Bruins Offseason

cshea

cshea

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With Tkachuk and Gaudreau there was a lot of speculation that their leaving was a result of the pandemic. Essentially they were 2 Americans 'stuck' in Canada for a few years. Border crossings restrictions made it difficult for them to see friends and family. Everything was relaxed by the time they decided they wanted out but it still seems like both just wanted to get back to the US. Hanifin is about the same age as Gaudreau so maybe he's thinking the same thing.

Winnipeg just doesn't seem to be desireable for NHL players. ESPN or some other outlet used to poll agents about NTC's and Winnipeg was always the team listed on the most players no-trade list.

Edit: Edmonton was usually up there too but I think 97 and 29 changed that.
 
MiracleOfO2704

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cshea

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Listened to Friedman's podcast from Wednesday and in it he mentions the Bruins are trying to sign Bertuzzi and Hathaway and that Sweeney is "burning up the phones to try and do some interesting things."

There's been plenty of smoke around Bertuzzi that I do think they are trying to figure out a way to keep him. Hathaway surprises me a little bit. He's basically a luxury as a 4th liner and they typically go through a lot of churn for these types of players. Kuraly, Acciari, Nordstrom, Riley Nash, etc. One they hit free agency they go on to the cheaper option. I like Hathaway but I don't really see how the finances are going to work.

In general, I'm struggling to wrap my head around how they make all the pieces fit.
 
RedOctober3829

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cshea said:
Listened to Friedman's podcast from Wednesday and in it he mentions the Bruins are trying to sign Bertuzzi and Hathaway and that Sweeney is "burning up the phones to try and do some interesting things."

There's been plenty of smoke around Bertuzzi that I do think they are trying to figure out a way to keep him. Hathaway surprises me a little bit. He's basically a luxury as a 4th liner and they typically go through a lot of churn for these types of players. Kuraly, Acciari, Nordstrom, Riley Nash, etc. One they hit free agency they go on to the cheaper option. I like Hathaway but I don't really see how the finances are going to work.

In general, I'm struggling to wrap my head around how they make all the pieces fit.
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Lots of tough decisions to make if they want to retain both of those players.
 
cshea

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It's a stupid tweet. Bucci does it all the time. Either post what you're hearing or shut up. It's the equivalent of the stupid eye emoji.
 
cshea

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Not to mention he's quoting a parody account.

I don't doubt Bucci knows things and people in the industry but he's the king of the vauge rumor. It's just usually done through pictures and emoji's.
 
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Scoops Bolling said:
That makes less than zero sense. Wtf would the Bruins want with Krug and his contract?
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Unless they do a double salary retention, I don't get it. They need fewer LHD.

And I love and miss Krug but that salary is prohibitive (as it was the first time).
 
Salem's Lot

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TFP said:
Unless they do a double salary retention, I don't get it. They need fewer LHD.

And I love and miss Krug but that salary is prohibitive (as it was the first time).
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Krug’s people could be throwing Boston around the rumor mill as a way to tell everyone where he wants to go. Bruins might not be interested at all.
 
MiracleOfO2704

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So they’re at $11 million in cap space, with three notable RFAs (Swayman, Frederic, Mitchell) and two lines to build.

There is no way they’re done. Even if they’re dipping deep in the bargain bin, they’re likely to move one of the goalies and Grzelcyk at minimum.
 
jbupstate

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TFP said:
Elite offensive talent.
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veritas said:
Other than being really short, they are not similar players at all.
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Didn’t mean to compare skill set. But that is how it read… my bad.

But are we sure Krug still projects as an elite offensive player going forward? Very expensive and injured last season. I think Gryz is very underrated by Bruins fans. He’s a very good player.

Would Orlov be a better fit for the Bruins if the price was right?
 
MiracleOfO2704

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jbupstate said:
Would Orlov be a better fit for the Bruins if the price was right?
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I mean, probably, but the price is the tricky part. You’re likely paying him for past production at this stage in his career, so are you willing to overpay for less term? It doesn’t help that he’s on the left, one of the few positions the Bruins have depth.
 
cshea

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TSC said:
Plan the parade

View: https://twitter.com/puckreportnhl/status/1673420424837754891?s=46&t=OkYc4B97cAcDPw09PEJj_w
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From the prospect types, seems like Walsh is a pretty decent flier for the Bruins considering the acquisition cost. He's had back to back 40 point season in the AHL and is blocked at the NHL level and thus has never gotten a real opportunity. He's already 24 so hard to call him a prospect but most agree he's got some upside with a non-zero chance of contributing at the NHL level.

