2019-2020 Bruins

TheRealness

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Honestly, that changes my outlook on him. That’s an insane injury.



So 2/3 of the top line couldn’t move, and the last third couldn’t control the puck.
Frankly, this was fairly evident to me that the top line was injured. It was much more apparent in the St. Louis series because of how physical they were, but I would have guessed they were at 70%. If even one of them was 100%, I think they win. The series was that close.

DeBrusk never looked the same after that hit. Tough look for the Bruins and the league on the concussion, but he simply wasn't the same player. He was a bat out of hell before that hit, and after was much more timid.
 

MiracleOfO2704

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Jul 12, 2005
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DeBrusk playing through a concussion is so NHL it hurts. OTOH, the organization that saw the worst of Bergeron and Marc Savard should be ashamed of themselves for letting that happen.
 

PedroSpecialK

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How are they going to know he was concussed if he didn't come out of the game / didn't report symptoms and was still jawing with Kadri?

NHL's 'concussion spotter' is the real joke here, between that hit and the Johansson's borderline fencing response after the headshot by Barbashev in game 5.
 

prizminferno

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Jul 12, 2005
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Have no problem with DeBrusk playing if he passed tests. That's not on the Bruins, that's on the 3rd party. But I expect much virtue signaling.
 

BaseballJones

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All I can say is: NHL players are unfriggingbelievably tough. How in the world did these guys play with these injuries? We're not talking bumps and bruises and sore muscles. These are things that would keep regular athletes out weeks and months and these guys just kept playing. Clearly their results were impacted but it's really hard for me to harbor any criticism of their on-ice performance knowing now what they were dealing with from an injury standpoint.

Nothing but total respect for each and every one of them.
 

LogansDad

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A broken humerus for Moore? That is absolutely insane that he played through that. I don't know whether I'm in the minority or not, but I really liked what he brought to the team this year. I would not be opposed to him being the veteran leadership on the team after Chara is done while the kids continue to grow into their own.
 

mavpridesox

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Jun 10, 2019
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Great. They weren't one and fucking three at home in the final. They didn't play like shit in Game 7 at home. That is prima facie evidence there's a problem.

Something has to be done. Practice schedule, put 'em in a hotel....something. They have to play better at home. Period.

I'm not going to get over this for a long time, if ever. They had Game 7 at home and did nothing with it. They may never get that advantage again. Christ.
It’s a long standing problem. In the past 11 years the season has ended in the playoffs at home. 5 of those were in a game 7.
 

Dummy Hoy

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Jul 22, 2006
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A broken humerus for Moore? That is absolutely insane that he played through that. I don't know whether I'm in the minority or not, but I really liked what he brought to the team this year. I would not be opposed to him being the veteran leadership on the team after Chara is done while the kids continue to grow into their own.
You got it. Moore is the solid but unspectacular veteran LHD to help ease the Chara transition. I don’t know how he is in the room (I’m sure he’s a hardworking decent guy, but is he a leader?), but i’m a fan overall. And obviously a fucking savage to be playing through that.
 

lexrageorge

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Home ice advantage isn’t nearly the advantage it used to be.
Agreed.

During the regular season, teams at home do have advantages. The road team may be on an extended road trip, or could be on the second half of a back-to-back on the road. Time zone changes and the grind of travel in general means teams can be fatigued. Added to all that is the advantage of the last change that goes to the home team.

However, in the playoffs, those advantages are mostly negated. Every team has the same schedule, with the possible exception of Game 1 in a series. Teams are more evenly matched. Coaches are focused on one opponent and can strategize their line changes around the fact that they have the first change on the road. And the rinks are all standard size and layout now.

Playoff home team records for all 16 playoff teams (* means lost elimination game on home ice)

Nashville: 1-2
Calgary: 1-2*
Winnipeg: 0-3
Las Vegas: 2-1
Tampa Bay: 0-2
Washington: 3-1*
Toronto: 1-2
Pittsburgh: 0-2
Dallas: 3-3
Colorado: 4-1
NY Islanders: 2-2
Columbus: 3-2*
Carolina: 5-2*
San Jose: 7-4
Boston: 7-6* ( 2-2, 2-1, 2-0, 1-3)
St. Louis: 6-7 (1-2, 2-2, 2-1, 1-2)

Overall: 45-42 (5 of 16 teams eliminated on home ice)

EDIT: Just to give some context: Home teams had 0.593 point percentage during the regular season, and won 53.6% of their home games. As expected, those numbers go to 0.647 and 60.2% for playoff teams during the regular season. That dropped to 51.7% in the playoffs this season.
 
