News Article: Chiarelli sealed his fate in Boston....

[BMC]

So Chiarelli did ALL of these things on his own?? Jacobs and Neeley just gave him total latitude and he misused the power?

Not for a minute do I think that ownership and the President didn't have a lot to do with the moves the Bruins made over the last several years. Not for a minute do I think the drafting woes are all on Chia and not on other parties and the scouts.

So as Don Sweeney sets about fixing the problem he was left with, remember that some parts of the problem are still with the Bruins front office.

Amen.

I don't understand why Neely & Sweeney don't get more of the blame than they do (IMO Charlie Jacobs doesn't count yet, he is still new to his job). I guess being an ex-Bruin earns you a pass when you **** up.

 

[bruins repeat time]

I think what he meant was that Chia could have gotten a helluva lot more than a 6th round pick for him at the deadline.

I am a huge Soderberg fan, but the B's were not going to extend him for anywhere near what he got from the Avs. That being the case they should have traded him at the deadline for a nice package. Did you see what ARI got for Vermette? Think the Soderberg return should have been a little less, but similar.

We have no clue what Peter was going to do. If he was here today and basically let soderberg walk for a 6th rd pick than we can get all over him. As I said he might of signed him and traded someone else . I know I am the only bruin fan in the world that questions what spooner will become and I hope I am wrong but I really do. His offensive ability is obvious but he still has a lot of holes , they either get better or he doesn't amount to much. Yes I saw what Vermette got and people told me that was proof how bad bowman was lol.

 

[bruins repeat time]

You guys keep telling me how the team was obviously done, were Looch and Hamilton the big old guys we had to move . I am not saying I am unhappy they were traded. If Hamilton didn't want to be here--trade him I don't actually believe Lucic didn't but if I am wrong sure trade him.

Bottom line though the bruins have moved two big players----one was our superstar future num 1 d-man and the other even though we got a good return was a rare rare breed of toughness and skill. Poof we fixed all Peters mistakes. I believe the day Hamilton went for picks not players is the day we should've started a total rebuild.

 

[BB88]

You guys keep telling me how the team was obviously done, were Looch and Hamilton the big old guys we had to move . I am not saying I am unhappy they were traded. If Hamilton didn't want to be here--trade him I don't actually believe Lucic didn't but if I am wrong sure trade him.

Bottom line though the bruins have moved two big players----one was our superstar future num 1 d-man and the other even though we got a good return was a rare rare breed of toughness and skill. Poof we fixed all Peters mistakes. I believe the day Hamilton went for picks not players is the day we should've started a total rebuild.

We lost JB and Iginla for cap reasons in one offseason and were still in cap hell, with holes in the roster.

For Lucic it would be almost crazy to hand over a contract he wants, he is not going to be worh that and that contract will hurt the team a lot in the future who gets him, pretty much everyone around these boards agree with that. You don't want to risk of having a 7M 3rd line Lw past his prime for years.

I said that this team won't survive from both Krecjis and Lucic's huge contracts, we'd end up with too many core players past their prime on huge contracts and clearly Sweeney picked Krecji to be our core guy instead of Lucic.
Hamilton story is just a sad one.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

We have no clue what Peter was going to do. If he was here today and basically let soderberg walk for a 6th rd pick than we can get all over him. As I said he might of signed him and traded someone else . I know I am the only bruin fan in the world that questions what spooner will become and I hope I am wrong but I really do. His offensive ability is obvious but he still has a lot of holes , they either get better or he doesn't amount to much. Yes I saw what Vermette got and people told me that was proof how bad bowman was lol.

I'm not sure what you aren't understanding here?

Soderberg was a UFA to be.

B's were a bubble team.

Soderberg obviously wanted more money that I thought, given what he signed in COL for.

Given that $$$ amount, Chia should have known that he was not going to be able to re-sign him (spoken to agents) without moving a significant contract (DK?).

Chia should have traded Soderberg for a Vermette-type package AT THE DEADLINE (before he was fired months later).

