So what's Next?

RedSox040713

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This is my first time starting a thread on SOSH, so please be kind. Now that the dust has somewhat settled on the Hamilton and Lucic trades and draft in general one has to wonder, what is the next for the Bruins, they clearly have holes to fill and one has to wonder how Don Sweeney plans to accomplish this? Does he have any other (and hopefully better) trades than the ones he has done it do we dip into a weak free agency class?
 

MiracleOfO2704

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Honestly, I don't know.
 
The trades scream, at minimum, a retool, but I guess Sweeney's been on record saying he wants to be in the playoffs next season. He might be able to use some combination of Subban, Jones, McIntyre, and Vladar along with prospects to take on a top-end player, but who? Not to mention that no one player at each position is going to solve the glaring holes they have, particularly on defense.
 
Now, if Sweeney wakes up tomorrow and sees just how dire the situation is, maybe he just goes straight into the tank to be competitive in 3 years or so by trading Rask, Krejci, and Chara. I just don't think he believes they're that bad though.
 

BoSoxGirl75

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I think they need to try to get rid of some of the bad contracts (Seidenberg, Kelly, Smith). I think they also should trade Eriksson. I actually don't hate Loui and think he actually had a pretty good year last year. I think he has 1 year left and it is probably very doubtful they'd keep him. I think he'd get the best return when comparing against Seidenberg, Smith and Kelly. Obviously who knows what we'd get in return and what the lines would be. They just need to try to shed some salary to help with the cap.

It is pretty clear that they don't have a plan and that terrifies me. So, who knows what will happen!
 

MiracleOfO2704

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BoSoxGirl75 said:
I think they need to try to get rid of some of the bad contracts (Seidenberg, Kelly, Smith). I think they also should trade Eriksson. I actually don't hate Loui and think he actually had a pretty good year last year. I think he has 1 year left and it is probably very doubtful they'd keep him. I think he'd get the best return when comparing against Seidenberg, Smith and Kelly. Obviously who knows what we'd get in return and what the lines would be. They just need to try to shed some salary to help with the cap.

It is pretty clear that they don't have a plan and that terrifies me. So, who knows what will happen!
 
Well, there should be some kind of market for Smith. We went over this when he signed the extension, but he's not overpaid, per se. It was just a case of Chiarelli bidding against himself unnecessarily. Of course, do you want to give up on a right winger that has shown decent chemistry with the face of your franchise while he's in his mid-20s and somewhat affordable?
 
But yeah, everything about that last sentence is true.
 

veritas

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BoSoxGirl75 said:
I think they need to try to get rid of some of the bad contracts (Seidenberg, Kelly, Smith). I think they also should trade Eriksson. I actually don't hate Loui and think he actually had a pretty good year last year. I think he has 1 year left and it is probably very doubtful they'd keep him. I think he'd get the best return when comparing against Seidenberg, Smith and Kelly. Obviously who knows what we'd get in return and what the lines would be. They just need to try to shed some salary to help with the cap.

It is pretty clear that they don't have a plan and that terrifies me. So, who knows what will happen!
 
They already traded Lucic. You want them to trade 3 more top 9 forwards? Who do you think should play forward?
 
Smith is not a bad contract, I'm not sure why everyone thinks that or thinks he'd be possible to replace at that salary.
 

BoSoxGirl75

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veritas said:
 
They already traded Lucic. You want them to trade 3 more top 9 forwards? Who do you think should play forward?
 
.
When you put it like that, I kind of feel dumb (like Sweeney). I just can't figure out what has happened or what direction they are going in. So I guess I was just listing guys I'd consider trading to help with the cap situation, but it doesn't necessarily mean I'd trade them all. It depends what we could get in return. It seems like we have so many holes and not a lot of money to work with.

