Hockey News Season Preview

[bp13]

It seems that you're counting on three things:
1) the young players to all improve and dramatically, with no consideration that some might not improve or that some might even regress a bit. That "9 times out of 10" seems to be a very optimistic estimate.
2) that while age will help all of the young players, none of the older players will be negatively impacted by being a year older. Chara was already losing a step in the past year or so, what if that continues or becomes worse? Three of the big off-season signings are 32, 36, and 36; will age catch up to any of them this year?
3) the team will be as injury free as last year. They were reasonably unaffected by injuries last season, IMHO it's likely that they'll suffer a few more this year.

Actually young players improving 9 times out of 10 is scientifically proven to be the case 1 out of 2 times. So, he's sorta right some of the time on that one.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Yup. I had questions about his ability to make a difference in the playoffs after 2013, and by all accounts some off-ice stuff was pretty bad. I don't begrudge them moving him but the kids they got in addition to Loui weren't nearly promising enough.

It's funny though. Chiarelli butchered that deal and it involved a young, talented kid. And yet when he trades a player of the same age and promise for Larsson, people use it as the key example that the market for Dman is prohibitively high. So now apparently he sets the market with his prices, but a few years ago he got bent over. Sort of odd to me.

Just my opinion, but every deal/team/GM is different. If one GM overpays, it's not a trend. If 5 do, then it's a trend.

 

[DKH]

Are those of us who truly do feel this defense sucks, and thus this team will likely be mediocre to potentially worse, "phony fans"? All due respect but I think you might need to be a bit more open to the skepticism. I think the number of people who are pessimistic about this team and question the judgment of this front office is fairly significant in the circles I travel. They could all be wrong, but I know a lot of them are real fans.

Come on you know me I had to get a zinger in somewhere

Anyone posting here is hard core. Just looking for attention on a Monday

I actually left out the comment in the Hockey News that said the defense isn't that bad - I kid you not. Go check it out the magazine is worth it just for the Seguin feature

I'm going to die like Japanese WE II soldiers in the Fiji islands that this defense will be good enough and start to be good by March

 

[bp13]

Come on you know me I had to get a zinger in somewhere

Anyone posting here is hard core. Just looking for attention on a Monday

I actually left out the comment in the Hockey News that said the defense isn't that bad - I kid you not. Go check it out the magazine is worth it just for the Seguin feature

I'm going to die like Japanese WE II soldiers in the Fiji islands that this defense will be good enough and start to be good by March

I love it. At least you're sticking by it. I'm going to stick by the assumption that they are a dumpster fire and will take this team down with them.

It's almost certain to be somewhere in the middle, but maybe one of us comes out looking prophetic.

 

[bp13]

Just my opinion, but every deal/team/GM is different. If one GM overpays, it's not a trend. If 5 do, then it's a trend.

I'd agree. And I'd bet if we look back over the last few years we'd see top 4 dmen getting moved for high but not Hall-for-Larsson high prices. I mean just last summer a guy who was supposed to be a longtime top 3 guy got moved for #15 overall and two 2nd rounders by a team that already needed defense.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

I'd agree. And I'd bet if we look back over the last few years we'd see top 4 dmen getting moved for high but not Hall-for-Larsson high prices. I mean just last summer a guy who was supposed to be a longtime top 3 guy got moved for #15 overall and two 2nd rounders by a team that already needed defense.

Clever

Not sure if the longtime Top 3 is true or not though, only time will tell


I think that Sweeney has the ammo to go out and add a guy...if he really wants to. I'm just not sure that he does? Rakell and Lindholm still to sign in ANA, so we still have to see what happens there. If Sweeney were to get a guy, I would prefer a young vet that would be here for awhile, as opposed to a band aid.

