Rick Nash traded to Boston

cshea

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They could do something if he’s willing to take a shorter term. The cap has been rumored to be headed to $80mm for next year. They’ll have ~$20million in space if we conservatively peg it at a $78 million cap.

UFA’s: Both Nash’s, Chara, Wingels, Gionta, Schaller, Holden
RFA’s: Grzelcyk, Kuraly, Czarnik

Chara and the Nash’s are the only big ticket items in there, and Riley could be leaving. Things get a bit dicey next year when McAvoy, Heinen and Carlo will need new deals. They’re decently positioned to fit Rick in for 2 years if they wanted.
 

Maximus

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Yeah, he seems custom fit for Krejci. Now I'm starting to get curious what he'd cost for an extension.
He is a great fit for Krejci. Great job by Sweeney, I hope he can find common ground with him for an extension that makes sense.
 

TheRealness

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He is a great fit for Krejci. Great job by Sweeney, I hope he can find common ground with him for an extension that makes sense.
FWIW, Sweenius has said that he wants to re-sign him.

I think they would be ok for next year without issue, but that years two and three would be much more complicated.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Without any additional significant cap hits at the deadline outside of Nash, it looks like there may be $0 in bonus overages this year, even if Donato signs... so that's another potential $3m from my prior post that could go towards Nash, but I'd tread real lightly on term given Backes is already onboard for another 3 years at $6m AAV.

They'd need a lot to go right (NYR buys out Beleskey, no bonus overages, reasonable RFA deals for Grzelcyk and Kuraly, Chara signs a bonus-laden 1 year deal with a low up-front AAV), but it's possible
 

The Mort Report

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He is a great fit for Krejci. Great job by Sweeney, I hope he can find common ground with him for an extension that makes sense.
Basing this just off what I heard in his presser being on a competitive team seems to be very important to him. With the Bruins in a position to compete the next few years I think that might be more important than an extra 500k
 

timlinin8th

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Chara and the Nash’s are the only big ticket items in there, and Riley could be leaving. Things get a bit dicey next year when McAvoy, Heinen and Carlo will need new deals. They’re decently positioned to fit Rick in for 2 years if they wanted.
Without any additional significant cap hits at the deadline outside of Nash, it looks like there may be $0 in bonus overages this year, even if Donato signs... so that's another potential $3m from my prior post that could go towards Nash, but I'd tread real lightly on term given Backes is already onboard for another 3 years at $6m AAV.
The one good thing they have going for them is that Backes’ full NMC expires after next season and becomes a modified NTC - if they could find a team on his list that would be able to take on his cap hit while paying him very little real dollars (the bulk of the deal was frontloaded) they could maybe pull something off. Granted, its a lot of maybes and moving parts but at least there’d be some way to manage it.
 

Salem's Lot

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Slightly off topic but speaking of Riley Nash, he's the exact player that they shouldn't pay. He's having a nice year but he's 28 and having his best season, which makes him a good 3rd liner, but someone who's skill set is very replaceable. They should move Backes back to center and promote another kid on an ELC if it comes to it before they pay a bottom six forward decent money into their 30's.
 

TFP

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Slightly off topic but speaking of Riley Nash, he's the exact player that they shouldn't pay. He's having a nice year but he's 28 and having his best season, which makes him a good 3rd liner, but someone who's skill set is very replaceable. They should move Backes back to center and promote another kid on an ELC if it comes to it before they pay a bottom six forward decent money into their 30's.
He is basically Chris Kelly before the contract. I love him as a player but don’t want to pay him what they did Kelly. I think you’re dead on here.
 

LogansDad

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Agreed, I love having Riley on the team this year (and I think I was one of the few who actually enjoyed watching him last year, too), but to me he is a guy who can be replaced pretty easily, and is going to cost a lot more than the Bruins should pay after putting up a good season.
 

Maximus

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He is basically Chris Kelly before the contract. I love him as a player but don’t want to pay him what they did Kelly. I think you’re dead on here.
I love Riley as a player and he was another good find by Sweeney but someone is going to pay him for his solid 2 way play as a FA.
 

joe dokes

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He was older, but Sweeney's treatment of Dominic Moore suggests that he gets the idea of not overpaying for bottom 6 types.
 

lexrageorge

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Brett Connolly was allowed to walk as well. The counterpoint to this would be the McQuaid/Miller contracts, but they are defensemen, so not really comparable.
 

The Mort Report

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I think some of the lessons learned in the past few seasons is you don’t pay for bottom 6 players or bottom pair D, especially if the team is going to be in a contending window. Rolling 4 lines is great in the regular season but come postseason it’s your stars that matter. I would rather the team pay 8 mil a year for top end talent than a 2nd line winger at 5 mil(no knock on Backes)
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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Wait, so two games in, he’s from ‘strictly a rental’ to ‘let’s figure out how to resign him’? Has he been that impressive or are you guys being fickle/fanboyish? Honest question as I haven’t seen either game.
 

FL4WL3SS

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He's been really good. I'm not on the re-sign him bandwagon, but definitely much more comfortable with the trade after watching him play in this lineup.

I lived in Columbus for 10+ years and watched a lot of Blue Jackets games and always thought he was really good, but pretty soft. Not sure what's changed, but he's a different player now.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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That’s encouraging. I’m not the biggest Bruins follower and I think I asked here earlier if it was purely a rental and pretty much everyone said yes. It was a legit question, didn’t mean any snark, so hope none was taken. I’ll fully admit to being at least partial bandwagon but I do like to keep up on them. Their cup runs recently have been a lot of fun for someone not huge into nhl.
 

TFP

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Wait, so two games in, he’s from ‘strictly a rental’ to ‘let’s figure out how to resign him’? Has he been that impressive or are you guys being fickle/fanboyish? Honest question as I haven’t seen either game.
He’s been great but the re-signing talk is definitely premature. I agree with FL4WL3SS that it makes the trade much better. But I want to avoid a Backes-like contract that he’ll get in UFA. At least at this point in time.
 

cshea

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Sweeney said “hope so” when he was asked about bringing Nash back, which I think has spurred on some of the extension talk.
 

Reardon's Beard

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No doubt in my mind they traded for him with the idea of extending him at a reasonable rate. Nash's comments about Bruins being at the 'top of his list' also suggests there is mutual interest given the window of one or two years. Maybe just talking points that sounded good, but I think there's something here and all the more so after seeing how he has fit in on that second line.
 

veritas

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I love Riley Nash as much as anyone and agree that he is exactly the type of player you don't re-sign. They are pretty thin at center without him though. JFK/Backes would be the 3rd line center with essentially nothing after that. I wonder if they have any long term plans for Heinen at center, where he played in college
 

cshea

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I love Riley Nash as much as anyone and agree that he is exactly the type of player you don't re-sign. They are pretty thin at center without him though. JFK/Backes would be the 3rd line center with essentially nothing after that. I wonder if they have any long term plans for Heinen at center, where he played in college
Koko

/ducks
 

TheRealness

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Koko

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He's almost at a PPG in the KHL, and likely fits Butch's system much better. I am not sure what his contract is, but this isn't that far fetched.

Trent Frederic could also be in the mix.
I feel he's a few years away. I would be shocked if JFK wasn't the 3rd line center next year. He's quite good defensively, and is a smart player. He's definitely next in line at the Center position. Frederic seems like a guy who could use another year of college, or 1-2 years of AHL seasoning.
 

richgedman'sghost

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Mabrowndog was a great guy. He was one of the only SOSHers that I have met in person at a mini bash. Anyway wherever he is, I hope he is well.