GDT: 2020 NHL Free Agent Frenzy VI

[Fatmancryin]

gotta do it before the rain comes!!! You ever rake wet leaves before?

hahaha yup!! I just use a blower. Lol

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

He hasn't. His totals are 16 27 and 19. Is that a 2nd liner? He's a 3rd liner.

Stanley Cup finalists Dallas Stars had one 20 goal scorer this season.

You cannot judge everything by goals scored.

 

[Smitty93]

I'm thinking DeBrusk is their 2LW, and I'm OK with that. Didn't quite take the step forward we were hoping for this past season and turn into that 30+ goal-scorer, but given cap constraints and the current roster make up, I'm OK with bringing him back in that spot and hoping for further development.

I wouldn't sign another forward.

I'm not sure there's any reason to believe he's going to improve in year 4. I get that he's only 24 (in a week), but I can't say I've seen improvement from him since he entered the league. Don't get me wrong, that's still a good player, but there's been no evidence that he's got another level he can get to. It seems like he is what he is at this point.

I know people like to point to Marchand as taking the leap in his 6th year as an example of the potential for growth even when it's seemed to have stagnated, but there were very good reasons in Marchand's case. Primarily it was that he got more ice-time, specifically on the powerplay, and he started shooting more (went from 2 to 3 shots per game). DeBrusk has already been given plenty of opportunities and has been attached at the hip with Krejci since Day 1 (even if that isn't actually a good fit).

 

[bp13]

Don't laugh, that idea has crossed my mind..

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
Debrusk-Krejci-Coyle/Smith
Bjork-Coyle/Smith-Kase
Kuraly-Studnicka-Wagner
as of this moment..

That's ugly

 

[Fatmancryin]

You know what else is funny they have 43m in cap space next year. 43m!!

 

[bruinsfan]

You know what else is funny they have 43m in cap space next year. 43m!!

Fingers crossed they get a new GM by then

 

[chrisab123]

I'm not sure there's any reason to believe he's going to improve in year 4. I get that he's only 24 (in a week), but I can't say I've seen improvement from him since he entered the league. Don't get me wrong, that's still a good player, but there's been no evidence that he's got another level he can get to. It seems like he is what he is at this point.

I know people like to point to Marchand as taking the leap in his 6th year as an example of the potential for growth even when it's seemed to have stagnated, but there were very good reasons in Marchand's case. Primarily it was that he got more ice-time, specifically on the powerplay, and he started shooting more (went from 2 to 3 shots per game). DeBrusk has already been given plenty of opportunities and has been attached at the hip with Krejci since Day 1 (even if that isn't actually a good fit).

Marchand probably had to do more with staying out of the box and maturing too. He could always find the net. He's a completely different player than DeBrusk. I think DeBrusk is a solid player but he is what he is.

 

[Greek_physique]

Don't laugh, that idea has crossed my mind..

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak
Debrusk-Krejci-Coyle/Smith
Bjork-Coyle/Smith-Kase
Kuraly-Studnicka-Wagner
as of this moment..

I just hate Kase on 3rd...he wont see the ice in the 3rd.

Maybe send him to Calgary in a package for Bennett?

Marchand Bergie Pasta
Debrusk DK ??
Bennett Coyle Smith

 

[LouJersey]

being a big player in free agency year after year is a stupid way to build a team and it’s bound for failure. He’s tried to make a couple big signings that he thought would fit in, they just didn’t work (Beleskey, Backes). He’s done great with the depth signings

basically my complaint with him is not getting Krejci a winger that meshes well with him for more than half a season at a time (I miss u Mojo). But imo it hasn’t been for a lack of trying. They’ve picked up 3 established names (Nash, Backes, Mojo) and Beleskey who was coming off of 30 goals in 82 games the prior season. They’ve tried kids. We’ve just gotten wildly unlucky. Statistically speaking we should have found a solution by now lol

Here is what happens though.

Season ends to the draft, no trades
Draft weekend, no trades
UFA comes, no trades, low budget signings or flat out bad ones (players they target, not very good)
Summer comes and goes, team no real additions
Regular season comes, nothing
Trade deadline comes, trade futures for guys, mostly that you let go.

