Boston Bruins Off Season Roster/ Cap Discussion II

[PB37]

I rarely get accused of being overly optimistic.

Geekie-Lindholm-Pasta
Knies-Mittlesadt-Boeser
Zacha-Bennett-Poitras
Lauko-Minten-Kastellic

Lindholm-McAvoy
Zadorov-Fabbro
Lohrei-Peeke
Swayman
Bussi/DiPietro

(Knies 6M, Boeser 8m, Bennett 6m, Fabbro 4m Back up goalie 1.25M)

Not going to make anyone forget the 88 Oilers but it's not bad

I think the Leafs match anything under 8 mill.

 

[Fenian24]

It’s not bad, but you are way over the cap.

Forgot to pay Geekie. Happens

 

[wintersej]

The models say this team projects to 96 points.

Geekie - Elias - Pasta
Marchy - Mitts - Boeser
Khusy - Zacha - Poitras
Koepke - Minten - Kastelic

Hampus - McAvoy
Zadorov - Joker
Lohrei - Peeke

Swayman-Korpisalo

Who's got the over? Who's got the under?

I think asking Marchand to drive a top six line is too much to ask at this stage. Not that I am able to offer an alternative here. You are kinda hoping the draft pick becomes that guy in 2 or 3 years. But, at that point, do you really want them saddled with an even slower Boeser?

Ugh, this UFA class sucks.

 

[DKH]

If Florida wins the series the Bruins have multiple first round picks in next couple of drafts - I would flip Toronto or Florida for Issac Howard

Home run adding him to top 6

 

[Mione134]

Stay away from Boeser.

 

[DKH]

Stay away from Boeser.

Why?

 

[Mione134]

Why?

Ask the Canuck fans. He's streaky. Can be lazy and uninterested. And they get aggravated with him depending on the game.

Sound familiar?

It should. Because it's the same things people on here said about JDB.

Probably best to stay away from a player like that.

 

[Jdavidev]

Some (not particularly well-organized) thoughts...

As far as UFAs,
Top-6 Wings - with projected contracts (sorted by age at end of next contract):

Brad Marchand - 2yrs @ $5.1M AAV (through age 39)
Matt Duchene - 3yrs @ 7.1 (37)
Patrick Kane - 1yr @ 3.5 (37)
Mitch Marner - 7yrs @ 13.0 (35)
Nikolaj Ehlers - 6yrs @ 8.1 (35)
Mikael Granlund - 2yrs @ 5.0 (35)
Brock Boeser - 6yrs @ 8.5 (34)
Jonathan Drouin - 3yrs @ 5.0 (33)


Who fits best?

I think I'd stay away from Duchene and Kane due to age. Marchand gets some extra rope due to familiarity. Also, I think Marner's cost is prohibitive to the Bruins.

I guess my short list consists of: Marchand, Ehlers, Granlund, Boeser and Drouin.

I think Ehlers may be the most talented of the bunch, but his career playoff struggles are a bit concerning.

Ehlers, Boeser and Granlund would all be upgrades on the Powerplay.

Taking all factors into account, I'd rank them:

1. Ehlers
2. Marchand
3. Boeser
4. Granlund
5. Drouin

This list is exactly why you draft the best Center prospect in the top 10, and forget about any wingers

 

[PlayMakers]

Geekie - Elias - Pasta
Marchment- Mitts* - Boeser
Marchand - Zacha - #3RW
Khusnutdinov- Minten - Kastelic

Hampus - McAvoy
Zadorov - Fabbro
Lohrei - Peeke



Biggest question mark for me is still what to do with 3RW, if Marchand is back hes 3LW, PP time no PK minutes.

That's a nice lineup, but I think it's over the cap by about $4m.

 

[PlayMakers]

I don't see how it's much different from last year's team pre-deadline. Improved yes, but marginally. Your only significant add is Boeser and he's a complimentary shooter, which is nice to have, but doesn't solve the problems with the forward group which is/was their major issue. Simply not built for success in today's fast chaotic game IMO.

I agree, it's not a major shakeup, but I do think it addresses some of their issues up front. They needed goals, Boeser is a goal scorer. Yes, he's a complimentary piece and needs to be set up but both Marchand and Mittelstadt are playmakers. If that line gels they could be something. Boeser should help as the bumper on the PP too.

