Taylor Hall for 2nd Rd Pick to the Bruins

jk333

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The Bruins acquired Taylor Hall for a 2nd round pick and Anders Bjork. They also received Curtis Lazar who I am less familiar with but was a 1st round pick in 2013 and has become a more consistent bottom 6 player over the past couple years.

I like the trade. The Bruins needed to keep their first round pick. But this may be their last chance to really compete for a Cup with Bergeron as Krejci is losing it at 2c and Hall provides potentially significant scoring.721529BF-5BFF-4515-9208-78E9EDC901B3.jpeg
 

TheRealness

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I am thinking the lines are going to be:

Marchand-Bergeron-Smith
Hall-Krejci-Pasta
DeBrusk-Coyle-Ritchie
Kuraly-Lazar-Wagner

Hall and Pasta could be fun. I suspect Pasta and Smith are going to be moved back and forth depending on what triggers Bruce needs to pull.
 

lexrageorge

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Put me in favor. Neither Jacobs nor Neely were going to let Sweeney sell assets at the deadline. A 2nd round pick is not too steep for a guy who could put the puck in the net just a couple of seasons ago and is not 30. It's tough to give up on Bjork, but he never seemed to really find a true role here; he should have had more than 5 points in 30 games, which is not a small sample.

And they desperately needed some bodies on defense. Anything is better than Tinordi being on the top pairing.

It doesn't make them Cup favorites by any means, but it at least may avoid them missing the playoffs. Seeding doesn't matter in the NHL, so getting to the playoffs and seeing what happens is a valid strategy.
 

TSC

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I am thinking the lines are going to be:

Marchand-Bergeron-Smith
Hall-Krejci-Pasta
DeBrusk-Coyle-Ritchie
Kuraly-Lazar-Wagner

Hall and Pasta could be fun. I suspect Pasta and Smith are going to be moved back and forth depending on what triggers Bruce needs to pull.
And maybe this is a discussion for another thread, but Krejci looks cooked to me.

The Marchand/Bergy/Smith line has been dominant. I have no problem keeping them together.

I'd love to see Coyle get a shot with Hall/Pasta - if only for a game or two. Coyle needs a jumpstart, and should have the footspeed to keep up with Hall. Hall opposite of Pasta opens up Pasta for his one timer look that teams have been able to cheat on for the last couple of weeks.

Put Krejci with DeBrusk and Ritchie and just hope they don't give [up too many goals, I guess.
 

TFP

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I think in a vacuum it’s fine and clearly not a whole lot to give up so it’s worth a flyer I guess.

From a big picture perspective it’s idiotic that they’re burning assets to improve this team when they‘re realistically not even getting out of the first round.
 

Ed Hillel

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This is the NHL, any team can get hot and win a title, especially one with as much talent as the Bruins. No brainer trade.
 

Dummy Hoy

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I think in a vacuum it’s fine and clearly not a whole lot to give up so it’s worth a flyer I guess.

From a big picture perspective it’s idiotic that they’re burning assets to improve this team when they‘re realistically not even getting out of the first round.
That's 100% health dependent imo. If Rask is back and their top 3 D are available, I think they can come out of this division.

The interesting thing for me with Hall is that if he fits in well here and is successful, we've got the money to keep him (provided he's willing to buy into the 'take a little less for winning' mentality the Bruins stars have.)
 

Dummy Hoy

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Are we getting a motivated Hall now or the same Hall that has been a passenger all year?
It's a great question...this is a defining moment for him. Anyone would be unmotivated by the stench of Buffalo, if he can't come here and be a guy, that's a big signal to the rest of the league.
 

TFP

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That's 100% health dependent imo. If Rask is back and their top 3 D are available, I think they can come out of this division
You are way more optimistic than I am.

They have a bottom 5 farm system in the NHL and just burned a 2nd and a 3rd on two rentals. Feels like Sweeney is trying to save his job and the expense of the future.