The 6th round pick was just Sweeney trying to salvage something for him.

 

[Mathews28]

We don't know what Spooner will become, but Spooner vs. Soderberg (last year's Soderberg) at $4.8m for 5 years? I'll take Spooner all day long.

The 6th rounder in return? I agree it was a salvage job, get something, anything for the guy who is clearly headed out the door, but it's still hard to believe they couldn't get something more, even in that unfortunate position they were dealing from....at the same time, if a better deal was out there, I'd like to think the FO would have unearthed it. That's a strange one for me.

 

[bruins repeat time]

I'm not sure what you aren't understanding here?

Soderberg was a UFA to be.

B's were a bubble team.

Soderberg obviously wanted more money that I thought, given what he signed in COL for.

Given that $$$ amount, Chia should have known that he was not going to be able to re-sign him (spoken to agents) without moving a significant contract (DK?).

Chia should have traded Soderberg for a Vermette-type package AT THE DEADLINE (before he was fired months later).

The 6th round pick was just Sweeney trying to salvage something for him.

I am not arguing your points I am saying we don't know if Peter would've found a way to resign him. Even saying I am not sold on Spooner I get why money, age wise he makes a million times more sense but that isn't always the only option. You are telling me Peter knew he had no chance in a million years to keep Soderberg and refused to trade him yet gave Johnny away for cap reasons. You also know for a hundred percent sure he was keeping lucic or letting him walk. Do you know what Peters exact plan was. Do you talk to Peter every day?

I also don't agree Peter has made a lot of bad contracts. Most of the complaining is about 4th line guys. Also Kelly at a few million. I thought we had to sign mcquaid for toughness reasons considering who we lost but is that the type of saving we had to do that Peter wasn't? I do one hundered percent agree with you if he had no plans on keeping Carl he should've traded him but I do not know what he had planned.

 

[bruins repeat time]

We don't know what Spooner will become, but Spooner vs. Soderberg (last year's Soderberg) at $4.8m for 5 years? I'll take Spooner all day long.

The 6th rounder in return? I agree it was a salvage job, get something, anything for the guy who is clearly headed out the door, but it's still hard to believe they couldn't get something more, even in that unfortunate position they were dealing from....at the same time, if a better deal was out there, I'd like to think the FO would have unearthed it. That's a strange one for me.

You cant knock Sweeney for that. You aren't getting much for a soon to be free agent 5th 6th who cares he did what he could if he wasn't keeping him.

 

[member 96824]

I'm not sure what you aren't understanding here?

Soderberg was a UFA to be.

B's were a bubble team.

Soderberg obviously wanted more money that I thought, given what he signed in COL for.

Given that $$$ amount, Chia should have known that he was not going to be able to re-sign him (spoken to agents) without moving a significant contract (DK?).

Chia should have traded Soderberg for a Vermette-type package AT THE DEADLINE (before he was fired months later).

The 6th round pick was just Sweeney trying to salvage something for him.

Before I started posting, I read for a little some amount of time. I remember reading from people in the know, or at least perceived to be in the know, that Soderberg wanted to be in Boston, money wasn't a factor and other things of that nature.

Could it have been the case that Peter Chiarelli, Cam Neely, Scott Bradley, and the rest of the group were under that same impression?

It seemed that Soderberg at the time of the trade deadline was still thought to be a piece of the team going forward, as Spooner's break out wasn't until post-deadline.

 

[bruins repeat time]

Before I started posting, I read for a little some amount of time. I remember reading from people in the know, or at least perceived to be in the know, that Soderberg wanted to be in Boston, money wasn't a factor and other things of that nature.

Could it have been the case that Peter Chiarelli, Cam Neely, Scott Bradley, and the rest of the group were under that same impression?

It seemed that Soderberg at the time of the trade deadline was still thought to be a piece of the team going forward, as Spooner's break out wasn't until post-deadline.

Those are good points, he might of signed for less even who knows. Sweeney didn't want him which is fine but I have no clue how everyone can guess what Peter had planned.

