Boston Bruins 2020-2021 Roster Discussion VI - STAY ON TOPIC
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DominicT
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WestCoastBruinsFan
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Like what I saw in the video highlights of that Gogolev kid, why not bring him over for a look? Could be a cheap signing and real find.
GloveSave1
*** 15 ***
McAvoy-#1 D. No doubt. In every way. The best #1 D? Of course not. But he’ll be fine. Can do it all. It’s time to carry the weight.
Carlo-#2 NHL defenseman. No offense or snarl, but is capable, when on, to go against any top players in the NHL. Nobody else on the Bruins current roster even comes close to being able to say that. His warts are annoying...but his skillset, top level defensive defenseman, that is young, has size, and can skate is the hardest thing to find in the sport.
The Bruins don’t have a #3 caliber D.
Gryz - #4. Good puck mover, good instinct and quickness. Will do fine as the carrier and QB on the PP. Real concern will be if he can stand up to the mins and responsibility and toll.
Clifton. - #4. The guy really developed into a loose cannon, game-changing, homerun hitter. Same concerns as Gryz...even though Clifton has a bit more snarl. But not enough snarl to amount to much. Nobody is afraid of Cliffy. Just keep churning those legs.
Miller. #5. Tough. Solid. Physically capable. But will he last more than a month? Maybe he can crawl his way up to a #4...DS is praying.
Chara. #5. Come on. You know he’ll be back. Hopefully the Bruins put him on the 3rd pair and pick and choose his spots. If he goes back to the top pair it’s going to be cringe worthy, like in the playoffs.
Lauzon.#6. We really need him to be steady and add some mean. He’s one of those wild cards that if he hits, could really save the season. His upside defensively is exactly what we need. He’ll probably be in for Miller pretty quick.
Vaak/Zboril. #7. Who knows if they can stand up to the NHL game. Total prospects.
Clearly a lot of holes and hoping/praying. But Pittsburgh has made a young D with a lot of holes work...I’m honestly more concerned with getting a few duds at forward and being left as a one line team again. We’ll get by on D.
Carlo-#2 NHL defenseman. No offense or snarl, but is capable, when on, to go against any top players in the NHL. Nobody else on the Bruins current roster even comes close to being able to say that. His warts are annoying...but his skillset, top level defensive defenseman, that is young, has size, and can skate is the hardest thing to find in the sport.
The Bruins don’t have a #3 caliber D.
Gryz - #4. Good puck mover, good instinct and quickness. Will do fine as the carrier and QB on the PP. Real concern will be if he can stand up to the mins and responsibility and toll.
Clifton. - #4. The guy really developed into a loose cannon, game-changing, homerun hitter. Same concerns as Gryz...even though Clifton has a bit more snarl. But not enough snarl to amount to much. Nobody is afraid of Cliffy. Just keep churning those legs.
Miller. #5. Tough. Solid. Physically capable. But will he last more than a month? Maybe he can crawl his way up to a #4...DS is praying.
Chara. #5. Come on. You know he’ll be back. Hopefully the Bruins put him on the 3rd pair and pick and choose his spots. If he goes back to the top pair it’s going to be cringe worthy, like in the playoffs.
Lauzon.#6. We really need him to be steady and add some mean. He’s one of those wild cards that if he hits, could really save the season. His upside defensively is exactly what we need. He’ll probably be in for Miller pretty quick.
Vaak/Zboril. #7. Who knows if they can stand up to the NHL game. Total prospects.
Clearly a lot of holes and hoping/praying. But Pittsburgh has made a young D with a lot of holes work...I’m honestly more concerned with getting a few duds at forward and being left as a one line team again. We’ll get by on D.
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BruinsFanSince94
The Perfect Fan ™
Good write up but you're being kind saying Clifton is a #4 and Miller is a #5. Clifton is nothing more than a #6 and Miller is a #7 until further notice.
GloveSave1
*** 15 ***
On this team they’re gonna have to be. I can’t argue with that. Kinda wandered off my original line of what these guys are league wise. Yeah, Miller is probably a #6, and that’s generous because of his medical history, but he does have some effective time in the league.
True. Definitely high on Cliffy league wise. But this team is banking on him...and I’m all for it. They need to give him 2nd pair mins and ride the rollercoaster. Take the good and pocket it. He needs to be a weapon.
BlackFrancis
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Over the volcano
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Real possibility some nights of seeing half their defense coming from the total failure of a 2015 draft. Carlo, Lauzon, Zboril (though Lauzon/Zboril seems more like an either or proposition)
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Quit trying to justify DS's mistakes, so they may make it this year but at least 5 others are already established players whom they could of had.