2019 was the last hurrah for the “core”. They should be focused on building around the Pasta/McAvoy/Marchand sweetheart deals because those tabs will be coming due soon and not having capitalized on them will be the true waste.
 

burstnbloom

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I love this mostly because of the price. I’m a big Bjork fan and think he vatranos the bruins who messed with him so badly. The bruins need a game changer in their middle six and hall is an elite line driver even in this terrible season. There’s a lot of risk here but at the price, it’s very minimal.
 

NYCSox

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The hit rate for second round and especially third round picks is low enough that, combined with their inability to draft all that well, means it's likely nothing of value has been lost.

Probably also a good sign that they expect Gryz, McAvoy, Carlo and Rask to be back soon enough.
 

Dummy Hoy

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You are way more optimistic than I am.

They have a bottom 5 farm system in the NHL and just burned a 2nd and a 3rd on two rentals. Feels like Sweeney is trying to save his job and the expense of the future.

2019 was the last hurrah for the “core”. They should be focused on building around the Pasta/McAvoy/Marchand sweetheart deals because those tabs will be coming due soon and not having capitalized on them will be the true waste.
I don't disagree with any of that. I just think when fully healthy (which may be a really dumb thing to count on if you're the Bruins), they have a great shot to come out of this division.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Can’t fault the price at all - especially not 24 hours removed from the Leafs giving up a first and two fourths for Foligno and a worse player than Lazar.
 

cshea

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I agree with TFP. In a vacuum, I love the move. I've wanted Hall for 2 or 3 years now, cost was really low for a player of his calibur (how did Nick Foligno get more!?} I think he's a great fit on the 2nd line with Krejci or Coyle (I think Krejci has been better than others, though in decline). Counting stats are obviously down, but the underlying analytics are still very strong. I just worry they screwed up the timing and missed the window where he really would've pushed them over the top. A lot of this teams success going forward is going to depend on health on the blue line.

Lazar is listed as week-to-week, so I'm not sure what his status is on returning this year. If he's back, they could theoretically flip Kuraly today to recoup a pick.

Finally, I think they are probably done but they are right at the cap (CapFriendly has them at $29K under) so they can maximize LTIR with Moore, Lazar and Kase if something comes along and they need to move quick. That gives them $6 million left to work with. Moore is definitely done for the year. Kase has been skating forever but hasn't progressed from there so who knows. Lazar is TBD.
 

burstnbloom

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That is a really strong top 6. I would guess they put Debrusk on his off wing. I wouldn't be surprised to see him or Ritchie go today for a similar player on the opposite side.
 

The Napkin

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I'm pretty much in complete agreeance with TFP that Sweeney's trying to save his job and all this is going to do is push round one to 6 games instead of 5 and hurt the future. I hope I'm wrong. Feel like Bjork was playing well lately/this year and liked his deal.
 

Dummy Hoy

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I'm pretty much in complete agreeance with TFP that Sweeney's trying to save his job and all this is going to do is push round one to 6 games instead of 5 and hurt the future. I hope I'm wrong. Feel like Bjork was playing well lately/this year and liked his deal.
I think it's a legit point you guys have...I too hope you're wrong.

It all hinges on health tho
 

veritas

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I think they feel like they owe it to Bergeron/Krejci/Rask to make one more run at it. And I agree with them, this year is the last chance for a few years that they'll be contenders IMO. And they haven't given up anything of value...yet.
 

cshea

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Bjork had been a healthy scratch for the past 5 games. It seemed like a typically year for him. Momentary flashes where you think he's finally put it together, then invisible for 10+ games at a time. I don't think the team did him any favors with his usage, but he seemed to be in the vacated Heinen dog house. They didn't like him in the bottom 6 and they didn't trust him to play in the top 6. At this point, Lazar for Bjork is probably a wash.
 

