Where do the Bruins go from here?

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Almost everyone said we wouldn't make the playoffs last year, and we saw what happened.

Also, the best the Bruins looked in that series vs Florida was when 37 was out.

My favorite player of all time but I'm not worried. Just happy I got to grow up watching him play.

Some people thought the Bruins might regress. To say that "everyone" thought the Bruins would miss the playoffs is bologna.

 

[JTToilinginToronto]

They still have some good pieces to build around LT, but seesh, that center depth chart looks bad. If I am correct, I think Zacha is slated to be their 1C as things stand today. So yeah, I think that says it all.

2023-24 may have to be a transition year for them until they can make some moves in the 2024 offseason.

 

[LeafGrief]

Their valuable players like Pasta and McAvoy have a zillion years left on their deals, Marchand might still have gas in the tank and if he doesn't he can be a rental the year after. They don't have any particularly important UFA's coming up.

The B's put up 135 points last year. I don't know what they're going to do for a #1C either, but they can regress by 40 and still make the playoffs. I imagine they try and compete this year and see where the chips land. If they're going to miss the playoffs they just sell their rentals and nothing is really lost. I think their long term outlook is up in the air, but they're also in no hurry to commit to blowing it up because there isn't a particular time crunch. If the team doesn't cut it, they probably take a step back and start a retool next summer. Maybe, maybe, maybe they trade Pasta in said retool, I don't think they'd trade McAvoy in a million years.

 

[eviohh26]

Lost me at best defensive forward to ever do it.

 

[Machinehead]

I think they're a good team but probably not a Cup winner. I felt that way last year, and I had Florida in my bracket. I think their regular season record last year was buoyed by historic goaltending.

 

[Machinehead]

Lost me at best defensive forward to ever do it.

Where's the lie?

 

[eviohh26]

Where's the lie?

The best defensive forward to ever do it part.

 

[HFpapi]

Lost me at best defensive forward to ever do it.

Lots of things in my OP I thought people might disagree with but this wasn't one of them lol.

Who do you have as better? I think he's the absolute consensus best two-way/defensive center in NHL history

 

[eviohh26]

Lots of things in my OP I thought people might disagree with but this wasn't one of them lol.

Who do you have as better? I think he's the absolute consensus best two-way/defensive center in NHL history

We have gone over this many many times and it's always Datsyuk .

 

[Kranix]

I'm not saying you can't win without tanking. I also literally said tanking is not always successful.

But you agree that tanking is the likeliest way to find elite talent, and you need elite players to be win the Cup.

Boston could make 15 2nd round draft picks and they're not going to find another Patrice Bergeron there. It's largely luck. Even trying to find a 1C or 1D calibre player in the middle of the first round...is largely not going to be successful.

If you lose the lottery repeatedly...yeah that sucks.

Just throwing the info out there, of the top 5 picks between 2000-2020, only 19/105 have gone to the finals with the team that drafted them. I'm not going to get into how many and which of the 105 were actually elite players, but I think people would agree only a small number of them were.

 

[HFpapi]

We have gone over this many many times and it's always Datsyuk .

Then why did Zetterberg get the shutdown assignment on Crosby in 09?

Not the thread for it since it will be an easy derail but Datsyuk was better offensively but I think his takeaway ability inflated his perception as a "defensive" centre. Bergeron I think is a better 200 foot shut down, defensive centre.

But I digress, Datsyuk is obviously very much in that conversation.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Not many teams have a 60 goal scorer and a 1D. If the bruins should knock it all down then so should many teams in the league. Given how they overachieved last year they probably have great coaching. They’ll be fine

 

[Machinehead]

The best defensive forward to ever do it part.

He's been the best defensive forward in the league for probably 12 consecutive years. He's firmly in that discussion.

 

[I Hate Philadelphia]

We have gone over this many many times and it's always Datsyuk .

Only three Selkes? Pathetic.

 

[BlueSeal]

They got the right coach, players are solid with some age on it, a few new assets and the Killer B’s will build up, not sink.

 

[HFpapi]

Just throwing the info out there, of the top 5 picks between 2000-2020, only 19/105 have gone to the finals with the team that drafted them. I'm not going to get into how many and which of the 105 were actually elite players, but I think people would agree only a small number of them were.

But Bruins need a #1 center. Where do you find #1 centers?