I'm guessing these are the top 2 lines for now.
Bergeron-Marchy-Smith
Krejci - Eriksson - Pastrnak

So I guess if we leave Smith and Erikkson as is, to give us 2 decent lines, then that leaves trading Kelly. He has a 3 m cap hit. Talbot or Koko can take over for him. I honestly don't know how the 3rd and 4th lines are going to come together. Then again, what does 3m in cap savings get us when they just overpay and throw 2.75 at Mcquaid?

Everything about the Bruins is depressing me right now. I just don't understand. Are we tanking and rebuilding or do they expect to make the playoffs? Whatever direction they are going in, is supposed to help truly decide what is next.
 

RedSox040713

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I'm very confused at the direction the Bruins are in and right now I feel similar to the way I feel about the Celtics with them. They are in the worst possible position right now: In the middle, they have no chance of contending for a Cup this year as presently constructed and they are too good with older semi tradable players like Chara Rask and Krejci to bottom out and tank. As of right now the GM seems clueless, (this is where the Celitcs comparisons end) the coach seems to be on thin ice and with this roster would he even want to be here? Furthermore team has no young talent minus Pastrnak and Spooner who at this rate will both be gone in 2 years. I fear the present for this team and worse fear the discernible future
 

Eddie Jurak

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I think they are trying to thread the needle - retool but not a full on rebuild.  I'm not particularly optimistic about that.  I'd rather have seen them try to cut salary any way they can and rebuild around Hamilton, even though it means a rebuild.
 

MiracleOfO2704

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Eddie Jurak said:
I think they are trying to thread the needle - retool but not a full on rebuild.  I'm not particularly optimistic about that.
 
That never ends well. Add in the fact that they added little that can help them before 2016-17, and Sweeney's assertion that they'd be competing for the playoffs in 2016 seems misguided at best, and disingenuous at worst.
Eddie Jurak said:
I'd rather have seen them try to cut salary any way they can and rebuild around Hamilton, even though it means a rebuild.
 
They can still do half of that. :smithicide:
 

timlinin8th

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Eddie Jurak said:
I think they are trying to thread the needle - retool but not a full on rebuild.  I'm not particularly optimistic about that.  I'd rather have seen them try to cut salary any way they can and rebuild around Hamilton, even though it means a rebuild.
The stupid thing is that the best way to "retool without a full rebuild" would have been to keep Hamilton (and let McQuaid walk) and unload others... Maybe you miss the playoffs again next year, when the Chris Kelly and Loui Erikkson contracts expire, and bring in one big name and slot the other hole with a young cheap option.

For all the "Chiarelli left this team in cap hell" talk, the needle could be threaded with proper moves and expiring contracts coming up.
 

Eddie Jurak

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timlinin8th said:
The stupid thing is that the best way to "retool without a full rebuild" would have been to keep Hamilton (and let McQuaid walk) and unload others... Maybe you miss the playoffs again next year, when the Chris Kelly and Loui Erikkson contracts expire, and bring in one big name and slot the other hole with a young cheap option.

For all the "Chiarelli left this team in cap hell" talk, the needle could be threaded with proper moves and expiring contracts coming up.
I'm less optimistic about the team's short-term prospects if they had gone the "keep Hamilton at any cost" route.  I think they should have Kept Hamilton and looked to rebuild around him.  
 
Last year's team sucked - and just bringing back Hamilton doesn't make it markedly better.  Too many guys on the back half of their careers.  But the end result of their current moves is that they are now counting on those same guys, sans Hamilton.  It looks to me like a recipe for mediocre.  
 

Hearts Alive

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I think I have talked myself off the edge.  The route taken was horrible, but I'm not sure it is irredeemable just yet.  One thing that strikes me after doing some research is, for the most part, the top 6 taken all seem to have pretty decent heads on their shoulders in interviews.  Obviously it's not they only thing they were looking for, but if the skill is there they might have just ended up with an incredible draft.  Jacob Forsbacka-Karlson (they are suggesting JFK for short, which I can get behind) and Brandon Carlo in particular seem very intelligent and poised in front of the camera.   
 
