Bruins Prospect News and Notes

veritas

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He's a very polished, two-way player so I'm sure he could do fine at wing but yeah he's always played center in college and that's where he'll play long term in the NHL
 

cshea

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Yeah, the ELC year is gone. Apparently he doesn't have to play, just get added to the roster. Forsbacka Karlsson does fill a legitimate NHL roster need though, so I don't think it's crazy.

Think McAvoy could get added today or tomorrow if they liked his play enough this weekend.
 

Eddie Jurak

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Yeah, the ELC year is gone. Apparently he doesn't have to play, just get added to the roster. Forsbacka Karlsson does fill a legitimate NHL roster need though, so I don't think it's crazy.

Think McAvoy could get added today or tomorrow if they liked his play enough this weekend.
It bothers me that they are burning the year with McAvoy. Much better rationale for it with JFK, who is closer to free agency if he desn't sign, and they absolutely should offer it for Bjork to entice him..
 

TheRealness

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It bothers me that they are burning the year with McAvoy. Much better rationale for it with JFK, who is closer to free agency if he desn't sign, and they absolutely should offer it for Bjork to entice him..
After seeing more comments from Sweeney, etc. on it, I think the Bruins believe McAvoy may help them now, and less so that they are doing this as a favor to burn a year of the ELC. They are most certainly doing that with JFK, but I'm ok with that (and the same for Bjork) given the need on the roster for those players.
 

veritas

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Are they eligible for the AHL playoffs if they play in the NHL (reg season or playoffs if there's a difference) and the AHL playoffs go longer?
 

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SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
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I know the focus remains on this season, but one cannot help but get excited at the thought of a Bruins team next year with McAvoy, JFK, Bjork, DeBrusk, and Senyshyn all in the same lineup next year.

Marchand/Bergeron/Pasta
Vatrano/Krejci/Backes
DeBrusk/JFK/Senyshyn
Bjork/Acciari/Nash

This assumes you fire Beleskey and Hayes into orbit, but the Bruins future is looking pretty bright.
 

cshea

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Yep, this is certainly as good and as deep a farm system that they've had in quite a while.

Jesse Gabrielle's WHL team was eliminated last night. I would expect he joins Providence this week. 61 regular season games 35-29=64. 1-2=3 in the 6 playoff games.
 

TFP

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I know the focus remains on this season, but one cannot help but get excited at the thought of a Bruins team next year with McAvoy, JFK, Bjork, DeBrusk, and Senyshyn all in the same lineup next year.

Marchand/Bergeron/Pasta
Vatrano/Krejci/Backes
DeBrusk/JFK/Senyshyn
Bjork/Acciari/Nash

This assumes you fire Beleskey and Hayes into orbit, but the Bruins future is looking pretty bright.
That's an exciting thought of a lineup, but man that's a young team. 7 of your 12 forwards are 25 and under, including 4 rookies? Add in McAvoy and Carlo on D and now it's half your team.

I love and am excited for the youth movement, but I see it being a little more gradual. I wouldn't expect a line of just DeBrusk, JFK, and Senyshyn, for example. I would maybe someone like Moore coming back to help in the bottom 6 and in the dressing room. I'll also be real curious what they do with Spooner since he's still and RFA and they won't just let him walk. And please please please let Hayes or McQuaid get picked in the expansion draft.

Either way, it's great to have options like this.
 

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SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
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That's an exciting thought of a lineup, but man that's a young team. 7 of your 12 forwards are 25 and under, including 4 rookies? Add in McAvoy and Carlo on D and now it's half your team.

I love and am excited for the youth movement, but I see it being a little more gradual. I wouldn't expect a line of just DeBrusk, JFK, and Senyshyn, for example. I would maybe someone like Moore coming back to help in the bottom 6 and in the dressing room. I'll also be real curious what they do with Spooner since he's still and RFA and they won't just let him walk. And please please please let Hayes or McQuaid get picked in the expansion draft.

Either way, it's great to have options like this.
Completely agree that there's probably no way in hell they start three rookies on the same line, but it's fun to put it up there and look at.

To your point about Moore, I'd be surprised if they brought him back. The Bruins currently have 62.5 million already spent against next years cap. Obviously we don't know where the cap will be yet - but if it stays close to 73 million, that's only 10 million in space going into the season.

RFA's this off-season:
Pastrnak
Spooner
Acciari
Morrow
Schaller

Pasta alone may take up half of the existing space. Honestly, I wouldn't mind the team taking a step back next year to allow as much of the new talent come up and get exposure to the league, with the hope of the 18/19 season beginning their new window.
 

