Give Spooner 1 more year under Cassidy or Not?

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Yes Spooner, if he isn't saddled with Hayes.

 

[ODAAT]

Yes Spooner, if he isn't saddled with Hayes.

ya sure the problem wasn`t Hayes being saddled with Spooner

 

[Krupp]

Like it or not, this team needs speed and talent. Trouble is, can it be something to have a speedy center who's backchecking and even strength issues continue being a problem? That's teh catch, right there.

I still think it'd be wise to hang onto him for one more year, give him one more chance as a winger, not a center, and give him somebody like Backes who could easily stabalize the third line's defensive issues. I think Hayes has to complely go, no offense or disrespect intended towards him. He certainly didn't help things last year.

I think Spooner has to have it made clear to him, just being a fast player with some slick passing skills isn't enough. If he doesn't figure that out this next year, I'd definitely be all for moving him.

 

[DominicT]

I don't want him on the team. Useless 5v5 against easy matchups. Soft as butter. Contributes nothing if not scoring. Also I am shocked that no coach at any level told him to stop doing that ****ing pivot when he crosses the blueline. It makes 2 things happen, you slow down the attack and you limit your options. It's nuts that I have to keep watching him do that nonsense. Maybe there's some team somewhere that thinks he can play a second line role and put up 55 points with decent minutes. Just get what you can for him.

You talking about the 10 and 2 move?

There are plenty of players that use that move, and plenty more on the way. And he doesn't lose any speed when he does it. And I'd argue it doesn't limit your options but increases them.

Watch highlights of Jeremy Bracco doing it 3 times on the same rush at the Memorial Cup last night for a goal. Played to perfection. It keeps d-men back.

 

[Bmessy]

I would absolutely bring him back if the price is right. There's alot worse garbage on this team that should be cleared out before him. If you need to package Spooner in order to get rid of some of that garbage then sure I'd cave. Also, like some posters are saying, if Spooner is apart of a package in order to improve elsewhere that is fine too. He still has value to a team needing depth but I doubt there is a large market for him.

 

[dup7]

You talking about the 10 and 2 move?
.

That kid on the Pens does it regularly - decent player.

 

[hoss75]

If the idea is that Spooner is pretty much never going to be a 1/2 center and can focus on being a bottom 6 wing. And he's paid accordingly.. sure let him stay.

 

[BruinLVGA]

I thought Spooner was lazy and uninterested most of the time, because of his less than enthusiastic relationship with Julien. Looks like I was wrong. It's release time, IMO.

 

[Caper Bruins fan]

I don't want him on the team. Useless 5v5 against easy matchups. Soft as butter. Contributes nothing if not scoring. Also I am shocked that no coach at any level told him to stop doing that ****ing pivot when he crosses the blueline. It makes 2 things happen, you slow down the attack and you limit your options. It's nuts that I have to keep watching him do that nonsense. Maybe there's some team somewhere that thinks he can play a second line role and put up 55 points with decent minutes. Just get what you can for him.

I hate when he does that pivot also . Maybe it works for some but he doesn't use it to his advantage.

 

[bruinmann77]

Spooner needs to first have better wingers to play and i think the bruins should keep him from Lasvegas.If they can move him in a package then so be it.

 

[BNHL]

You talking about the 10 and 2 move?

There are plenty of players that use that move, and plenty more on the way. And he doesn't lose any speed when he does it. And I'd argue it doesn't limit your options but increases them.

Watch highlights of Jeremy Bracco doing it 3 times on the same rush at the Memorial Cup last night for a goal. Played to perfection. It keeps d-men back.

Can't recall anyone else in the NHL using it. When Bracco gets to the NHL,he might find it a little tougher.

 

[Ogrim]

Can't recall anyone else in the NHL using it. When Bracco gets to the NHL,he might find it a little tougher.

Sid and Eric Staal does it. There are probably more.

 

[ksp1957]

Spooner won't be signed for that much anymore. I keep him, try to sign him before arbitration. No issue trading him however, but don't go looking to give him away.

If he tries for too much money, the Bruins may sign him, then expose him to the expansion draft. I don't believe I'd be opposed to that given what I saw of him last season.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Sid and Eric Staal does it. There are probably more.

Skinner for the Canes, too.

 

[DitClapper]

Krug does it a lot.

 

[slim399]

If it's short term at a reasonable price I'm fine with him coming back.

Wouldn't mind a third line of Bjork-Spooner-Backes. With Backes taking faceoffs

JFK can get some solid seasoning in providence instead of being rushed.

 

[World of Wardlow]

Spooner needs to first have better wingers to play and i think the bruins should keep him from Lasvegas.If they can move him in a package then so be it.

I don't like this kind of argument. If you're a good player, you will find ways to produce and be valuable to the team. This thing about "if he had better wingers .... etc" is redundant.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

I don't like this kind of argument. If you're a good player, you will find ways to produce and be valuable to the team. This thing about "if he had better wingers .... etc" is redundant.

