Bruins Trade Rumors/Targets

[j44thor]

On a macro level, sure the 4th line isn't the main problem. It's still a problem they have and it should've been addressed a lot sooner. Paille/Campbell/Cunningham have been terrible. Campbell in particular has been arguably the worst NHL player this season. -15 CorsiOn per 60, it's a fire drill in our own end when he steps on the ice. Paille is -8, still terrible, and has scored all of 1 goal. They continue getting ice time despite being hemmed in shift after shift. They can't keep rolling this guys out there.

 
Yes, the 4th line used to be a strength and I think that had a bigger impact on the other 3 lines than people realize.  When the B's can roll 4 lines that can all control the puck it wears other teams down and keeps the B's fresh. That was the case when the B's teams of past would dominate the 3rd period.
 
Now the 4th line might be the worst in the NHL and that puts a much greater burden on the top 9 to produce every shift and I think the opposite effect is happening in that the B's are the team wearing down in the 3rd.   Didn't they go from one of the best goal differentials in the 3rd period to one of if not the worst this season?
 
Simply put there is no energy line anymore, just an energy suck line.

 

[kenneycb]

Per Haggs, Seidenberg is willing to waive NTC of the B's don't want him anymore. It's Haggs so normal caveats and whatnot. It's on Twitter and I'm on mobile so no link as of now.

 

[TheRealness]

Per Haggs, Seidenberg is willing to waive NTC of the B's don't want him anymore. It's Haggs so normal caveats and whatnot. It's on Twitter and I'm on mobile so no link as of now.

 
Just the way you wrote that is depressing. I have this picture of Eeyore in my head when I read the "willing to waive NTC if B's don't want him anymore".
 
Ho hum.

 

[kenneycb]

In my defense, I plagarized it from Haggs' tweet, Borges-style.

 

[Salem's Lot]

If I remember correctly Seidenberg said the same thing right after his deal was announced.

 

[FelixMantilla]

NHL Trade Chain.....
 
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey/25074140/nhl-trade-chains-a-decade-of-the-bruins-trading-star-players?FTAG=YHF7e3228e

 

[lexrageorge]

 
Yes, the 4th line used to be a strength and I think that had a bigger impact on the other 3 lines than people realize.  When the B's can roll 4 lines that can all control the puck it wears other teams down and keeps the B's fresh. That was the case when the B's teams of past would dominate the 3rd period.
 
Now the 4th line might be the worst in the NHL and that puts a much greater burden on the top 9 to produce every shift and I think the opposite effect is happening in that the B's are the team wearing down in the 3rd.   Didn't they go from one of the best goal differentials in the 3rd period to one of if not the worst this season?
 
Simply put there is no energy line anymore, just an energy suck line.

In Game 7 of the Vancouver series, it was the 4th line that provided most of the pressure on the Canucks for the first half of the first period.  Ended up playing a fairly important role until Bergeron was able to score the opening goal.  
 
Does anyone see the 4th line doing that today in any game?  

 

[kenneycb]

It would be nice of the author to mention the Wheeler trade led to a fucking Stanley Cup.

 

[lexrageorge]

And, when he calls Seidenberg a role player in the B's 2011 Stanley Cup, it's clear he did not watch the series.  
 
He also refuses the acknowledge that the Bruins were backed into a corner when Toronto signed Kessel to an offer sheet.  
 
I hate the Seguin trade as well, but I'm not convinced how much bringing it up helps the discussion on what the Bruins can do. 

 

[TSC]

Toronto never signed Kessel to an offer sheet. They threatened to, but never did.

 

[kenneycb]

The B's backed themselves into that corner by basically choosing Krejci over Kessel.

 

[lexrageorge]

And Krejci played a big role in the 2011 playoff run.

 

[LogansDad]

The B's backed themselves into that corner by basically choosing Krejci over Kessel.

I don't really see a problem with this.

 

[RedOctober3829]

@ShawnHutcheon: Told by in the know source that #NHLBruins GM Chiarelli is "trying hard" to make a trade or two.

 

[TFP]

The B's backed themselves into that corner by basically choosing Krejci over Kessel.

