start to finish), poor performance in almost every statistical category, cries of "Fire Sweeney!" (a first, as far as I can recall), et. al. -- tell me change of whatever kind is coming.

"Of whatever kind" can mean many things, good or ill.

Stay tuned (just crop Monty out, which might give you ideas),


View attachment 966938

we grew up in a different era

The 70’s were a blast- sports, musically, the look (watch Lynyrd Skynyrd 1977 concert in Oakland do Free Bird….i was in HS then and that’s like a flashback)

Todays sports and athletes are different - money if not corrupts changes things

Pastrnak has been really good the last 2 weeks after a sub standard Rocky season - but right now he’s playing as good as ever

Swayman has picked up his game and except for a bad decision to go for an open net against Ottawa has got back to a high end goalie

McAvoy has not got back to the player we want - hopefully he can. Playing in 4 Nations I’m not thrilled with. Pasta not in is great for me

I’m with you on playoffs - 7 (Bourque) & 8 (Neely) are my numbers

I want 7th or 8th seed or 7th or 8th OA

No more false hopes

 

[Hookslide]

I don’t see how folks can look at how the D group has looked without McAvoy and consider moving him. You then need a 1RD which is just to hard to find as a 1C.

I also think the 100 year celebration stuff hit McAvoy as much as anyone. He really loves wearing that sweater. That has value.

Yeah I don't see how moving McAvoy helps, could the use Petterson absolutely, bur help one area and screw up another.

 

[PlayMakers]

We were told by some that big trades never happen mid season so stop...

I think that still holds true. You usually start to see the dam burst about a month before the deadline. We're currently 40 days from the deadline (and 2 weeks of that are 4Nations).

 

[bbfan419]

You and I are kind of on the same page, on Necas. I say deal Swayman, for Necas, and it could be an expanded deal.


I would like that

Swayman + for Necas + Blackwood?

 

[Dr Hook]

I would say his record is hit or miss with Hampus being the major win and Nash being an awful trade. Coyle, we got a decent player for nothing, but I still have mixed feelings about Coyle.

So pretty much standard NHL GM stuff. No one hits on everything. Zacha for Haula was a major win, too.

 

[Hookslide]

Let's start the rumor mill of Nescas -Marchand as the potential starting- point for a trade

Colorado isn't done, the Bs need to make changes and the deal unites buddies in both cities

Likely- no.....but at least it gets us off the Miller discussion for a while

Good starting point I agree, now the deal needs to close it out, we did all the work, oh shit Donnie, needs to do the closing, thats ends that. Alright boys back to the drawing board. Let us focus on a bottom 6 forward, or an over signing, that way Donnie will be in his element, and he possibly can get something done.

Swayman + for Necas + Blackwood?

Looks good to me, maybe even add if needed.

 

[quietbruinfan]

So pretty much standard NHL GM stuff. No one hits on everything. Zacha for Haula was a major win, too.

I would call Zacha a slight win. He is not consistent but he is slightly more talented and younger. Sweeney still drafts as poorly as anyone and is arrogant. Bye bye Sweens.

 

[Hookslide]

I would call Zacha a slight win. He is not consistent but he is slightly more talented and younger. Sweeney still drafts as poorly as anyone and is arrogant. Bye bye Sweens.

I agree with the doctor, major win.

 

[Gordoff]

Okay, now someone do a "Bruins record with and without McAvoy." I think it'll enlighten us a lot.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Sweeney can handle a "retool," meaning moving out several roster players and bringing in new ones.

He is clearly not the manager to place in charge of an actual rebuild. (Of which, more later.)

A rebuild does not necessarily mean tearing everything down and beginning from scratch. There's no reason to do that.

However, what we are talking about in this case is, fundamentally, changing the complexion and character of this team.

If that is what you want to do, and that is not what they're going to do as long as Sweeney and Neely are here (and as long as Charlie is in love with both of them), then every player on this roster has to be on the table.

Especially McAvoy, Swayman and Pastrnak.

I don't see that happening.

But, dear reader, ask yourself:

*Are these three truly leaders, are they capable of maintaining and growing the lauded Bruins culture, and are they worthy of building a team around?