Rinse, repeat. 5v5 hockey hasn't been great for them. When they actually went in the one time they got Coyle and MoJo and made the finals. He always speaks about the core group, and internal competition and all that and well it hasn't produced a championship. The time is now to add. You have to go for it. This team is absolutely cooked when Bergeron and Krejci leave, and what happens God Forbid if the Bruins don't feel Pasta is worth 10-11 mil per?

 

[chrisab123]

You know what else is funny they have 43m in cap space next year. 43m!!

Some grinders about to get paid!!!

In all seriousness, I just hope next year Sweeney will use the space to sign a legit core piece. No more tweeners between the 2nd-3rd lines or bottom pairing dmen please.

 

[Bruinaura]

*checks in for updates*

*Sees rehash of every move Sweeney's ever made or not made*

*Drops off cookies*

*Waits for next new Bruin to be signed*

 

[CharaBadSenyshynGawd]

You know what else is funny they have 43m in cap space next year. 43m!!

Well, start up the Landeskog train.

 

[LouJersey]

I'm thinking DeBrusk is their 2LW, and I'm OK with that. Didn't quite take the step forward we were hoping for this past season and turn into that 30+ goal-scorer, but given cap constraints and the current roster make up, I'm OK with bringing him back in that spot and hoping for further development.

I wouldn't sign another forward.

he's not. He's a rod hockey player that stays in his lane, has zero hockey sense in regards to using his line mates and always goes wide and loses the puck instead of crashing the net. The puck dies on his stick. He's been gifted this spot for three years now, and it's not working. He's teflon, no criticism sticks, and the staff and brass never hold him accountable.

A past Fluto athletic article re: JDB “He’s a really good third-line left wing on a good team,” one evaluator said of the 23-year-old DeBrusk. “He disappeared in the playoffs. He’d take the puck wide and the play died.”

 

[BAD BOY]

Well, start up the Landeskog train.

Lmao you have a better shot at playing the lottery .

 

[ON3M4N]

Here is what happens though.

Season ends to the draft, no trades
Draft weekend, no trades
UFA comes, no trades, low budget signings or flat out bad ones (players they target, not very good)
Summer comes and goes, team no real additions
Regular season comes, nothing
Trade deadline comes, trade futures for guys, mostly that you let go.

Rinse, repeat. 5v5 hockey hasn't been great for them. When they actually went in the one time they got Coyle and MoJo and made the finals. He always speaks about the core group, and internal competition and all that and well it hasn't produced a championship. The time is now to add. You have to go for it. This team is absolutely cooked when Bergeron and Krejci leave, and what happens God Forbid if the Bruins don't feel Pasta is worth 10-11 mil per?

That's why they went out and added Craig Smith

 

[Don Cherry]

he's not. He's a rod hockey player that stays in his lane, has zero hockey sense in regards to using his line mates and always goes wide and loses the puck instead of crashing the net. The puck dies on his stick. He's been gifted this spot for three years now, and it's not working. He's teflon, no criticism sticks, and the staff and brass never hold him accountable.

Debrusk is totally "meh" if you ask me. He hates contact and his refusal to play physical probably costs both he and the team 10 goals per season. Why he's golden here is beyond me.

 

[sarge88]

I can’t believe we’re so unlucky.

I mean how many other fanbases are stuck with a GM that has made some good moves and some bad ones?

(Disclaimer....I’m lukewarm to him. Wouldn’t be upset if he’s fired or given another 2-3 years).

 

[Smitty93]

He doesn't score enough. Always seemed like more of a defensive guy to me. Clode would love him.

This isn't accurate, at least over his career. Over his last three seasons with Minnesota, he averaged 0.84 points per game and had an 82-game scoring pace of 23 goals. Not a big goal scorer, he's basically equal to Krejci in that regard, except he shoots more. The offense dried up when he got to Nashville, but they were a mess the last 18 months, and clearly the fit was bad. I'm not sure if the fit here would be any good, but I think he'd probably come in the cheapest of the top wing options (Hoffman, Dadonov, Toffoli, and Granlund), and all of them have questions, so might as well just go after the cheapest one.