And that's a corner I'd choose every day and twice on Sunday, Lt. Weinberg, even with the benefit of hindsight.

 

[j44thor]

And that's a corner I'd choose every day and twice on Sunday, Lt. Weinberg, even with the benefit of hindsight.

Agreed though I'm not convinced either is worth their cap hit. Kessel is a one trick pony but I think krejci is paid mostly because of a couple playoff runs. He got hot at the right time. If he put up regular season numbers during the playoffs he isn't getting 7+M.

 

[TheRealness]

@ShawnHutcheon: Told by in the know source that #NHLBruins GM Chiarelli is "trying hard" to make a trade or two.

 
In related news, water is wet. Back to you, Shawn. 

 

[cshea]

This is shaping up like the 2010 deadline. Lots of similarities. The 09/10 team was coming off a year where they ran roughshod over the league in 08/09, then flamed out in the 2nd round. The 09/10 team farted along most of the year in and around the 8th spot, had a 10 game losing streak, couldn't score goals, etc. That deadline essentially gave us the Morris/Seidenberg swap in separate deals. It felt incomplete at the time and that Chiarelli had other things going on that fell through (whispers of Thomas deals). It feels like we're headed down a similar path right now. He's in on a lot of things, let's see if he can pull it all off in 10 days.

 

[TFP]

Agreed though I'm not convinced either is worth their cap hit. Kessel is a one trick pony but I think krejci is paid mostly because of a couple playoff runs. He got hot at the right time. If he put up regular season numbers during the playoffs he isn't getting 7+M.

Right and I was referring to Krejci's last contract, not his current one. Agree with you there.

 

[RedOctober3829]

ST. LOUIS — Peter Chiarelli understands the situation.
He is the general manager of a team that has plummeted from being last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winner to a group fighting to stay off the golf course in April. In the NHL’s Eastern Conference, the eighth-place Bruins are 1 point ahead of the Panthers, who beat the Canadiens in overtime Thursday, 3-2.
 
It does not matter that the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011, fell two wins short of another in 2013, and ran the table last year before smacking into a brick wall named Carey Price, all under Chiarelli’s watch and the hand of coach Claude Julien.
This is Chiarelli’s roster. If the Bruins don’t make the playoffs, CEO Charlie Jacobs and president Cam Neely will not hesitate to make Chiarelli (hired in 2006) and Julien (2007) pay the price.

“Whether it’s Cam or Charlie who said we’re all under review, I understand that,” Chiarelli said. “We’ve had a lot of success here in my tenure and Claude’s tenure. We’re having a down year. It’s unfortunate that we’re under review for one year. But I understand. We’ve got to make things better.”
 

But Chiarelli did not expect this roster, which he built and still believes in, to continue its peaks-and-valleys play into February.
“I didn’t know it would just keep carrying forward,” Chiarelli said. “I didn’t project that. I didn’t project the injuries. But when they happened, you have to change your projections a bit. There’s a lot of subpar performances. Sometimes that happens.”
Underperforming teams have fired coaches. Four have been let go this year: Dallas Eakins (Edmonton), Randy Carlyle (Toronto), Paul MacLean (Ottawa), and Peter DeBoer (New Jersey). Chiarelli will not add Julien to the list.
“I don’t think that’s the answer,” Chiarelli said. “You’ve seen that transpire around the league. I have confidence in Claude. We’ve had a lot of discussion over the last little bit. It’s a good staff. If you look at coaching changes around the league, I think that answers that question.”
Instead, Chiarelli will look to the trade market. The deadline is March 2
 

Chiarelli estimated that he has participated in approximately 100 trade conversations this season. So far, he hasn’t found a match. At least one nearly-agreed-upon trade has fallen through.
The overall market is frozen, partly because the rental prices are very high, per Chiarelli’s classification. Playoff spots in the Western Conference are still up for grabs. Because of the uncertainty regarding next year’s salary cap, GMs are hesitant to trade for players with term beyond 2015.
 

