Player Discussion Ryan Donato

[BruinsFanSince94]

Can he play C at the NHL level?

I mean, he hasn't played any NHL game so who knows lol

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

What's up with the 2 year ELC? I thought all ELCs had to be 3 years?

It has to do with the age that Donato is signing the contract at.

 

[Boston Bruno]

BUST

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Hopefully when the Bruins enter the playoffs we will see:

Marchand Bergeron Pastrnak
DeBrusk Krecji Nash
Donato Nash Backes
Henien Kuraly Gionta
Schaller Wingels Acciari

Chara McAvoy
Holden Carlo
Krug Miller
Grzelcyk McQuaid

Rask
Kuhdobin

Some serious depth.

I don’t see this lineup happening, but who knows?

As far as Donato goes, I see all these posts suggesting that he be on the first line or that they bump Heinen down for Donato. Personally, I don’t see it.

I would put him on the 4th line with two veteran players and try to get him matchups he can be successful against, not vs Top 6 veteran NHL players. You want the kid to gain confidence and succeed, not throw him in the deep end. Maybe that’s just me?

On D, I’m not a huge Holden fan. I like him on the PP, but not in his own end. I have both Krug and Grizz ahead of him on the left side when everyone is healthy.

The last thing I will say about Donato is that I’m happy the B’s signed him and am excited to see what he can do. However, I also don’t want to see the B’s bending over backwards for a kid that has not accomplished a single thing as a pro yet, if it’s going to alienate more proven guys already on the team. The B’s seem to professional a group for this to happen, but it’s a concern for me.

I’m reading about how Donato is going to continue to be a student at Harvard AND play for the Bruins. I’m not sure how he’s going to accomplish this, but if it means accommodations from the B’s, I’m not for it. If you want to be a Pro hockey player, be a pro hockey player. If you want to stay in school, stay in school.

 

[neelynugs]

Assuming, as has been reported, the same rules as the past one... they'd have to keep Bergeron, Marchand, Krejci, Backes and Rask as they have No Trade/Movement Clauses. That leaves either 3 forward and 3 defensemen left to keep or 4 total skaters.

Assuming they'd opt to go 7 forwards, 3 D and Rask:

Marchand, Bergeron, Pastrnak, Krejci, Backes and 2 of DeBrusk/Bjork/Heinen/Donato

McAvoy, Carlo, Grzelcyk


You'd have to hope Krejci and Backes waive their clauses or give up an asset to get Seattle to take someone else. Their clauses are not full no move/trade clauses at that point so it wouldn't be impossible to move them

i'm pretty sure both krejci and backes lose their NMC before a potential expansion draft - when they slide to modified NTCs,
that means they are eligible to be left unprotected.

 

[pkunit]

Here's one of Ryan with Jumbo Joe and Samsonov.

Debrusk and Samsonov look alike.

 

[bb_fan]

I don’t see this lineup happening, but who knows?

As far as Donato goes, I see all these posts suggesting that he be on the first line or that they bump Heinen down for Donato. Personally, I don’t see it.

I would put him on the 4th line with two veteran players and try to get him matchups he can be successful against, not vs Top 6 veteran NHL players. You want the kid to gain confidence and succeed, not throw him in the deep end. Maybe that’s just me?

On D, I’m not a huge Holden fan. I like him on the PP, but not in his own end. I have both Krug and Grizz ahead of him on the left side when everyone is healthy.

The last thing I will say about Donato is that I’m happy the B’s signed him and am excited to see what he can do. However, I also don’t want to see the B’s bending over backwards for a kid that has not accomplished a single thing as a pro yet, if it’s going to alienate more proven guys already on the team. The B’s seem to professional a group for this to happen, but it’s a concern for me.

I’m reading about how Donato is going to continue to be a student at Harvard AND play for the Bruins. I’m not sure how he’s going to accomplish this, but if it means accommodations from the B’s, I’m not for it. If you want to be a Pro hockey player, be a pro hockey player. If you want to stay in school, stay in school.

If he can swing school and hockey at the same time and has it worked out with the B's I'm all for it.

 

[Ratty]

Can he play C at the NHL level?

Well, he did play C at Harvard this season. It would be great if he can handle the position at this level as the system is already solid with prospects on LW.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

If he can swing school and hockey at the same time and has it worked out with the B's I'm all for it.

What’s he going to do, only play in home games?

The Bruins are playing every other night for the next 3 weeks and then the playoffs start. The majority of their games are on the road. I prefer that the players be “all in”...or not.

 

[BBB24]

What’s he going to do, only play in home games?

The Bruins are playing every other night for the next 3 weeks and then the playoffs start. The majority of their games are on the road. I prefer that the players be “all in”...or not.

Likely most classes will be on line going forward from here, stretched out so he will be going well into the summer months. Krug finished his degree while playing for the Bruins. Do not see a problem here.

 

[Gordoff]

What’s he going to do, only play in home games?

The Bruins are playing every other night for the next 3 weeks and then the playoffs start. The majority of their games are on the road. I prefer that the players be “all in”...or not.

Summer courses or independent study courses? Also there are courses that he can do online at Harvard.

 

[22Brad Park]

Fans all pumped but I wonder how them players in that room feel about this.Have not heard or read nothing yet from anyone other then Sweeney close to Bruins.

 

[00BW]

If you have watched Donato at Harvard this year, you saw him score goals but also play a weak example of a center per the Bruins standards. Their #2 center, Badini, plays an excellent 200' game as a center similar to Kuraly or Nash.