 

[GordonHowe]

Before I started posting, I read for a little some amount of time. I remember reading from people in the know, or at least perceived to be in the know, that Soderberg wanted to be in Boston, money wasn't a factor and other things of that nature.

Could it have been the case that Peter Chiarelli, Cam Neely, Scott Bradley, and the rest of the group were under that same impression?

It seemed that Soderberg at the time of the trade deadline was still thought to be a piece of the team going forward, as Spooner's break out wasn't until post-deadline.

Maybe I'm being unfair, as I was never much of a fan, but CS said he'd like to stay. Not sure he really cared that much, though. In any event, he went with the dough, and the B's weren't going to sign him for $$$. Especially since, as was pointed out at the time, he didn't step up in DK's absence.

 

[whatsbruin]

Amen.

I don't understand why Neely & Sweeney don't get more of the blame than they do (IMO Charlie Jacobs doesn't count yet, he is still new to his job). I guess being an ex-Bruin earns you a pass when you **** up.

Charlie Jacobs is not new to his job.
I have no idea how much input Charlie has in player movement, but I would doubt and
hope very little.

Sweeney was probably only there to offer an opinion.
At the end of the day, all the moves fall on Chia, and for the last 4 years, Chia
has been bent over by other GMs.

I really appreciate what he did to build that cup team, but since then it has been
a steady progression down hill.

 

[member 96824]

Maybe I'm being unfair, as I was never much of a fan, but CS said he'd like to stay. Not sure he really cared that much, though. In any event, he went with the dough, and the B's weren't going to sign him for $$$. Especially since, as was pointed out at the time, he didn't step up in DK's absence.

Absolutely.

There is no changing what's done, and we all know how it played out, but maybe the plan all along was to sign Carl Soderberg after the season was done, and Ryan Spooner disrupted that after the deadline had already passed.

Not that the Jacobs', Cam Neely, or anyone else was going to settle for Peter Chiarelli selling at the deadline anyways. I don't think that was ever an option and Charlie Jacobs made that clear, but I don't think at the time it was a set in stone, sure thing that Carl Soderberg was a goner.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Before I started posting, I read for a little some amount of time. I remember reading from people in the know, or at least perceived to be in the know, that Soderberg wanted to be in Boston, money wasn't a factor and other things of that nature.

Could it have been the case that Peter Chiarelli, Cam Neely, Scott Bradley, and the rest of the group were under that same impression?

It seemed that Soderberg at the time of the trade deadline was still thought to be a piece of the team going forward, as Spooner's break out wasn't until post-deadline.

It could have been that they did not know. My response to that is that as the management team of the Bruins, they get paid to know that sort of thing or learn it if they don't know. Chiarelli was a player's agent before went to OTT, and I have to think that he is pretty aware of how these things work?

My personal feeling is that while many of us felt the B's were not a threat, even if they did make the playoffs, Chiarelli was trying to save his job and decided to hold onto Soderberg even though he knew that it was unlikely that he would re-sign. It's unfortunate that he didn't come to that conclusion regarding Boychuk some months before.

As I said, as the season's end neared I became more and more convinced that the B's were not going to be a factor, if they made the playoffs or not. Given that POV, it's not surprising that I disagreed what happened at the deadline, and it colors my perception of what I think should have happened.

As far as Neely and Co not allowing Chia to sell at the deadline...not sure I buy that, as it was reported that Neely put the kibosh on the deal with ARI to buy veterans at the deadline. That tells me that he had a pretty good idea of what the team was and where they were headed. Nobody can say for sure, but if the B's had gotten a "Vermette-like" package offered from another team for Soderberg, I am confident that he would have signed off on it.

 

[DKH]

Charlie Jacobs is not new to his job.
I have no idea how much input Charlie has in player movement, but I would doubt and
hope very little.

Sweeney was probably only there to offer an opinion.
At the end of the day, all the moves fall on Chia, and for the last 4 years, Chia
has been bent over by other GMs.