The Bruins’ market is even tighter. They don’t have much cap space to assume a large contract without sending money the other way or persuading the other team to retain salary. The Bruins’ market is even tighter. They don’t have much cap space to assume a large contract without sending money the other way or persuading the other team to retain salary. Chiarelli will not trade his 2015 first-round pick. The Bruins have two second-round picks: their own, plus Philadelphia’s (via the Islanders) netted in the Boychuk trade.
Rival GMs aren’t dummies. They’ve read Jacobs’s proclamation that missing the playoffs would be unacceptable. They know Chiarelli’s job is at risk. A GM who feels the heat can give up more than he wants to, to save his own head.
“It’s just hard to make a trade,” Chiarelli said. “It doesn’t just happen. It doesn’t happen like that. You need two teams that are willing to exchange ideas, then consummate a trade.
“I’ve exchanged a lot of ideas all year. But a lot of teams are still in it. You have to try and find a fit with teams.
“When things aren’t going well and there’s a perception in the media that there’s a dark cloud looming over our heads, it’s harder to make trades. Guys know when you’re at a disadvantage. When that stuff is out there, it’s very difficult.
“But my job is to make the team better. I don’t have any excuses. Nobody has any excuses.”

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/02/21/peter-chiarelli-job-danger-bruins-miss-playoffs/eUcsljgz08vECyn9vq4t5L/story.html

 

[cshea]

Yeesh. I think it's a total knee-jerk mistake to fire him, Julien, or both if they miss. He's been backed into a corner now where his job's on the line and everyone knows it. So his bargaining position has been weakened by the job security issues.

Also buried in there was news of Kevan Miller needing surgery and being done for the year.

 

[kenneycb]

I don't really see a problem with this.

I wasn't implying that there was as it surely worked out extremely well. Was just using the language from the above post. Probabky should've used quotes or something but I'm lazy.

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

I'm not a huge Chiarelli or Julien fan, but I still think it's wrong to hold them accountable for this season and also to try and correct it right now. It seems pretty obvious why this season has gone off the tracks, and their cap situation pretty much makes it impossible to address this season without compromising the future.
 
If Cam and Jacobs have lost faith in Chia and Julien, then fine go ahead and can them after the season. But don't let Chia damage the future trying to salvage this season. Personally I don't like Chia and his drafting and especially his fondness for overpaying his own players and giving out no-trade clauses like tic tacs.
 
If the suits haven't lost faith, they should all be working together now figuring out how to best execute a short term re-build. They have a lot of players with tons of valuable playoff experience, who are also still young enough to hang in there through a short term re-build, and still be valuable contributors when they're ready to win again.
 
Give up on this season and start the re-build right now, with or without the coach and GM on board.

 

[cshea]

Kirk tweets that Spooner is en route to Chicago. The good news is he's been hot of late so maybe he can give them a spark. The bad news is that this likely means Krejci's out.

 

[PedroSpecialK]

With Spooner up, ideal lineup IMHO
 
Lucic - Spooner - Pastrnak
Marchand - Bergeron - Smith
Kelly - Söderberg - Eriksson
Paille - Cunningham - Ferlin
 
Likely lineup:
 
Lucic - Kelly - Eriksson
Marchand - Bergeron - Smith
Spooner - Söderberg - Pastrnak
Paille - Campbell - Cunningham

 

[j44thor]

With Spooner up, ideal lineup IMHO
 
Lucic - Spooner - Pastrnak
Marchand - Bergeron - Smith
Kelly - Söderberg - Eriksson
Paille - Cunningham - Ferlin
 
Likely lineup:
 
Lucic - Kelly - Eriksson
Marchand - Bergeron - Smith
Spooner - Söderberg - Pastrnak
Paille - Campbell - Cunningham

 
I'd prefer to see:
Marsh - Bergeron - Smith
Lucic - Yeti - Loui
Kelly - Spooner - Pasta
fungible - fungible - fungible
 
I think Spooner will need someone like Kelly to protect him defensively and on defensive faceoffs and Spooner and Pasta could provide some offense together especially against other teams 3rd-4th lines.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

I'd be surprised if Spooner and Pastrnak are on the same line, unless it is one of those "2 shift" types of lines.

