Are the Bruins relying too much on an aging core to produce?

[DKH]

The ones I highlighted have a pretty good shot at becoming real in my opinion, which means they tread water as a lower seed team who hopes to make the playoffs and maybe do some damage.

The ones I think have little or no shot of happening are Cehlarik being a regular much less an impact player, Bjork being anything special, probably will make the team or battle with DeBrusk for third line LW. Vatrano I have little faith in, great shot, great release, not much else. Not sure if that is reason enough to keep him. Kreji is getting older by the second with no real replacement in sight.

The one with no chance of happening at all is Spooner being consistent at anything but being bad defensively, weak on face offs and complaining about coaching when his minutes get cut. I would think he has a better chance of getting moved before camp than being a consistent producer.

Now if Pastrnak is signed he and Marchand are a tremendous one/two punch either on the same line or broken up, a healthy Bergeron is huge and will make them better, McAvoy I have faith in becoming a top pair D and a top 4 this year, Belesky will be better, how much remains to be seen but I still think there is a good hockey player there and good insurance when/if DeBrusk/Cehlarik/Bjork etc fail to make the team, Backes will be between his playoff self and regular season, a solid, physical 20 goal 40 point player that plays a complete game. Carlo may well be at his high water mark, which is fine. Miller and McQuaid will continue to improve and be a good 3rd pair that plays physical, tough hockey.

It could be worse, it could be better. Really they are the definition of tweeners, not enough talent to win now, not enough can't miss prospects to have faith in the future.

When you classify the young players last week as 'junk' I believe it occurred to me this sounds like a philosophy where young & inexperienced for whatever does not work with you

 

[DKH]

I admit baseball is my passion but I like hockey and it is fun to watch in the winter; but the correlation between how Dodgers GM Andrew Friedman is building the Dodgers right down to the difficult task of competing and rebuilding at the same time. There have been questionable veterans signed or traded for but they have built this team up the middle, runs similarly to what Sweeney & company have undertaken.

I was talking to my idol Donny Hockey a few weeks ago and he told moi the Bruins are building this team to be strong down the middle like a baseball team.

I see a similar time line to Epstein with the Cubs and Freidman with the Dodgers.

Pastrnak & McAvoy could be to the Bruins the way Seager & Bellinger are to the Dodgers

Very impressive to a student of the two games and baseball and hockey prospects savant like myself the way these two are building these organizations

 

[ickie*]

I admit baseball is my passion but I like hockey and it is fun to watch in the winter; but the correlation between how Dodgers GM Andrew Friedman is building the Dodgers right down to the difficult task of competing and rebuilding at the same time. There have been questionable veterans signed or traded for but they have built this team up the middle, runs similarly to what Sweeney & company have undertaken.

I was talking to my idol Donny Hockey a few weeks ago and he told moi the Bruins are building this team to be strong down the middle like a baseball team.

I see a similar time line to Epstein with the Cubs and Freidman with the Dodgers.

Pastrnak & McAvoy could be to the Bruins the way Seager & Bellinger are to the Dodgers

Very impressive to a student of the two games and baseball and hockey prospects savant like myself the way these two are building these organizations

great post by a true hockey guy

 

[DKH]

great post by a true hockey guy

I was kidding about the savant part (I will never live down hating the Bergeron pick)

who's the chick?

 

[JoeIsAStud]

I've done this exercise before and not too many SC winners are led by a core of 33+ year olds.

The 3 best players on the team are 32, 29, and 21. The best defenseman is 40, most likely the next 3 best are 26, 20, 20. The goalie is 30. The only other arguable core player is Krejci at 31. Who are all the 33+ year olds?

As to the question in the original post?

"Are the Bruins relying to much on an aging core to produce?"

What exactly was the alternative?

Trade Krejci for peanuts? Give Chara away? Give Rask away. You can't replace them with better players

I guess maybe you could have traded 3-4 of your best young guys to maybe add one more mid 20s piece, but you'd be talking someone like Lando, who would be at best the 5th or 6th best player on the roster, and really doesn't change the dynamics of the original question?