The Bruins structure defensively relies heavily upon the Centers coming down below their own goal line to help out the D. They might be the most disciplined, structured, and demanding of their centers league wide; it started with Julien and is continuing with Cassidy. It's why Spooner struggled for so long to make it at that position but the NYR have no problem with him there--though they have limited NHL options.

The Bruins have passed on a lot of high end centers since Koko in 2011. They are, however, picking ones like JFK, Frederic, Koppanen, and Studnika that play this demanding defensive style with varying degrees of offense.

In this video, Sweeney is a little more diplomatic about projecting Donato as a wing and in the pressers you will hear/read him praise offense explicitly but never calls out defense. It's a work in progress.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Likely most classes will be on line going forward from here, stretched out so he will be going well into the summer months. Krug finished his degree while playing for the Bruins. Do not see a problem here.

I remember when Krug did it, and this seemed different. Could be nothing because they didn’t really go into details about it, but the tweet I saw from Diver made it feel like Donato was going to continue to be a student at Harvard. Like he was continuing as things are now?

We will have to wait and see.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

He's one month older than Pasta. Pretty crazy.

 

[PB37]

Love it. Another notch on Sweeney's belt.

 

[PlayMakers]

I am sure Sweeney tried to do the ATO route, but Donato rejected it. Choice was burn a year or not sign him. Easy decision.

I don’t agree. I think he’s the real deal and they wanted him in the NHL lineup ASAFP.

Plus, wouldn’t be cecome a UFA if he just signed an ATO?

 

[TP]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Why 2 years?

 

[Mione134]

The best part is Sweeney and Cassidy is giving him an opportunity to succeed. They're allowing him to go out there and do what he does best. They're throwing confidence behind him and that in return will only help him.

 

[Thrive]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Why 2 years?

It’s due to his age in relation to the calendar year that he signed his contract, pursuant to the CBA - 2 years was the longest ELC he was eligible to sign.

 

[Budddy]

was a Chiarelli pick...kudos to,Sweeney signing him tho...

 

[RoccoF14]

If you have watched Donato at Harvard this year, you saw him score goals but also play a weak example of a center per the Bruins standards. Their #2 center, Badini, plays an excellent 200' game as a center similar to Kuraly or Nash.

The Bruins structure defensively relies heavily upon the Centers coming down below their own goal line to help out the D. They might be the most disciplined, structured, and demanding of their centers league wide; it started with Julien and is continuing with Cassidy. It's why Spooner struggled for so long to make it at that position but the NYR have no problem with him there--though they have limited NHL options.

The Bruins have passed on a lot of high end centers since Koko in 2011. They are, however, picking ones like JFK, Frederic, Koppanen, and Studnika that play this demanding defensive style with varying degrees of offense.

In this video, Sweeney is a little more diplomatic about projecting Donato as a wing and in the pressers you will hear/read him praise offense explicitly but never calls out defense. It's a work in progress.

This is a great post. Couldn’t agree more.

IF Donato sticks with Boston for the remainder of the year, it ain’t gonna be at Center.

He’s a great PROSPECT, but I think people need to slow their roll a little on where he fits into this club, THIS season.

 

[BadBruins]

Fans all pumped but I wonder how them players in that room feel about this.Have not heard or read nothing yet from anyone other then Sweeney close to Bruins.

Not sure why anyone with solid footing in the lineup/roster would have a problem or care? The fact that he was a standout at the Olympics probably helps push the narrative that it's a "now" addition. And possibly a big one at that.

He should be relatively fresh as well, if he ever sees NHL action that is. 82 game regular season is a grind.

Maybe you catch lightning in a bottle. Hope he gets a shot.

 

[pkunit]

His rookie season isn't even up yet.

People still talk about the Seguin disaster.

Buzz kill.

Bruins are cup contenders. I could care less about what ifs.

 

[Smitty93]

The problem with this is that Donato could have been a UFA within 30 days of turning pro due to his age. He basically holds all of the cards, and the B's have to meet his terms to keep him from becoming a UFA. He's a special talent who can be a difference-maker for a team that has Cup aspirations, you do what you can to get him in the fold.

I understand that this is a worry. But from everything I've read, there was zero chance he wasn't signing with the Bruins at some point, whether now, this summer, or next year. Sure he/his agents could have bluffed and threatened to go UFA, but I have trouble believing they'd actually go through with it. He literally said at the draft in 2014 that it was a dream come true to be drafted by the Bruins.

Personally, I'm a little disappointed in Sweeney for the first time in a while. I look at the situation like a game of chicken, and Sweeney swerved first. The fact that he signed the day after his season ended tells me Sweeney really didn't try to go the ATO route and then ELC begins next year. I imagine they've been in secret negotiations for a while and Sweeney tried to sell that option, but it just seems there wasn't much effort put in.

I also have to disagree with the bolded. I'd love to be able to eat crow on this, but I don't see it this year. In the future, certainly, but not right now. I think we all got enamored by his performance at the Olympics against some low quality competition. He's a good prospect, but I think he's become a little overhyped. I mean, we didn't even vote him as a top ten Bruins prospect at the beginning of the year. We probably undervalued him then, but are overvaluing him now.

Sure, I can't say I'm not excited to see what he can do, but having that extra cheap ELC year and not having to protect him for the expansion draft would have been huge.