The answer for me is no on all counts.

For different reasons, which are certainly debatable.

Leadership of the kind exemplified by Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand is simply not in their DNA.

From my perspective, Jeremy Swayman, young as he is, has proven immature, selfish and willing to damage room/culture in service of his own ends, whether financial or, if you will, ideological.

His behavior during the holdout and the unwelcome distraction it created could not, one assumes, have gone down well in the locker room. Especially with the Captain.

(It is perhaps no coincidence that Don Sweeney cited a team wide training camp malaise as an early red flag of what was to come in the regular season. It is safe to say that Jeremy's conspicuous absence did not help matters.)

Jeremy is very bright, very articulate, and when he is on his game, an exceptional No. #1 goaltender, easily one of the best in the league.

The fact remains that Swayman placed himself above the team, demonstrated bad form by speaking out in the media, was apparently willing to hold out until December 1st, and missed the entirety of training camp.

Training camp may not be that big a deal for, say, Elias Lindholm, who took a pass on his first training camp with Boston to nurse an old Army injury. (Maybe he regrets that decision now. But that's another thread.)

Training camp for goaltenders, on the other hand, is very important.

The repetitions, positioning, angle work, etcetera are vital to an NHL goaltender's preparation, physically and mentally, for the upcoming regular season.

Needless to say, Jeremy's play through much of this season's first half was poor or mediocre at best.
Swayman has a major chip on his shoulder, never a bad thing in sports, and appears to be the decent sort.

He may well put the preseason unpleasantness behind him and, eventually, grow up. He probably will.

But the whole business left a sour taste for many. He has some repair work to do.


I like Charlie McAvoy very much, as a player, and as a person who wants to do the right thing. However, as noted previously, my dime store psychology tells me that he has struggled to live up to a $9.5 million contract.

He has tried to do too much, and much that is beyond his talents as a player. Ultimately, this has limited his effectiveness.

Specifically and obviously, McAvoy's attempt to quarterback the power play's first unit has produced little more than frustration and meager results.

Charlie has tried to be Raymond Bourque.

He is not Raymond Bourque, and he doesn't need to be.

I suspect that the contracts and expectations from management, fans, media and not least, himself, have led to overthinking and befuddlement.

At the very least, McAvoy should be moved to the second power play group. Less responsibility and attendant pressure would likely free up his mind, and thus his game.

David Pastrnak is a superstar, a great guy in the room, a reliable production machine, and a creative, dynamic presence other teams must plan for and respect.

He has expanded his game in recent years to include exceptional playmaking and passing as well as that wicked wrister from the dot we have come to know and love.

David can and does lead by way of a loose, happy-go-lucky personality that lightens the mood in the room, and more importantly, through his offensive skill and production.

It is not his forte to speechify or cajole. These qualities are not in his nature nor necessary to effective leadership. Again, his leadership derives from what he does, reliably, on the ice: score oodles of goals and pass like a thief.

Yet, though stapled to Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand for years, two of the greatest three zone players ever, David has not developed his defensive game much. At all.

Too often, at least for my liking, he makes careless, low percentage plays that can and do come back to bite the Bruins in the ass. I've seen him casually fling the puck out of the defensive zone up the middle of the ice. I've seen him fling the puck out of the defensive zone on his backhand, without looking. Who does that? Use the boards David, they are your friends. Chip it out. It's not rocket science.

Hence, one wonders why this is the case. And my answer is that, evidently, David isn't interested in developing his defensive capabilities.

A hallmark of athletic greatness is a commitment and follow through to improve on the weakest elements of your game.

My eyes tell me that David has not done that. And that it is unlikely he ever will. That isn't leadership.

So, you know, here we are.

Sadly, I continue to hope my Boston Bruins fail to make the 2025 playoffs. "Then and only then *might* change occur.

I actually believe change of a significant order is in the offing.

A confluence of unhappy events -- the Swayman holdout, the Montgomery fiasco (by these lights, from start to finish), poor performance in almost every statistical category, cries of "Fire Sweeney!" (a first, as far as I can recall), et. al. -- tell me change of whatever kind is coming.

