Former Bruins Oskar Steen (4/10/22 re-signed 2 years, $800k/yr)

[BruinsFanSince94]

Why?????

Because a team is going to take a chance on previous 1st round pick who has size and plays physical, who should some scoring upside in college and plays center. He's still young and not much NHL experience. It's an easy claim to take a chance on.

 

[tremha]

many former 1st round picks clear waivers. he hasn't exactly lit the nhl on fire but I guess you never know. some teams could see him as a serviceable 4th liner

my concern was there was initial hype around TF - potential PF, willing to take on Wilson,...but in my view that has quickly faded and now he must prove to be a servicable player. If you could combine he and Blidh you would have something. Right now i think Blidh provides more value on the ice than TF does. I am not sure TF thinks or reacts to the game fast enough.

while l like what Kuhlman brings to the 4'th line, i am intrigued to see what Steen can do for a stint. i am guessing more offensive upside so the key for him is to prove out the same defensive responsibility.

 

[Dr Hook]

You still didn't tell me what I've missed!!!???

If you are watching Frederic and expecting him to be a bruising enforcer type, then you will be disappointed and you will be missing what is going on with his game. As @PlayMakers pointed out some time back, Frederic is not trying to be a 4th line tough guy, but a center in the mold of Charlie Coyle: using his size, strength, and speed to protect the puck, create a cycle game etc. He has pretty soft hands and decent vision, believe it or not, and if you watch him with this in mind, you can definitely see where he is going with his game (and where the Bruins would like him to get to with it). He has enough of a skill set not to waste him as a 4th line smash hockey grinder. That may be all he ends up doing with his career, but the goal is a bigger one and he actually is making some progress towards something different.

 

[Blowfish]

many former 1st round picks clear waivers. he hasn't exactly lit the nhl on fire but I guess you never know. some teams could see him as a serviceable 4th liner

Senyshyn comes to mind.

 

[The National]

Senyshyn comes to mind.

Senyshyn had 3 full seasons in the AHL with about 15 games in the NHL, it was pretty clear that he wasn’t sticking at the NHL level.

Freddy has played quadruple the games on a good team, pretty clear he can hang around in the NHL at the very least.

Either way it’s not worth the risk waiving him this early in his development. Hasn’t even been able to play his true position yet.

 

[Blowfish]

Senyshyn had 3 full seasons in the AHL with about 15 games in the NHL, it was pretty clear that he wasn’t sticking at the NHL level.

Freddy has played quadruple the games on a good team, pretty clear he can hang around in the NHL at the very least.

Either way it’s not worth the risk waiving him this early in his development. Hasn’t even been able to play his true position yet.

Maybe there's a reason he hasn't been able to play his true position yet.

 

[The National]

Maybe there's a reason he hasn't been able to play his true position yet.

There is but hard to throw in the towel on a young center that hasn’t played center yet.

 

[rocketdan9]

Steen out again...

 

[smack66]

If you are watching Frederic and expecting him to be a bruising enforcer type, then you will be disappointed and you will be missing what is going on with his game. As @PlayMakers pointed out some time back, Frederic is not trying to be a 4th line tough guy, but a center in the mold of Charlie Coyle: using his size, strength, and speed to protect the puck, create a cycle game etc. He has pretty soft hands and decent vision, believe it or not, and if you watch him with this in mind, you can definitely see where he is going with his game (and where the Bruins would like him to get to with it). He has enough of a skill set not to waste him as a 4th line smash hockey grinder. That may be all he ends up doing with his career, but the goal is a bigger one and he actually is making some progress towards something different.

he has shown next to zero offensive capabilities so far. I hope I'm wrong but I don't see the Coyle comparison. at some point he needs to produce some level of offence.

 

[Dr Hook]

he has shown next to zero offensive capabilities so far. I hope I'm wrong but I don't see the Coyle comparison. at some point he needs to produce some level of offence.

Think about who he plays with- what can you really expect him to produce with that caliber of linemate? Yes, he still should be doing a little more than he is, but he's 23. I don't think it's a lock that he gets to Coyle territory or even close, but that's what the development trajectory appears to be aiming at, and I can definitely see the attempts. I think it's too soon to give up on him and just toss him on the waiver pile, and I think he would get snapped up in a heartbeat.

