2014-15 Boston Bruins "8th Player Award*"

[Colt.45Orr]

Who is the Bruins player this year who has underperformed the most this season, relative to expectations?


I was thinking about making this a poll, and a mod can (if they wish):

1) Smith --never been a big fan of his but I had expectations much higher than he has preformed. His new contract is a joke too. How is he continually worth the same as Krug? Krug gets bigger, the bigger the game whereas Smith seems to shrink in big games. He was an RFA --was Chia seriously worried about someone offering him 3.7m? Take the pick and run, otherwise don't pay the guy north of 3 until he proves something down the stretch and in the playoffs.

2) Soderberg. Really good at times this year but 20+ games without a goal is brutal. Broooootooool.

3) Seidenberg --I didn't expect much from him this year but many here did so he might jump up the list.

4) Pie --->Smaller role, smaller expectations but he has played poorly for large stretches this year. I'm well used to his hands being brutal but losing a step is a nail in the coffin for him.


Who is on your list for the new (soon to be coveted) 8th Player Award?

Have at it...

Click to read more...

 

[VanIsle]

Worst player award goes to . . . everyone not named in order.

Bergeron, Eriksson, Rask, Marchand.

Everyone else is below the bar.

Spooner and Pastrnak have played great but not the whole season so they are not eligible.

So many guys have played below par it is hard to say.

-Smith, streaky but not in a positive way.
-Chara, hurt but slower than usual.
-Hamilton, lots of points but too many gaffs.
-Soderberg, what happened.
-Seidenberg, slow as well.
-Lucic, good with the kids bit half a season of softness.
-4th line, no longer one if the best.

The 8th player award should be shared by many, its a team slump.

 

[BruinDust]

My winner is Campbell.

I knew he wasn't going to be all that good, especially since he's still playing center but doesn't have the wheels to play there anymore, but I still figured he could bring something to the table.

But he's been so brutal I don't know how he's even in the league anymore.

A liability defensively in his own end. Zero offensive production. A turn-over machine. Gets beat up in most of his fights. Drags down whatever wingers he's had. This guy was waiver-fodder back in November. And he's only gotten worse, while his ice-time has steadily increased.

 

[Latrappe]

Seidenberg. I understand that he came from an injury but... the guy seems to have lost focus on the work who need to be done. With the loss of Johnny, the team needed to see an "upgraded" version of Seid. never happened. Chara would my second choice.

 

[ODAAT]

Soderberg or Smitty

I NEVER expect much from Soupy

 

[FinnBruin]

At least Seidenberg, Chara, Campbell, Paille... can use age/injuries as kind of an excuse. They should still be doing better... but in their cases, some decline was to be expected.

Smith has no excuse whatsoever, he's mostly playing with perhaps the best C and W on this team, and just not getting the job done.

2nd place goes to Seidenberg, then Campbell. Chara's still been a good player, just not nearly as good as in the past. Paille has at least played a lot better when occasionally not playing with Campbell.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Smith was a guy that was almost expected to come down to earth a bit. Not as much as he has, but I wouldn't consider it completely shocking.

Soderberg literally vanished for months. He'd get my vote.

 

[Stone Clode]

The more I look at it, this team was a perfect storm to fall off a cliff. From last year to this, they lost a top 6 forward, a top 4 defenseman, had TWO important rookie contributors likely going into a sophomore slump (and they did do exactly that), their best player dealt with an injury bug for the first time, BOTH of their defensive stalwarts dropped due to injuries (one of them still recovering from it), and NOBODY stepped up. That's the biggest issue this year. Not only did everybody regress, but nobody stepped up to the challenge, save for an 18 year old kid and a guy you kept trying to repress in the AHL. That's a recipoe for disaster.

Anyway to get to the topic of the thread, my 8th player award (if possible) would go to the entire team. Just a sad bag of suck this year. Nobody rose to the occasion this year, and that's disappointing.

But if I'm choosing one player, its Carl Soderberg, unfortunately. I tend to give Reilly Smith the benefit of the doubt because its only his second full year in professional hockey, as opposed to Soderberg who's been at it for years in Sweden. You'd think he'd have the experience to avoid a sophomore slump, but that's not true. I'm hesitant to re-sign the guy, not because I think he's a bad player by any means, but in the cap crunch they still face, Spooner is a cheaper option. Even if and when Spooner hits his sophomore slump next year, I'd expect relatively similar production for a lot less. And that'll be important for this team moving forward.

