TSN: Boston Bruins Off-Season Game Plan

[BostonBob]

Interesting as this preview has the Bruins adding Yandle, Backes and Brodziak.


from tsn.ca:


The Boston Bruins missed the playoffs for the second straight season, although they had as many points as playoff-bound Detroit, so it was only by virtue of a tie-breaker that their season ended early.

Off-Season Game Plan examines a Bruins team that still has strong core players, but their window of opportunity may have already passed, leaving for difficult decisions moving forward.

Certainly, having missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons could be the impetus for change in Boston. They have decided that they will press ahead with Claude Julien behind the bench, but the roster could use a makeover.

If the Bruins were to embark on a rebuilding plan, then they could look to move out some older players and inject youth into the lineup, but that’s complicated too. For starters, there is the question of whether the brain-trust (including President Cam Neely and GM Don Sweeney) are up to the job. Their wheeling and dealing last summer, that saw Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic leave town, resulted in some hits and misses in the rebuilding process.

Theoretically, they could be competitive with the right additions to this current lineup. Can they win a Stanley Cup? Well, those additions would have to be pretty great.

But, a few significant upgrades in the offseason could make the Bruins a playoff team again next season and that might be considered a good enough result.


Full story here: http://www.tsn.ca/off-season-game-plan-boston-bruins-1.494839

Click to read more...

 

[BruinDust]

I've seen posters here do a better job of projecting the Bruins line-up than TSN's Cullen.

Krug next to Chara.

Vesey on his off-wing, next to Spooner no less.

Cullen must of forgot Julien is still coach in Boston.

 

[BB88]

Krug
McQuaid
Colin
RD group would be just great
Eric Staal should not be mentioned with the Bruins, or Backes.

 

[PB37]

Backes, Yandle, Vesey, and Brodziak would be a pretty good offseason for the Bruins as long as they keep the years down so it doesn't tie their hands if and when some of the prospects are ready to make the jump. Backes, Yandle, and Brodziak also fit in age-wise with some of the core that the Bruins have already. I do wonder though if it would be like keeping a broken window up with a book before we fix the problem so we can fully open it.

 

[Salem13]

Backes, Yandle, Vesey, and Brodziak would be a pretty good offseason for the Bruins as long as they keep the years down so it doesn't tie their hands if and when some of the prospects are ready to make the jump. Backes, Yandle, and Brodziak also fit in age-wise with some of the core that the Bruins have already. I do wonder though if it would be like keeping a broken window up with a book before we fix the problem so we can fully open it.

This would do a lot to calm my worries over recent coaching changes.

 

[BruinsBtn]

The plan better be 100% to improve the defense. The Bruins are 2/3rds of a very good team (forwards/goalies) with horrendous defense.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Backes, Yandle, Vesey, and Brodziak would be a pretty good offseason for the Bruins as long as they keep the years down so it doesn't tie their hands if and when some of the prospects are ready to make the jump. Backes, Yandle, and Brodziak also fit in age-wise with some of the core that the Bruins have already. I do wonder though if it would be like keeping a broken window up with a book before we fix the problem so we can fully open it.

Brodziak - 32
Backes - 32
Yandle - 30

Bruins should pass

 

[Danton Heineken]

Cullen thought the Bruins would trade Lucic to Calgary for Poirier and Wotherspoon.

 

[Everblades13]

Is that signing they made today really as bad as people are making it out to be? I don't know much about the player.

 

[Danton Heineken]

Is that signing they made today really as bad as people are making it out to be? I don't know much about the player.

Yes.

 

[KrejciWinger]

Is that signing they made today really as bad as people are making it out to be? I don't know much about the player.

Pretty much everything surrounding Kevin Miller is exaggerated. Both the bashing and rare praising are overstated. A standard contract signed to an alright dman, which we already have with McQuaid.

 

[Danton Heineken]

Pretty much everything surrounding Kevin Miller is exaggerated. Both the bashing and rare praising are overstated. A standard contract signed to an alright dman, which we already have with McQuaid.

Teams with 6 alright dmen often have success in the playoffs.

 

[LSCII]

I was able to obtain a copy of Sweeney's plan, if anyone cares...

Step one: Collect as many bottom pairing defensemen on the roster as possible. Check.

Step two: Overpay said bottom pairing defensemen. Check.

Step three: Resign Chris Kelly at all costs. Pending.

Step four: GET THE DUCK BOATS READY!!

 

[ODAAT]

Is that signing they made today really as bad as people are making it out to be? I don't know much about the player.

if this team had one, or two bonafide top 4 D-men with solid mobility, with Krug in the mix and say either a Morrow or C Miller and they were using both McQuaid and K Miller as 5th and 6th D-men, I wouldn`t have quite as much issue with it however, this team on the back end is beyond slow and in K Miller, they have his clone, slightly older in McQuaid who last year, when re-signed/extended or whatever, I had huge issues with.

Both skate in quicksand, neither moves the puck well unless given loads of time and even then.....

I dunno, unless there is a plan for something aggressive, this move, as it stands now, is nauseating and is the exact type of move that got this team into trouble under Chia.

Would or could K Miller get this and more on the open market? Sure, that doesn`t make this the best option for this team now IMO

 

[LSCII]

Is that signing they made today really as bad as people are making it out to be? I don't know much about the player.

It's just that he's redundant. They already have several version of him on the roster, and they need to incorporate different skill sets rather than resigning a guy who does more of the same.

 

[BruinDust]

I was able to obtain a copy of Sweeney's plan, if anyone cares...

Step one: Collect as many bottom pairing defensemen on the roster as possible. Check.

Step two: Overpay said bottom pairing defensemen. Check.

Step three: Resign Chris Kelly at all costs. Pending.

Step four: GET THE DUCK BOATS READY!!

You forgot re-signing Loui Eriksson for 5 years, 6 million per.

Followed by the trade of Pastrnak and/or Spooner in the Summer 2017 for pennies on the dollar.

 

[LSCII]

You forgot re-signing Loui Eriksson for 5 years, 6 million per.

Followed by the trade of Pastrnak and/or Spooner in the Summer 2017 for pennies on the dollar.

Dammit, I knew I missed one...

 

[Fire Sweeney]

I was able to obtain a copy of Sweeney's plan, if anyone cares...

Step one: Collect as many bottom pairing defensemen on the roster as possible. Check.

Step two: Overpay said bottom pairing defensemen. Check.

Step three: Resign Chris Kelly at all costs. Pending.

Step four: GET THE DUCK BOATS READY!!

This is called preserving the winning culture

 

[BMC]

What is this Off-Season Game Plan that you speak of?

 

[bbfan419]

I would not read anything in to what this guy predicts, the other day he had Kevan Miller signing with Colorado, wish he were correct on that one though.