Bruins Offseason Roster Thread

Dummy Hoy

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I don't want to lock Hall up, but grabbing him on a one year deal and moving JDB for a LHD absolutely makes them better next season, which given Krech and Rask's contracts and Bergy's age is the last shot.

I'm also not sold on JDB reaching his ceiling. If he learns to be consistant, he's a fringe all-star. But what have we seen in four years that says he can be consistant? I'll trust the team's internal views on that. Moving him may also be a result of him wanting to be paid for what he might do and the team wanting to pay him for what he's done.
 

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I don't want to lock Hall up, but grabbing him on a one year deal and moving JDB for a LHD absolutely makes them better next season, which given Krech and Rask's contracts and Bergy's age is the last shot.

I'm also not sold on JDB reaching his ceiling. If he learns to be consistant, he's a fringe all-star. But what have we seen in four years that says he can be consistant? I'll trust the team's internal views on that. Moving him may also be a result of him wanting to be paid for what he might do and the team wanting to pay him for what he's done.
Why would Taylor Hall agree to a one year deal as a UFA? I mean, sure. I'd love that too. But in all reality, he's going to have multiple offers from multiple teams and I doubt none of those teams will go past 1 year.

And JDB has only played in the NHL for 3 seasons. He's 23 years old. It took Blake Wheeler - a similar style player, until his 25 year old season before he consistently put up points.
 

Murby

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I'd rather give Winnipeg a shot and aim for a Laine/DeBrusk (and more) swap. I'm sure that wouldn't work, but Hall doesn't interest me. I doubt he does a 1-year deal, but if he did that to get a make good contract....maybe....Bobby Ryan on a 1-year?
 

LogansDad

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I'd rather give Winnipeg a shot and aim for a Laine/DeBrusk (and more) swap. I'm sure that wouldn't work, but Hall doesn't interest me. I doubt he does a 1-year deal, but if he did that to get a make good contract....maybe....Bobby Ryan on a 1-year?
I can't imagine the Bruins having close to what it would take to meet Winnipeg's demands on Laine.

Edit to add: But if they found a way to make that work, I would be thrilled.
 

cshea

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Laine is kinda a one trick pony who has some red flags. Bruins don’t have what it takes to get him but I wouldn’t pay it anyways.
 

RedOctober3829

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Why would Taylor Hall agree to a one year deal as a UFA? I mean, sure. I'd love that too. But in all reality, he's going to have multiple offers from multiple teams and I doubt none of those teams will go past 1 year.

And JDB has only played in the NHL for 3 seasons. He's 23 years old. It took Blake Wheeler - a similar style player, until his 25 year old season before he consistently put up points.
The only reason is the flat cap that limits what teams can spend.
 

Dummy Hoy

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I've heard a fair amount of talk suggesting Hall may be willing to look for a one year deal, especially if it gives him a chance to win. No doubt that's far from a certainty, but I have seen that floated around by reputable people (I believe Friedman has suggested it). Were that the case, I'm game with the B's dumping a bunch of cash at him.

And I don't disagree on debrusk...I really like him and he's got time to develop that consistancy he lacks. I'm just suggesting that if the Bruins deal him it's because they don't think he's going to take that next step, and I'm inclined to agree with their talent grading as their record is pretty good (2015 1st round obviously excepted).
 

jk333

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Hall on a one year deal is a no brainer. I think most would go for that. Before this year he was a point per game the prior two years. (17-18’ and 18-19’)

The question is if he’s worth and you can get him on something like a 5 year deal at around 7 per year. And then how that impacts your team.
 

Salem's Lot

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Hall on a one year deal is a no brainer. I think most would go for that. Before this year he was a point per game the prior two years. (17-18’ and 18-19’)

The question is if he’s worth and you can get him on something like a 5 year deal at around 7 per year. And then how that impacts your team.
This may be the year where we see a lot of 1-2 year deals for guys that would normally get 5+. Nobody still has any idea of the financial future of any entity that relies heavily on in person attendance at this point. I just don’t see a lot of clubs willing to take those kinds of long term risks this offseason.
 

cshea

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I don't think Hall will end up taking a 1-year deal. I think that is a bit risky for him given the uncertainty with revenues in the coming 2-3 years. The top UFA's will still get their money this offseason, and I think it'd be smart for them to jump while they can. I think the middle class of UFA's are the ones that'll get squeezed the most.

