Proposal: Bruins Off-Season Talk

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Alan Ryan

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Jun 1, 2006
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I don't know, I get the feeling Agostino was his big free agent acquisition. He's on a one-way deal and will make $875k even if he's in the minors. Now, if he adds anyone else there won't be any spots left for kids to compete over.



Again, not sure I'm on board here. Julien tried Krejci and Backes together a lot and the first thing Cassidy did was separate them and move Backes to Bergeron's wing. Spooner at RW also doesn't seem like something they'd build a plan around. And like you said, Vatrano's not even in your lineup.



I agree with a lot here. If they improve, it's going to be because young players stepped up and had big years, that will be interesting to watch.



My guess is that the B's are counting on big years from the youngsters. It will indeed be interesting to watch.
 

bbfan419

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Jul 3, 2006
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washington capitals now have less than 6 million to sign 8 guys... and not much to trade

john carlson is a rhs on the final year of his contract and phillip guebeur is currently a rfa likely looking at at least 2 mill for a new deal

is there any love for a carlo/khubodin in exchange for carlson/ gruber deal?

we would need to loose spooner and maybe mcquaid or miller to take on the extra 4 million... and then we would need to extend carlson. without an extension this is a bad trade

mostly wondering if any of us think it would be worth it

I thought Grubauer got picked by Vegas? I would love it if he were the Bruins back-up, solid G that can fill in as a #1 in a short run when need be.
 

Alan Ryan

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I still think the bottom 6 is a bit of a mess. I think if Kuraly/Nash are our 3rd line we're a playoff tweener. Period. Very few teams can get by nowadays without an offensive push from the 3rd line. I'm hopeful about Agostino, but even if he's great, if Spooner still struggles in his own end that line is going to continue to be a liability. So I think a lot of their progress will depend on whether or not Spooners progresses too.



Perhaps you're right Bill and they are done roster building. But I'm hoping they find a way to move on from Spooner and a bigger cap hit for him. I don't think he is a good option in the bottom 6, or a good fit for this team overall.

I'd prefer building the bottom 6 from a competition among:

Beleskey/DeBrusk - JFK/Kuraly/Czarnik - Vatrano/Heinen
Agostino/Schaller - Nash - Acciari
 

Alberta_OReilly_Fan

Bruin fan since 1975
Nov 26, 2006
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we just gonna end resigning stafford

stafford is so underwhelming to me... but we need at least 1 vet to make these kids earn their spots. stafford/iginla/vanek/stalberg.. none are a great option but one of these guy at a million is the type of move we need unless we do manage to trade for a dvorak type with a year or two under his belt but still on an elc

it wont excite us to resign stafford or whatever but it will be a small improvent in the bottom 3/4 of the lineup
 

Alberta_OReilly_Fan

Bruin fan since 1975
Nov 26, 2006
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Perhaps you're right Bill and they are done roster building. But I'm hoping they find a way to move on from Spooner and a bigger cap hit for him. I don't think he is a good option in the bottom 6, or a good fit for this team overall.

I'd prefer building the bottom 6 from a competition among:

Beleskey/DeBrusk - JFK/Kuraly/Czarnik - Vatrano/Heinen
Agostino/Schaller - Nash - Acciari

my big worry about spooner... as dom pointed out the rules for rfa dont allow us to walkway from agreements below 3.5. spooner might get 3.5 from arbitration and how would we move him then? vancouver jumped on gagne. jersey went with boyle. arizona got stephan to hold the fort with strome about ready to join him and keller coming up quick. even vegas might feel they have no need for spooner

i keep thinking we dont want him but now im wondering if anyone else does? i see this going to arbitration if hes not dealt real quick cause all the possible landing spots are getting filled
 

yazmybaby

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Sep 13, 2015
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stafford is so underwhelming to me... but we need at least 1 vet to make these kids earn their spots. stafford/iginla/vanek/stalberg.. none are a great option but one of these guy at a million is the type of move we need unless we do manage to trade for a dvorak type with a year or two under his belt but still on an elc

it wont excite us to resign stafford or whatever but it will be a small improvent in the bottom 3/4 of the lineup
I want no part of Drew Stafford, we need to spend the money elsewhere.
The NYR are in need of a center now that they traded Stephan. DS needs to call them and make a deal. They can pay his 2.5 ++ salary. I would swap him for Nic Holden, that would solve our LD issues.
 

wintersej

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Nov 26, 2011
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I want no part of Drew Stafford, we need to spend the money elsewhere.
The NYR are in need of a center now that they traded Stephan. DS needs to call them and make a deal. They can pay his 2.5 ++ salary. I would swap him for Nic Holden, that would solve our LD issues.