Eddie Jurak

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That's an exciting thought of a lineup, but man that's a young team. 7 of your 12 forwards are 25 and under, including 4 rookies? Add in McAvoy and Carlo on D and now it's half your team.

I love and am excited for the youth movement, but I see it being a little more gradual. I wouldn't expect a line of just DeBrusk, JFK, and Senyshyn, for example. I would maybe someone like Moore coming back to help in the bottom 6 and in the dressing room. I'll also be real curious what they do with Spooner since he's still and RFA and they won't just let him walk. And please please please let Hayes or McQuaid get picked in the expansion draft.

Either way, it's great to have options like this.
I think this is right. Also, from reading some of what Kirk has written about Senyshyn, he in particular strikes me as someone who will need some AHL seasoning.

I mostly am just excised that there is, for the first time in a while, a talented group of prospects in the organization.
 

TFP

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I didn't realize the cap situation was that shitty next year, you're right. The $2.1M buyout hit for Seidenberg really hurts now, too. Hopefully shedding $2M via either Hayes or McQuaid is in the cards, as mentioned before.

And I don't know that they'll bring back Moore specifically. But I do think they will need someone in that veteran bottom 6 role giving them huge production at a low cap hit to help the rookies too. I'll be interested how it plays out.
 

lexrageorge

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I'd rather see McQuaid be claimed than Hayes, as the Hayes cap hit lasts only 1 more season. My only fear is whether Cam would force Donnie to acquire another "gritty" blue liner if that were to happen.

The really bad news is that Belesky's $3.8M cap hit is going to be with this team for many seasons to come.
 

FL4WL3SS

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I didn't realize the cap situation was that shitty next year, you're right. The $2.1M buyout hit for Seidenberg really hurts now, too. Hopefully shedding $2M via either Hayes or McQuaid is in the cards, as mentioned before.

And I don't know that they'll bring back Moore specifically. But I do think they will need someone in that veteran bottom 6 role giving them huge production at a low cap hit to help the rookies too. I'll be interested how it plays out.
Why do you think they need veteran presence outside of what's already on the roster? If they are truly committed to building from the inside out, then they should go all-in on that and let the kids play. Having Chara/Bergeron on the roster gives them a solid veteran core to help with the transition. By the time Chara is gone, McEvoy will hopefully have taken over his role and the transition will be complete.

I don't see a need to fill roster spots with JAGs just to lose in the first round of the playoffs. I'd rather have a couple years of pain to let the team mature. I'm not sure if that's what you're saying, but was just curious on your thought process.
 

FL4WL3SS

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I guess to put it another way, do you think they can be competitive while building their youth given the current roster/salary cap situation?

I'm skeptical, which is why I would lean towards an all-in approach.
 

kenneycb

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I'm not sure I buy Chara/Bergeron being that great of leaders given some of the comments over the last few years, specifically about how the team really missed Chris Kelly and had a hard time getting up for games and whatnot. Maybe Backes is sufficient in that department, but my views on Chara and Bergeron's leadership have fallen a good amount over the last two years.

Regardless, we're talking about a 1 year, $1M cap hit, so I don't see it as preventing them from doing much of anything.
 

TFP

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Fair questions. I do think they can be competitive again next year while building their youth, similar to this year. It will require getting rid of some deadweight though.

I didn't want to bring back a bunch of JAGs to fill roster spots, I just thought they might sign 1 more player for the bottom 6 to go along with Nash to basically fill the Moore role from this year. I think there are numerous benefits to this, including eating up PK time, providing stability and consistency when the young players have their ups and downs, and also to set an example for the young players as well. Dominic Moore has been the unsung hero for this team all year, providing incredibly valuable play night in and night out for a very small cap hit.

Look at this way - Moore and Nash have given the Bruins 41 points at a $1.8M combined cap hit this year in mostly 4th line minutes. They've also been a great PK duo, and were consistent and stable (especially Moore) while bringing along guys like Acciari, Blidh, Kuraly, etc. That's hugely valuable and something I think could be repeated next year especially as even more young guys are mixed into the lineup. And then try not to puke when you realize that Beleskey and Hayes have given the Bruins THIRTEEN points for a $6.1M cap hit. Those are the guys that the young guys need to replace, not Moore/Nash.

I also don't think Chara and Bergeron alone are capable of carrying that leadership mantle alone, as evidenced by the last 2+ years as they've tried to do it without Kelly and Thornton around. Having Krug and Marchand grow into it leadership roles and having Backes replace Loui seems to have helped in the locker room a bit this year, but that's anecdotal and tough to actually tell so it's purely theory and obviously not fact.

