Boston Bruins 2023-24 Roster and Salary Cap Discussion VIII

[Gee Wally]

 

[bbfan419]

If you move Ullmark now you damage the karma and comradeship that's been build up on the team to say nothing of the negative impact on the goalie position.

The time to move him is in the off season when players expect that changes will be made. He can possibly bring in a scorer or even a much needed 1st rounder.

What if a team desperate for a true #1 G is willing to overpay, do you make the deal then?

 

[Eddie Munson]

He’s playing well right now and has 21 points in 30 PLAYOFF GAMES

Responsible at both ends of the rink

You’re 100% correct. Just swing by in your DeLorean and pick him up!

 

[dugg133]

Oskar Steen, Jesper Boqvist, etc. might be moved for some combination of draft picks. Make a decision on UFA Derek Forbort or you lose him for nothing once the season is done. A tough defenseman like him should bring back a decent return
Jake DeBrusk - regain some higher end draft picks or sign and keep him for the future.
Matt Grzelcyk- should be able to be sold off at the trade deadline for something decent.

Players like Marc McLaughlin, Patrick Brown, Jacob Zboril or Ian Mitchell should be moved if possible for whatever you can get.

Remember the Bruins do not have a 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 7th rd pick this upcoming draft. As well no 2nd or 4th rd pick in 2025. Donny needs to replenish the draft bank. It might be time to take a chance on the post season with some of your younger players like Poitras, Lohrie, etc. and see if you can cash in on trading off some assets to build draft capital as well as cap space.

It's February and we're first in the league, we aren't trading important roster players just for futures. You move any of these guys, it's as part of a package to bring back someone else.

 

[JoeIsAStud]

What if a team desperate for a true #1 G is willing to overpay, do you make the deal then?

Never say never but what does overpay mean? If it means a 2 #1 picks, then that is a big overpay, and you probably say no.

If overpay means something that makes your teams better today, then it is a tough call

 

[neelynugs]

Never say never but what does overpay mean? If it means a 2 #1 picks, then that is a big overpay, and you probably say no.

If overpay means something that makes your teams better today, then it is a tough call

would probably have to mean both. a ridiculous overpay and something that also improves the
team now. seems pretty damned unlikely.

i'd also like to read all the posts about how stupid trading ullmark was if swayman happened
to get hurt. classic HF

 

[Lord Ahriman]

That's exactly why I've been saying I'd be shocked if they trade for any top/high salary player. The possibility "standing pat route" is real this time (and I'd be ok).

 

[shelbysdad]

That's exactly why I've been saying I'd be shocked if they trade for any top/high salary player. The possibility "standing pat route" is real this time (and I'd be ok).

I considered putting in the trade deadline contest....

5. None
4. None
3. None
2. None
1. None

 

[Tbaybruin]

You’re 100% correct. Just swing by in your DeLorean and pick him up!

I watch enough of the Habs to know.

 

[Son of Donegal]

Just because it's been a long day, a weird month (for me) and why the heck not. CGY and EDM getting into bed together, for example, weird.

To EDM: JDB (50% retained and traded to CGY)
TO BOS: 2024 1st, Raphael Lavoie or Xavier Borgeault, Philip Broberg

To CGY: EDM 2024 1st, Lohrei, Grzelcyk, Merkulov, BOS 2024 4th (for taking $2M of Debrusk salary)
To BOS: Hanifin, AJ Greer (Hanifin re-signs for 7x7)

To NJD: Ullmark, Shattenkirk
To BOS: Toffoli, Colin Miller

Marchand Coyle Toffoli
JVR Zacha Pasta
Heinen Geekie Freddy
Lauko Boqvist Greer
Poitras

Hanifin McAvoy
Lindholm Carlo
Wotherspoon Miller

Sway
BUSSI-TIME!

Sigh...I know, but at least the cap sorta works.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

Not too keen on solving one of the Devils biggest issues for them for the next few years while only getting Toffoli back.

I could easily see us running into NJ at some point over the next couple years in the playoffs and would rather not face Ullmark.

 

[Mione134]

With trade deadline looming, Bruins have a choice to make on pending free agent Jake DeBrusk - The Boston Globe

With less than five weeks to go until the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline, the question is, will the 27-year-old winger be going somewhere else?

www.bostonglobe.com

Jake DeBrusk has really had it going on of late, connecting for eight goals and 14 points in 16 games since the Christmas break.