 

[veritas]

Krejci being out for any extended amount of time might be a blessing in disguise for the Bruins long term.
 
If he is they should move Seidenberg, maybe Lucic, Carl (if they don't plan on re-signing him), fire Campbell and Paille into the sun, bring in/call up a few young players and see what happens. Preferably they can add a young defenseman with 2nd pair upside who is NHL ready because long term they're severely lacking there.
 
Worst case scenario you have more info on which young players are likely to be able to help next year and what positions they need to address. And the younger players can get real NHL experience. Of course Krejci being out could just as easily prompt them to make a dumb panic move for a rental. Which would be horrible.

 

[Doctor G]

I think they should try to trade Krug for a defenseman who is a solid force in front of the net. Krug's initial success offensively seems to have lead them in the wrong direction on the back line.

 

[Eddie Jurak]

I think they should try to trade Krug for a defenseman who is a solid force in front of the net. Krug's initial success offensively seems to have lead them in the wrong direction on the back line.

Yes, what this already punchless offensive team clearly needs to do right now is take even more offensive talent out of the equation. 

 

[BigMike]

Krejci being out for any extended amount of time might be a blessing in disguise for the Bruins long term.
 
If he is they should move Seidenberg, maybe Lucic, Carl (if they don't plan on re-signing him), fire Campbell and Paille into the sun, bring in/call up a few young players and see what happens. Preferably they can add a young defenseman with 2nd pair upside who is NHL ready because long term they're severely lacking there.
 
Worst case scenario you have more info on which young players are likely to be able to help next year and what positions they need to address. And the younger players can get real NHL experience. Of course Krejci being out could just as easily prompt them to make a dumb panic move for a rental. Which would be horrible.

 
I think they must put a moratorium on talks until they know what Krejci's deal is.   I suspect best case scenario (which for me is worst case), Krejci is out for a couple of weeks and if he returns he returns at 70% (much like the crippled Chara we have had all year).  If that is the case, the only move that makes any sense is to sell.
 
I don't expect Lucic to be dealt, unless someone makes an absurd offer (#1 pick, and a young first line player)
 
Eriksson probably goes. Hopefully for a #1 pick, and a young winger.
 
McQuaid is a tough one.  I give him a chance to sign a very team friendly contract, and if not then I move him.  Probably brings a #3 +,  maybe you get a good prospect instead of the pick
 
Campbell and Paille are easily,  take what you can get, and you probably can get a couple late roung picks
 
Soderberg.  I offer him a team friendly contract, and if I cant sign him, I move him if there is a big offer. 
 
Kelly.  Much tougher call.  I don't move him unless I get a big offer
 
Seidenberg.   It really depends.   Do you think he is weakend because of the injury, and has a chance to be pre injury Seids last year,  If you believe that then I need a real talent swap in return.    If you believe this is just who he is going to be moving forward,  then I probably move him for whatever is out there.
 
Chara.  Retires a Bruin, unless he asks to go
 
 
 

I think they should try to trade Krug for a defenseman who is a solid force in front of the net. Krug's initial success offensively seems to have lead them in the wrong direction on the back line.

 
 
Blaming Krug for this teams defensive woes is absurd.  He is an offensive defenseman, and for someone in that role, I think he actually is pretty decent on the defensive end.  He certainly works hard.  If you deal Krug, you powerplay becomes shit, and you spend half of next year trying to replace him (and no Morrow, nor Warsofsky replace Krug's skill)

 

[FL4WL3SS]

Sorry but that post is all sorts of stupid.

You are willing to trade Eriksson and Soderberg, but Kelly is a tough call that needs a knockout offer?

That's crazy talk.

 

[MiracleOfO2704]

Sorry but that post is all sorts of stupid.

You are willing to trade Eriksson and Soderberg, but Kelly is a tough call that needs a knockout offer?

That's crazy talk.

Dude, you gotta be nice to Don Cherry. He's, like, old and stuff now.

 

[Toe Nash]

Seidenberg's possession numbers weren't good in 12-13 and 13-14 before the injury. A rebound at his age seems very unlikely.