I'm not too concerned about Hall's shooting percentage. Shooting percentage can be fickle and it rebounded a bit in Arizona. All his rates have been north of 50%. His xGF% in New Jersey this season was 60% and 56% in Arizona. His scoring chances and high danger chances were both north of 55% on both teams. He can still drive play and those were on two terrible teams, particular New Jersey where he was their only option. I'm not sure about the 1-year deal thing, but I have read that he's indicated that one of his top priorities as a UFA is going to a place where he can win. Maybe they can get a slight discount on him. I think the Bruins can offer an opportunity to win and it's also a spot where he doesn't have to carry the team. He'd play on the 2nd line with Krejci and Kase against teams 2nd and 3rd pairings because Bergy, Pasta and Machand will still draw the opponents #1 units.

I'm not advocating to trade DeBrusk, I just think this is a path forward to improving the team and trying to extend the window. Krug is gone and they need to fill his spot. There aren't any UFA's out there that can step into his void. I guess you could try to throw a boatload of money at Pietrangelo, but as good as he is, he's a RHD and the Bruins really need a LHD. The Krug replacement will likely have to come via trade, and they don't have the future assets to get a deal done for someone of significance, IMO. I think signing a winger (Hall, Hoffman, Dadonov) frees them up to use DeBrusk as a trade chip to get that LHD back to replace Krug.
 

cshea

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A mini-bidding war would be nice. They won't get anything earth shattering, but grabbing an extra mid-round pick would be a bonus. I'll try and look around to see if I can find any top UFA's getting their rights traded and how high a pick has gone in the past. The Bruins don't have a 1st or a 4th this season, maybe they can fill that 4th round hole? Looking at RA's list of teams:

Detroit: They have 3 seconds, 2 3r'd's, Edmonton's 4th and then their own 5-7.
Vegas: 2 3rd's, nothing in the 4th or 5th. The 3rds are their own and New Jersey's.
Colorado: Single picks in every round except for the 2nd. The 3rd they have is Toronto's.
Florida: 2 3rds, pick's in every round.

Edmonton's 4th from Detroit seems like a reasonable target. Can't see Vegas getting anything done without a 4th or 5th since Edmundson went for a 5th. Colorado would be insanely fun with Krug joining Makar and Girard (and probably Bowen Byram). That is just a ridiculous set of puck movers. Florida, meh. I hope he doesn't go there, I'd like to see him in a solid market.
 

RedOctober3829

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A mini-bidding war would be nice. They won't get anything earth shattering, but grabbing an extra mid-round pick would be a bonus. I'll try and look around to see if I can find any top UFA's getting their rights traded and how high a pick has gone in the past. The Bruins don't have a 1st or a 4th this season, maybe they can fill that 4th round hole? Looking at RA's list of teams:

Detroit: They have 3 seconds, 2 3r'd's, Edmonton's 4th and then their own 5-7.
Vegas: 2 3rd's, nothing in the 4th or 5th. The 3rds are their own and New Jersey's.
Colorado: Single picks in every round except for the 2nd. The 3rd they have is Toronto's.
Florida: 2 3rds, pick's in every round.

Edmonton's 4th from Detroit seems like a reasonable target. Can't see Vegas getting anything done without a 4th or 5th since Edmundson went for a 5th. Colorado would be insanely fun with Krug joining Makar and Girard (and probably Bowen Byram). That is just a ridiculous set of puck movers. Florida, meh. I hope he doesn't go there, I'd like to see him in a solid market.
What about trading the rights of Krug to Florida for the rights to Hoffman?
 

cshea

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I'd prefer the draft pick. If the Bruins want a free agent, they should be able to sign them on 7/1 (or 10/9 in this case).
 