Not a bad idea.
 

Gordoff

Formerly: Strafer
Jan 18, 2003
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Montreal needs a center, stick them with Spooner!:laugh::naughty:

I'm sure Claude would love a reunion...:laugh::sarcasm:
 
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PlayMakers

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what's your read on the D situation? it's pretty odd to have 5 right-shot defenders in your pack of 7. and while kevan miller seemed ok on the left side, i'd say he's much better on his strong side. you think they plan on keeping miller on left side with mcavoy on the right, with the usual chara/carlo and krug/mcquaid pairings? with cam banging the drum for months about a left shot D, it's hard to believe they just abort that search and go with the current 5/2 split...but here we are.

I agree, very strange to have 5 RHD. A lot of it has been strange though. I didn't understand exposing Colin Miller. I would think that if the plan was to trade a D later in the summer, keeping Colin would have made more sense because Colin's cap hit would have been easier to move. My guess is the reason they did it was because they knew it was the one way they could ensure keeping both Kevan and McQuaid, and they intend to keep and play them both. Both of those guys played well for them last year and Kevan's ability to play both sides gives them some flexibility. I also think there's an element of insurance at play here: Carlo's 20 and McAvoy is only 19. Colin Miller would have given them a 3rd inexperienced defenseman whereas Kevan and Adam are safe, capable options should the kids struggle.

The strangeness got multiplied again when they signed Postma. I would have thought they were going to look for a LH'd version of Paul Postma in free agency, but like you said, here we are. The pickings were pretty slim on the left if they were looking for someone experienced under 30, so maybe they just couldn't get their first choice and they knew Kevan gave them the flexibility to consider right siders as well. Also, I'd think the first 2-3 call-ups on defense are going to be LH shots (O'Gara, Grzlcyk, Johansson), so maybe that was a consideration.

I think, from a planning standpoint, it was probably safer to think about starting the season with McAvoy in a 3rd pair role, leaving 33 with 25 and 47 with 54 (basically what worked well last year). McAvoy would need a steady vet partner and Kevan's flexibility makes him an easy fit. Things get messy if/when McAvoy starts crushing it and merits a top4 role. That would push McQuaid down and a 3rd pair of Kevan/McQuaid sounds like a train wreck, but they probably look at that as a good problem to have.

As far as Cam lobbying for a LHD and them turning around and signing a RHD... that just feels like par for the course with this management team. They seem to say a lot of things that just don't come to pass.
 

Alberta_OReilly_Fan

Bruin fan since 1975
Nov 26, 2006
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I want no part of Drew Stafford, we need to spend the money elsewhere.
The NYR are in need of a center now that they traded Stephan. DS needs to call them and make a deal. They can pay his 2.5 ++ salary. I would swap him for Nic Holden, that would solve our LD issues.

rangers look like a mess... zibanajed is a rfa... hes top of their depth chart but his best point season is 51

keven hayes is next... but is he a top 6 guy?

then david desardins just got signed... you might have found a home for spooner.

i wonder if it makes more sense to newyork to tradefor ryan nugent hopkins though? they will have the cap space with nash coming off the books. edmonton will need to move hopkins next year... seams a better fit for new york
 

Gordoff

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Jan 18, 2003
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I agree, very strange to have 5 RHD. A lot of it has been strange though. I didn't understand exposing Colin Miller. I would think that if the plan was to trade a D later in the summer, keeping Colin would have made more sense because Colin's cap hit would have been easier to move. My guess is the reason they did it was because they knew it was the one way they could ensure keeping both Kevan and McQuaid, and they intend to keep and play them both. Both of those guys played well for them last year and Kevan's ability to play both sides gives them some flexibility. I also think there's an element of insurance at play here: Carlo's 20 and McAvoy is only 19. Colin Miller would have given them a 3rd inexperienced defenseman whereas Kevan and Adam are safe, capable options should the kids struggle.