 

[bp13]

Clever

Not sure if the longtime Top 3 is true or not though, only time will tell


I think that Sweeney has the ammo to go out and add a guy...if he really wants to. I'm just not sure that he does? Rakell and Lindholm still to sign in ANA, so we still have to see what happens there. If Sweeney were to get a guy, I would prefer a young vet that would be here for awhile, as opposed to a band aid.

Id be willing to bet if you canvassed the NHL last June and asked about the future of Dougie Hamilton at least half the GMs in the league would have taken his career over Adam Larssons. In fact I'm not sure several wouldn't even now after a mediocre season by Hamilton. So I'm comfortable concluding that either Sweeneys get for Hamilton was roughly market value and thus Chiarelli overpaid, or Sweeney got hosed for Dougie. But I think it's one or the other. The market didn't change that much in one season, especially a season where so much was made of the young talented D coming into the league.

 

[alg363636]

Oh god, now we're defending the Seguin trade?

Trade was awful on every level. Seguin is a stud. Only knock is he seems to be having some issues with injury. But I'd rather have 50 games of Seguin a season than Joe Morrow and Jimmy Hayes.

As for the team - we'll see. I can't see us possibly finishing above Tampa or Florida. Montreal depends on the season Price has, but I wouldn't put money on us. Buffalo should be better - probably not playoff better but better. Detroit should be awful but that team someone always crawls in.

 

[Era of Sanity]

Oh god, now we're defending the Seguin trade?

Trade was awful on every level. Seguin is a stud. Only knock is he seems to be having some issues with injury. But I'd rather have 50 games of Seguin a season than Joe Morrow and Jimmy Hayes.

As for the team - we'll see. I can't see us possibly finishing above Tampa or Florida. Montreal depends on the season Price has, but I wouldn't put money on us. Buffalo should be better - probably not playoff better but better. Detroit should be awful but that team someone always crawls in.

that the trade has deteriorated to this point makes me want to drink a keg of whiskey.

 

[Oates2Neely]

A young Steve Yzerman changed his game from being an offensive dynamo to a refined 2-way leader. He sacrificed offensive stats in the process. Maybe Seguin will see a similar change. But up to now, I haven't seen it. He's still a kid loaded with natural talent who hasn't applied himself in getting better at all ends of the ice. Once I see that change happen, I'll label this trade a loss. At the time, Loui Eriksson was a good get considering his Dallas numbers.

 

[finchster]

Can we forget about Seguin? If we would've kept Kessel, this all would've never happened

 

[Chiz1982]

It seems that you're counting on three things:
1) the young players to all improve and dramatically, with no consideration that some might not improve or that some might even regress a bit. That "9 times out of 10" seems to be a very optimistic estimate.
2) that while age will help all of the young players, none of the older players will be negatively impacted by being a year older. Chara was already losing a step in the past year or so, what if that continues or becomes worse? Three of the big off-season signings are 32, 36, and 36; will age catch up to any of them this year?
3) the team will be as injury free as last year. They were reasonably unaffected by injuries last season, IMHO it's likely that they'll suffer a few more this year.

I wouldn't say I am counting on the young players to dramatically improve, the B's did only miss the playoffs by one regulation win so won't take a big improvement to make the playoffs. I just believe the Bruins are improved (slightly) and a lot think their defence is in worse shape or just as bad, but I think Morrow and Miller are going to impress ppl this year. I don't think Chara is going to be any better or worse, just the same. If this team is in a playoff position come trade deadline, I can see Sweeney going for a top 4 D hopefully.

I think Vatrano and Pastrnak will step up, spooner I'm not to sure tho, might put up similar point totals or a little less. Fingers crossed I am right, time will tell..

 

[DKH]

Can we forget about Seguin? If we would've kept Kessel, this all would've never happened

Seguin still had the greatest single all time period I ever saw in game 2 against Tampa.

Kessel had one of the greatest goals I ever saw in game 6 in 2008 against Montreal.

They stuck him on the cover and I don't think Hockey News is regional.