McDavid (1st)
Draisaitl (3rd)
Mackinnon (1st)
Matthews (1st)
Crosby (1st)
Barkov (2nd)
Hughes (1st)
Eichel (2nd)
Pettersson (5th)
Stutzle (3rd)
Malkin (2nd)
Zibanejad (6th)
Hischier (1st)
Kopitar (11)
Lindholm (5th)

And only 3 don't play for the team that drafted them.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Almost everyone said we wouldn't make the playoffs last year, and we saw what happened.

Also, the best the Bruins looked in that series vs Florida was when 37 was out.

My favorite player of all time but I'm not worried. Just happy I got to grow up watching him play.

A bug chunk of that Bergeron-less team in the first round is gone too.

 

[HFpapi]

Not many teams have a 60 goal scorer and a 1D. If the bruins should knock it all down then so should many teams in the league. Given how they overachieved last year they probably have great coaching. They’ll be fine

Not many teams don't have a top 50 center in the league.

 

[Pavels Dog]

I also think Boston's goaltending is getting severely overrated.

Near the leagues best? I know this sounds stupid since he's literally the reigning Vezina winner but honestly does anyone have confidence that Ullmark is actually a top 10 goalie on ability?

If they re-sign Swayman that's still a very good tandem, but I agree Ullmark gets overrated. He's got one elite season, as part of a 1A/1B tandem.

And they're just one center away from having a complete core. They could find that guy with the #14th or the #22nd overall selection. I'd run my chances with that rather than tanking and having to find a #1 center AND #1 winger AND a #1 defenseman through tanking.

Bruins

- didn't have a 1st in 2022
- didn't have a 1st or 2nd in 2023
- don't have a 1st, 2nd or 3rd in 2024

Their best option is likely to keep trading futures if they want someone that can play #1C while Pastrnak, Lindholm, Ullmark etc. still have prime years left. But then the cap is an issue, as well as the fact that legit top 6 centers are hard to acquire.

Don't forget replacing their long time #2 center and often best playoff performer as well.

As well as losing Nosek, who was their 2nd best faceoff guy (nearly 60%).

 

[Dread Clawz]

Young Hart trophy finalist.
Young Norris trophy candidate.
Good youth with size on back end.
Great young goaltending.
Elite first line winger.
Savy GM
Bruins will be alright.

Yeah they have enough to be an ok team. As Marchand gets older they'll be more of a bubble team unless they can land a 1C. If they can't, they'll be closer to a bottom 10 team than a top 10 team. Their projected depth in 2-3 years isn't that impressive.

 

[bossram]

Just throwing the info out there, of the top 5 picks between 2000-2020, only 19/105 have gone to the finals with the team that drafted them. I'm not going to get into how many and which of the 105 were actually elite players, but I think people would agree only a small number of them were.

That's largely because there were a lot of repeat finalists/winners and the same former top draft picks ended up there.

Again, as I said multiple times, tanking is no guarantee. But where do you find those elite talents that ended up in the finals repeatedly (Crosby, Malkin, Hedman, Stamkos, Doughty, Toews, Kane)? At the top of the draft.

Yeah, you can be Detroit and get lucky by finding two of the greatest two-way players of the generation and the greatest defenseman of the generation late in the draft and win that way...but good luck with that plan.

 

[traffic cone]

I think their future looks brighter than the Leafs’ tbh.

 

[bossram]

But Bruins need a #1 center. Where do you find #1 centers?

McDavid (1st)
Draisaitl (3rd)
Mackinnon (1st)
Matthews (1st)
Crosby (1st)
Barkov (2nd)
Hughes (1st)
Eichel (1st)
Pettersson (5th)
Stutzle (3rd)
Malkin (2nd)
Zibanejad (6th)
Hischier (1st)
Kopitar (11)
Lindholm (5th)

And only 3 don't play for the team that drafted them.

This

 

[ranold26]

The Bruins will be fine.

 

[Kranix]

But Bruins need a #1 center. Where do you find #1 centers?

McDavid (1st)
Draisaitl (3rd)
Mackinnon (1st)
Matthews (1st)
Crosby (1st)
Barkov (2nd)
Hughes (1st)
Eichel (1st)
Pettersson (5th)
Stutzle (3rd)
Malkin (2nd)
Zibanejad (6th)
Hischier (1st)
Kopitar (11)
Lindholm (5th)

And only 3 don't play for the team that drafted them.

Point (79th)
Barzal (16th)
Thompson (26th)
Miller (15th)
Hintz (49th)
Thomas (20th)
Aho (35th)
Larkin (15th)
Suzuki (13th)
Nelson (30th)