I don't think that team addresses the leadership issues from last year. I do think the defense would be much better with a settled down Zadorov. Jokiharju was also a big positive presence after the deadline. A Lindholm-McAvoy pair should be dominant and something we didn't get to see pre-deadline. Ultimately, what decides if that team is a bubble team or not will be the goaltending and if Swayman can return to his career norms.

Fwiw, I don't buy the fast chaotic argument. Nobody is faster than Colorado, and they are out in round 1. Nobody is slower than Florida and they're the reigning champs.

 

[Colt.45Orr]

We won't move our first as nobody is giving up a shot at Gavin.

Lauko should be a lock as he brings elements nobody else has w the speed factor. Chuck Minten at 4C and protect him w Kastelic (who takes the most draws)

 

[PlayMakers]

What models?
Who's Khusy?
Jokiharu on the 2nd pair frightens me.

There are team building models on analytic websites. JFresh has the one that I use. You plug in your roster and, based on their analytics and where you slot guys, it projects a point total. The team I posted had a 96 point projection.

Khusy is Coozy is Khusnutdinov.

To do better than Jokiharju on the 2nd pair, you're going to have to pay $7m+. What frightens you more, Joker on the 2nd pair or Vinny Lettieri (or similar) on the 2nd line?

Zadorov-Jokiharju did really well playing big minutes against top lines. They played 21 minutes per game, started 67% of the time in the defensive zone and were plus 9 as a pair at even strength. Next year, they wouldn't have to do quite as much heavy lifting with Hampus-McAvoy in front of them.

 

[PlayMakers]

I have the over.

Both in points and the Cap.

Yeah it might be over. In my PuckGM model, I have Boeser at $8, Marchand at $5 and Joker at $3.5. I have 21/23 guys and I'm about $500k under the cap.

 

[PlayMakers]

Ask the Canuck fans. He's streaky. Can be lazy and uninterested. And they get aggravated with him depending on the game.

Sound familiar?

It should. Because it's the same things people on here said about JDB.

Probably best to stay away from a player like that.

To be fair, that's the same thing people on here said about Krejci, and Hall, and McAvoy, and Hampus, and Horton, and Lucic, and Coyle, and... pretty much everyone not named Bergeron or Chara.

 

[Mione134]

To be fair, that's the same thing people on here said about Krejci, and Hall, and McAvoy, and Hampus, and Horton, and Lucic, and Coyle, and... pretty much everyone not named Bergeron or Chara.

True.

But for the sake of everyone's sanity, I'd rather not go through with the bs again.
Take a peek at the Nucks board about him. It's the same thing people would say about JDB. AND Boeser is gonna command 7-8 million.

I would of re-signed Jake at his 5mill price but that's just me.


We got to aim higher. Go all in on Marner. Or Knies.

That's what we need. A big splash.

 

[PlayMakers]

I think asking Marchand to drive a top six line is too much to ask at this stage. Not that I am able to offer an alternative here. You are kinda hoping the draft pick becomes that guy in 2 or 3 years. But, at that point, do you really want them saddled with an even slower Boeser?

Ugh, this UFA class sucks.

You could flip it. You could spend on Ehlers to drive the line and go with an older/cheaper RW, like Palmieri to balance the money out. I'm not sure how attainable those guys are, but it's a similar formula on the ice and financially.

And yeah, I'm hoping that as Marchand's play driving ability fades, the #7 pick comes in and takes over that role.

 

[GordonHowe]

Ok. Maybe it’s not as bad as it looks?

Zellers and the pick were a steal.

Great work by Sweeney.

 

[BruinDust]

Fwiw, I don't buy the fast chaotic argument. Nobody is faster than Colorado, and they are out in round 1. Nobody is slower than Florida and they're the reigning champs.

You find Florida slow? It's not a team of super speedsters but they play a very up-tempo game. They swap 4th liners in and out and get max effort out of them. None of this set identity line crap.

