GDT: 2020 NHL Free Agent Frenzy VI

[Dr Hook]

How'd he create it?

My question exactly, or are we going to blame him for not re-signing Chara who could have retired at any point in the last three years? Or wait, are we saying he should have let Chara go earlier and signed or acquired a LHD? But then he would have been raked for letting Chara go because he is a franchise icon.

EDIT: Oh I see now, Krug is a #1 LHD. Okay.

 

[DangleCity]

Chara isn't a 1LD anymore.

Basically letting Krug walk. Sure, he's not a true 1LD, but letting his 50-60 points go is going to be tricky to replace.

Gryz will take his role and should see an uptick in his production. Obviously he cant replace Krug, but There offense should be fine though and they have others areas on the team they need to address. I think it was wise to let Krug go, but now Sweeney needs to take that money and address other needs

 

[Mad-Marcus]

Debrusk needs to improve on the defensive end. Doesn't block shots, not good along the boards. Seems unaware lots of times.

But young wingers can improve (and usually do) their defensive game.

Playmaking, not so easy to get better. Needs to be more engaged to improve his production.

I agree with everything except blocking shots, he did so in the playoffs, to the point of getting nicked up. He does lack awareness and playmaking sense. My biggest issue is for someone with really good breakaway speed, the kid can't stay on hos feet.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

Why Mrs. Horton, are you trying to seduce me?

That was my whole issue with that. It takes two to tango but they jettison the generational talent for what amounted to, years later, a huge nothingburger.

 

[The don godfather]

Donny needs to make a run for the cup here. I understand you need to promote the younger players but our window is now. Go broke or go home. All our prospects should be on table except stud. Our first round pick next year also should be also given to get help now for bergy and company . This is the final train before the next year blow up I say. Trading bergy to a contender for picks and prospects for example . Basically what the rangers did gut job. Call Arizona and get oel butt here hes still in prime and can play with our rebuilding core.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

How'd he create it?

By not filling it.

 

[bp13]

How'd he create it?

Well he actively chose not to sign Krug. And correctly so, IMO, but he could have signed him. So if you're gonna let a guy walk, you're kind of on the hook for replacing him right? And moreover, if you let him walk because you felt you needed to get better in that area, you not only need to 'replace' him, you need to improve upon him. So far, and yes it's early, we're in that familiar spot of waiting for Sweeney to actually do his job.

 

[arider1990]

Well he actively chose not to sign Krug. And correctly so, IMO, but he could have signed him. So if you're gonna let a guy walk, you're kind of on the hook for replacing him right? And moreover, if you let him walk because you felt you needed to get better in that area, you not only need to 'replace' him, you need to improve upon him. So far, and yes it's early, we're in that familiar spot of waiting for Sweeney to actually do his job.

Yea but Krug was never a 1LD. He was always either on the 2nd or 3rd pair.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

My question exactly, or are we going to blame him for not re-signing Chara who could have retired at any point in the last three years? Or wait, are we saying he should have let Chara go earlier and signed or acquired a LHD? But then he would have been raked for letting Chara go because he is a franchise icon.

EDIT: Oh I see now, Krug is a #1 LHD. Okay.

Sweeney took over in 2015. 5 years ago. When most of us already thought Chara had probably a couple years left. He has had loads of time to find a top pair left D to backfill Chara when the time comes, and has even been given extra time by Chara sticking around & being effective for as long as he has. There's really no excuse for the fact that he has nobody to fill that spot in the organization AND on top of that has now let Krug walk.

 

[Number8]

That was my whole issue with that. It takes two to tango but they jettison the generational talent for what amount to, years later, a huge nothingburger.

1) It was Mr and Mrs., not Mr. and Mr. so the Two To Tango does not really apply.
2) When has Tyler Seguin ever been a generational talent. Good player, but come on.
3) We all like to talk about how the Bruins have a good room. There is a reason for that.
4) With that 2011 team, if I had a choice whether to bring back Seguin or Horton, it's Horton every day of the week. (of course without the benefit of hindsight with back injury).

Bottom line is trading Seguin was absolutely the right thing to do. The return was botched badly, but that's a different story.

Ironically, another Stanley Cup Final in which if Seguin had produced half as well as Patrick Kane, Dallas would have a Cup. He sucked in the Finals.

 

[ranold26]

Yea but Krug was never a 1LD. He was always either on the 2nd or 3rd pair.