"Of whatever kind" can mean many things, good or ill.

Stay tuned (just crop Monty out, which might give you ideas),


View attachment 966938

Well said.

I do think McAvoy and Pastrnak try to lead which is better than not trying at all. McAvoy is definitely placing too much pressure on himself to be a Chara/Bourque type and he needs to simply be McAvoy. Perhaps when Lindholm returns it begins.

 

[The don godfather]

Forget trading swayman. One of the best.

 

[quietbruinfan]

Btw, I don't like Braz for Brown. The Avs have good speed. Makar and Mackinnon can blow off your doors O'connor and Colton are fast. Poor move by Succo.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Btw, I don't like Braz for Brown. The Avs have good speed. Makar and Mackinnon can blow off your doors O'connor and Colton are fast. Poor move by Succo.

Brown is terrible. Brazeau is an NHLer at least.

 

[22Brad Park]

crosby or marchand to the avs???

crosby or marchand to the avs???

Saw headline earlier released by Penguins saying Crosby not interest in moving.

 

[UConn126]

Man, I'd take a good look at selling high on Marchand to the Avs to replace Rantanen and play with his buddy McKinnon.

 

[quietbruinfan]

Brown is terrible. Brazeau is an NHLer at least.

Yes Brown is absolutely an AHLER but he is a slightly better skater than Braz, who himself is 4AAAA

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

They have a Russian defenseman they drafted a few years back in the first round would be a nice get as well.

My son says that kid will be a stud

 

[wintersej]

I think if you replace Coyle in the top 6 with a legit 1st line player (Zacha and Geekie position versatility mean any position will do) and replace Carlo with someone that can handle the puck and skate while acting as support for Lorhei or Lindholm things fall into place a lot better.

 

[mjhfb]

we grew up in a different era

The 70’s were a blast- sports, musically, the look (watch Lynyrd Skynyrd 1977 concert in Oakland do Free Bird….i was in HS then and that’s like a flashback)

Todays sports and athletes are different - money if not corrupts changes things

Pastrnak has been really good the last 2 weeks after a sub standard Rocky season - but right now he’s playing as good as ever

Swayman has picked up his game and except for a bad decision to go for an open net against Ottawa has got back to a high end goalie

McAvoy has not got back to the player we want - hopefully he can. Playing in 4 Nations I’m not thrilled with. Pasta not in is great for me

I’m with you on playoffs - 7 (Bourque) & 8 (Neely) are my numbers

I want 7th or 8th seed or 7th or 8th OA

No more false hopes

I'd like to meet sometime and compare HS jean jackets.

 

[BruinDust]

I think if you replace Coyle in the top 6 with a legit 1st line player (Zacha and Geekie position versatility mean any position will do) and replace Carlo with someone that can handle the puck and skate while acting as support for Lorhei or Lindholm things fall into place a lot better.

If/when Hampus and McAvoy are both back, I want them paired together. Then replace Carlo with a better all-around D-man who can skate and handle the puck to pair with Zadorov or Lohrei on the 2nd pair depending on the situation. What the Bruins really need is a true No.2 D-man to anchor that 2nd pair.

Pair A --- #3 Hampus - #1 - McAvoy

Pair B --- #4 - Zadorov or Lohrei (depending on the situation) - #2 - ?????

Pair C---- #5 Zadorov or Lohrei (depending on the situation) - #6 - Peeke/Wotherspoon

I wonder what a Carlo + for Rasmus Andersson deal would look like.

 

[Bridges31]

I wonder what they could fetch for Geekie? His value has to be at an all time high.

 

[Blowfish]

I wonder what they could fetch for Geekie? His value has to be at an all time high.

Why?????

 

[Bridges31]

Why?????

Because he’s going to want a hefty raise and the Bruins should focus on rebuilding not giving a guy in his mid-late 20’s a lengthy extension.

 

[Blowfish]

Because he’s going to want a hefty raise and the Bruins should focus on rebuilding not giving a guy in his mid-late 20’s a lengthy extension.