View: https://twitter.com/ByronMBader/status/1673426040088301568?s=20
 
The B’s Knees

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It would be fitting if Bergy came back for the 100th Anniversary season, won the cup, and then rode/skated off into the sun.
But I'll hold no grudges if he doesn't.
 
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teds_head said:
It would be fitting if Bergy came back for the 100th Anniversary season, won the cup, and then rode/skated off into the sun.
But I'll hold no grudges if he doesn't.
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Yep. I’m greedy. I want one more year (and another and another if he still has skills), but can’t begrudge him if he wants to walk away.
 
cshea

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So assuming Bergeron and Krejci are out, this is the roster as it stands heading into the draft tomorrow and free agency on Saturday:

Marchand - Coyle - DeBrusk
XXX - Zacha - Pastrnak
XXX - XXX - XXX
Greer - XXX - XXX

Lindholm - McAvoy
Grzelyck - Carlo
Forbort - Zboril
Reilly

Ullmark
XXX

They have $10.9 million in Cap Space to fill all the XXX's (7). Figure ~$2 million for Frederic and ~$5 million for Swayman, that would leave them at $3.9 million left to fill out the remaining 5 openings. Still think one of the LHD's goes. A Reilly buyout gives them an additional $2.6 million. Then there's the goalies where there hasn't been much rumor beyond people wondering if the Bruins would consider moving one. I think I would go that route but we'll see. If they want to leave the door open for Bergy and/or Krejci they probably need to set something aside for them, call it $2.5 million.

I would think they have something planned for a decent forward. I have a hard time seeing them use Hall as the cap dump in an offseason where they were also losing Bergy, Krejci and Bertuzzi. Filling it out half the forward group with ELC's and minimum salary vets seems unwise, especially given the depth on defense. We'll see what happens but I suspect they'll either bring back Bertuzzi or acquire some similarly priced player. Winnipeg may move on from Mark Scheifele who is in the final year of a contract with a $6.125 cap hit. Maybe he makes sense?
 
joe dokes

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cshea said:
I would think they have something planned for a decent forward. I have a hard time seeing them use Hall as the cap dump in an offseason where they were also losing Bergy, Krejci and Bertuzzi. Filling it out half the forward group with ELC's and minimum salary vets seems unwise, especially given the depth on defense. We'll see what happens but I suspect they'll either bring back Bertuzzi or acquire some similarly priced player. Winnipeg may move on from Mark Scheifele who is in the final year of a contract with a $6.125 cap hit. Maybe he makes sense?
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Does Blake Wheeler have anything left, (if WPG buys him out, as hypothesized in another thread)?
 
Shaky Walton

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cshea said:
So assuming Bergeron and Krejci are out, this is the roster as it stands heading into the draft tomorrow and free agency on Saturday:

Marchand - Coyle - DeBrusk
XXX - Zacha - Pastrnak
XXX - XXX - XXX
Greer - XXX - XXX

Lindholm - McAvoy
Grzelyck - Carlo
Forbort - Zboril
Reilly

Ullmark
XXX
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Damn...the Bruins' bed shitting in this season's playoffs is right up there with SB 42, or really just behind it, in the annals of wasted Boston sports opportunities. I would have mentioned the 2003 ALCS but 2004 effectively erased that and gave us the gift of Aaron Boone as manager of the StormTroopers. This year's Bruins had everything going for them. RANT OVER.
 
LogansDad

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Shaky Walton said:
Damn...the Bruins' bed shitting in this season's playoffs is right up there with SB 42, or really just behind it, in the annals of wasted Boston sports opportunities. I would have mentioned the 2003 ALCS but 2004 effectively erased that and gave us the gift of Aaron Boone as manager of the StormTroopers. This year's Bruins had everything going for them. RANT OVER.
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At least the Scottish Game gave us an actual playoff run before it happened. And also carried out over three and a half hours instead of a full week.

This was worse for me (but I am also a bigger Bruins/hockey fan than I have ever been a football fan).

I don't think I will get over this one.
 
Salem's Lot

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TSC said:
Just the vibe I get based on Neelys comments. I hope to be be wrong.
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He sees how hard it is around the league to move money. Everyone would like to offload another $5/$6 million to sign a guy that they like. Few teams are pulling it off. I don’t see how they could sign Bertuzzi with the numbers they have right now.
 