TFP

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I think they feel like they owe it to Bergeron/Krejci/Rask to make one more run at it. And I agree with them, this year is the last chance for a few years that they'll be contenders IMO.
They don't owe Bergeron/Krejci/Rask anything. They made multiple runs the last few years and have had their chance. 2019 and 2020 were their last chances, they almost had one and COVID ruined the other. And it's ruined our prospect pool as a result of the multiple runs they've made (which is fine). But losing these assets every year adds up in the aggregate and they have 3 absolutely elite players who aren't the 3 you mentioned on team friendly contracts and are poised to waste those years.

And they haven't given up anything of value...yet.
Current 2nd and 3rd round picks on the roster:

Bergeron
Krejci
Marchand
Grzlyck
Carlo
Lauzon
Studnicka
Vladar

Those picks have value.
 

lexrageorge

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I think they feel like they owe it to Bergeron/Krejci/Rask to make one more run at it. And I agree with them, this year is the last chance for a few years that they'll be contenders IMO. And they haven't given up anything of value...yet.
+1

Just last season the team looked like a strong contender pre-CoVid. 2019 should have shown that teams can come out of nowhere to win once they get into the tournament. Jacobs is not going to allow Sweeney to give up on a playoff spot, and neither is Neely.

I'm not at all optimistic about next season. But this trade doesn't really change the outlook for next year. The 2nd rounder is probably a few years away from contributing.
 

ngruz25

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I was really high on Bjork, but it's perfectly reasonable to conclude that he is who he is. High motor, hard working, talented, with very little production to match. He's been given a ton of chances and has never produced. I did like him on the PK, but he was more valuable as a project guy for a team like Buffalo.

I think some of the pessimism in this thread is a result of the near Baby B-level team the Bruins have been running out for the last couple weeks. If they can get healthy, they are absolutely a threat. And in general, I despise the idea of a team selling or staying pat because they might lose in the playoffs. It's the playoffs. A healthy Bruins team can absolutely get hot for a few weeks.
 

Haunted

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I'm bummed to lose Bjork but I hadn't seen any kind of real progression from him.

Like others, I don't dislike this deal. The cost wasn't a whole lot for that type of player. But this "empty the farm/draft to cling onto being a contender" seems like what happens whenever a GM is on his way out.
 

cshea

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What is the likelihood they can re-sign Hall?
They have a mountain of cap space, so that wouldn't be a problem. They tried last year and he made the curious decision to go to Buffalo.

If it works out for the end of this year, I would think they have a reasonable chance of doing so. The biggest hurdle is probably needing to find centers to replace Krejci (UFA after his year) and Bergeron (UFA after next) who are aging out. It may not make sense to sign him if they are entering a rebuild/retooling phase.
 

TFP

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The biggest hurdle is probably needing to find centers to replace Krejci (UFA after his year) and Bergeron (UFA after next) who are aging out
This is where I back up the brinks truck for Barkov after next year.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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I wouldn't be surprised at all if Sweeney isn't done. His seat is getting hot. And, even though Cam has to be a little more forward thinking, his ass has to be getting a little warm, too. Between that, and I think the desire to make one last push with the Bergeron crew, I could see them making a push for some more help on the blue line now.

As for the Hall trade - the upside is just too much to NOT pull the trigger on this. Less than 25% of second round picks even make the NHL, and less than 15% become "impact players" (whatever that means). With that said, I think his Hart season is a clear aberration. Moreover, my biggest concern is that his dip in shooting coincides almost directly to when he had arthroscopic knee surgery in 2018. I know shooting % isn't the end all be all, but in the 9 seasons prior to his surgery, he never averaged less than 8.4% for a season. Seven of his nine seasons were between 9.1% - 14%. His average for those 9 seasons was 10.8%. Nothing spectacular, but for a high volume player, a very solid number. Even excluding his Hart season, his career shooting was still 10.24%.

Since the surgery, his shooting % is 5.6%.