Now, with less than five weeks until the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline, the question is, will the Bruins 27-year-old winger be going … somewhere else?

“It’s a business, at the end of the day,” mused DeBrusk Sunday when asked if he had any desire to reach the free agent market July 1. “Hopefully it doesn’t get to that point. That’s kind of where I come from; I don’t even want to have that option … hopefully [a contract extension] gets done.”

Nonetheless, the calendar, along with past practices by the Bruins front office, suggest that it’s getting late. Just 33 days to go before the 3 p.m. deadline. The lights above the bar have been turned up slightly, the first sign of last call.

General manager Don Sweeney generally has been proactive in his dealings with veterans on expiring contracts, often signing players to extensions six months or more prior to their deals terming out.

In Brad Marchand’s case, the veteran left winger, then 28, signed an eight-year extension ($6.125 million AAV) in Sept. 2016, a deal that didn’t kick in until 13 months later. Charlie McAvoy signed his huge extension (eight years/$76 million) in Oct. 2021. He was only 23, under contract for that season, and would not have transitioned from restricted to unrestricted free agent status until this July 1.

So if it is DeBrusk’s time to go, some nine years after the Bruins selected him at No. 14, in the ‘15 draft, Sweeney will be breaking from past practice. It’s anybody’s guess, and that would seem to include DeBrusk, what the GM will do. The next contract negotiation Sweeney makes public will be his first.

DeBrusk’s situation could mirror what happened with Torey Krug in the wake of the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. Krug, then 29, termed out of his deal that summer and most everyone (hand up here) figured the veteran blue liner would sign a long-term extension with a healthy bump over the $5.25 million he averaged his previous four seasons. Instead, contract talks suddenly went colder than the corner of Portage and Main Streets, and Krug was outta here, signed as a UFA by the Blues for 7 years/$45.5 million. That annual average of $6.5 million, by the way, is around what DeBrusk might reasonably target as a free agent this July, if he gets there.

If the decision has been made not to keep DeBrusk for a figure north of his current $4 million AAV, at least for the next three years, then Krug’s case has to play a part in Sweeney’s thinking. He’ll have to weigh whether keeping DeBrusk around for a Stanley Cup run is worth more than whatever assets he could get in return.

For now, DeBrusk is here, though not at 100 percent. Whatever ails him kept him out of the Jan. 27 game in Philadelphia. Following the club’s 40-minute workout Sunday in Brighton, he said he was feeling better and sounded optimistic about his chances of suiting up Tuesday night when the Flames visit the Garden for the start of a seven-game homestand.

DeBrusk also sounded optimistic that he’ll get a deal done here.

“I always have optimism,” he said. “I feel like it would be pretty depressing if I didn’t have optimism that I’d be here. But it’s one of those things that I hope it gets done. I feel like I know where I stand in this lineup, and where I am with the guys in this room, and in the city as well, the highs and lows…”

Meanwhile, March 8 looms. The clock ticks.

“Probably when it gets around that time,” DeBrusk said with a slight smile, “if you ask me again [about a contract] and it doesn’t get done, I’ll probably be a little more nervous.”

Sounds like a guy who a wants to be a Bruin to me.

 

[dugg133]

With trade deadline looming, Bruins have a choice to make on pending free agent Jake DeBrusk - The Boston Globe

With less than five weeks to go until the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline, the question is, will the 27-year-old winger be going somewhere else?

www.bostonglobe.com

Jake DeBrusk has really had it going on of late, connecting for eight goals and 14 points in 16 games since the Christmas break.

Now, with less than five weeks until the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline, the question is, will the Bruins 27-year-old winger be going … somewhere else?

“It’s a business, at the end of the day,” mused DeBrusk Sunday when asked if he had any desire to reach the free agent market July 1. “Hopefully it doesn’t get to that point. That’s kind of where I come from; I don’t even want to have that option … hopefully [a contract extension] gets done.”

Nonetheless, the calendar, along with past practices by the Bruins front office, suggest that it’s getting late. Just 33 days to go before the 3 p.m. deadline. The lights above the bar have been turned up slightly, the first sign of last call.