Dduncan6er

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Detroit would make a ton of sense for all parties. Krug would be able to play at home and Detroit has plenty of draft ammo they can sacrifice. Not too worried about trading his rights within the division.
 

Maximus

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A mini-bidding war would be nice. They won't get anything earth shattering, but grabbing an extra mid-round pick would be a bonus. I'll try and look around to see if I can find any top UFA's getting their rights traded and how high a pick has gone in the past. The Bruins don't have a 1st or a 4th this season, maybe they can fill that 4th round hole? Looking at RA's list of teams:

Detroit: They have 3 seconds, 2 3r'd's, Edmonton's 4th and then their own 5-7.
Vegas: 2 3rd's, nothing in the 4th or 5th. The 3rds are their own and New Jersey's.
Colorado: Single picks in every round except for the 2nd. The 3rd they have is Toronto's.
Florida: 2 3rds, pick's in every round.

Edmonton's 4th from Detroit seems like a reasonable target. Can't see Vegas getting anything done without a 4th or 5th since Edmundson went for a 5th. Colorado would be insanely fun with Krug joining Makar and Girard (and probably Bowen Byram). That is just a ridiculous set of puck movers. Florida, meh. I hope he doesn't go there, I'd like to see him in a solid market.
It seems like the Edmundson comp is a good data point for trading Krug's rights so at least a 4th makes sense, maybe a 3rd in a bidding war.

I'm fine with McAvoy as the new QB of the PP. If they replace Krug externally, we need a D man with size. Pietro would be my preference but then we'd have to trade a RD. If we signed Pietro and packaged Carlo (not my preference) and Debrusk +, we should be able to get a significant upgrade to Debrusk. But it is very difficult since both Debrusk and Carlo are still developing and have upside going forward. The player evaluation folks are key in this discussion and their projected assessments of the roster.
 

cshea

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Philly paid a 5th for Kevin Hayes' rights last year. That is probably the best comparable for Krug. Maybe if there is truly a bidding war they can squeeze out a 4th.
 

cshea

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7 year left at $8.25 AAV. That's a pretty big ticket, but could also help drive the return down a bit. DeBrusk, Moore and a prospect? No idea what the value is. He's also got an NMC so that factors into the equation. Theoretically that could give the Bruins an edge over Edmonton and others.
 

TheRealness

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7 year left at $8.25 AAV. That's a pretty big ticket, but could also help drive the return down a bit. DeBrusk, Moore and a prospect? No idea what the value is. He's also got an NMC so that factors into the equation. Theoretically that could give the Bruins an edge over Edmonton and others.
In the abstract, he makes them better 5v5 (or should), but the PP loss between him and Krug is significant.

I still want Taylor Hall and this would impede that, but it’s better than sitting on your ass as Krug walks out the door to cash in.
 

cshea

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Some Bruins chatter from Custance in the Athletic today:

https://theathletic.com/2105005/2020/09/30/nhl-trade-rumors-henrik-lundqvist-goalies/
He says the Bruins have a lot of eyes on them. He also says they've talked about OEL New info in here is that external belief around the league that Rask could be had. They may not be actively shopping him but the belief seems to be if you like him, the Bruins would listen.

Rask has a modified NTC, he gives 15 teams he'd OK. $7 million cap hit, due $6.5 in actual cash. It's going to be a wild year for the goalie UFA market. Not sure what that would do for Rask's value on the trade market.
 

RedOctober3829

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Some Bruins chatter from Custance in the Athletic today:

https://theathletic.com/2105005/2020/09/30/nhl-trade-rumors-henrik-lundqvist-goalies/
He says the Bruins have a lot of eyes on them. He also says they've talked about OEL New info in here is that external belief around the league that Rask could be had. They may not be actively shopping him but the belief seems to be if you like him, the Bruins would listen.