I really appreciate what he did to build that cup team, but since then it has been
a steady progression down hill.

last point excellent point bang on

Charlie had zero input in player movement

Chiarelli weighed heavily on his assistant GM's with Benning his number one guy.

I didn't need to watch Behind the B's to see this but all you have to do is watch Chia on the draft floor- listening to Benning talking Seguin, Sweeney reaction about Seguin....Scott Bradley opinion on drafting Pasta.

Chia was a consensus guy and respected the input of his trusted inner circle.

If they told him not to trade Seguin he wouldn't have been....the only guy I'm not sure about is Seguin as far as Jacobes. However, I believe the inner circle still called this with Sweeney being out voted and Benning being the power guy.

I got a really good person who tulls me Benning was heavily leaned on, Sweeney not as much his duties were different and more along amateur and young prospects

Benning ran the Sabres and the drafts last call- he did not get out of the game so he knows all these NHL players

 

[finchster]

I'm not sure what you aren't understanding here?

Soderberg was a UFA to be.

B's were a bubble team.

Soderberg obviously wanted more money that I thought, given what he signed in COL for.

Given that $$$ amount, Chia should have known that he was not going to be able to re-sign him (spoken to agents) without moving a significant contract (DK?).

Chia should have traded Soderberg for a Vermette-type package AT THE DEADLINE (before he was fired months later).

The 6th round pick was just Sweeney trying to salvage something for him.

You can't really move a guy when you are in the hunt. Trading Soderberg for futures would've sent a message to the team, we suck and we aren't going anywhere. Granted that's what happened, but everyone was thinking of making the playoffs. Not only that, when the Bruins missed the playoffs that would've been a major excuse why we didn't make it. When you are in the hunt you cannot make a trade like that and I think Chiarelli was damned if he did or didn't on Soderberg. Monday morning quarterbacking at it's finest lamenting Soderberg walking for nothing.

Now, I said at the start of the season that the Bruins should consider trading Soderberg. He was on a nice contract, but at 28 pretty much a finished product and Spooner or Khokhlachev could've done the job at 3rd line at a even cheaper rate, on a controlled contract (RFA) and could potentially develop better. But I clearly remember you telling me that was non-sense .

 

[GloryDaze4877]

You can't really move a guy when you are in the hunt. Trading Soderberg for futures would've sent a message to the team, we suck and we aren't going anywhere. Granted that's what happened, but everyone was thinking of making the playoffs. Not only that, when the Bruins missed the playoffs that would've been a major excuse why we didn't make it. When you are in the hunt you cannot make a trade like that and I think Chiarelli was damned if he did or didn't on Soderberg. Monday morning quarterbacking at it's finest lamenting Soderberg walking for nothing.

Now, I said at the start of the season that the Bruins should consider trading Soderberg. He was on a nice contract, but at 28 pretty much a finished product and Spooner or Khokhlachev could've done the job at 3rd line at a even cheaper rate, on a controlled contract (RFA) and could potentially develop better. But I clearly remember you telling me that was non-sense .

I honestly thought that Soderberg would consider re-upping with Boston for less $$$ based on his past history of loyalty. With the Avs (and others) waving that type of cash at him, I don't blame him for leaving, but this is something that the B's FO should have been aware of.

As far as dealing Soderberg at the deadline, I have already explained my position. At the time I felt that the B's were not going to do any damage in the playoffs, even if they somehow managed to squeak in. In hindsight, with them missing the playoffs, my opinion has not changed. I believe the B's should have dealt Soda and/or Loui at the deadline for what likely would have been handsome returns based on the deals that were made.

Trading those two WOULD have sent a message, play hard and well or be moved, nobody is safe. I would have had zero issue if the B's had decided to go that route and furthermore there is no guarantee that a move would not have sparked the team. Look at the Red Sox. Since they have moved some of the veterans on the roster, the younger players have stepped up and the team is playing better as a whole. That could have happened with the B's, but we will never know because Chia decided to go down with a whimper instead of doing the right thing.