Last year Hockey News put poor Kessel on their like he was John Dillenger

Lucic-Savard-Kessel

Wheeler-Krejci- Ryder

Sturm-Bergeron- Kobasew

Can still see that lineup with Bergy coming back from the concussion centering third line and watching every shift thinking 'this could be it'

 

[774EVER]

Really, really having a hard time getting excited about this team, as it stands now. Sure I want to see if Backes still has it (I am a big fan of that move) however, the rest of the roster is just so - familiar. Maybe landing Vesey would have helped, but we all know how that went down.

We pretty much know what to expect from our core and other than the potential of Pastrnak taking a big step, maybe Colin Miller, what else is going to unfold before our eyes to get us excited? Domo? Hayes? Kevin Miller? An aging Chara?

Maybe Heinen cracks the lineup, or one of the young kids on D, but this season just screams transition year to me. I am optimistic about the future, but this year, not so much. Squeaking into the playoffs, which seems to be the best case scenario, doesn't really do it for me.

Am I the only one?

 

[finchster]

Seguin still had the greatest single all time period I ever saw in game 2 against Tampa.

Kessel had one of the greatest goals I ever saw in game 6 in 2008 against Montreal.

They stuck him on the cover and I don't think Hockey News is regional.

Last year Hockey News put poor Kessel on their like he was John Dillenger

Lucic-Savard-Kessel

Wheeler-Krejci- Ryder

Sturm-Bergeron- Kobasew

Can still see that lineup with Bergy coming back from the concussion centering third line and watching every shift thinking 'this could be it'

Yeah, I think I watched 90% of the Bruins games that season 08-09. That team was short one defencemen and experience. That Carolina series loss didn't feel like a heartbreak like other series, I couldn't wait for the next season.

I was always a big Kessel fan, and he has consistently stepped up in big games during his career. He's PPG player in the playoffs, and if James Reimer didn't blow it, Kessel is a hero in Toronto and not a goat. He had two points in game 7 against us.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

Id be willing to bet if you canvassed the NHL last June and asked about the future of Dougie Hamilton at least half the GMs in the league would have taken his career over Adam Larssons. In fact I'm not sure several wouldn't even now after a mediocre season by Hamilton. So I'm comfortable concluding that either Sweeneys get for Hamilton was roughly market value and thus Chiarelli overpaid, or Sweeney got hosed for Dougie. But I think it's one or the other. The market didn't change that much in one season, especially a season where so much was made of the young talented D coming into the league.

I don't think it's one or the other. I think it's both.

 

[the blank]

Half of nothing is nothing.

I'm shocked Seguin is on the cover. You would have figured he would have been in jail by now going by the triangle of terribleness on Behind the B. If the three headed idiot squad gave us half of Bowman, Seguin would still be a Bruin.

The deal was terrible then and even worse now considering they have one choke and 2 DNQ's since he left, never mind having absolutely nothing to show for him.

2010-Jun-24 Dustin Byfuglien Traded from Chicago Blackhawks with Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and Akim Aliu to Atlanta Thrashers for Marty Reasoner, Joey Crabb, Jeremy Morin, round 1 pick in the 2010 draft (Kevin Hayes) and round 2 pick in the 2010 draft (Justin Holl)

2010-Jul-01 Andrew Ladd Traded from Chicago Blackhawks to Atlanta Thrashers for Ivan Vishnevskiy and round 2 pick in the 2011 draft

2015-Jul-10 Patrick Sharp Traded from Chicago Blackhawks with Stephen Johns to Dallas Stars for Ryan Garbutt and Trevor Daley (turned that bounty into Sekac and Scuderi)

 

[PlayMakers]

I don't think it's one or the other. I think it's both.

I don't either.

I don't discount the possibility of Chiarelli getting hosed again dealing a top talent, but fans aren't the only ones saying the cost of defensemen must be really high. GM's are too. There are supposedly several D available. There are supposedly several teams who need a D. If the cost isn't prohibitive why aren't deals being made?