Rask has a modified NTC, he gives 15 teams he'd OK. $7 million cap hit, due $6.5 in actual cash. It's going to be a wild year for the goalie UFA market. Not sure what that would do for Rask's value on the trade market.
I can't wait for the sports radio calls suggesting they trade Rask and sign Lundqvist.
 

cshea

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Jonathan Willis has a column up on the Athletic regarding trading for OEL and looking at some historic compatibles.

https://theathletic.com/2103779/2020/09/30/buyer-beware-trade-partners-for-oliver-ekman-larsson-have-to-hope-he-ages-well/
His ultimate conclusion is he thinks OEL will be worth it. The ultimate best case scenario is that a Scott Niedermayer outcome, the worst case is Wade Redden. The true outcome is probably somewhere in the middle. He pulls some historic comparables based on ice time and points through their age 29 season, then how they fared through their 35 year season which is when OEL's contract expires. They include Andrei Markov, Kimmo Timmonen, Bryan McCabe....Dennis Wideman on the meh side.

The final conclusion is he thinks OEL would be worth it. The contract and Arizona's financial situation may reduce the acquisition cost and the "somewhere in the middle" outcome is still a good to very good player throughout the rest of the deal.
 

RedOctober3829

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Jonathan Willis has a column up on the Athletic regarding trading for OEL and looking at some historic compatibles.

https://theathletic.com/2103779/2020/09/30/buyer-beware-trade-partners-for-oliver-ekman-larsson-have-to-hope-he-ages-well/
His ultimate conclusion is he thinks OEL will be worth it. The ultimate best case scenario is that a Scott Niedermayer outcome, the worst case is Wade Redden. The true outcome is probably somewhere in the middle. He pulls some historic comparables based on ice time and points through their age 29 season, then how they fared through their 35 year season which is when OEL's contract expires. They include Andrei Markov, Kimmo Timmonen, Bryan McCabe....Dennis Wideman on the meh side.

The final conclusion is he thinks OEL would be worth it. The contract and Arizona's financial situation may reduce the acquisition cost and the "somewhere in the middle" outcome is still a good to very good player throughout the rest of the deal.
Dreger opines that AZ is going to ask for a 1st round pick and a young defenseman. Since the B's don't have their 1st, do they trade a 2021 1st and Vaak for OEL?
 

cshea

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Yeah, I don't think I would do that. We'll see what OEL's value ends up being.

Most recent comp trade I can think of is Subban to New Jersey. Subban had 3-yeas left at a $9 million cap hit, New Jersey gave up two 2nd round picks, Steve Santini and Jeremy Davies for him. Santni is a 6/7/AHL guy. Davies a middling prospect as a former 7th round draft pick. Then obviously you've got the two 2nds.

I don't think the Bruins should trade the 2nd round pick this year or the 1st round pick next year, unless they have some other move lined up to recoup these picks. I like having the picks as currency at the deadline, and the Bruins also need to continue to restock the prospect pool. The group they drafted in 2015 when Sweeney is starting to hit the 2nd contract phase of their careers where they start getting expensive and the Bruins (and any team really) needs to have young players on ELC's fo play and fill roles. That said, they might be able to make something happen without including picks. I think John Moore would likely be involved as salary filler. The Bruins can also offer 1 or 2 young NHL players, such as Anders Bjork, Jeremy Lauzon or Connor Clifton. Throw in a low level AHL prospect and they might be in business.
 

SoxVindaloo

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An earnest question from those in the know, a lot of the discussion about Krug centers around the cost and term to resign him.
Is there a hockey reason for letting him walk? How strong is the correlation between our deficiencies at 5 on 5 scoring and the lack of size of a lot of our defensemen? Krug in particular.
 

cshea

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The hockey reason is to improve at 5x5. Krug is arguably the best PP QB in the league, but he needs to be sheltered at even strength. The Bruins defense is sort of a funky group. They've got McAvoy as the bona fide top 5-10, Norris candidate all situations guy. Chara, Carlo and Lauzon are strictly defensive specialists. Grzelyck and Clifton do a little bit of both but jury's out on if either could play in a top 4 role. Individually they are all good, but but it is an odd mix and it's hurt them in the playoffs.