The strangeness got multiplied again when they signed Postma. I would have thought they were going to look for a LH'd version of Paul Postma in free agency, but like you said, here we are. The pickings were pretty slim on the left if they were looking for someone experienced under 30, so maybe they just couldn't get their first choice and they knew Kevan gave them the flexibility to consider right siders as well. Also, I'd think the first 2-3 call-ups on defense are going to be LH shots (O'Gara, Grzlcyk, Johansson), so maybe that was a consideration.

I think, from a planning standpoint, it was probably safer to think about starting the season with McAvoy in a 3rd pair role, leaving 33 with 25 and 47 with 54 (basically what worked well last year). McAvoy would need a steady vet partner and Kevan's flexibility makes him an easy fit. Things get messy if/when McAvoy starts crushing it and merits a top4 role. That would push McQuaid down and a 3rd pair of Kevan/McQuaid sounds like a train wreck, but they probably look at that as a good problem to have.

As far as Cam lobbying for a LHD and them turning around and signing a RHD... that just feels like par for the course with this management team. They seem to say a lot of things that just don't come to pass.[/QUOTE]

You know what, they really do say a lot of **** but don't follow up with action. Can't figure that out. What they say makes sense "we need a LHD and a LW and then turn around and sign a RHD. They seldom seem to do as they say. Really good call Bill!:yo:
 

PlayMakers

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Perhaps you're right Bill and they are done roster building. But I'm hoping they find a way to move on from Spooner and a bigger cap hit for him. I don't think he is a good option in the bottom 6, or a good fit for this team overall.

I'd prefer building the bottom 6 from a competition among:

Beleskey/DeBrusk - JFK/Kuraly/Czarnik - Vatrano/Heinen
Agostino/Schaller - Nash - Acciari

I agree Alan, but the reason I'm skeptical they're going to move in, is because I think that getting offense form the 3rd line is critical to a team without a McDavid or Crosby in the top6, and I don't see any of our other in-house options as guys who can drive offense in that role. Looking at the guys you mentioned..

JFK - He's the perfect fit, but I don't expect him to be NHL ready and even if he was close (like Heinen last year), I think I'd rather see him dominate the AHL for a year first. I think that's an important step in developing your confidence offensively.

Kuraly - He's not an offense driver. He's a 4th liner, and it was great that he chipped in a bit in the playoffs but I don't see him as a consistent offensive producer. He wasn't in college and he wasn't in the AHL... Love the speed and tenacity, but I think he's going to be a Dan Paille-type of NHL'er.

Nash - We saw last year that he's not capable of producing offense in a 3rd line role. IMO, he also showed he can be a very good 4th liner, in that role and with those matchups he was solid, but when he was on the 3rd line he struggled.

Czarnik - He's kind of the forgotten man this summer, which is a shame because he showed flashes last year. He's got heart and a good skillset. I thought he and Vatrano were very good together. It's probably unfair of me but I'm a little prejudice towards small centers. I just don't like them. I think that in today's game, there is so much demand placed on centers to help out defensively that you have to have some size to help in those down low battles. Again, maybe that's unfair and I'll be proven wrong but I'd rather see Czarik in the lineup as a winger.

So it comes back to, who's your best bet to center a 3rd line that can chip in offensively? I think it's pretty clear the answer is Spooner, and when you combine that with some of the comments Sweeney has made, it makes me wonder if they're willing to give him one more chance under the new coach.

EDIT: Going into the off-season, I wanted to see them move Spooner for a RW to play with Bergeron, that would push Backes back to 3C. That new guy didn't have to be a star or some far fetched pipe dream. Just a hockey trade of like assets where each team fills a need. A team short on centers and maybe building (like Vegas) could get a young, fast/skilled center with some flaws to work out, and we'd get someone similar in age, with some flaws of their own that play a good net front game. We'll see I guess, maybe they surprise and make that move down the line.
 

Alan Ryan

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Jun 1, 2006
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I agree Alan, but the reason I'm skeptical they're going to move in, is because I think that getting offense form the 3rd line is critical to a team without a McDavid or Crosby in the top6, and I don't see any of our other in-house options as guys who can drive offense in that role. Looking at the guys you mentioned..

JFK - He's the perfect fit, but I don't expect him to be NHL ready and even if he was close (like Heinen last year), I think I'd rather see him dominate the AHL for a year first. I think that's an important step in developing your confidence offensively.