Have a feeling Soderberg will soon be going the way of Vlad Sobotka. May go elsewhere for a short period, but eventually feel homesick and go back to Malmo.

 

[LouisSleigher]

It's easier to list the few guys who have NOT disappointed:

Rask, Marchand, Eriksson, McQuaid, Krug.

 

[LSCII]

The answer for players is clearly Reilly Smith. He's gotten a ton of TOI and an incredible amount of PPTOI with literally no results. The fact that he had to give the puck away and gift wrap that goal last night before getting benched is crazy. He should have been sat way before then.

Which leads to my real answer as to whom the worst performer has been. The answer is the entire front office. The President has done nothing. The GM has bricked the cap, made piss poor trades, and extended guys that shouldn't have been extended (at least at the rate or term they got), and the coach has misused the roster the entire season. The players haven't performed, but if you're being honest, does this roster really truly look like a cup contending one? They have so many glaring holes on it, that anyone who says it is must clearly be related to Peter Chiarelli.

 

[EverettMike]

Seidenberg for me. Single biggest disappointment. A number 2 playing like a number 6 at best, an 8 at worst.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

Chara.

Even though he could be injured, he's the biggest pillar upon which this team has failed this season.

I blame Chia for building our defensive structure on the back of a near 40 year old D man, btw

 

[ap3lovr]

Clode gets my 8th player award. Absolutely 0 adjustments to the game given any situation. Down by 1 with 10 minutes left, roll 4 lines and play the third man up high. Up by 3 with 10 minute left, roll 4 lines and play the third man up high.

It clearly isn't working with the pieces he has, so why he continues to try to make it work is beyond me. This team is not built to grind games out 2-1 and 3-2. This team has to cheat a bit offensively. The third man up high is the problem. You won't score against teams that collapse the net (They almost all do now) with 3 guys sitting at the blue line.

This is a team that could dominate the puck if they moved the third man to the front of the net. I don't mind them reverting to the third man up high with a 2 goal lead. It just drives me nuts when we are down by 1 or 2 and they continue to play the system as if somehow going down by another goal is worse than scoring one.

Last night was a great example of no one skating lanes to the net. Several times we would have clean puck possession in the offensive zone and no one would go to the net. One guy would skate to the corner for the cycle. The other would sit up at the top of the circles. Skate the lane, it opens up the ice for either a point shot or a chance if coverage is missed. When players skate up the middle, that is when teams make defensive mistakes. It's like Clode missed the coaching 101 course and jumped straight into the advanced defense course.

 

[LSCII]

Clode gets my 8th player award. Absolutely 0 adjustments to the game given any situation. Down by 1 with 10 minutes left, roll 4 lines and play the third man up high. Up by 3 with 10 minute left, roll 4 lines and play the third man up high.

It clearly isn't working with the pieces he has, so why he continues to try to make it work is beyond me. This team is not built to grind games out 2-1 and 3-2. This team has to cheat a bit offensively. The third man up high is the problem. You won't score against teams that collapse the net (They almost all do now) with 3 guys sitting at the blue line.

This is a team that could dominate the puck if they moved the third man to the front of the net. I don't mind them reverting to the third man up high with a 2 goal lead. It just drives me nuts when we are down by 1 or 2 and they continue to play the system as if somehow going down by another goal is worse than scoring one.

Last night was a great example of no one skating lanes to the net. Several times we would have clean puck possession in the offensive zone and no one would go to the net. One guy would skate to the corner for the cycle. The other would sit up at the top of the circles. Skate the lane, it opens up the ice for either a point shot or a chance if coverage is missed. When players skate up the middle, that is when teams make defensive mistakes. It's like Clode missed the coaching 101 course and jumped straight into the advanced defense course.

None were more glaring than when the third line had a 3 on 2 but Kelly dropped back to play up high at the blueline, turning their 3 on 2 into a 2 on 3, resulting in not even a shot at net.

 

[mislysBB]

Smith, Seidenberg, the 4th line players....

The entire team hasn't been playing up to par, but those guys stick out the most.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Key/core players:
Seidenberg, coming back from injury... questionable if he'll return to his previous form.
Lucic has been a non-factor 90% of the season.
Krejci has been injured, but not as effective even when he wasn't injured.
Smith, I don't see him finishing his contract he just signed here.
Chara: I hesistated to put him in here, but he's aging. If any player deserves the right to stay here under his own wishes, it's this guy. He's not the force he once was, but I don't think we'd get remotely the amount of value we'd need to move him.