The Mort Report

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Salem's Lot said:
He sees how hard it is around the league to move money. Everyone would like to offload another $5/$6 million to sign a guy that they like. Few teams are pulling it off. I don’t see how they could sign Bertuzzi with the numbers they have right now.
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Agree with all of this. I mentioned this in the trade thread, but I’m feeling more and more this is going to be a mini bridge year. The core stars(Chucky, Hampus, Pasta, Zacha, which ever goalie they pick) are all young enough to spend a year checking the kids out and resetting the team’s salary situation. Assuming no rise in the cap and no long term additions they’d be looking at around 30ish million in cap space next offseason. Obviously that number will go down due to filling out the roster, but the cap should also go up, if they can find multiple younger, cheaper options, they are a big signing/trade or two next year from being a powerhouse again. The more I think about it the more I want this to be the plan.

Also, if the Hall trade was to sign Bert, I think it would have already happened. I think the only way Bert gets done here is at a discount, and him going to FA will most likely price him out with what the team still needs
 
cshea

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The Mort Report said:
Agree with all of this. I mentioned this in the trade thread, but I’m feeling more and more this is going to be a mini bridge year. The core stars(Chucky, Hampus, Pasta, Zacha, which ever goalie they pick) are all young enough to spend a year checking the kids out and resetting the team’s salary situation. Assuming no rise in the cap and no long term additions they’d be looking at around 30ish million in cap space next offseason. Obviously that number will go down due to filling out the roster, but the cap should also go up, if they can find multiple younger, cheaper options, they are a big signing/trade or two next year from being a powerhouse again. The more I think about it the more I want this to be the plan.

Also, if the Hall trade was to sign Bert, I think it would have already happened. I think the only way Bert gets done here is at a discount, and him going to FA will most likely price him out with what the team still needs
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One problem with a retool year into a more cap adventageous year is the Bruins unloaded a shit ton of future capital over the last 2 seasons. If they are going the retool route for a year they should be offloading some players they don't envision being in their longterm future for picks and prospects. That's how they thread the needle in 2015. Sitting on their hands and trying again next year doesn't really make a ton of sense because it's essentially putting a lot of eggs in next years UFA basket. Last time we did that we ended up with Ullmark (good!), Foligno, Nosek, Reilly, Forbort, Haula (Not so good!).
 
cshea

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TSC said:
Haula and Nosek were both good deals. Haula had a decent season and got us Zacha.

Nosek is a limited played but great at what he does.
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Nosek was a serviceable 4th liner but those guys are a dime a dozen, you can find them anywhere. The Bruins are probably going to sign the next on on Saturday. Haula was fine, I guess, but didn't move the needle.

At the end of the day they spent $14 million that summer on Foligno, Haula, Nosek, Reilly and Forbort. They probably would've been better off using the cap space on two $7 million players than spreading it around to a group of 5 that ranged from bad to ok.
 
BaseballJones

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cshea said:
So assuming Bergeron and Krejci are out, this is the roster as it stands heading into the draft tomorrow and free agency on Saturday:

Marchand - Coyle - DeBrusk
XXX - Zacha - Pastrnak
XXX - XXX - XXX
Greer - XXX - XXX

Lindholm - McAvoy
Grzelyck - Carlo
Forbort - Zboril
Reilly

Ullmark/Swayman
XXX
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Is that roster filled in by basically $1 million players good enough to make the playoffs? Good enough to actually advance a round?

The defense looks really solid. The offense has holes.
 
j44thor

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cshea said:
Nosek was a serviceable 4th liner but those guys are a dime a dozen, you can find them anywhere. The Bruins are probably going to sign the next on on Saturday. Haula was fine, I guess, but didn't move the needle.

At the end of the day they spent $14 million that summer on Foligno, Haula, Nosek, Reilly and Forbort. They probably would've been better off using the cap space on two $7 million players than spreading it around to a group of 5 that ranged from bad to ok.
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Disagree that they could have gotten better value by signing two 7M players as they would have had no depth. Nosek and Haula were fine signings, where Don gets into trouble is the 3-4M players that he signs for too much and for too long. A Nosek at 1.75 cap hit as an elite PK 4th line C is a fine value, Haula at sub 3M was a fine value. Fortbort, Reilly, Foligno were all over pays cumulatively by 3-4M per season which is the problem. I'd rather they not give out another 3-4yr 3-4M UFA contract ever again. They simply haven't worked out for the past 10 years or so. Under 3M or over 4M seem to work out fine. Overpaying for aging replacement level players is what gets this team into significant cap trouble.
 
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