I never said speed cures all. But you need some of it. IMO Bruins were the slowest team I watched all of last year. I'd flick over to other games with other teams and wonder if I was watching the same league. For all the flak Lysell gets here his speed carrying the puck through the neutral zone and pushing back defenders was a breath of fresh air. I felt they did get a bit faster post-deadline with Khusnutdinov and Lauko. The fastest team I've seen is Carolina and they've handled Washington well. Can they keep up this skating intensive style they employ at both ends?

Let's be honest about Colorado. They were one game away from putting out arguably the best team in the tournament. Too bad they shot themselves in the foot trading their horse for a few ponies. Necas is a nice player but he's no Rantanen.

I also think you overrating what Hampus will bring to the table. A year older and coming off a bad injury. He's a total question mark until we see otherwise.

I just can't justify basically rolling it back with the same forward template plus Boeser's 20 goals, which is all he is scoring here in a reduced roll. He won't get the looks or touches here he got in Vancouver sharing the ice with Hughes and the left-shot forwards they employed.

I like Ehlers if they are going forward hunting. I think he adds a dynamic they are missing in terms of playmaking and puck distribution plus being a left-shot. Isn't going to cure all but it's a start. Otherwise I'm fine standing pat this summer. This isn't going to be a overnight turnaround and I'm OK with that. I see next year as a transition year where you just hope a couple young guys pop and the group with a new coaching staff progress throughout the season. It's going to take time just getting new systems in place.

 

[PlayMakers]

True.

But for the sake if everyone's sanity, I'd rather not go through with the bs again.
Take a peek at the Nucks board about him. It's the same thing people would say about JDB. AND Boeser is gonna command 7-8 million.

I would of re-signed Jake at his 5mill price but that's just me.


We got to aim higher. Go all in on Marner. Or Knies.

That's what we need. A big splash.

Fwiw, I'm on Team Marner. I would forego adding all other players to add him. It just feels like... why would he sign here? With a playoff DNQ? To play with Casey Mittelstadt?

And Knies has said he's not interested in offer sheets. You can't sign him if he doesn't want to leave.

Once again, I think we're going to end up adding four quarters instead of a shiny silver dollar. A good coach, and good goaltending should be able to make them a playoff team next year. We're going to have to hope the draft picks we make this year and next are the ones who ultimately elevate the club back to contender status.

 

[PlayMakers]

You find Florida slow? It's not a team of super speedsters but they play a very up-tempo game. They swap 4th liners in and out and get max effort out of them. None of this set identity line crap.

I never said speed cures all. But you need some of it. IMO Bruins were the slowest team I watched all of last year. I'd flick over to other games with other teams and wonder if I was watching the same league. For all the flak Lysell gets here his speed carrying the puck through the neutral zone and pushing back defenders was a breath of fresh air. I felt they did get a bit faster post-deadline with Khusnutdinov and Lauko. The fastest team I've seen is Carolina and they've handled Washington well. Can they keep up this skating intensive style they employ at both ends?

Let's be honest about Colorado. They were one game away from putting out arguably the best team in the tournament. Too bad they shot themselves in the foot trading their horse for a few ponies. Necas is a nice player but he's no Rantanen.

I also think you overrating what Hampus will bring to the table. A year older and coming off a bad injury. He's a total question mark until we see otherwise.

I just can't justify basically rolling it back with the same forward template plus Boeser's 20 goals, which is all he is scoring here in a reduced roll. He won't get the looks or touches here he got in Vancouver sharing the ice with Hughes and the left-shot forwards they employed.

I like Ehlers if they are going forward hunting. I think he adds a dynamic they are missing in terms of playmaking and puck distribution plus being a left-shot. Isn't going to cure all but it's a start. Otherwise I'm fine standing pat this summer. This isn't going to be a overnight turnaround and I'm OK with that. I see next year as a transition year where you just hope a couple young guys pop and the group with a new coaching staff progress throughout the season. It's going to take time just getting new systems in place.

I agree, Florida plays a very up-tempo game, an in your face game, but they do it with slower players like Tkachuk and Reinhart who are very slow according to the tags in their jerseys. Even Bennett and Barkov are just middling in terms of speed. But they don't give you an inch and their system requires tons of skating, so it very much looks and feels like a team on the go.

I also agree the Bruins were very slow, and very slow to watch but again I think it's partly system. Zone defense = a lot of standing around, and starting from stationary. Florida's system, everyone is in motion. The Bruins also had some really slow players in the first half too, guys like Brazeau and Wahlstrom. After the deadline I thought we looked faster.