If the plan ultimately was to completely restock the farm with smart, skilled players they might be on to something.  Again, absolutely hate the Hamilton path to get there, but if these are their guys coupled with the improved scouting team (2014 looks like a solid draft) the future even without Hamilton might be brighter than it appears. 
 

RedOctober3829

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I don't know who Damien Cox is but he works for Sportsnet in Canada.  He has this in his notes column from the draft.
 
Considering he didn't know that McIntyre signed, I'm taking this with a huge grain of salt.
 
 After the Lucic trade, Boston now has wealth in goal in the form of Tuukka Rask, Martin Jones and Malcolm Subban, plus unsigned collegian Zane McIntyre.
Somebody’s going, and that somebody may be going to San Jose. The fact GM Don Sweeney didn’t make much of a dent in the team’s salary cap problem despite moving Hamilton and Lucic – the B’s retained salary on Lucic – makes you wonder if Rask and his $7 million cap hit might be the masked man who moves.
 
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/weekend-takeaways-bruins-still-have-work-to-do/
 

PedroSpecialK

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There's some smoke around the potential of Rask being moved, but as you said I wouldn't take Cox's word for it. He's a hack at this point who has KPD-levels of credibility, probably 'bested' only by Steve Simmons in the Toronto media.
 

cshea

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Does anyone know the story with Jones in LA? Did he want out due to being stuck behind Quick? I know he was on the block for a while, but I don't know if it was at his request or LA just trying to maximize value. I can't imagine he's thrilled about going from behind Quick to behind Rask.

In any event, I think they have to move one of the 4 goalies. My assumption was Rask and Jones in Boston, McIntyre in Providence with Subban traded, but after Friday who knows.
 

FL4WL3SS

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To be honest, I'd be willing to move Rask.
 
I absolutely love the guy and think he's a top-3 goalie in the league, but with the depth the Bruins have in the system and Claude's ability to make average goaltenders look good, the Bruins could use that $7M back in their pocket. Additionally, if they could fortify the offense and/or defense by trading from a position of strength, it could help turn the tide of the pre-draft trades.
 
EDIT: I also don't see any need to be paying goalie top dollar. It's an important position, but good goalies are easy to find. We don't need the best goalie in the league to win a Cup.
 

RedOctober3829

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FL4WL3SS said:
To be honest, I'd be willing to move Rask.
 
I absolutely love the guy and think he's a top-3 goalie in the league, but with the depth the Bruins have in the system and Claude's ability to make average goaltenders look good, the Bruins could use that $7M back in their pocket. Additionally, if they could fortify the offense and/or defense by trading from a position of strength, it could help turn the tide of the pre-draft trades.
 
EDIT: I also don't see any need to be paying goalie top dollar. It's an important position, but good goalies are easy to find. We don't need the best goalie in the league to win a Cup.
Do you trust this group right now to get the best return for Rask?  If they trade him, do you think they'll actually retain all of that $7 million or do something stupid like retain half of it?  
 

FL4WL3SS

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RedOctober3829 said:
Do you trust this group right now to get the best return for Rask?  If they trade him, do you think they'll actually retain all of that $7 million or do something stupid like retain half of it?  
You know, I've settled down a bit and have reevaluated the draft night. I hate that it got to the point that they felt Hamilton needed to be traded, but I think they got decent value (probably not good value) from that trade and made a really good trade for Lucic. I've made my point in the Hamilton thread about that trade and I've come to grips with it and can see the justification in taking picks for this year's draft.
 
I was talking to TFP last night and he made a really good point - if you switch the Senyshen and Carlo picks, folks probably would have been elated with the draft. They reached a bit on Senyshen (which I'm not totally convinced of), but ended up with a really strong crop of players.
 
I'm going to ignore the McQuaid deal at this point as SSS. I don't know if Sweeney had a stroke or was too busy with the draft so he assigned someone else to the McQuaid talks, but something happened there. If it becomes a trend, obviously it'll be a concern.
 