General manager Don Sweeney generally has been proactive in his dealings with veterans on expiring contracts, often signing players to extensions six months or more prior to their deals terming out.

In Brad Marchand’s case, the veteran left winger, then 28, signed an eight-year extension ($6.125 million AAV) in Sept. 2016, a deal that didn’t kick in until 13 months later. Charlie McAvoy signed his huge extension (eight years/$76 million) in Oct. 2021. He was only 23, under contract for that season, and would not have transitioned from restricted to unrestricted free agent status until this July 1.

So if it is DeBrusk’s time to go, some nine years after the Bruins selected him at No. 14, in the ‘15 draft, Sweeney will be breaking from past practice. It’s anybody’s guess, and that would seem to include DeBrusk, what the GM will do. The next contract negotiation Sweeney makes public will be his first.

DeBrusk’s situation could mirror what happened with Torey Krug in the wake of the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. Krug, then 29, termed out of his deal that summer and most everyone (hand up here) figured the veteran blue liner would sign a long-term extension with a healthy bump over the $5.25 million he averaged his previous four seasons. Instead, contract talks suddenly went colder than the corner of Portage and Main Streets, and Krug was outta here, signed as a UFA by the Blues for 7 years/$45.5 million. That annual average of $6.5 million, by the way, is around what DeBrusk might reasonably target as a free agent this July, if he gets there.

If the decision has been made not to keep DeBrusk for a figure north of his current $4 million AAV, at least for the next three years, then Krug’s case has to play a part in Sweeney’s thinking. He’ll have to weigh whether keeping DeBrusk around for a Stanley Cup run is worth more than whatever assets he could get in return.

For now, DeBrusk is here, though not at 100 percent. Whatever ails him kept him out of the Jan. 27 game in Philadelphia. Following the club’s 40-minute workout Sunday in Brighton, he said he was feeling better and sounded optimistic about his chances of suiting up Tuesday night when the Flames visit the Garden for the start of a seven-game homestand.

DeBrusk also sounded optimistic that he’ll get a deal done here.

“I always have optimism,” he said. “I feel like it would be pretty depressing if I didn’t have optimism that I’d be here. But it’s one of those things that I hope it gets done. I feel like I know where I stand in this lineup, and where I am with the guys in this room, and in the city as well, the highs and lows…”

Meanwhile, March 8 looms. The clock ticks.

“Probably when it gets around that time,” DeBrusk said with a slight smile, “if you ask me again [about a contract] and it doesn’t get done, I’ll probably be a little more nervous.”

Personally still think not just getting an extension done with him would be a mistake. If you trade him for futures you're either hoping you can draft someone that you hope will eventually be as good as Jake is right now, or you're flipping those futures for someone to fill the void that Jake left.

The one caveat to me is if he's asking for something completely unreasonable in negotiations, but barring that not re-signing him just feels like overthinking it to me.

 

[Eddie Munson]

I watch enough of the Habs to know.

When did you see Monahan on the habs in the playoffs?

I’ll fast forward to the answer. He’s a player over performing on a garbage team as they’re one to do. He’s a middle six forward who feasts on the PP and this is his best season in four years. The same gap of time between his last playoff appearance you are also clamoring about.

The Habs capitalized on his hit streak and good on them. He is playing better than his last years in Calgary but let’s not act like he’s someone who supplants Zacha or Coyle and for a 1st and 3rd would be a waste on the 3rd line and on a second PP unit in Boston where he’d get barely any time.

Again, right player for the right spot on the right team. Thank god that’s not the Bruins.

 

[JoeIsAStud]

Just because it's been a long day, a weird month (for me) and why the heck not. CGY and EDM getting into bed together, for example, weird.

To EDM: JDB (50% retained and traded to CGY)
TO BOS: 2024 1st, Raphael Lavoie or Xavier Borgeault, Philip Broberg

To CGY: EDM 2024 1st, Lohrei, Grzelcyk, Merkulov, BOS 2024 4th (for taking $2M of Debrusk salary)
To BOS: Hanifin, AJ Greer (Hanifin re-signs for 7x7)

To NJD: Ullmark, Shattenkirk
To BOS: Toffoli, Colin Miller

Marchand Coyle Toffoli
JVR Zacha Pasta
Heinen Geekie Freddy
Lauko Boqvist Greer
Poitras

Hanifin McAvoy
Lindholm Carlo
Wotherspoon Miller

Sway
BUSSI-TIME!