He put up 1LD points via PP etc... now that's gone.
Our PP will be impacted.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

Yea but Krug was never a 1LD. He was always either on the 2nd or 3rd pair.

yes, so assuming Chara doesn't return that means he has let both his 1LD and 2LD walk with no replacement. His top PK D and his top PP D btw. And Chara is 43 so it's not like there hasn't been ample warning that the guy won't be around forever.

 

[TCB]

Chara isn't a 1LD anymore.

Basically letting Krug walk. Sure, he's not a true 1LD, but letting his 50-60 points go is going to be tricky to replace.

But between him in Chara they were both consider 1A depending on the situation and right now neither of them are here as of now.

 

[Gordoff]

If he is he should just re-sign

So far he has done absolutely nothing with the cap benefit he had
The cap was in the best shape I had seen and nothing

It seems like the great cap position makes him feel like the team can be on auto-pilot and he can just
relax and not fret too much. Probably figures that the team can live off the recent success of last years SCF, even if it was a loss.
Like all of us here, every day we wake up and do what we do we usually try to top what we did yesterday.
Coupled with that, I'll bet the "JJ's" have imposed an internal cap on him. I mean really, no money in means
only obligatory money out.

 

[bp13]

Yea but Krug was never a 1LD. He was always either on the 2nd or 3rd pair.

Agreed. But that makes the issue even greater right? We know Chara hasn't been a 1D for a few years and is really only effective being paired with McAvoy. So DS basically knew if he let Krug walk, he was without a #1 and #2. Now sure, maybe he can slot Gryz into 2LD and he'll do fine, but overall the left side of the D is clearly weaker.

So back to the original point, the left defense trending weaker has been going on for a few years now, exacerbated by draft picks not panning out as hoped. So, when does Sweeney address it?

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

man I really wonder sometimes how much better off the Bruins would be right now if they had traded Debrusk for McDonagh back in 2018. IIRC that was the rumored ask and most here balked at it. Yes it would have created a hole on the LW but as we're seeing now it's much easier to come by left-handed 2nd line scoring than left-handed top pair D.

And then with that in mind I wonder if it wouldn't be so crazy after all to pay the rumored ask of Jack Studnicka for OEL. I know Stud is important to this team going forward because he'll need to replace one of Bergeron & Krejci "soon", but they need to replace Chara and Krug now.

 

[Dr Hook]

Sweeney took over in 2015. 5 years ago. When most of us already thought Chara had probably a couple years left. He has had loads of time to find a top pair left D to backfill Chara when the time comes, and has even been given extra time by Chara sticking around & being effective for as long as he has. There's really no excuse for the fact that he has nobody to fill that spot in the organization AND on top of that has now let Krug walk.

I guess so- I have trouble blaming him for that. The Chara situation is and was a bit weird. As we have seen, Chara did not have a couple years left in his own mind and I doubt he even considered retiring. Then there is the whole He is Chara, Big Z, the Captain, first ballot HOFer, Bruins legend angle and many people have been saying for the past few seasons that 'he is still a #1 D man; best value in the league' etc. etc. So I am not wanting to hang that on Sweeney so much except that he might have been a little too soft on that score.

To me the Krug thing is separate. Chara or no, replacement for him or no, Krug should not have been retained at that term and salary regardless of the bigger situation. If Don does not get a Chara replacement- to me that is a top 4 LD quality, not necessarily a true #1- to partner with McAvoy or Carlo, then yes it's a fail.

That is not creating a hole, though. Rather, he just need to address filling the hole created by a) a player reaching the end of his career and b) deciding a player is not value for money/term being asked. Those are things every GM has to deal with and it is not really of Sweeney's making in my opinion. That does not let him off the hook for having to address the cirucmstances.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

 

[Silva]

Sweeney needs to do something. I'm happy with craig Smith but bruins are worse off -krug and +smith

 

[bruinsfan]

By not filling it.

He also actively tried not filling it, if we're lead to believe Krug when he said the Bruins were pretty much silent on the negotiations front for most the year.

 

[Dr Hook]

If he wants to play and Bruins are not offering up a contract (and they shouldn't) then I can see him somewhere else. The Bruins don't owe him a contract nor does he owe them a retirement if he decides to keep playing and it isn't here.

 

[BruinDust]

If he wants to play and Bruins are not offering up a contract (and they shouldn't) then I can see him somewhere else. The Bruins don't owe him a contract nor does he owe them a retirement if he decides to keep playing and it isn't here.

After hearing Sweeney's comments, and given the way things played out with Krug and seemingly with Chara, I wonder if the plan all along was to elevate Zboril and Lauzon to bigger roles in 2020-21.