Kuraly - He's not an offense driver. He's a 4th liner, and it was great that he chipped in a bit in the playoffs but I don't see him as a consistent offensive producer. He wasn't in college and he wasn't in the AHL... Love the speed and tenacity, but I think he's going to be a Dan Paille-type of NHL'er.

Nash - We saw last year that he's not capable of producing offense in a 3rd line role. IMO, he also showed he can be a very good 4th liner, in that role and with those matchups he was solid, but when he was on the 3rd line he struggled.

Czarnik - He's kind of the forgotten man this summer, which is a shame because he showed flashes last year. He's got heart and a good skillset. I thought he and Vatrano were very good together. It's probably unfair of me but I'm a little prejudice towards small centers. I just don't like them. I think that in today's game, there is so much demand placed on centers to help out defensively that you have to have some size to help in those down low battles. Again, maybe that's unfair and I'll be proven wrong but I'd rather see Czarik in the lineup as a winger.

So it comes back to, who's your best bet to center a 3rd line that can chip in offensively? I think it's pretty clear the answer is Spooner, and when you combine that with some of the comments Sweeney has made, it makes me wonder if they're willing to give him one more chance under the new coach.

EDIT: Going into the off-season, I wanted to see them move Spooner for a RW to play with Bergeron, that would push Backes back to 3C. That new guy didn't have to be a star or some far fetched pipe dream. Just a hockey trade of like assets where each team fills a need. A team short on centers and maybe building (like Vegas) could get a young, fast/skilled center with some flaws to work out, and we'd get someone similar in age, with some flaws of their own that play a good net front game. We'll see I guess, maybe they surprise and make that move down the line.


Czarnik is small and is at a disadvantage battling down low defensively. But Spooner shows neither the ability nor the inclination to do that effectively. At least Czarnik is willing.
 
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PB37

Mr Selke
Oct 1, 2002
26,296
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nhl is full of 23 year old kids who move from a bad situation and go on to have great careers. yakupov does have 53 goals in 292 games or 1 every 5.5 games.

when he left edmonton he complained he was basically ostercized... left out of the group... this effects players

in st louis he got 10 1/2 mins of icetime... this isnt exactly a show of support

im not saying there is any guarantee he turns it around, but calling him subtraction by addition is very unfair

Yak has superb talent but he could very well be the dumbest player in the NHL in terms of hockey IQ. There's a reason why he didn't see much time on the ice in st louis and that's because he is not a good player. Going to a celler dweller like Colorado might actually be good for him as he'll get his ice time since there's not much going on with that team.

If he burns out with one of the worst teams in the league, i wouldn't be suprised to see him go to the KHL next season.
 

BruinDust

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Aug 2, 2005
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I agree, very strange to have 5 RHD. A lot of it has been strange though. I didn't understand exposing Colin Miller. I would think that if the plan was to trade a D later in the summer, keeping Colin would have made more sense because Colin's cap hit would have been easier to move. My guess is the reason they did it was because they knew it was the one way they could ensure keeping both Kevan and McQuaid, and they intend to keep and play them both. Both of those guys played well for them last year and Kevan's ability to play both sides gives them some flexibility. I also think there's an element of insurance at play here: Carlo's 20 and McAvoy is only 19. Colin Miller would have given them a 3rd inexperienced defenseman whereas Kevan and Adam are safe, capable options should the kids struggle.

The strangeness got multiplied again when they signed Postma. I would have thought they were going to look for a LH'd version of Paul Postma in free agency, but like you said, here we are. The pickings were pretty slim on the left if they were looking for someone experienced under 30, so maybe they just couldn't get their first choice and they knew Kevan gave them the flexibility to consider right siders as well. Also, I'd think the first 2-3 call-ups on defense are going to be LH shots (O'Gara, Grzlcyk, Johansson), so maybe that was a consideration.

I think, from a planning standpoint, it was probably safer to think about starting the season with McAvoy in a 3rd pair role, leaving 33 with 25 and 47 with 54 (basically what worked well last year). McAvoy would need a steady vet partner and Kevan's flexibility makes him an easy fit. Things get messy if/when McAvoy starts crushing it and merits a top4 role. That would push McQuaid down and a 3rd pair of Kevan/McQuaid sounds like a train wreck, but they probably look at that as a good problem to have.

As far as Cam lobbying for a LHD and them turning around and signing a RHD... that just feels like par for the course with this management team. They seem to say a lot of things that just don't come to pass.

I think insurance is the reason they brought in Postma.