 

[ON3M4N]

I can’t believe we’re so unlucky.

I mean how many other fanbases are stuck with a GM that has made some good moves and some bad ones?

(Disclaimer....I’m lukewarm to him. Wouldn’t be upset if he’s fired or given another 2-3 years).

I'd rather see them get rid of Neely

 

[1dreamof1cup]

Backes, Beleskey, 2015 1st round.....what else you want to throw in here?

Moore, Synyshin, Zboril, Frederic (who could have been taken later), this year top picks, both Ritchie, Hayes. Also never fixed the hole on the 2nd line. Inability to trade for OEL when he's only interested in 2 teams. I know i'm forgetting some too, just too lazy to check them out atm

 

[Alicat]

gotta do it before the rain comes!!! You ever rake wet leaves before?

The worst. I'm just happy I was able to get trash bags at the store this morning.

 

[wintersej]

Pasta, marchand, smith, kase, debrusk can all score. Bruce just needs to not be stubborn with lineup. "Perfection" line is his weakness.

It is a weakness but DeBrusk Krejci Pasta just doesn’t work at all. So what is he gonna do? Cehlarik Krejci Pasta worked better lol.

 

[BruinDust]

Inherited is a pretty funny word here considering he was part of the team that brought a bunch of those pieces in.

How many can you really give him credit for?

He was hired as director of player development in June 2006, promoted to director of hockey ops in 2007 and assistant GM in 2009.

So he really had nothing to do with bringing in Bergeron, Krejci, Chara, Rask, or Marchand.

So that leaves Pastrnak and Gryz who were both brought in while he was Assistant GM. Toss in Krug too.

Fact is, the core group of this team since 2008ish he inherited.

He was part of some hits at the draft table. 2014-2017 he was part of finding some good players even if their were some glaring misses. The 2018-2020 drafts will hurt both on the players chosen, the lengthy timeline for development, and the picks traded away.

His big name UFA acquisitions have been poor. Belesky and Backes didn't work out. John Moore became a spare part quickly and his most useful quality would be shipping him elsewhere for cap space. We'll see if handing Craig Smith 3-years was a prudent move.

On the flip side, he's done decent on under-the-radar low cost UFA signings (Riley Nash, Nordstrom, Schaller, Halak, Khudobin, etc.)

His first year of trades was pretty awful both that summer and the 2016 deadline which he chose to hang onto Eriksson and trade away a bevy of picks for mediocre help when it was clear that team wasn't a contender (proven by the fact they didn't even make the playoffs).

He ended up paying a fairly hefty price for Rick Nash, but he couldn't of foreseen the concussion. He made two very nice deals in 2019 for Coyle (his best trade by far) and Mojo. The jury is still out on his Kase and Ritchie deals. He practically never makes any trades during the season, choosing only to deal around July 1st and the trade deadline.

Without the bevy of talent acquired from June 2003 to July 1st 2006, he'd be in big trouble, no doubt about it. But on the other hand, he's done very well at extending the Bruins own guys to very nice deals.

That's a pretty big mixed bag when you look at his drafting, signings, and trades. If you were grading Sweeney on a scale of 1-5 (1 being poor and 5 being great), he's basically a 3.

 

[ON3M4N]

If they can sign Dadonov and swing a deal for a LHD then I'd say its a solid off-season. Not a homerun, but they would have addressed the lack of 5v5 and secondary scoring.

 

[chrisab123]

This isn't accurate, at least over his career. Over his last three seasons with Minnesota, he averaged 0.84 points per game and had an 82-game scoring pace of 23 goals. Not a big goal scorer, he's basically equal to Krejci in that regard, except he shoots more. The offense dried up when he got to Nashville, but they were a mess the last 18 months, and clearly the fit was bad. I'm not sure if the fit here would be any good, but I think he'd probably come in the cheapest of the top wing options (Hoffman, Dadonov, Toffoli, and Granlund), and all of them have questions, so might as well just go after the cheapest one.

Makes sense. I made the assumption based on his raw numbers. I'd still strongly prefer Hoffman and or Dadonov though.