Hmmmm... This argument is used to defend another player on our team that was paid 7x the amount as Spooner last season.

Spooner has his faults. But better linemates would help ANY player. Depending the cost of Spooner, that's more than expected. Players that make players around them better get paid a lot of money. Spooner isn't remotely paid in that tier nor do I think he will be in his next contract. He's going to have his warts. I'm not against moving him what so ever, but with the vitriol against him, you'd think he was paid to be a top tier player on this team.

 

[Dr Hook]

Hmmmm... This argument is used to defend another player on our team that was paid 7x the amount as Spooner last season.

Spooner has his faults. But better linemates would help ANY player. Depending the cost of Spooner, that's more than expected. Players that make players around them better get paid a lot of money. Spooner isn't remotely paid in that tier nor do I think he will be in his next contract. He's going to have his warts. I'm not against moving him what so ever, but with the vitriol against him, you'd think he was paid to be a top tier player on this team.

Exactly this bolded bit. Krejci is supposed to be talented enough to make his linemates better- we are paying him that way at least. Spooner should do more with his talent, but he isn't being paid star money, so we shouldn't expect him to play that way. He is useful, but I think the problem is that he isn't really good enough offensively at this point for his lack of jam and defensive liabilities to use him in more than on the PP and 3rd/4th line minutes. We surely can't be building a team around getting Ryan Spooner better linemates . That said, you are totally right that he is taking a lot more crap than his salary/stature deserve.

 

[bp13]

Hmmmm... This argument is used to defend another player on our team that was paid 7x the amount as Spooner last season.

Spooner has his faults. But better linemates would help ANY player. Depending the cost of Spooner, that's more than expected. Players that make players around them better get paid a lot of money. Spooner isn't remotely paid in that tier nor do I think he will be in his next contract. He's going to have his warts. I'm not against moving him what so ever, but with the vitriol against him, you'd think he was paid to be a top tier player on this team.

I think your point is fair here. But I'd also argue the vitriol against him doesn't appear to me to be that he doesn't earn his contract, or even that he won't earn his next one. It's that he's just not a very good hockey player. As such, if he wants to stick around and get paid what he's actually worth to a hockey team, then sure, he can stay. But given his PP points, he's likely to command more than that, despite the fact the rest of his game not reflected in stats sheets sucks. To me that's the issue.

 

[whatsbruin]

I forgot he got a concussion during the regular season.
He is worth another shot then, based on the small sample he had with Butch.

He'll probably never be a strong possession, not fight for possession guy, but
you can still win and be a productive player with a few of these types on the team.

 

[jgatie]

I think your point is fair here. But I'd also argue the vitriol against him doesn't appear to me to be that he doesn't earn his contract, or even that he won't earn his next one. It's that he's just not a very good hockey player. As such, if he wants to stick around and get paid what he's actually worth to a hockey team, then sure, he can stay. But given his PP points, he's likely to command more than that, despite the fact the rest of his game not reflected in stats sheets sucks. To me that's the issue.

The vitriol, at least some (most) of it, is because he plays scared. Good wingers are not going to keep him from dishing the puck to nowhere if there is any chance of being hit. Good wingers are not going to help him engage in puck battles. Good wingers are not going to grow him a set.

Say what you want about Krejci; overpayed, disinterested, etc. But for a pillow soft 185 lb. Euro, he's got a brass set of balls. He's not a banger, per se, but he doesn't shy from a puck battle, he will skate into traffic, and take a hit to make a play; so compared to Spooner he's Milan Freaking Lucic.

 

[hoss75]

Say what you want about Krejci; overpayed, disinterested, etc. But for a pillow soft 185 lb. Euro, he's got a brass set of balls. He's not a banger, per se, but he doesn't shy from a puck battle, he will skate into traffic, and take a hit to make a play; so compared to Spooner he's Milan Freaking Lucic.

Krejci has shown he's the best player on the team when all cylinders are firing. Just haven't seen that guy for a while now.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

The vitriol, at least some (most) of it, is because he plays scared. Good wingers are not going to keep him from dishing the puck to nowhere if there is any chance of being hit. Good wingers are not going to help him engage in puck battles. Good wingers are not going to grow him a set.

Say what you want about Krejci; overpayed, disinterested, etc. But for a pillow soft 185 lb. Euro, he's got a brass set of balls. He's not a banger, per se, but he doesn't shy from a puck battle, he will skate into traffic, and take a hit to make a play; so compared to Spooner he's Milan Freaking Lucic.

When he wants to at least.

I've seen him do the opposite at times, too. Maybe not out of fear of being hit, but seeming disinterested. I'm not sure which is worse. Personally, it would be great if we could upgrade both of Spooner and Krejci, but I don't see that happening any time soon or anyone knocking on that door within our pool just yet.

 

[yazmybaby]

I agree with most of these posts. Give him another year and get him some decent wingers. Backes and Bjork might work? He has too much skill and speed to give him up. We need fast skaters like him up front.