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54thMA

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Injuries and home ice woes aside, for the most infuriating thing is the way Binnington played throughout this series. He played poorly in games 1, 3 and 6, his body language on goals allowed is terrible, the head drop, the sulking, the skating around like an escaped mental patient, I kept waiting for him to totally crack, then he comes back with performances like those in games 2, 5 and especially the first period of game 7, just beyond annoying.

Going into game 7, my biggest concern was him bouncing back after that game 6 performance (and good Christ, that second goal was pee wee hockey level bad) and that's just what he did.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but if they had gotten one (or two) by him in the first period and crowd got into it, I think the result would have been different.

We'll never know.

What a shame, what a missed opportunity.

The further out I get from that game, the more pissed off I am getting; instead of being at a parade today, I'm at home fuming.
 

prizminferno

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Jul 12, 2005
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People talked about Carolina's "toughest building to win in, home ice advantage" thing but realistically they played against a team that just didn't have it this year after a run last year/injuries in Washington and a garbage team in the Islanders. These games are just straight coin flips for the most part. I would still happily take game 7 at home against Toronto for the mental side, though.
 

joe dokes

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Jul 18, 2005
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Have no problem with DeBrusk playing if he passed tests. That's not on the Bruins, that's on the 3rd party. But I expect much virtue signaling.
Please take your "virtue signaling" to a place populated by idiots, where it belongs.
 

cshea

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Sweeney/Cassidy end of year press conference

- Sweeney says it would take a unique opportunity for them to move Krug
- Backes best used in checking line role, is “part of our hockey club”
- Chara having small procedure on his elbow. (Guessing this is what kept him out of game 4 against Carolina)
 

joe dokes

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Sweeney/Cassidy end of year press conference

- Chara having small procedure on his elbow. (Guessing this is what kept him out of game 4 against Carolina)
Might have also been a cause of his problems clearing the puck. Making it tough to get leverage from awkward positions?
 

cshea

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More injury updates:

- Bjork is doing well, will be a full go come camp.
- Nordstrom has a fractured foot. No surgery, just rest.
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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Dec 19, 2009
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Hindsight being 20/20, obviously, but if Cassidy knew how badly dinged up the top line was, why not make some changes to shake up who was on the ice with them during the games? Not changing the lines, just shortening shifts, adjusting which guys were next out on the ice, etc.? Or did he and it still wasn't enough?
 

veritas

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Hindsight being 20/20, obviously, but if Cassidy knew how badly dinged up the top line was, why not make some changes to shake up who was on the ice with them during the games? Not changing the lines, just shortening shifts, adjusting which guys were next out on the ice, etc.? Or did he and it still wasn't enough?
They did. They were not playing a ton of minutes, and the 4th line was taking all of the defensive zone draws.
 

RedOctober3829

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Dom in the Athletic did some RFA projections. He projected McAvoy at 6 years, $43.8 million. For reference, he has Jacob Trouba at the same AAV but for 1 less year but that's the most years NYR can offer. Also has Zach Werenski at 7/$49. He characterizes McAvoy as worth the money(top 15 D currently, but projected top 5 in a couple years) but Trouba a bit overrated and Werenski as a big risk to sign to that high of a deal. Seems to me he's much higher on McAvoy than any other RFA defenseman.

https://theathletic.com/1030697/2019/06/19/by-the-numbers-evaluating-the-stacked-crop-of-restricted-free-agents-and-what-theyre-worth/
 

TheRealness

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If they don’t have a slot for him and can’t trade him, they can send him to Providence and save more this year on the cap than a buyout. Maybe that makes him more likely to waive the full NTC? Still, not an ideal situation if they have to do it, and I don’t know they will want to buyout his last year. Backes is a good dude and really well liked. Sending him to Providence is not going to be a positive for the team, but ultimately it is what it is. He’s not in their top 12 forwards right now.
 

RedOctober3829

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If they don’t have a slot for him and can’t trade him, they can send him to Providence and save more this year on the cap than a buyout. Maybe that makes him more likely to waive the full NTC? Still, not an ideal situation if they have to do it, and I don’t know they will want to buyout his last year. Backes is a good dude and really well liked. Sending him to Providence is not going to be a positive for the team, but ultimately it is what it is. He’s not in their top 12 forwards right now.
Yes he could take the Wade Redden treatment. Ultimately, I would think even Backes knows that it will be best for his career if he gets moved. It will be much better than riding buses.
 

cshea

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They’d only save $1.075 million in cap space if they buried him. They can use that to threaten him into loosening up the trade destinations.