So yes, right now they have shown fairly competent in making trades. We'll see how they handle future contract negotiations. 
 

AgentOrange

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FL4WL3SS said:
 
EDIT: I also don't see any need to be paying goalie top dollar. It's an important position, but good goalies are easy to find. We don't need the best goalie in the league to win a Cup.
I agree with this. Not sure that the cap space be put to very good use, at least in the short term, though. Without Hamilton, the Bruins aren't really up against it anymore, cap wise. The free agent class is a dumpster fire. And the Bruins aren't loaded with assets they could flip for established players this summer. That sounds like a rebuild to me.
 

SoxJox

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I would imagine that FAs have to be a part of whatever solution the Bruins are searching for.  To that end, here is USA Today's list of Top 25 FAs.  Given the ages of most of these guys, the pickings are slim, and USA Today considers only Justin Williams (kings) and Paul Martin (Penguins) as "good fits" for Boston.
 
1. Defenseman Mike Green (Washington Capitals) (Age = 29): Several teams are looking for an offensive defenseman and Green is the best one available. He could be a 50- to 60-point defenseman if he signs with the right team. Good fit: New Jersey Devils. Having a puck-mover like Green would make them more dangerous.
 
2. Center Antoine Vermette (Chicago Blackhawks) (Age = 32): With centers in short supply, Vermette should have a number of suitors. When he was traded by the Arizona Coyotes to the Blackhawks, he had trouble adjusting last season. But he scored two game-winning goals in the Stanley Cup Final. He's a strong two-way center who can win a big faceoff. Good fit: Coyotes. Vermette played his best hockey there.
 
3. Center Mike Ribeiro (Nashville Predators) (Age = 35): Considering the Predators gave Ribeiro a chance after the Coyotes dropped him because of off-ice behavior, it was assumed he would re-sign with them. But it hasn't happened yet, and Ribeiro might end up as a free agent. He had 62 points last season. Good fit: Carolina Hurricanes. They need an offensive spark.
 
4. Left wing Matt Beleskey (Anaheim Ducks) (Age = 28): Beleskey is in the prime of his career. He scored 22 goals last season. His previous high was 11. Has he blossomed into a consistent 20-goal scorer or did he have a career season? That's what NHL teams have to decide. Good fit: Devils. They need scoring.
 
5. Right wing Michael Frolik (Winnipeg Jets) (Age = 27): Frolik is a good all-around hockey player who had 19 goals last season. He can kill penalties and understands the defensive side of the game. Good fit: Ducks. They're looking to replace Beleskey and Kyle Palmieri.
 
6. Defenseman Andrej Sekera (Los Angeles Kings) (Age = 29): The Kings wanted to keep Sekera but didn't have the cap space. He has the tools to help a quality offensive team. Good fit: Colorado Avalanche. Joe Sakic is looking for a blue-chip defenseman.
 
7. Left wing Drew Stafford (Jets) (Age = 29): He has scored as many as 31 goals in a season. He has 19 points in 26 games after he was traded from Buffalo to Winnipeg last season: Good fit: Jets. They would like to re-sign him.
 
8. Defenseman Cody Franson (Predators) (Age = 27): He didn't play well for the Predators, but he has shown he can be a 40- to 50-point defenseman. He's 6-5 and weighs 220. Good fit: Edmonton Oilers. Franson is young enough to be part of the Oilers' future with Connor McDavid and company.
 
9. Right wing Martin St. Louis (New York Rangers) (Age = 40): St. Louis is not the dominant player he once was. He had a disappointing playoff, but he did score 21 goals last season. Presuming St. Louis is willing to accept a one-year deal with a low base salary and a strong bonus package, he could be a good roll of the dice. Good fit: Pittsburgh Penguins. St. Louis might be a good fit for Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.
 
10. Justin Williams (Kings) (Age = 33): Williams has three Stanley Cup championship rings — two with the Kings and one with the Hurricanes. Williams has a history of producing in the playoffs. He's good for 18 to 20 goals a season. Good fit: Boston Bruins. They say they aren't rebuilding. If that's true, they will need to replace traded Milan Lucic's goals.
 