Edit - I also think there is HUGE value in making the playoffs, even if only for a round or 2, due to the experienced game for players who aren't used to it. It takes time and experience for young players to learn how to advance in the playoffs. Every year that Pastrnak, Carlo, Vatrano, McAvoy etc get playoff experience is way more valuable than any increase in draft position or regular season TOI for the more marginal prospects. Pasta has never played in the playoffs before. Imagine if he had in 1 or 2 of the last 2 years? He'd be much more equipped for a deep run than he is this year.
 

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SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
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Look at Toronto this year. They have only 1 player who is older than 30 with 20 or more games played, and that's Matt Hunwick.

The Bruins would seem to have enough existing leadership in Bergeron, Marchand, Chara, Krejci, Backes, etc that they could go all in on the youth and still be competitive.
 

kenneycb

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Again, the first four names have overseen two pretty damn epic regular season collapses, so I'm not ready to go claiming that as a strength of the team.
 

TFP

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Look at Toronto this year. They have only 1 player who is older than 30 with 20 or more games played, and that's Matt Hunwick.

The Bruins would seem to have enough existing leadership in Bergeron, Marchand, Chara, Krejci, Backes, etc that they could go all in on the youth and still be competitive.
Toronto has the best rookie class in the history of the NHL including the #1 overall pick and rookie of the year. They're also a .500 team who has gotten into the playoffs due to the loser point. I don't think they're the model to emulate personally, I think they're an anomaly that has caught lightning in a bottle.

Basically - why replace inexpensive, productive players with inexpensive, young players? Why not try to replace the expensive, unproductive players with the inexpensive youngsters?
 

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SoSH's Doug Neidermeyer
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Again, the first four names have overseen two pretty damn epic regular season collapses, so I'm not ready to go claiming that as a strength of the team.
They also won a Stanley Cup, and in another season got to the SCF. Maybe "leadership" can only do so much, and roster depth and talent matters way more.

Toronto has the best rookie class in the history of the NHL including the #1 overall pick and rookie of the year. They're also a .500 team who has gotten into the playoffs due to the loser point. I don't think they're the model to emulate personally, I think they're an anomaly that has caught lightning in a bottle.

Basically - why replace inexpensive, productive players with inexpensive, young players? Why not try to replace the expensive, unproductive players with the inexpensive youngsters?
.

All fair. And agreed, if the choice is replacing Hayes/Beleskey or Moore obviously you'd want to get rid of the shitty players. But the shitty players have contracts. So it's not exactly an either/or preposition.

Toronto also doesn't have the depth Boston does, or the goaltending. The point I'm making is that you can be really young, and still be competitive.
 

kenneycb

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They also won a Stanley Cup, and in another season got to the SCF. Maybe "leadership" can only do so much, and roster depth and talent matters way more.
Or we have no idea, so putting it as an assumed strength, or weakness for that matter, is a fruitless exercise.
Toronto also doesn't have the depth Boston does, or the goaltending. The point I'm making is that you can be really young, and still be competitive.
Which takes several years of sucking. The Leafs young core consists of 4 guys taken in the top 10, 3 of which were top 5.
 

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According to Fluto -

JFK is practicing with the team today, and wearing #23.

Will be interesting to see if Cassidy has him spend a game or two on the 9th floor ala Claude, or if he gets him right into the lineup.
 

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@TFP I know we've talked about it before and I completely agree about the playoff experience being really valuable, but I just don't want to see them do this half assed. If they can actually accomplish what you said without making anymore dumb signings, then sign me up.
 

cshea

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According to Fluto -

JFK is practicing with the team today, and wearing #23.

Will be interesting to see if Cassidy has him spend a game or two on the 9th floor ala Claude, or if he gets him right into the lineup.
I don't think he can play yet due to the visa issues. I think he'll get in if they clinch a spot.
 

lexrageorge

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I guess to put it another way, do you think they can be competitive while building their youth given the current roster/salary cap situation?

I'm skeptical, which is why I would lean towards an all-in approach.
How do you define competitive?

The B's the last 2 seasons have been skating right at the borderline of playoff qualification. Just like this season. The only difference is that the coin this season has a reasonable chance of coming up heads, mainly due to the run they went on after Cassidy took charge. But I would argue that the coin flip was made possible by the fact that Nash and Moore were significant upgrades on the backside forwards as compared to the flotsam and jetsam of the past 2 seasons filling those roles.

I think it is feasible for the Bruins to continue slowly inject some youth into the lineup while also mixing in some cheap vets. There will likely be space for the younglings regardless, even with Beleskey still around. If the kids are as good as we hoped, that should be enough to allow the playoff qualification coin to continue to come up heads. I think the benefits of making the playoffs even for a round or two far outweigh the drawbacks here; the NHL is not the NBA.