 

[DKH]

The only way you win in a cap world is draft & development

You need 3 things

1. Goaltending- check
2. Talented/skilled top 6F/4D veteran leadership- check
3. A handful of young talented players - TBD but a Pastrnak/McAvoy is a potential foundation

Been watching this since the days of Orr and it's the one plan that works

See you guys on the parade route June 2020

 

[Marcobruin]

I've done this exercise before and not too many SC winners are led by a core of 33+ year olds.

I agree, the core is old and needs to be rejuvenated.if we aspire for a SC (obviously thats the name of the game) with guys like chara berg krejci backes leading the pack our chances of being considered a contender are dim enough let alone a SC winner.

 

[Oates2Neely]

I've done this exercise before and not too many SC winners are led by a core of 33+ year olds.

I'm expecting Pastrnak Marchand McAvoy Carlo Krug and some of the young forwards to lead the way. Bergeron and Krejci are a coin toss. They'll either still be leading/ solid contributors, perhaps filling the "Recchi role", or fading. Lots of ways this can play out. But I don't think the plan is to rely on Bergeron Backes and Krejci to be scoring 60+ points in 2-3 years leading the way

 

[DKH]

Didn't Bergeron turn 32, Krejci 31, and Marchand 29 this summer ?

Who are these 33 year old core guys I'm reading about

Math is a strong suit but maybe this is HF fuzzy math as relates to the Bruins'

 

[Oates2Neely]

Didn't Bergeron turn 32, Krejci 31, and Marchand 29 this summer ?

Who are these 33 year old core guys I'm reading about

Math is a strong suit but maybe this is HF fuzzy math as relates to the Bruins'

I'm guessing they're referring to a couple years down the road when the youth is ready to play a major role.

 

[DKH]

I'm guessing they're referring to a couple years down the road when the youth is ready to play a major role.

Oh and Crosby and Malkin won't have aged though

I forgot Bergeron per the experts at 34 and Marchand at 31 won't be know Tom Brady

 

[BNHL]

The 3 best players on the team are 32, 29, and 21. The best defenseman is 40, most likely the next 3 best are 26, 20, 20. The goalie is 30. The only other arguable core player is Krejci at 31. Who are all the 33+ year olds?

As to the question in the original post?

"Are the Bruins relying to much on an aging core to produce?"

What exactly was the alternative?

Trade Krejci for peanuts? Give Chara away? Give Rask away. You can't replace them with better players

I guess maybe you could have traded 3-4 of your best young guys to maybe add one more mid 20s piece, but you'd be talking someone like Lando, who would be at best the 5th or 6th best player on the roster, and really doesn't change the dynamics of the original question?

Since the Bruins are in no way a legitimate Cup contender this season as comprised I was looking ahead 2 years when maybe the draft starts reaping benefits. The core of this team still begins with the 2 centers and Chara and Rask and in 2 years the 2 centers will likely still be here in the same roles,at 33 and 34.If not them,then who? The alternative was probably to stand firmly on one side of the line,either commit to rebuilding or go for broke,one sacrifices the present,the other the future,they chose to straddle the line and are probably 4 years from reaping the most benefits of recent drafts,meanwhile Krejci will be 35,Bergeron 36,Chara retired,Marchand 33. The core of this team was 22-25 when they won the cup,with Chara 33 and TT 36.

 

[Oates2Neely]

Oh and Crosby and Malkin won't have aged though

I forgot Bergeron per the experts at 34 and Marchand at 31 won't be know Tom Brady

I'm on board with you. Both Bergeron and Marchand rely mostly on their knowledge of the game imo. Barring injuries I still see them both as pillars of the offense in 2-3 years time.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

I suggest the Bruins start applying the strategy of nonlinear time so all players will stay at the age of 28 and no one hits their 30's

 

[BNHL]

Didn't Bergeron turn 32, Krejci 31, and Marchand 29 this summer ?