That number is impacted by a lot of things. Three different teams in those two seasons, none of which were contenders or brimming with talent. But the bigger concern for me is how New Jersey handled the situation. The season after his Hart he was only 27, and in 33 games prior to injury, Hall's counting numbers put him on pace for another All-star appearance. He signed a cheap one season contract (2.4m) to return on a prove it deal...and NJD dumps him to Phoenix after 30 games.

Kid put up a Hart season, followed it up with another excellent season before getting hurt...and then is dumped. And not for a haul, by the way. For 3 prospects - two that have bottom six type ceilings, and a big/plodding defenseman - and a conditional 1st. That conditional first? Turned into a 3rd (turned into a 2nd if he resigned or Coyotes won a round, first if both happened). Oh yeah, and NJD retained half his contract for the benefit of dumping him. Is that the kind of trade you make for a 28 year old going into his prime that you think has a shot at returning to all-star or Hart caliber?

So, NJD moved on a year after a phenomenal season. Phoenix moved on after trading assets for him for a rental. and now Buffalo is moving on halfway into his contract. All of his numbers have cratered since his injury. That all scares me. A lot.

But, again...we only gave up a second. The risk/reward that, as he gets further from surgery he gets closer to his original play, is too much to pass up. High ceiling, low floor type trade. But...well, the team had to do something. At this point, I'm just crossing my fingers that we bought low on a gem.
 

cshea

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Hall is doing his media now. From the usual suspects on twitter,

- Like Reilly, will drive from Buffalo to Boston today and hopes to play tomorrow.
- Bruins were a top his list of preferred destinations (had an NMC). Sounds like he flexed the no-move to get here.
- Says he came really close to signing with the Bruins during the last offseason, but "it didn't work out"
- Confidence a bit lacking after the Buffalo fiasco, but excited to join this group and play for a winner for the first time in his career.
 

burstnbloom

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In fairness, both NJ AND AZ made public statements about wanting to re-sign him but he said he wanted to test UFA. I understand the concern about his s% but NHL history is littered wth players who had bad shooting season and they all regress. Hall is still driving his line to high danger scoring chances so he's not done. So basically, for his finishing to actually be this bad, he'd have to be the worst shooter in the NHL while also being elite at driving chances and those two things don't really make sense together. He's due for a regression, probably to 8%ish, and hopefully that happens over the next 17 games.
 

cshea

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In a shocking turn of events, Lazar is also driving to Boston today. He says he's healthy and an option to play right away.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Reilly has the *much* better drive. The thought of driving the length of the NYS Thruway makes me ill . . .
 

burstnbloom

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In a shocking turn of events, Lazar is also driving to Boston today. He says he's healthy and an option to play right away.
Happy about this. Lazar is an upgrade on Kuraly at C on the 4th line and Kuraly is far better on the LW.

There are too many LW on this team now.
 

cshea

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Listening to Hall's comments today, I have no idea why he chose Buffalo in the offseason. Absolute head-scratcher.
 

Maximus

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Put me in favor. Neither Jacobs nor Neely were going to let Sweeney sell assets at the deadline. A 2nd round pick is not too steep for a guy who could put the puck in the net just a couple of seasons ago and is not 30. It's tough to give up on Bjork, but he never seemed to really find a true role here; he should have had more than 5 points in 30 games, which is not a small sample.

And they desperately needed some bodies on defense. Anything is better than Tinordi being on the top pairing.

It doesn't make them Cup favorites by any means, but it at least may avoid them missing the playoffs. Seeding doesn't matter in the NHL, so getting to the playoffs and seeing what happens is a valid strategy.
This.

I like the moves and thankfully we didn't give up a 1st round pick. 2019 SCF Game 7 at home is clearly still haunting Sweeney & Neely as it is us.

It will be difficult to get past the Isles in the division this year but once you get in the tournament, anything can happen.
 

Salem's Lot

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It has to be the money offered. That's the only reason.
It has to be. No one else was probably close to $8 million this year. And he could justify it knowing that he would probably get traded to a playoff team at the deadline with a chance to make an impact and cash in next year.