 

[veritas]

So...who should they go get at the trade deadline now?

 

[BoSoxFink]

I vote to stand pat still. We shall see but I'm guessing this game today will be a bit of an outlier. I don't expect them to be as bad as they've been, but nowhere near as good as today.

 

[cshea]

So...who should they go get at the trade deadline now?

They have to sort of put everything on hold until they get a diagnosis on Krejci. Once they get that they can re-evaluate their chances down the stretch. In any case, I don't think they should be looking around for rentals. If they can add a piece that helps now and for the future, that'd be what I'd look for. I'm not sure I want them to waste assets for a short term fix like Vermette.

The Krejci injury impacts this, but I think the Bruins should see what they could get for Soderberg. I'd imagine he'd be very attractive to a contender, and if they can swipe up an additional 2015 first rounder for him, I'd be all ears.

 

[Toe Nash]

They have to sort of put everything on hold until they get a diagnosis on Krejci. Once they get that they can re-evaluate their chances down the stretch. In any case, I don't think they should be looking around for rentals. If they can add a piece that helps now and for the future, that'd be what I'd look for. I'm not sure I want them to waste assets for a short term fix like Vermette.

The Krejci injury impacts this, but I think the Bruins should see what they could get for Soderberg. I'd imagine he'd be very attractive to a contender, and if they can swipe up an additional 2015 first rounder for him, I'd be all ears.

Are we sure about this? Soderberg has just 6 points this calendar year in 21 games (after starting with 27 in 38). His contract is nice but contract size isn't as important at the trade dealine except for a couple teams right up at the cap. And of course, he's a UFA.
 
You can definitely get something for him but I doubt it would be a haul.

 

[cshea]

It may be a stretch, but you never know. A 2nd rounder would be reasonable, but ao figure maybe you could get a late first from a team like Anaheim or Chicago who may need forward help. I would think Soderberg's contract is more appealing than Vermette's.

 

[RedOctober3829]

So...who should they go get at the trade deadline now?

Why should one game change your mind on whether to stand pat or go get anyone at the deadline?  The flaws they had before yesterday are still there and not likely to be changed with any sort of move at the deadline.

 

[kenneycb]

I assume that was more in jest given the wild swings in emotion this thread has been prone to up until this point.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

I assume that was more in jest given the wild swings in emotion this thread forum has been prone to up until this point.

 

[veritas]

Yeah I was mostly poking fun at myself and some other people here about flip flopping on this issue. Right now I really have mixed feelings about what they should do.
 
One really interesting thing about the Krejci injury is that the cap doesn't apply in the playoffs, so if they keep him out until the playoffs start, they can add $5.25 in salary, plus whatever space they have right now. That's a lot to work with.

 

[cshea]

Yeah, the LTIR thing certainly opens up more doors. The problem will be if he is ready closer to 4 weeks and the Bruins are still in a dog fight for a spot and are unable to activate Krejci.

I still want to add, but not rentals.

 

[RedOctober3829]

Rumors of Erik Cole on the Bruins' radar.  He has 17 goals this season.
 
http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/707029

 

[cshea]

It's not officially deadline season until we get the annual Erik Cole rumor.

$4.5 cap hit, expiring deal. Having a bounce back year. I'd still pass.

 

[cshea]

Cam is squashing the whole end Krejci's season, use LTIR to pick up a player, bring Krejci back in the playoffs idea. He says the league may not look to kindly to that.

 

[BoSoxFink]

I was listening and I can't judge if he was serious about that, or was using it as an excuse to cover their asses for not doing it.

 

[cshea]

Yeah. They almost did this a year ago, it is too bad Felger and Mazz didn't remember or as about it. Seidenberg was going to play if they got past Montreal last year, and I believe they were using his LTIR for Meszaros.

 

[veritas]

Maybe the league should stop making cap rules with giant loopholes in them. Practically speaking though, they'd be pretty screwed if Krejci came back in 4 weeks and wanted to play. The NHLPA wouldn't look very kindly on that either. They'd have to be 100% sure he'd be out into the playoffs