Who are these 33 year old core guys I'm reading about

Math is a strong suit but maybe this is HF fuzzy math as relates to the Bruins'

Do you think they are legitimate contenders right now?

 

[BNHL]

I'm guessing they're referring to a couple years down the road when the youth is ready to play a major role.

Exactly. This team is in transition under the mirage of contention..

 

[BNHL]

Oh and Crosby and Malkin won't have aged though

I forgot Bergeron per the experts at 34 and Marchand at 31 won't be know Tom Brady

We could probably better compare Bergeron and Marchand to Gordie Howe for possible excellence in longevity.

 

[GoBs]

The 3 best players on the team are 32, 29, and 21. The best defenseman is 40, most likely the next 3 best are 26, 20, 20. The goalie is 30. The only other arguable core player is Krejci at 31. Who are all the 33+ year olds?

As to the question in the original post?

"Are the Bruins relying to much on an aging core to produce?"

What exactly was the alternative?

Trade Krejci for peanuts? Give Chara away? Give Rask away. You can't replace them with better players

I guess maybe you could have traded 3-4 of your best young guys to maybe add one more mid 20s piece, but you'd be talking someone like Lando, who would be at best the 5th or 6th best player on the roster, and really doesn't change the dynamics of the original question?

Agree with you you but Krecji, Chara and Rask add up to somewhere around 22 million per year. Once again I agree Krecji and Rask are not old.

 

[CDJ]

I think their season basically hinges on how pastrnak and mcavoy perform. If mcavoy plays like he did in the playoffs and Carlo shows improvement I think they could be a top team in the east


I think the balance they have is fine. Got some great vets, got some explosive young talent. I don't think anybody is being leaned on too heavily

 

[BNHL]

Agree with you you but Krecji, Chara and Rask add up to somewhere around 22 million per year. Once again I agree Krecji and Rask are not old.

So you think the Bruins are presently SC contenders?

 

[KrejciMVP]

So you think the Bruins are presently SC contenders?

I'm waiting till the season starts to see and if they sign Pasta

 

[BNHL]

I'm waiting till the season starts to see and if they sign Pasta

Last year they couldn't get out of the first round and now without any significant additions they are real contenders?

 

[DKH]

Do you think they are legitimate contenders right now?

They remind me of the 2007 Ducks

Getzlaf & Perry were young but I don't think COMBINING their stats they got 100 points

Andy McDonald was a knock around vet who had a monster year

Selanne was 36 and their runaway scoring leader

Neidermeyer and Pronger were in that 31-33 age

As for legit contenders

How I rate this
1-10 teams

11-20

21-31

They are preseason 11-20 to me but due to skilled youth can jump into top 10

I didn't expect 2008-9 Bruins to go from 8th seed in 2007-8 to #1

I didn't expect Carlo to make team

I had Pastrnak at 22 goals

I figured McAvoy might struggle in AHL playoffs

They are better then the 2016 Sharks that went to Finals and 2017 Senators who lost in doubles overtime of game 7 to eventual SC champs ~ a game they missed an open net in overtime that would have put them in Finals vs Nashville

I don't have a crystal ball but I do know this

1. I really like their goalie
2. Their top 3 forwards are as good as any trio in the game
3. Their D is deep and skilled
4. Their prospect pool has both quality & quantity
5. They have 21 & 19 year old future stars at wing & defense

I expect playoffs and one heck of a battle to their opponents

 

[KrejciMVP]

Last year they couldn't get out of the first round and now without any significant additions they are real contenders?

As of today? I'd say bubble team especially with all the loser points awarded in the standings and how we constantly get shafted on replay review and penalty calls, and ya I didn't forget losing to Ottawa with no home wins

 

[DKH]

Agree with you you but Krecji, Chara and Rask add up to somewhere around 22 million per year. Once again I agree Krecji and Rask are not old.

Chara makes 4 I think now

It's more like $18

Rask worth every penny and Chara a bargain at $4