I think their idea is to sacrifice on the power play and re-purposing some of Krug's cash for a 200-foot, all situations D.
 

SoxVindaloo

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The hockey reason is to improve at 5x5. Krug is arguably the best PP QB in the league, but he needs to be sheltered at even strength. The Bruins defense is sort of a funky group. They've got McAvoy as the bona fide top 5-10, Norris candidate all situations guy. Chara, Carlo and Lauzon are strictly defensive specialists. Grzelyck and Clifton do a little bit of both but jury's out on if either could play in a top 4 role. Individually they are all good, but but it is an odd mix and it's hurt them in the playoffs.

I think their idea is to sacrifice on the power play and re-purposing some of Krug's cash for a 200-foot, all situations D.
Thanks, makes sense.
 

RedOctober3829

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TSN's Trade Bait column comes out with DeBrusk at #7 and Rask at #10. OEL is #1.

"Sources say the Oilers engaged the Boston Bruins on a left/right wing swap, Alex Chiasson for Anders Bjork. (Assistant GM Keith Gretzky drafted Bjork in Boston.) We’ll see where that goes, but the Oilers are pursuing a number of similar left/right swaps with other teams. There were rumours about the Oilers’ interest in bringing Bruins RFA Jake DeBrusk home to Edmonton. DeBrusk is No. 7 on the Trade Bait board, but given the Oilers’ cap constraints plus acquisition cost, he is likely too expensive."

"Vezina Trophy runner-up Tuukka Rask debuts on the board at No. 10. Many were wondering if there would be fallout from Rask’s decision to leave the bubble for family reasons, a decision that was certainly supported by teammates. But multiple sources indicate that Bruins GM Don Sweeney has initiated conversations with teams about Rask’s market value over the last number of weeks."
https://www.tsn.ca/trade-bait-frozen-cap-makes-franchise-changing-players-available-1.1532623
 

cshea

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Sweeney has been one of the most, if not the most conservative GM since he took over. Especially at the draft/free agency. He went boom his first year in 2015 but since then he's really done all his work at the trade deadline, and even then it's not much more than rentals.He really hasn't traded roster players off the Bruins since that 2015 draft and free agency week (and what a doozy it was). It's mostly been cap dumps (Spooner, Beleskey, Backes) and prospects. The closest thing to a roster player he traded was Ryan Donato who was in and out of the lineup.

I guess I'm not adding much here, but this could be a fascinating week if some of the rumors come to fruition.
 

veritas

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I wouldn't take OEL's contract if they were giving him away. I don't think he's a #1 defenseman, nevermind elite enough to warrant that sort of contract at his age.
 

cshea

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Yeah, I think that's where I land on OEL. I don't mind the player but that's a big ticket and could prohibit further moves. I definitely not enthused by Bjork for Chiasson.

Trying to figure out a Rask market. 16 team no-trade needs to be considered. Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver are all in need of a goalie. Edmonton and Vancouver don't have a ton of cap space to work with. Calagry is intriguing, they have about $17 million in cap space so it'd be doable. Would Rask go to any of the Pacific teams? Vegas, Chicago and Carolina also will likely be in the goalie market. Neither has much cap space. I don't think they'd get much of a return for Rask, maybe a 3rd or 4th and a fringe prospect. Goalies typically don't get moved for much and this year the UFA market is flooded with options which I think would suppress some value.
 

cshea

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We'll see what happens. I do like the player but the contract is scary. Maybe if they got Arizona to retain and get him down to ~$6.5 I'd feel a bit better about it. Then there's the acquisition cost...
 

RedOctober3829

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We'll see what happens. I do like the player but the contract is scary. Maybe if they got Arizona to retain and get him down to ~$6.5 I'd feel a bit better about it. Then there's the acquisition cost...
Isn't he a pretty close comparison to Krug in his game though? I agree if he gets down to Krug's asking price then we may have something, but is he better at 5-on-5 than Krug?