11. Defenseman Francois Beauchemin (Ducks) (Age = 35): The only negative about Beauchemin is his age. He's a desirable, all-around defenseman. He boasts a hard shot. He defends aggressively and he has bite to his game. Most of the contenders would be interested in him. Good fit: Ducks. They need him.
 
12. Defenseman Johnny Oduya (Blackhawks) (Age = 33): Oduya is a very effective defensive defenseman. He is a second-pairing guy who is comfortable playing against the NHL's top-line players. Many teams will be interested. Good fit: Kings. With suspended Slava Voynov's status still unknown, the Kings need another defender.
 
13. Defenseman Paul Martin (Penguins) (Age = 34): Martin probably can't command a long-term deal. But that means he probably will have more interested parties. He's an effective one-on-one defender. Good fit: Bruins. They have to replace Dougie Hamilton. Martin might be a quality short-term solution.
 
14. Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff (Penguins) (Age = 32): He has been a 50-point offensive defenseman in the past. He is probably a 40-point guy. Good fit: San Jose Sharks. He started his career there, and they would benefit from his abilities.
 
15. Center Mike Richards (Kings) (Age = 29): The Kings put him on waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract. Unquestionably, Richards has been a disappointment in LA. But he will get his buyout money and then sign a modest contract and be a gritty No. 4 center for some team. Good fit: Coyotes. They could give him a chance to rebuild his reputation. They need help at center.
 
16. Center-wing Eric Fehr (Capitals) (Age = 29): He's 6-4 and you can count on him for 15-plus goals every season. He had 19 this season. He was at $1.6 million and he's looking for a raise. Good fit: Vancouver Canucks. They're looking to supplement their secondary scoring.
 
17. Right wing Joel Ward (Capitals) (Age = 34): He scored 19 goals this past season and is the role player general managers are looking for at the trade deadline: Good fit: Calgary Flames. They are looking to fine-tune their roster.
 
18. Defenseman Zbynek Michalek (St. Louis Blues) (Age = 32): With 711 NHL games on his résumé, Michalek is the veteran defenseman that every team is seeking. Good fit: Toronto Maple Leafs. Even a rebuilding team needs veteran defenders.
 
19. Center Mike Santorelli (Predators) (Age = 29): The versatile role player can chip in 12 to 15 goals. He understands his role and could be an inexpensive source of NHL experience. Good fit: Coyotes. They have to spend to get to the salary cap floor.
 
20. Center Shawn Matthias (Canucks) (Age = 27): At 6-4, 216, Matthias can offer size and third-line effectiveness. He scored 18 goals last season. Good fit: Capitals. They will be looking to replace Fehr.
 
21. Center Brad Richards (Blackhawks) (Age = 35): He is still a sharp passer and reads the play extremely well. He can still contribute to a high-powered offense. Good fit: Blackhawks. They would probably re-sign him if he is willing to sign a one-year deal for a modest salary.
 
22. Right wing Chris Stewart (Minnesota Wild) (Age = 27): He's 6-2, 231 and he once scored 28 goals for the Colorado Avalanche. Coaches are always left wanting more from Stewart, but he is 27 and he does enough to draw interest. Good fit: Florida Panthers. They can use size and goals.
 
23. Left wing Curtis Glencross (Capitals) (Age = 32): He has proved that he can generate 40 or more points per season. Given the league-wide need for secondary scoring, Glencross has value. Good fit: Hurricanes. They have to score more this season or they will fall to the very bottom.
 
24. Goaltender Karri Ramo (Flames) (Age = 28): Ramo has had some stretches when he looks like he could be a No. 1 goalie. Good fit: Sharks. They are the only team that doesn't have a projected No. 1 goalie.
 