No real guaranteed spots for Lauzon or Zboril. May make it as they have no one else to fill gaping holes.
Over the volcano
Registered User
Doesn’t justify anything - just kind of amazing. When’s the last time half their defense came from one draft? Ever?
BruinsFanSince94
The Perfect Fan ™
Man, that would make it not so much of a total failure if half their defense comes from one draft
And I bet they will be a pleasant surprise
Really don't know what to think to be honest but I sure would like to give it a shot.
Time is now to see what we have. I have high hopes for little Z. Looks to be on an upward swing based on last years AHL performance
Well, if the class of 15 isn't ready now they never will be, let's go, let's have a look.
Mantis
I am a doctah
I think Gryz and McAvoy would be fine together, but with Krug gone you probably don’t want your only 2 decent puck movers playing on the same pair. The 2nd and 3rd pairs would probably struggle.
PlayMakers
Moderator
I view them a little differently...
#1 - McAvoy is a clear cut #1D.
#2 - I think of a #2 defenseman as a guy who's able to play both ways and drive the puck movement on his pair, but can't quite carry a defense. The Bruins don't have that guy yet.
#3 - Carlo to me is a legit #3. He can play in the top pair against top lines if he's paired with a #1, and he can be an effective 2nd pair guy if his partner is a gunslinger. He's got size, skating ability and is more physical than he's given credit for.
#4 - Gryz IMO has already shown he's a capable top4 defenseman. In 2019 Chara and Krug missed 38 games. During that time, Gryz played top pair minutes, he went head to head against guys like Crosby (twice) and Kucherov and dominated those matchups. He averaged over 19 minutes a night and Brick raved about him. Gryz is going to be fine and I won't be surprised if he becomes that #2 we're missing, in the mold of a younger Sami Vatanen or Jared Spurgeon.
#5 - Chara had a regular season where he looked like a #2 or 3 and then a playoff that looked like a #5 or 6. I think there is something to the layoff affecting him here. All I know is this team would be better off with his experience in the mix. Even if he's a #5 and PK specialist, he's still an amazing mentor, and can slide up the lineup during the regular season if one of the young D prove they're not quite ready for bigger minutes.
#6 - Lauzon has the potential to be a #3, IMO. He's got size, some nasty and he can skate. Of all the young guys, I think he has the best chance of moving into the top4, but he did not look like a #4 last year. IMO he looked ok against 3rd pair competition and only played 15 minutes a night in 19 games. It's possible he could make the jump, he will eventually, but I think it's asking a lot for him to do it now.
#6 - Clifton has shown some sparks. He's got moxie, physical and offensive moxie. He skates well, he likes to hit and plays bigger than his size. Jury is out on his upside, but he has the tools and Krug-like confidence. I hope they don't pass over him in favor of the new shiny toy on the scene like they've done with some of the forwards in the past. There could be something here. Playing with someone like Z in the 3rd pair could be amazing for his development.
#7 - Miller was a very good #3 when he got injured. Who knows what he is now, but until he proves himself I don't think we can count on him being more than a #7.
#7 - Moore looked like a decent #4/5 when he played regularly, but the Bruins have destroyed this guy with how they've handled him. He has negative value and who knows if he can get back to where he was before they benched him forever.
#7 - Zboril has all the tools to be a top4 defenseman but I've never seen him play a game where he didn't make some really wonky decisions. He had a strong year in Providence but still didn't see a minute of time in the NHL. I'm hoping he figures it out, but IMO he has to earn it and should start at the bottom rung and play his way up. I'd pair him with Miller in practice and hope Miller can mentor him.
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Mick Riddleton
“A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.”
Nice work.
With D, i look more at pairings. A number 1 dman is easy to identify. But what's the difference between a 2 and a 3? A 4 and a 5? Aren't a 5 and 6 essentially the same? Ask 20 hockey fans these questions and you'll get 10-15 different answers.
I look more at pairings. Can a guy play on a top pairing? Or is he more suited for a 2nd pairing role? Well, that's easy. McAvoy is clearly 1st pairing material ( and the easiest to identify since he's a number 1 dman ). Carlo, someone like him and his specialized skillset, is more suited on the 2nd pair, especially playing on the same side as McAvoy. Guys like Miller and rookies should be on a bottom pairing. IMO, it's a much easier way to slot in guys on a roster.
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