 

[BB88]

I don't know how Sweeney could have explained Soda re-signing to fans and make sense and I also don't blame Soda for taking that contract with the Avs, he went to a new team as a UFA and got that money.

I believe Soda would have taken less to stay with us and didn't reports earlier say that Soda had expressed his hope to re-sign with us to our management?

Even if we would have re-signed him at close to 4M it would have been tough sell when we re-signed Spooner who outplayed Soda for 2 years at .950M and he fills a need for us and sits well with Sweeneys plans, that 3M cap difference would mean we'd have no cap space right now.
We also signed strong bottom6 C Kemppainen with under 1M, I liked Soda but I like that we have a 23y old C with ton of offensive potential and near elite skating, gives us some breathing room in many ways.

But it was also clear last year that we should have re-tooled, instead we called it a Cup year and now we are fixing that mess, how long will it take is a great question. I think we were too "proud"(don't know how to say it right) to sell Soda at the deadline and get assets for him, Anaheim would have given us high value for him for sure.
It was so clear that this team needed re-tooling and after that go back to fighting, I would have been willing to take 1 bad year and 5 strong ones after that, at times you have to re-tool and if you have a chance to do that fast you got to use that chance.

 

[Mathews28]

Charlie Jacobs is not new to his job.
I have no idea how much input Charlie has in player movement, but I would doubt and
hope very little.

Sweeney was probably only there to offer an opinion.
At the end of the day, all the moves fall on Chia, and for the last 4 years, Chia
has been bent over by other GMs.

I really appreciate what he did to build that cup team, but since then it has been
a steady progression down hill.

It has been a downward slide. However I'm not letting the entire front office group off the hook. You can say ultimately Chia bears responsibility, but IMO it'd be short sighted to think that some of the contributors to the B's decline are not still with the front office. They don't get a pass with me.

 

[wintersej]

Talking about trading Carl at the trade deadline is revisionist history.

There was still hope that Krejci would be back healthy.

Spooner hadn't broken out yet so trading Carl would have been waiving the white flag.

With a healthy Krejci and trading for a RW (Stewart or whatever), this team could have made noise if it had made it into the playoffs.

...


One thing I would give PC credit for, even in the late time, was that he didn't resign Boychuk to the kind of deal the that NYIs gave him. I think he learned his lesson about letting guys go, but too late, after being burned by putting so much money into the 9-12 spots on the forward group post-Cup.

 

[EverettMike]

Talking about trading Carl at the trade deadline is revisionist history.

There was still hope that Krejci would be back healthy.

Spooner hadn't broken out yet so trading Carl would have been waiving the white flag.

With a healthy Krejci and trading for a RW (Stewart or whatever), this team could have made noise if it had made it into the playoffs.

...


One thing I would give PC credit for, even in the late time, was that he didn't resign Boychuk to the kind of deal the that NYIs gave him. I think he learned his lesson about letting guys go, but too late, after being burned by putting so much money into the 9-12 spots on the forward group post-Cup.

It absolutely is not. Go back and read the deadline day threads. People were pushing for them to move Yeti or (like me) Loui. Most people wanted them to either go for it or sell pieces, instead he mostly stayed in the middle.

That is not revisionist history at all. People didn't unanimously feel that way, but plenty of posters suggested moving him. The basic argument was that if prices were too high that for once we should sell. Agree, disagree, no difference, but that's not some Monday Morning quarterbacking.

 

[Mpasta]

It absolutely is not. Go back and read the deadline day threads. People were pushing for them to move Yeti or (like me) Loui. Most people wanted them to either go for it or sell pieces, instead he mostly stayed in the middle.

That is not revisionist history at all. People didn't unanimously feel that way, but plenty of posters suggested moving him. The basic argument was that if prices were too high that for once we should sell. Agree, disagree, no difference, but that's not some Monday Morning quarterbacking.

He couldn't sell though because he was trying to make the playoffs to keep his job. He couldn't overspend because then he'd lose his job too. It really ****ed us.