Tried taking a look around the league to find some plausible trade partners. I figure there are 2 trade scenarios for him. First is a straight cap dump, the 2nd would be bad contract for bad contract. There’s a 3rd option, trade to a team with an agreement for them to buy him out, but that seems complicated. Anyways, options I came up with:

1. Minnesota- They have $21 million or so in cap space with 15 players signed. Their only internal work is RFA’s Kevin Fiala, Ryan Donato and Joel Eriksson Ek. Fiala will get decent raise, but they should have some space to fit in Backes, especially if they are trading Zucker. Obviously the teams did business at the deadline with the Coyle trade so Minny should have some groundwork done on a “sweetener.” Working on the assumption Backes would waive for Minnesota to play in his home state.

2. NYI- North of $20 million in cap space, Anders Lee and Anthony Beauvillier are their biggest UFA and RFA so they should have room. Would probably make sense after the 7/1 bonus is paid to Backes. Lou likes his grit guys, though he already has a ton. Maybe a stretch on Backes waiving for the Isles. They were a good team last year and not a crazy far move for his family. Arena situation may be a drawback.

3. Colorado- They have $36 million in space. Even with a big whopper of a contract coming in to Mikko Rantanen, they’ll have enough space to take on Backes. They are a young treat, perhaps some veteran leadership intrigued them. Sakic has taken on bad money in the past to lower the price on an asset he likes (Orpik and Grubauer) trade last year). Good team that is on the upswing, maybe he’d be agreeable to go there?

4. New Jersey- This one is probably the longest shot, again a post 7/1 deal here. Tons of cap space (even more than COL) young team, Hughes coming in, maybe the veteran leadership angle intrigues them. Sweeney’s made 2 trades with Shero, so they work well together.

I can’t really a bad money for bad money trade that makes sense. Most of the bad contracts that a rumored to be on the move either have more term left than Backes (Eriksson, Lucic, Neal), or are in teams the Bruins wouldn’t do business with (Toronto with Zaitsev and Marleau; Callahan in Tampa). The only one that kinda lines up is Kovalchuk in LA. He’d probably have more utility to the B’s than Backes, but he has a higher cap hit so no thanks. Plus Backes going to the worst team in the league, on the opposite coast, feels unlikely.
 

cshea

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Some B’s stuff on the eve of the draft...

- LeBrun says Sweeney will chat with Johansson’s camp sometime in the coming days, but he may not be able to talk money because, you know, the cap isn’t finalized.

- Anticipates they pick at 30 tomorrow. Had conversations over the past week about the pick, put things in motion, where they could move quick if another team decides to pounce.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Could do worse for a #8 guy, I guess. No idea why they needed to go to two years but he can be buried if need be, no real harm there.
 

RedOctober3829

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Why would they bring him back? Unless they expect to deal one or more D men.
After the Kampfer signing, they only have $12 million of cap space to work with and they still have to sign McAvoy/Carlo/Heinen plus a top 6 winger. As much as it sucks, I think there's a decent chance Krug gets moved to create cap space. Dealing Backes is going to prove costly as they'd probably have to attach good assets to him for a team to take on that albatross. Look at Marleau's trade...Toronto had to attach a 1st.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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After the Kampfer signing, they only have $12 million of cap space to work with and they still have to sign McAvoy/Carlo/Heinen plus a top 6 winger. As much as it sucks, I think there's a decent chance Krug gets moved to create cap space. Dealing Backes is going to prove costly as they'd probably have to attach good assets to him for a team to take on that albatross. Look at Marleau's trade...Toronto had to attach a 1st.
Not sure why they had to do this now—how many teams were champing at the bit to sign Kampfer? Super low money but feels kind of like a Chia move.
 

prizminferno

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Jul 12, 2005
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Heh, well okay then.

