The Krug talk is silly
The 80/20 rule applies but a post a few back had it backwards
80% realize he's a top 4 not the other way around
I am a huge Krug guy, but did suggest that if the B's were to add a Fowler or Brodin, he might have to be the "third pair" this year, until Chara is gone (next year I hope).
However, the more I think about it, I'm not sure how this would all work? I realize that the B's need to find a replacement for Chara, and I don't think he can still be a Top 4 in the 2/3 years it would probably take to develop a prospect like Lauzon or Zboril. The question is, does he believe he can still be a Top 4 in 2/3 years, and do the B's?
Right now the B's Top 4 for next season looks like:
Chara-McAvoy
Krug-Carlo
I'm actually OK with those 4 if that's what it turns out to be. I understand that having McAvoy in that spot is a little risky, but based on what I saw of him in the PO's, he can handle it, and I expect him to be better than Carlo was in that spot this year.
The two things to consider going forward (in my mind) are:
How long can Chara continue to log top pair minutes and be effective?
Can Krug take the next step and handle top pair minutes if he's paired with a strong defensive partner on the right?
If the Bruins believe that Krug can be a 1/2 guy, then it opens up a lot of options for that 2nd pair LHD. They can hang onto Chara for another year after 2017/18 and slowly lessen his minutes, or they can go out and get a legit Top 4 guy (Brodin), but not have to break the bank for a Top 2, (or maybe do both depending on what role Chara is willing to accept, and how the LHD prospects are coming along).
The wild card in all of this is the Expansion draft. It's going to force teams to deal players that they would not consider moving under normal circumstances. The couple of weeks after the SC Finals will likely be more interesting than the games themselves.