25. Defenseman Barret Jackman (Blues) (Age = 34): Jackman would be a safe pickup for a contending team looking solidify its defense. He's a stay-at-home defender who plays with intensity. Good fit: Blackhawks. He could be a dependable No. 6 for them. They will be looking for a veteran because they will be losing Oduya and Michal Rozsival.
 

Haunted

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So, I've given last weeks actions a lot of thought.  I wanted to avoid getting too angry and reactionary, so I've done almost no reading or listening to or about the Bruins since the draft.  I'm left with the following thoughts:

1. Hamilton: unless it comes out that he wanted out of town (in which case some self-evaluation as to why he wanted out should happen), to me this is an egregious error.  Forget the return for a moment.  Hamilton is a franchise-potential defenseman that's 22 years old. This is the type of player that good teams hold on to, at almost any cost.  Build around this guy.  A defense showcasing the last couple of years of Zdeno Chara and a coming-into-his-prime Dougie Hamilton is, at the least, a totally decent defense. That said, if you must trade him, why you would take this package instead of letting him walk on an offer sheet is insane to me.  Sweeney's defense of "we wanted the certainty of knowing when the compensatory picks will (as opposed to waiting until next year and seeing where that team ends up) and wanted the picks NOW" falls very flat to me.  I just absolutely disagree with it.  If you're looking for a proper rebuild, getting more picks next year would be preferable to less picks this year.  Even if next year's draft is projected to be significantly worse, you can always trade those pics.  Overall, I think this was an absolutely inexcusable move, bordering on the Thornton trade for franchise-cratering moves.  3 days later and I'm still livid.


2. Lucic: I'm a fanboy, I admit it.  It hurts to see him go.  But... I'm ok with this move in a vacuum.  They needed cap relief badly and he just wasn't performing up to par.  Time to move on.  And the return, in the opinion of those with far more hockey knowledge than me, is good.  So I'm ok with this.  But wait.  They're paying half his salary?  What?  Why?  If that's the case why wasn't the return far more?  You're telling me that any team in the league wouldn't trip over itself trading away a prospect, a backup goalie and a first for a half-price Milan Lucic?  That's crazy.  There goes the cap relief.  Why trade him at all then?  This seems like another poor move once you factor the salary in.  Not nearly as bad as the Hamilton trade, not even in the same universe.  But not good.  Not good at all.


3. McQuaid: I like Darth McQuaider.  Really I do.  But 4 years for this guy?  Is Sweeney insane?  He's not hard to play against right now, he's a pylon.  He's often injured.  And they have a cheaper, younger version of him already on the team!  He's the very definition of 6th/7th depth defenseman, and we just committed 4 years at good money to him.  The price of high-end talent isn't the problem in the NHL, it's the price of mediocrity.  Further, this salary fills up the remains of the saved cap space from Lucic and bam - no cap relief.  


4. They've basically closed the door on competing for a few years at best, barring major influxes of talent.  When they're "back", how good is their current defensive core going to be?  Even assuming that last year's version of Chara was 100% injury related and that he'll be back to being a roughly elite talent, he has only a few years left of that.  Seidenberg is already basically washed up.  Ugh McQuaid.  How eager is Tuukka Rask going to be to play behind that?  Should we worry that he starts demanding a trade at some point?


5. If they are serious about rebuilding, this is a total half-measure.  They're wasting a few years of the prime of Krecji, Rask and Bergeron's careers while the next generation comes up.  Hell, you could expand that to include Marchand and Krug if you want.  Why hold on to any of these guys?  Unless they're clinging to their NMC, why not move Tuukka and Krejci?  See what you can get for Chara.  And while it would rip my heart out, move Bergeron.  Blow it all up and build around Pastrnak and... draft picks.


I recognize that we as fans aren't privy to management's strategic planning.  I lay no claim to being a great hockey mind, and recognize that I may be utterly full of shit on this.  But tell me - has anything they've done give you the idea that they actually have a vision that isn't just some stupid form of "grit, tough, BROOINS"?  For the first time since the Thornton trade I feel like the team truly has no rudder.
 
edit: I hadn't even seen the 5th round pick swap.  There really aren't appropriate words for how stupid that is.
 