I love McAvoy, and am confident he will be a good contributor this season. But there is still a chance, small as it may be, he struggles and may need some AHL time. The playoffs may of been lightning in a bottle. If by some chance that happens, at least they still have 4 RD with NHL experience.

They do also seem to say a lot of things that never happen. Making trades is hard, I get that, and I don't expect Sweeney to pull off a blockbuster every six months like some around here expect.

But sure seems like he struggles to even make small deals. Lot's of small deals and tweaking going on around the league. Not every trade is rocket science. Fact is, he's made 3 total trades in almost 2 calendar years, and hasn't made a non-trade-deadline deal since July 2015. I think he's realizing they have a hard time closing deals and it's beginning to affect their planning, such as planning to move a RD later in the summer. Easier said than done for this management group it seems.
 

Dizzay

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Jul 8, 2004
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There was talk of Philly looking to rebuild/retool on the flyer, potentially get younger. Any chance we could pry Simmonds out of their hands with some prospects+ Spooner +salary dump Beleskey? Grab Thomas Vanek as well. Pretty sick top 6 is you ask me

Marshy-Bergy-Pasta
Vanek-Krejci-Simmonds
 

missingchicklet

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Jan 24, 2010
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There was talk of Philly looking to rebuild/retool on the flyer, potentially get younger. Any chance we could pry Simmonds out of their hands with some prospects+ Spooner +salary dump Beleskey? Grab Thomas Vanek as well. Pretty sick top 6 is you ask me

Marshy-Bergy-Pasta
Vanek-Krejci-Simmonds

I would love it if the Bs could somehow get Simmonds. One of my favorite non-Bruins players. He would be an awesome Bruin. Problem is his contract is an absolute bargain for Philly -- $3.975 mil cap hit for the next two years. That's awesome for a guy who has put up 30+ goals the past two seasons and has only missed one game in those two years. I think a team would have to give up quite a bit to pry him away from the Flyers right now.
 

Gordon Lightfoot

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Does anyone see Cehlarik earning a starting spot next season? He looked good in flashes. Where do you think he would slot?
 

Fenian24

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There was talk of Philly looking to rebuild/retool on the flyer, potentially get younger. Any chance we could pry Simmonds out of their hands with some prospects+ Spooner +salary dump Beleskey? Grab Thomas Vanek as well. Pretty sick top 6 is you ask me

Marshy-Bergy-Pasta
Vanek-Krejci-Simmonds

Depends who the prospects are, probably looking at two of Senyshyn, JFK, Frederic, Gabrielle, DeBrusk and Bjork. Might be able to take one of them out if you take Belesky out, then a lower prospect like Chelarik, Czarnik or Heinen. Heinen I'm still not sure about after his playoff how other teams look at him, maybe able to get away with putting him in the first group and having Philly take Belesky. Flyers don't need D prospects so Zboril, Lauzon, etc I don't think would come into play.

I love Wayne Simmonds' game and think he would make a tremendous Bruin. Vanek would have to be cheap for it to work and while I have watched him terrorize the Bruins I have never been a fan. Based on how he played just against the Bruins he would have his own wing at the Hall of Fame.

I would offer Spooner, Bjork and Heinen for Simmonds. Flyers are close to the cap with around 6 million to spend and Simmonds has one of the best contracts in the league for what he brings.
 

Fenian24

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Does anyone see Cehlarik earning a starting spot next season? He looked good in flashes. Where do you think he would slot?

Second line in Providence, not trying to be funny but if all you are providing is offense you need to do a lot better playing on the second line than 2 points in 11 games. I like his size and he's a good skater but I don't see him as a bottom six forward and I don't think he is skilled enough for a top six spot.
 

BruinDust

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Aug 2, 2005
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Second line in Providence, not trying to be funny but if all you are providing is offense you need to do a lot better playing on the second line than 2 points in 11 games. I like his size and he's a good skater but I don't see him as a bottom six forward and I don't think he is skilled enough for a top six spot.

Seriously what league are you watching?

Sure you need a few role players, but the days of 2 scoring lines and 2 lines of grinders/checkers is long gone.
 

ODAAT

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Oct 17, 2006
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My guess is that the B's are counting on big years from the youngsters. It will indeed be interesting to watch.

for sure, until all those who screamed to give the kids a chance start complaining about just that if and when they hit rough patches:laugh:
 
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