I like Hampus. I thought he was our best D before he got hurt last year. I don't know how the injury will affect him, if it will affect him, but I'd like to think playing with McAvoy will give him a boost. All things considered I think that should be a very strong top pair.

I like Ehlers too. I do wonder which is the smarter play, Marchand for 3 years or Ehlers for 7, especially as you project a couple years out and start to integrate players from these next two drafts.

Fwiw, I don't begrudge your opinion on that team I posted. It's the best I can come up with but admittedly, it's not that strong. It won't contend, and it will need everything to go right to make the playoffs... at the same time, I haven't seen a better option that feels realistic. "Losing" the draft lottery really hurt because I felt like we were going to get a player at 5 who could step into the lineup. Now, that's off the table, unless something crazy happens.

So my thinking is, we can't contend next year but what can we do? We can get back on track in terms of being a winning team. We can integrate some youth. We can integrate some new talent. We can try to build the culture back up so it's a good environment for young players to come into. Although, it's open for debate whether bringing Marchand back is good or bad for that last one.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

Yeah it might be over. In my PuckGM model, I have Boeser at $8, Marchand at $5 and Joker at $3.5. I have 21/23 guys and I'm about $500k under the cap.

Curious as to what you have Geekie and Lohrei at.

Every time I run this, after we sign our own guys and fill out the bottom of the roster, I have around $8M remaining to make any significant additions.

 

[BruinDust]

I agree, Florida plays a very up-tempo game, an in your face game, but they do it with slower players like Tkachuk and Reinhart who are very slow according to the tags in their jerseys. Even Bennett and Barkov are just middling in terms of speed. But they don't give you an inch and their system requires tons of skating, so it very much looks and feels like a team on the go.

I also agree the Bruins were very slow, and very slow to watch but again I think it's partly system. Zone defense = a lot of standing around, and starting from stationary. Florida's system, everyone is in motion. The Bruins also had some really slow players in the first half too, guys like Brazeau and Wahlstrom. After the deadline I thought we looked faster.

I like Hampus. I thought he was our best D before he got hurt last year. I don't know how the injury will affect him, if it will affect him, but I'd like to think playing with McAvoy will give him a boost. All things considered I think that should be a very strong top pair.

I like Ehlers too. I do wonder which is the smarter play, Marchand for 3 years or Ehlers for 7, especially as you project a couple years out and start to integrate players from these next two drafts.

Fwiw, I don't begrudge your opinion on that team I posted. It's the best I can come up with but admittedly, it's not that strong. It won't contend, and it will need everything to go right to make the playoffs... at the same time, I haven't seen a better option that feels realistic. "Losing" the draft lottery really hurt because I felt like we were going to get a player at 5 who could step into the lineup. Now, that's off the table, unless something crazy happens.

So my thinking is, we can't contend next year but what can we do? We can get back on track in terms of being a winning team. We can integrate some youth. We can integrate some new talent. We can try to build the culture back up so it's a good environment for young players to come into. Although, it's open for debate whether bringing Marchand back is good or bad for that last one.

I hope they get away from the zone D this coming season. Become a more constant motion team. I think that is where things are trending. I think Monty wanted to but didn't have the horses to get it done.

Truth is I posted a similar team a few weeks back. Kind of a realistic scenario for this off-season to temper expectations. I had Ehlers instead of Boeser. I didn't have Marchand. I had Jokiharju. Didn't bring back Koepke. I think Ehlers at 7 is a better move than 3 on Marchand. In a league with next to no 40 year old forwards that 3rd year is scary. Boeser does help, but I also think he brings some redundancy. I worry about his skating long-term as well.

 

[sarge88]

That's a nice lineup, but I think it's over the cap by about $4m.

Trade Korpisalo?

 

[PlayMakers]

Curious as to what you have Geekie and Lohrei at.

Every time I run this, after we sign our own guys and fill out the bottom of the roster, I have around $8M remaining to make any significant additions.

 

[wintersej]

View attachment 1035871

I hope they investigate the trade market before committing 8m to a winger that is on the same tier as Jake DeBrusk.