BoSoxFink

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I've been making that goalie argument for about 3 years now. A top of the line goalie can win you a cup almost single handedly sometimes, see Thomas and Quick(the first one). However I think you can find an adequate goalie at a much cheaper price and still win if you use the money on other positional upgrades.
 

TheRealness

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Christian Erhoff seems like the target for me. Good skater, can hang out with his German comrade, and fills a potential top 4 roles. Out of all of them, he seems to make the most sense from a talent standpoint. 
 
Martin may make more sense as he will be shorter term, but I would prefer Erhoff. 
 
Vermette was a Chiarelli guy, so I don't know how the new management will feel on him. 
 

cshea

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The Bruins would need to move out salary if they wanted to bring someone in from free agency. After the Friday Fiasco, we've got $7.7 million in space, with 3-4 roster spots to fill Connolly, Ferlin and Jones need new deals. I think we'd be looking at about 4-5 million combined for those 3. In the next week, I think the next steps need to be to trade a goalie, dump salary and find a top 4 D.
 

TFP

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cshea said:
The Bruins would need to move out salary if they wanted to bring someone in from free agency. After the Friday Fiasco, we've got $7.7 million in space, with 3-4 roster spots to fill Connolly, Ferlin and Jones need new deals. I think we'd be looking at about 4-5 million combined for those 3. In the next week, I think the next steps need to be to trade a goalie, dump salary and find a top 4 D.
Spooner is unsigned as well, no?
 

RIFan

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A few points.
 
I don't think moving Rask would create the amount of cap space some are assuming.  Let's say they do move him and his $7M hit in favor of a Jones and Subban tandem.  Jones is an RFA and will probably get around $1.1. Subban would get $863K.  Obviously a huge savings in year 1.  Jones would be foolish to sign anything other than a 1 year contract unless they push him to $3.0 or more in AAV.  If he does break through and realizes the promise he showed at times in LA, he's going to get a huge increase.  If Subban breaks through, he'll be an RFA and also in line for a big increase.   Devin Dubnyk, who is the very definition of a journeyman, just signed a 6 year deal with an AAV of $4.333.  You are realistically looking at probably paying $5-6M for a goalie towards the middle of Rask's deal.  Moving Rask opens up some space for a season or 2, but after that you're saving a couple of percent on the cap at most.   If you are not, it's because those guys cratered and/ or got moved.  A revolving door at goalie is not a great situation for a team. If those guys don't pan out you'll really set back the franchise.
 
I still think they botched the Hamilton deal and McQuaid's deal is inexplicable, but they are not nearly as screwed as it seems.  This was a 96 point team that was decimated by injuries.  Dougie's loss hurts the most, but mostly because of what we expect him to be.  I love Lucic, but he's entirely replaceable.  Soderberg's loss won't hurt much either.  Paille and Campbell being out are net gains.  It goes without question that they need some luck with injuries.  
 
Offense:
Connolly should exceed Lucic's offensive output.  Spooner will produce more than Soderberg. Krejci will have a full offseason to rehab and come back healthy. Pastrnak will spend the summer getting stronger and should be a good bet to get 20 goals.  They obviously need to fill out the 4th line with players who can handle the heavy lifting on the PK so Krejci doesn't have to take any PK minutes.  The net takeaway is that the offense can and should be better. 
 
Defense:
Chara and Seidenberg will have the offseason to rehab.  I expect Krug to continue to get better.  Trotman, Morrow, and Colin Miller will all challenge for time.  If Seidenberg doesn't show he can get back to 90% of what he was pre injury, buy him out and move on.  They'll should have the depth on D to play matchups, where Morrow and C Miller swap out with K Miller and McQuaid depending on if they need a more mobile or physical D.  The league may be changing, but not every team is Montreal or Tampa Bay.  The D might not be better, but I don't think it will be measurably worse. 
 
