The Chara Dilemma

[Ten Thousand Hours]

I totally agree it would be a difficult thing to accomplish but if there was a way to make it happen, I see Chara as a very useful 2nd pairing D man that would add more than keeping Seids in this position.
I guess all I am trying to say is Chara on this current team is still our best D man but he really should be playing 2nd pairing in a perfect world of hockey.

I think he can be part of a shutdown d pair (not an elite one though), but I'd rather have a more balanced (or even more offensive pair) play more minutes in an ideal world. Easier said than done.

 

[Tampbear]

If I was Sweeney McQuaid and K. Miller would be gone forcing Claude to play the kids. Chara and Seids can help the kids get adjusted this year, maybe try and trade Seids and find an upgrade, even if we keep some cap space. In the meantime as I assume Claude would play them.

Chara/Trotman
Krug/Seidenberg
Morrow/C. Miller

 

[BB88]

We have a bunch of D that are under developed and will remain that way because Chara is taking up a spot that could be used to have a real good look at what we got. Guys like Colin Miller and Joe Morrow, even Trotman have a place on this team going forward, it would be nice if we could use them where they truly belong in the order and all at once rather than subbing in for each other. I realize what that may look like on ice but you have to start somewhere.

That's a great point, and with Seids they are eating 2 spots, 3 if we include Kevan that aren't, atleast shouldn't be in our longterm plans.

We have so many prospects/young players developing on the D and how are we going to fit them into that D group while 2-3 players are eating up spots.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Every single team wants to be belichick. New Englanders are spoiled. Every time someone tries to manage the roster like him they fail miserably. Hockey is a different sport.

Belichick wasn't afraid to get rid of Wilfork before it was to late... Sweeney should have done the same with Chara, Seidenberg, McQuaid and Kelly.

 

[JOKER 192]

The thing about trading Chara is that if you do, your clearly going into rebuild. If your going into rebuild, what about guys like Krecji and Bergy? By the time the rebuild is done, we'll be saying the same things about them.

 

[wintersej]

Belichick wasn't afraid to get rid of Wilfork before it was to late... Sweeney should have done the same with Chara, Seidenberg, McQuaid and Kelly.

When exactly?

When the team was in the Cup finals in 12-13? When they were a Presidents Trophy Cup favorite team in 13-14? When he was injured all year in 14-15?

The idea that the Bruins missed some obvious time to move Chara is foolish.

 

[njbruin*]

The thing about trading Chara is that if you do, your clearly going into rebuild. If your going into rebuild, what about guys like Krecji and Bergy? By the time the rebuild is done, we'll be saying the same things about them.

I don't necessarily agree with that, especially if you obtain a solid 2nd pairing D coming back as part of the trade. Obviously we'd need to move other parts , but a Chara trade doesn't have to equate with a rebuild.

 

[jgatie]

Belichick wasn't afraid to get rid of Wilfork before it was to late... Sweeney should have done the same with Chara, Seidenberg, McQuaid and Kelly.

Comparing the NFL to the NHL is comparing apples to oranges. When you figure in the fact that you have guaranteed contracts in the NHL, it's comparing apples to fighter planes. Besides, how bad would we look with a defense whose most veteran member is Tory Krug? Wait, don't answer that (not that you ever answer anything resembling hard facts!).

 

[JOKER 192]

I don't necessarily agree with that, especially if you obtain a solid 2nd pairing D coming back as part of the trade. Obviously we'd need to move other parts , but a Chara trade doesn't have to equate with a rebuild.

So if you trade Chara and you acquire a 2nd pairing D, who's on the 1st pairing?

 

[Scotto74]

Belichick wasn't afraid to get rid of Wilfork before it was to late... Sweeney should have done the same with Chara, Seidenberg, McQuaid and Kelly.

different animals between the NHL and NFL. In the NFL you can take a #1 pick pretty much anywhere in the first round and bank on them playing the year they are drafted. NHL takes a lot more time to draft replacements.

Not to mention that contracts in the NFL are not guaranteed. Makes a world of difference if an NHL GM could cut a guy that is not performing during the year.

can't compare the two sports when it comes to managing a roster.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

The thing about trading Chara is that if you do, your clearly going into rebuild. If your going into rebuild, what about guys like Krecji and Bergy? By the time the rebuild is done, we'll be saying the same things about them.

Why? If trading Chara means a "re-build" it certainly doesn't have to imply an Edmonton Oilers timeframe rebuild.

 

[JOKER 192]

Why? If trading Chara means a "re-build" it certainly doesn't have to imply an Edmonton Oilers timeframe rebuild.

No, your right, but no one is going to give you a younger #1 for an older Chara. Chara will need to be replaced in some manner, that is easier said than done. Maybe it won't take Oilers kind of time but there is no guarantee of that.

 

[Danton Heineken]

Why? If trading Chara means a "re-build" it certainly doesn't have to imply an Edmonton Oilers timeframe rebuild.

Not having a #1 defenseman is why Edmonton's rebuild has taken so long. Moving Chara would put the Bruins in the same place.

 

[Ice Nine]

That's not what I said.

What I said is that there are three (maybe four) D on Nashville that I would want over Chara...given the current situation in Boston.

Are you trying to tell me that given where the B's are right now (in transition), you would not take Weber (30), Josi (25), Jones (21), and maybe even Ekholm (25) over Chara?

IMO, both Weber and Josi are better than Chara NOW. Jones is not that far off and what, 17 years younger? Ekholm is not as good, but he's younger and I am thinking about the other assets the B's could get in addition.