 

[smack66]

Coyle had 14 points in his first 37nhl games. at the rate Frederic is going it will take him at least a hundred or more games to match Coyle. again, I hope I'm wrong but I don't see the offensive upside that others see. at some point you need to produce points to stay in the NHL.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Steen out again...

Steen was sent down. Why is it so hard for people to realize this? Providence plays Friday. Sending him down helps the cap. Boston has a full week off. Makes no sense for him to stay up here when they can gain some cap space.

 

[Dr Hook]

Steen was sent down. Why is it so hard for people to realize this? Providence plays Friday. Sending him down helps the cap. Boston has a full week off. Makes no sense for him to stay up here when they can gain some cap space.

Yep, he may not even play for Providence- I heard he was still practicing in Boston- not sure how true that is. Every little bit helps towards the cap bank for deadline deals. Bruins have 11 mil projected deadline space. This adds to that and it's all those little moves over a season that add up to big numbers. The idea that the Bruins are in cap hell with no space to make a big add at the TDL is just wrong.

 

[The National]

Steen was sent down. Why is it so hard for people to realize this? Providence plays Friday. Sending him down helps the cap. Boston has a full week off. Makes no sense for him to stay up here when they can gain some cap space.

I thought it would have been worth it to build some chemistry in practice with others, buts it’s not my money lol.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

I thought it would have been worth it to build some chemistry in practice with others, buts it’s not my money lol.

I think the added cap space for the TDL makes more sense than gaining possibly chemistry.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I thought it would have been worth it to build some chemistry in practice with others, buts it’s not my money lol.

In practice? Practice??

its only practice!

 

[The National]

In practice? Practice??

its only practice!

Haha I know but he hasn’t played with these guys much.

Cassidy did say “I would suspect he’ll be ready by the weekend” about Smith so that could be it for Steen for the time being.

 

[The National]

I think the added cap space for the TDL makes more sense than gaining possibly chemistry.

Yeah most likely lol.

 

[Don Cherry]

Because a team is going to take a chance on previous 1st round pick who has size and plays physical, who should some scoring upside in college and plays center. He's still young and not much NHL experience. It's an easy claim to take a chance on.

Maybe??? He is still young but he's not as physical as he was.

 

[The National]

Maybe??? He is still young but he's not as physical as he was.

So that means just toss him away for nothing????

 

[Don Cherry]

So that means just toss him away for nothing????

I wouldn't just toss him but Steen and even Blidh are both better!!!!

 

[The National]

I wouldn't just toss him but Steen and even Blidh are both better!!!!

Blidh has been good added some more speed to the 4th line that wasn’t necessarily there before, but before Freddy got hurt the line was playing just as well.

I love Steen but throwing away Freddy for him to get a roster spot just doesn’t make sense. Especially when you’re giving up spots for players with lesser or reached ceilings in Kuhlman and Blidh.

Craig Smith will likely be back for next game and Steen will be left in Providence unfortunately. They put themselves in this situation by filling all the depth spots with FAs in the offseason.

 

[Don Cherry]

Blidh has been good added some more speed to the 4th line that wasn’t necessarily there before, but before Freddy got hurt the line was playing just as well.

I love Steen but throwing away Freddy for him to get a roster spot just doesn’t make sense. Especially when you’re giving up spots for players with lesser or reached ceilings in Kuhlman and Blidh.

Craig Smith will likely be back for next game and Steen will be left in Providence unfortunately. They put themselves in this situation by filling all the depth spots with FAs in the offseason.

I'd rather have Steen than Smith. He was a bad signing!!!

 

[missingchicklet]

I'd rather have Steen than Smith. He was a bad signing!!!

How was Smith a bad signing? 32 points in 54 games last season, +21, 4 game winning goals, great takeaway/giveaway numbers, played throughout the lineup when needed, superb season defensively, .5 ppg in the playoffs. Not sure what more you can ask from a FA signing making around $3 mil per. He certainly hasn't been great this season, but once he gets healthy he'll be fine.

 

[The National]

I'd rather have Steen than Smith. He was a bad signing!!!

He was the opposite of a bad signing, even if he has a meh year this year.

I’d rather Steen over Kuhlman any day of the week.