Goal:
A reliable backup would allow them to cut back on Rask's games played and have him fresher down the stretch. 
 
The pieces need to fall in place and avoid major injuries, but there isn't any reason why they can't be a 95 point team.  The OT format alone should help them get a few points.  The obvious issue is who wants to be a 7 or 8 seed and not a legit SC contender.  Legit point, but I think there is enough there to avoid a complete teardown and tread water until hopefully some of the prospects pan out.  I'm sure I'm wearing my gold tinted glasses, but I'm not ready to give up on them yet. 
 

Toe Nash

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I don't have a problem moving a goalie but now is the wrong time to do so. A shitload of goalies have come off the scrap heap and been adequate or better, and a lot of them are currently available right now. Smart teams are going to look at Hammond, Dubnyk, Talbot, etc., and not be particularly interested in using a $7m cap hit on a goalie, even if he is very good as Tuukka is. 
 
If they're moving Tuukka, they should wait until mid-season when there is a team who sees an elite goalie as the piece that puts them over the top. 
 

j44thor

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RIFan said:
A few points.
 
 
 
Defense:
Chara and Seidenberg will have the offseason to rehab.  I expect Krug to continue to get better.  Trotman, Morrow, and Colin Miller will all challenge for time.  If Seidenberg doesn't show he can get back to 90% of what he was pre injury, buy him out and move on.  They'll should have the depth on D to play matchups, where Morrow and C Miller swap out with K Miller and McQuaid depending on if they need a more mobile or physical D.  The league may be changing, but not every team is Montreal or Tampa Bay.  The D might not be better, but I don't think it will be measurably worse
 
 
 
I think you might be forgetting that someone has to replace Hamilton's minutes and production in order for the defense not to be worse.  He was by most advance stats their best overall D last year and a top 30 overall D in the NHL.  He was certainly their best offensive defenseman.  
 
I'm also going to disagree that Chara and Seids will be better with rehab, they are at the stage in their career that any gains made through rehab are countered by father time.  Rehab isn't going to improve their foot speed.
 

RedSox040713

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I'd like Beleskey provided the price isn't too high. I get the sense that he'll get overpaid being the proverbial best of the worst in this group. In any case I think that if the Bruins want to sign anyone then one more trade will have to be made
 

RIFan

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j44thor said:
 
I think you might be forgetting that someone has to replace Hamilton's minutes and production in order for the defense not to be worse.  He was by most advance stats their best overall D last year and a top 30 overall D in the NHL.  He was certainly their best offensive defenseman.  
 
I'm also going to disagree that Chara and Seids will be better with rehab, they are at the stage in their career that any gains made through rehab are countered by father time.  Rehab isn't going to improve their foot speed.
I'm not forgetting, I'm thinking (wishcasting) that Chara will be better, Krug is better, and Trotman / Morrow are better than the 3rd pairing last year.  Statistically, Trotman was their 3rd best D, but he only played 27 games.   I don't think Seidenberg will be better which is why he's a buyout candidate.  Give him the camp and maybe some early games to show he has something left.  If not buy him out or trade and retain salary.   Getting slightly above replacement level D for the 47 Games Bartkowski played makes up a good amount of what they need to offset Hamilton's production.  Getting anywhere near replacement level for Seidenberg will make a huge difference.
 

RIFan

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RIFan said:
 
 
The pieces need to fall in place and avoid major injuries, but there isn't any reason why they can't be a 95 point team.  The OT format alone should help them get a few points.  The obvious issue is who wants to be a 7 or 8 seed and not a legit SC contender.  Legit point, but I think there is enough there to avoid a complete teardown and tread water until hopefully some of the prospects pan out.  I'm sure I'm wearing my gold tinted glasses, but I'm not ready to give up on them yet. 
I take it all back, they're fucked.
 

McDrew

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Yes, but its Sweeney bringing the stupid, not us.  Don't blame us for talking about dumpster fires when there are a few (metaphorically) burning on our front porches.