The issue with that is we often say a UFA class more than a year out is better, but those players get re-signed in the intervening space. The supply always shrinks.
Speculation: Boston Bruins offseason
- Thread starter LuGBuG
- Start date
The issue with that is we often say a UFA class more than a year out is better, but those players get re-signed in the intervening space. The supply always shrinks.
Fatass
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Benstheman
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Absurdity
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It's going to be a quick retool. They will draft a forward with their pick, and use other assets and cap space to add.
BigBadBruins7708
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Right? I mean if they deal Pastrnak and McAvoy they might get players as good as those 2 in the picks...
Gonzothe7thDman
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With the age of Pasta and McAvoy it does make things interesting.
There’s no doubt they could move both and jumpstart a full rebuild.
But since this is real life and not a video game, you have an ownership group who wants playoff revenue and fans who like playoff hockey (like most franchises).
So they will probably try to retool but they really have to nail it in the next 2-3 seasons. Otherwise you’ll blink and both Pasta and Mac are in their 30s by the time you start being a deep threat in the playoffs.
There’s no doubt they could move both and jumpstart a full rebuild.
But since this is real life and not a video game, you have an ownership group who wants playoff revenue and fans who like playoff hockey (like most franchises).
So they will probably try to retool but they really have to nail it in the next 2-3 seasons. Otherwise you’ll blink and both Pasta and Mac are in their 30s by the time you start being a deep threat in the playoffs.
Bank Shot
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Sasha Orlov
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Benstheman
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AhosDatsyukian
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They need a full rebuild but they know it’ll take a while so they aren’t gonna go that route. Their drafting has been atrocious the last 8 years
Captain Mountain
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You know the odds that any team will be in a position to pick one of them, let alone both?
I know we're on HFBoards, but no one can run a team with trying to get even one of those guys.
I don't think scorched Earth is an option. They have too many high-priced contracts, with players good enough to not be a cellar dweller, but not good enough to legitimately do any damage. Sure, Pasta, McAvoy and Swayman are great players, but the surrounding cast is pedestrian. E. Linhdolm, is drastically overpaid for what he really is. Playing with Gaudreau and Tkachuk led to inflated numbers he hasn't come close to reproducing without them. Middlestadt is not a top 6 center, something Buffalo and Colorado realized. At 26, he is what he is. Zacha may be on a reasonable contract, but if he's your number one center, you're in trouble.
They remind me of the Habs teams of the late '90's - 2020. Good to great goaltending with a few high caliber players (they never had a pasta caliber player, true), and absolute crap center depth. They had a few good runs, but realistically were always a bubble team. Rarely bad enough to get a top draft pick (from 1985 to 2022 , their top picks were #3 in 2012 and 2018 and #5 in 2005) and never good enough to contend. They kept applying bandaids never embracing a true rebuild until a few years ago. This is best position they've been in since 1993, considering what they have and what's soon to come.
At the end of the day, I suspect they'll try the 'retool' approach, but unless they really hit on their draft picks (like they did on Bergeron and Pasta), they're stuck in mediocrity for the foreseeable future.
They remind me of the Habs teams of the late '90's - 2020. Good to great goaltending with a few high caliber players (they never had a pasta caliber player, true), and absolute crap center depth. They had a few good runs, but realistically were always a bubble team. Rarely bad enough to get a top draft pick (from 1985 to 2022 , their top picks were #3 in 2012 and 2018 and #5 in 2005) and never good enough to contend. They kept applying bandaids never embracing a true rebuild until a few years ago. This is best position they've been in since 1993, considering what they have and what's soon to come.
At the end of the day, I suspect they'll try the 'retool' approach, but unless they really hit on their draft picks (like they did on Bergeron and Pasta), they're stuck in mediocrity for the foreseeable future.
DaStinger
Permanent Interim
I think as a whole the fans would like us to take another year on the low end playing the kids and not investing in this years FA. Then in the next season add from FA and be back in things.
Management and ownership will almost certainly spend up and try and fix everything with FA this summer.
Management and ownership will almost certainly spend up and try and fix everything with FA this summer.
BruinLVGA
Got me a Beretta 92xi Squalo :))))
I hope we get another season like this and draft McKenna. It‘d make all the usual suspects north-east of the border restart the acid reflux that the 2009-2024 Bruins gave them.
BB88
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The last time the retool could work because they had a better core to retool around
They need a legit 1C and a top line winger for starters to get back into contending conversations..
You get another Lindholm type C, either by draft or trade/signing and keep signing declining players to longterm deals and you are setting yourself up for a pretty long mediocrity
Sheppy
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Zadorov has been solid for the Bruins and brought the team exactly what it needed. Outside of Pasta, Geekie, and Zadorov, more was expected from the rest of the team almost to a man.
BergevinBurner
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Retool 100%.
All their core guys are still relatively young and locked up long term. They have the runway to spend a lot this free agency and attempt a retool for next season. If the retool fails then they'll potentially go for a rebuild next offseason.
All their core guys are still relatively young and locked up long term. They have the runway to spend a lot this free agency and attempt a retool for next season. If the retool fails then they'll potentially go for a rebuild next offseason.
I'm not certain that Marchand would want to go back. I know that sometimes, a player who is about to hit UFA will ask for a trade to a playoff team and then re-sign with their original team in the offseason, but I don't think that's what happened with Marchand.
Then again, they did apparently send him to where he wanted to go, so the bridge isn't completely burned there, either.
PlayMakers
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Their plan is for a quick retool.
Not sure why anyone in their position would skip the re-tool and go full rebuild. If the re-tool succeeds they're back in the mix. If the re-tool fails, then they can still rebuild without losing anything. Any long-term contracts are likely to be over by the time a full rebuild is done anyway.
Not sure why anyone in their position would skip the re-tool and go full rebuild. If the re-tool succeeds they're back in the mix. If the re-tool fails, then they can still rebuild without losing anything. Any long-term contracts are likely to be over by the time a full rebuild is done anyway.
PlayMakers
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I think the re-tool plan is...
1) Draft a high-end center.
2) Sign an impact winger.
3) Sign/trade for a better 1b goalie.
Zacha - #1 Pick - Pastrnak
#1LW - Mittlestadt - Geekie
Minten - Poitras - Khusy
Lauko - #4C - Kastelic
Lindholm - McAvoy
Zadorov - Jokiharju
Lohrei - Peeke
Swayman - #1b
1) Draft a high-end center.
2) Sign an impact winger.
3) Sign/trade for a better 1b goalie.
Zacha - #1 Pick - Pastrnak
#1LW - Mittlestadt - Geekie
Minten - Poitras - Khusy
Lauko - #4C - Kastelic
Lindholm - McAvoy
Zadorov - Jokiharju
Lohrei - Peeke
Swayman - #1b
What they should do: trade for Pettersson
What they will do: sign Brock Boeser to an $8mx7 and Ryan Lindgren to a $5mx5 and call it a day
What they will do: sign Brock Boeser to an $8mx7 and Ryan Lindgren to a $5mx5 and call it a day
Over the volcano
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He's been their best defenseman by a mile this year.
Another big question for them is who to bring in as a coaching staff