You're a courageous man, Glory, starting this thread!

I think the two teams with most realistic targets is Nashville (as you've pointed out) and St. Louis, who likewise have an embarrassment of riches of excellent young D -- Shattenkirk, Parayko, Pietrangelo.

No interest at all in Bouwmeester, but any of those three are comparable to Weber/Josi/Jones as ideal targets to take over as our #1D.

The only problem is that I cannot see either team unloading a top D if they really think they have a chance to win. They'd probably prefer giving up draft picks, if they'd even want Chara...

 

[BB88]

Not having a #1 defenseman is why Edmonton's rebuild has taken so long. Moving Chara would put the Bruins in the same place.

But Chara if he still is won't be #1D for long, so it doesn't change that.
We don't have a replacement for him anyways.
If you trade Chara now and land Chyhcrun we (probably) have that, and we have depth in our D prospect pool, something Edmonton hasn't had.

 

[Ice Nine]

Send Chara to Edmonton for their 2016 1st rounder?

People will riot if Edmonton gets the top pick again, but maybe not if some other team has the pick.

Matthews or Chychrun, folks!

 

[Ice Nine]

The thing about trading Chara is that if you do, your clearly going into rebuild. If your going into rebuild, what about guys like Krecji and Bergy? By the time the rebuild is done, we'll be saying the same things about them.

True, and I don't think DS' mentality is rebuild at all, at least for now.

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

Obviously the right long term move is to trade him to a place where we wont have to retain salary. Slim chance we win the Cup in the next 3 years, but who knows in the playoffs. Hand Patrice the C and move on.

With that said though, if the return is meh I think its worth holding onto him.

No salary retention and 1st + Prospect would be REALLY hard for me to turn down.

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

So if you trade Chara and you acquire a 2nd pairing D, who's on the 1st pairing?

Who cares though? If we trade Chara we aren't competing for a playoff spot more than likely. We'd also probably trade Seidenberg and Erikkson as a result.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Hey Glory, if you had the opportunity to keep Chara for the 2nd pairing and use let's say Seids plus picks and whatever else it takes to get a #1 Dman ,would this not make our team a much better stronger and balanced D core than what we have knowing Chara would be able to play this role for at least another 2 years or maybe 3 depending on his health?

I would be open to this, just not sure that Seidenberg + whatever gets it done? Chara, even in a diminished state will bring more than Sides IMO.

Does a younger version of Chara even exist?

I didn't mean literally a younger carbon copy of Chara, just a younger 1st pair d-man of any nationality or dimensions.

 

[BMC]

The thing about trading Chara is that if you do, your clearly going into rebuild. If your going into rebuild, what about guys like Krecji and Bergy? By the time the rebuild is done, we'll be saying the same things about them.

We are in a rebuild, they're just trying to do it on the fly to minimize the pain to ticket sales. I would say so far the results are mixed which isn't much of a surprise.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

You're a courageous man, Glory, starting this thread!

I think the two teams with most realistic targets is Nashville (as you've pointed out) and St. Louis, who likewise have an embarrassment of riches of excellent young D -- Shattenkirk, Parayko, Pietrangelo.

No interest at all in Bouwmeester, but any of those three are comparable to Weber/Josi/Jones as ideal targets to take over as our #1D.

The only problem is that I cannot see either team unloading a top D if they really think they have a chance to win. They'd probably prefer giving up draft picks, if they'd even want Chara...

I wasn't really targeting NAS, just saying that they had 3 or 4 d-men I would take over Chara, given the circumstances. The only teams that would be interested in Chara would be Cup contenders that needed a D to put them over the top. These types of teams are not going to want to subtract from their current rosters, so there would have to be another deal (after the Chara one) to try to secure a 1st pair d-man.

Chara goes to Contender X for picks/prospects/young players...

DS takes some of the assets from the Chara deal and combines them with some that the B's already have and gets a 1st pair from another team that is looking to rebuild or retool.

It wouldn't be easy, but it's the only way that I see the B's able to add a 1st pair while Bergeron and Krejci are still in their windows, provided that someone like Lauzon, Carlo, ROG, or Zboril didn't miraculously turn into a Top pair D over the summer.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

We are in a rebuild, they're just trying to do it on the fly to minimize the pain to ticket sales. I would say so far the results are mixed which isn't much of a surprise.

Rebuilding a team "on the fly" while still remaining competitive is probably the hardest thing for a GM to do in sports.

 

[BB88]

We are in a rebuild, they're just trying to do it on the fly to minimize the pain to ticket sales. I would say so far the results are mixed which isn't much of a surprise.

How easy/wise is it to rebuild on a fly chasing playoffs without elite potential?

 

[Ice Nine]

I wasn't really targeting NAS, just saying that they had 3 or 4 d-men I would take over Chara, given the circumstances. The only teams that would be interested in Chara would be Cup contenders that needed a D to put them over the top. These types of teams are not going to want to subtract from their current rosters, so there would have to be another deal (after the Chara one) to try to secure a 1st pair d-man.

Chara goes to Contender X for picks/prospects/young players...

DS takes some of the assets from the Chara deal and combines them with some that the B's already have and gets a 1st pair from another team that is looking to rebuild or retool.

It wouldn't be easy, but it's the only way that I see the B's able to add a 1st pair while Bergeron and Krejci are still in their windows, provided that someone like Lauzon, Carlo, ROG, or Zboril didn't miraculously turn into a Top pair D over the summer.

Makes sense. I like Lauzon, Carlo, Zboril, etc, but I don't see them as a top pairing D anytime soon.