I reject the "lack of leadership" hypothesis, with perhaps the exception of Boychuck, as that trade really did seem to deflate the team. The reality is that the talent just wasn't there the past 2 seasons once you got outside the top line. But it still doesn't hurt to have a cheap and productive vet or two on the bottom 6, if for no other reason to provide some margin of error in case one or two of the kids turn out to need more seasoning in the AHL.
 

InstantKarmma

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How do you define competitive?

The B's the last 2 seasons have been skating right at the borderline of playoff qualification. Just like this season. The only difference is that the coin this season has a reasonable chance of coming up heads, mainly due to the run they went on after Cassidy took charge. But I would argue that the coin flip was made possible by the fact that Nash and Moore were significant upgrades on the backside forwards as compared to the flotsam and jetsam of the past 2 seasons filling those roles.
zac1.jpg
 

cshea

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If they're going to go forward with bringing McAvoy to the roster, seems like today is the most opportune time to sign him. We'll see.

Also, Marchand's possible suspension could open the door for a DeBrusk debut. The B's are thin at LW already with Schaller and Vatrano injured.
 
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cshea

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Yes, that is correct. It still may be pushing it to turn everything around in a day. They would already have to have the contract essentially agreed too and ready to be signed. Two weeks ago Brock Boeser played and was eliminated on Friday and was then in the lineup for Vancouver on Saturday, so a quick turnaround is possible.
 

RedOctober3829

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Yes, that is correct. It still may be pushing it to turn everything around in a day. They would already have to have the contract essentially agreed too and ready to be signed. Two weeks ago Brock Boeser played and was eliminated on Friday and was then in the lineup for Vancouver on Saturday, so a quick turnaround is possible.
It helped that the game was in Minnesota so it was a short trip from ND to get there. Bjork would be in Chicago until Thursday night so he'd have to scramble to get a flight and get to Boston.
 

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It helped that the game was in Minnesota so it was a short trip from ND to get there. Bjork would be in Chicago until Thursday night so he'd have to scramble to get a flight and get to Boston.
Chicago is like a 2.5 hour flight, and is a major hub. Let's not act like he's traveling cross country from Sacramento. There's probably flights that leave every 45 minutes to Boston from either Midway or O'Hare.
 

kenneycb

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The biggest issue is he has the 8:30 game, so he'll have to get an early morning flight. With that, he might not be ready for practice given he'd need to sign and everything. The Caps game might be important for seeding, so I can see there being reluctance to suit him up for that game. If that's the case, you'll be throwing him into the fire with his first game being in the playoffs. Given he plays wing, so I imagine the transition isn't as great as other spots but it does put him in a precarious situation.

Edit: Or some wealthy Domer in the Chicago area (there are a few) let's him hitch a ride in his private jet.
 

cshea

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Neely on F&M said the Bruins don't plan on burning the ELC year on McAvoy. They're following the Werenski model.

They followed up and asked if burning the year with JFK was a concession in negotiations, and all Cam said was that the Bruins think JFK is NHL ready.
 

The Napkin

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It's Fluto and it's not about food so take it for what it's worth but this is a scary thought...

 

Jed Zeppelin

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Gotta love Twitter. That's written entirely in the form of personal speculation with no hint that it was sourced from any kind of inside info.
 

cshea

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FWIW, Bucci seems confident Bjork is turning pro. He's pretty plugged in with college hockey and called the FF games last night.


Kirk has also reported this week that the deal was essentially agreed too and they were just waiting on ND's season to end. I guess that was before the Olympic announcement, so things could've changed so we'll have to wait and see. I'd imagine it won't take long to know either way.

In a related story, the league really needs to address the loophole with NCAA kids in the next CBA.
 

Reggie Hammond

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It's extremely rare when Fluto ever "breaks" any kind of news regarding the Bs. For having the BG's Bruins' beat/hockey columnist gig, he never has any "insider" information on the team.
 

jk333

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If it comes to it, burn the year to get him under team control until 2022. I can't really blame him for leveraging it either. As a junior, it's a bigger threat than with JFK or McAvoy. The NHL definitely need to address it, just make rights last longer if you go NCAA?
 

TheRealness

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It's extremely rare when Fluto ever "breaks" any kind of news regarding the Bs. For having the BG's Bruins' beat/hockey columnist gig, he never has any "insider" information on the team.
The only thing I believe Fluto on are his tweets about eating. The man loves to eat, but not so much loves to actually work as a Bruins beat writer.