I think part of me is just eager to get Vaak and Co. seasoned in Boston but either way it’s good to have the depth for any number of reasons.
Yeah, of course and I don't think him taking a slot from anyone is an issue, since all of their young D are LHD. But if your 7/8th D who is honestly fine is making less than an ELC it's pretty good. Two years is whatever but they know what they have in him.
 

cshea

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Kampfer is a vet 7-8-9 guy. He seemed happy here even though he’d spend months at a time in the press box. He performed reasonably well when called upon. No issues with the signing, he won’t block any of the kids. They can waive and bury him in Providence. if it ever got to the point where they needed to do so. Should also note that John Moore will likely be unavailable until December-ish, so they’re already a man down on the back end. This also covers them if McAvoy or Carlo holdout into camp.
 

cshea

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So with Kampfer signed and the lower cap, the Bruins have ~$12 million in cap space on a 20 man roster. McAvoy and Carlo alone will take up all or maybe even more than that, and that’s before trying to squeeze in Heinen and trying to bring in a RW. Feels like Backes has to go and if the price to move him is too steep, the only other choice really is Krug. The could trim a little moving Miller out, but I don’t think he’s enough to fit in more than the RFA’s.

Speaking of RFA’s, the qualifying offers are due today. B’s list this year:

Charlie McAvoy
Brandon Carlo
Danton Heinen
Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson
Peter Cehlarik
Gemel Smith
Ryan Fitzgerald

McAvoy, Carlo, Heinen, JFK and Fitzgerald are locks. Smith had a nice run with Providence, I’d like to see him return, but he needs waivers to go down so there’s some juggling to do. Cehlarik is in the same boat. I feel like they would lose him on waivers in the fall if they tried to send him down. Young, good size, decent AHL scoring track record...the kind of player a F starved team would jump at. I say this every year, but he could be trade fodder.
 

RedOctober3829

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So with Kampfer signed and the lower cap, the Bruins have ~$12 million in cap space on a 20 man roster. McAvoy and Carlo alone will take up all or maybe even more than that, and that’s before trying to squeeze in Heinen and trying to bring in a RW. Feels like Backes has to go and if the price to move him is too steep, the only other choice really is Krug. The could trim a little moving Miller out, but I don’t think he’s enough to fit in more than the RFA’s.

Speaking of RFA’s, the qualifying offers are due today. B’s list this year:

Charlie McAvoy
Brandon Carlo
Danton Heinen
Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson
Peter Cehlarik
Gemel Smith
Ryan Fitzgerald

McAvoy, Carlo, Heinen, JFK and Fitzgerald are locks. Smith had a nice run with Providence, I’d like to see him return, but he needs waivers to go down so there’s some juggling to do. Cehlarik is in the same boat. I feel like they would lose him on waivers in the fall if they tried to send him down. Young, good size, decent AHL scoring track record...the kind of player a F starved team would jump at. I say this every year, but he could be trade fodder.
Do you think Carlo would be open to taking a bridge deal? I don't think McAvoy should take one nor do I think they should even approach him to take one. That has a chance to blow up in his face if they do.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Carlo would be foolish to take a bridge deal right now, IMO. He's coming off a run where he was one of the top shutdown defenders in the postseason, and showed some good offensive output in the Cup Finals of all places. I doubt his value will ever be higher, unless he all of a sudden finds a consistent way to get shots through on net.

Strawpoll: If you can move Carlo + Backes (post-7/1 with a guaranteed buyout) for Nikolaj Ehlers, do you do it?
 

cshea

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Absolutely.

I can’t figure out where Carlo’s number comes in. He’s really a unique player in today’s NHL. Carlo is a defensive defenseman which has been devalued in the market a bit, but he’s also not cement footed like the majority of then stay at home guys. He’s big, but not physical, can skate but provides no offense. I can’t find a comparable to begin thinking about what kind of cap hit Carlo will have on his next contract.
 

veritas

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He's still only 22 years old too. He'll never be great offensively, but if he can just be an average puck mover, which isn't unreasonable, he'll be a top pair defenseman (i.e. top 60 in the NHL).

I have no idea what the market for him is though. I suspect it may be for more than he's worth. If the rumors of Tyler Myers getting a 7x$8m deal are true, and given Esa Lindell's contract, I think Carlo could get a fortune on the open market. He also seems like the type to take a discount to stay in Boston, but who knows.
 

j44thor

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Absolutely.

I can’t figure out where Carlo’s number comes in. He’s really a unique player in today’s NHL. Carlo is a defensive defenseman which has been devalued in the market a bit, but he’s also not cement footed like the majority of then stay at home guys. He’s big, but not physical, can skate but provides no offense. I can’t find a comparable to begin thinking about what kind of cap hit Carlo will have on his next contract.
Perhaps Calvin De Haan is comparable? CDH hits a bit more and his scoring is up just a tick but if you squint their numbers are fairly similar. CDH signed a bridge deal at just under 2M AAV to cover his RFA years before signing a 4/4.5.

If you adjust for inflation I think something around 3-3.5/4 is a good deal for Carlo and the B's.