Role/Depth players:
Campbell has been abysmal. He's trying out there, I can see that, he's just not that good anymore.
Paille, I'm not entirely upset with him, his play has been adequate, but his stone hands prove why he should never be above the 4th line.

Coaches use of players: (Don't have a problem with the player, but more so how they are used)
Bartkowski sits most of the season, then gets thrown into a top 4 spot because Chiarelli didn't find an adequate replacement, AGAIN?
McQuaid is and never will be a legit top 4 defenseman.
Chris Kelly: He's a 4th line center being paid like a middle 6 player. That's on Chiarelli.

 

[zaYG]

Worst player award goes to . . . everyone not named in order.

Bergeron, Eriksson, Rask, Marchand.

Everyone else is below the bar.

Spooner and Pastrnak have played great but not the whole season so they are not eligible.

So many guys have played below par it is hard to say.

-Smith, streaky but not in a positive way.
-Chara, hurt but slower than usual.
-Hamilton, lots of points but too many gaffs.
-Soderberg, what happened.
-Seidenberg, slow as well.
-Lucic, good with the kids bit half a season of softness.
-4th line, no longer one if the best.

The 8th player award should be shared by many, its a team slump.

Throw Kelly in that first group. He wasn't incredible but he had a solid rebound season. Lucic kinda turned it around too, and I am glad to be eating some crow about that.

 

[OldScool]

This award is a sham and usually just a popularity contest but based on this years team and their performance they should scrap even giving out this award. Not one player on this current roster deserves it.

 

[qc]

Seidenberg for me. Single biggest disappointment. A number 2 playing like a number 6 at best, an 8 at worst.

Yeah I have to agree with ya about Dennis. Plenty of other guys have been under-performing this season, but Seids has been the most glaring disappointment.

 

[Caper Bruins fan]

Paille. I was always a huge fan and felt he didn't belong on the 4th line. This year ,he has proven me right,he doesn't belong on the 4th line,he belongs in the press box.

 

[Krupp]

I would have said it was Seids, were it not for the fact that i just had this bad feeling about him, even before the season started, that he was not going to be nearly as effective as he had been in previous years...

So I have to say it's Smith. I'm thoroughly disappointed with this kid. I know it's just his second real year, and I was leery about the ice cold streak he'd put out at the end of the year, I definitely thought he'd play better than he has this year so far. What a let down.

Behind him, I'd say Looch is a close second, and then Seidenberg.

 

[Scotto74]

This award is a sham and usually just a popularity contest but based on this years team and their performance they should scrap even giving out this award. Not one player on this current roster deserves it.

if your talking about the 7th player award I disagree. I think Pasta should get it. I thought he would be good but not this fast. He has played 1/2 the games and has 9 goals I think thats good for 9th on the team.

Cut everyone else in 1/2 for games played and he is tied for 3rd on the team in goals (I know you can't exactly do that) but anyway he is playing above the level I was expecting mostly away from the puck. He is much better in his own zone then I expected from a kid his age and size.

 

[JOKER 192]

Chara ,Sieds by far the worst
Lucic has not overwhelmed either.
Rask he's been as bad as he has been good,very uneven season for him

No one has been amazing and have all fallen at least a little short of expectations .

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Who is the Bruins player this year who has underperformed the most this season, relative to expectations?


I was thinking about making this a poll, and a mod can (if they wish):

1) Smith --never been a big fan of his but I had expectations much higher than he has preformed. His new contract is a joke too. How is he continually worth the same as Krug? Krug gets bigger, the bigger the game whereas Smith seems to shrink in big games. He was an RFA --was Chia seriously worried about someone offering him 3.7m? Take the pick and run, otherwise don't pay the guy north of 3 until he proves something down the stretch and in the playoffs.

2) Soderberg. Really good at times this year but 20+ games without a goal is brutal. Broooootooool.

3) Seidenberg --I didn't expect much from him this year but many here did so he might jump up the list.

4) Pie --->Smaller role, smaller expectations but he has played poorly for large stretches this year. I'm well used to his hands being brutal but losing a step is a nail in the coffin for him.


Who is on your list for the new (soon to be coveted) 8th Player Award?

Have at it...

Excellent idea. The competition is fierce for this one.

Considering expectations, I'd have to say Chara. Even before the injury he was well below expectations.

 

[DitClapper]

Reilly Smith.