Sigh...I know, but at least the cap sorta works.

Giving up DeBrusk, Merkulov, Lohrei, and Gryz for a future UFA who the whole league seems to believe wants to sign in Boston in the offseason seems insane to me. Calgary has very little leverage, and Hanifin does have a modified NTC

I hate Toffoli so trading Ullmark for him is definitely vomit inducing; although at least he'd be gone in the offseason.

 

[Tbaybruin]

When did you see Monahan on the habs in the playoffs?

I’ll fast forward to the answer. He’s a player over performing on a garbage team as they’re one to do. He’s a middle six forward who feasts on the PP and this is his best season in four years. The same gap of time between his last playoff appearance you are also clamoring about.

The Habs capitalized on his hit streak and good on them. He is playing better than his last years in Calgary but let’s not act like he’s someone who supplants Zacha or Coyle and for a 1st and 3rd would be a waste on the 3rd line and on a second PP unit in Boston where he’d get barely any time.

Again, right player for the right spot on the right team. Thank god that’s not the Bruins.

For sure. I never said I wanted him. We don’t need him. who cares how he’s played in the past few years he’s been real good this year and I watch a lot of the Habs.

 

[Dizzay]

Gryz cannot be in our top 4 come playoffs time. I can't dismiss the success he has had with McAvoy during the regular season, he's been very solid, but it's been proven time and time again in the playoffs, when guys are finishing every check and it's more of a grind your opponent down mentality, Gryz can't hang. Perfect situation, someone is looking for a transition type dman for their 3rd pairing who can maybe play PP2. That's not a need on this team at the moment.

Debrusk needs to be priority #1 A/B (the other trading Gryz). He's turned into such a complete player and we need his offense in the top 6.

Understanding he re-upped in St. Louis, wonder what the cost would be to pry Schenn away from them? Signed for 6.5 million/year until 27-28. It's money in money out so Gryz to a different team who need a puck mover, whatever assets we get for him plus 2025 1st rounder, I'm assuming one of Lysell/Merkulov/Lohrei, + Geekie? Is Schenn that much of an upgrade at this point to toss all of that at St. Louis? Does that package come close to getting Sid the Kid if he asked for a trade? ONly if Sid said Boston was the team.......which wouldn't happen because he'd likely force his way on to Colorado if any other team.

1st 2025
2nd (assuming we get that for Gryz)
Lysell/Merkulov/Lohrei
Geekie
Lauko( cap purposes)

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

Schenn was just named captain this season. Can’t imagine any scenario that makes sense where they make a guy captain with 5 years left on an 8 year deal they signed him to and then trade him that same season.

 

[Blowfish]

Crosby - make it happen.

 

[Hookslide]

BOS does not currently have the assets to beat out other contending trade offers for premium players like Hanifin. The only way I see a deadline trade for Hanifin working is if the Bruins acquire 2024 picks via other trades (DeBrusk, for example, as Conor and TY suggest) and then build a package around that. Doubtful Sweeney moves the 2025 1st.

The top 6 is ugly without JDB in it.

I agree without DeBrusk, it would be ugly, I suggest if someone else deals for Hanifan, so be it, to overpay for him would be a disaster in the long run. I would gamble that Hanifan gets traded anywhere besides Boston he does not sign an extension. Could the Bruins use him now, yes, but would not give up a lot to get him now and take a chance you get him in july.

 

[Dizzay]

Schenn was just named captain this season. Can’t imagine any scenario that makes sense where they make a guy captain with 5 years left on an 8 year deal they signed him to and then trade him that same season.

Yeah that never happens eh......Joe Thornton
Thanks for your usual commentary tho, always welcomed

 

[analyser]

I believe the Bruins would have a legitimate chance for a cup run if they could acquire Hanafin and Crouse.

For this to happen we have to get rid of Debrusk, Gryz and Forbert. We would also have to be very creative using our available assets.

Otherwise I do not see a long playoff run. Come on DS work some magic.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I believe the Bruins would have a legitimate chance for a cup run if they could acquire Hanafin and Crouse.

For this to happen we have to get rid of Debrusk, Gryz and Forbert. We would also have to be very creative using our available assets.

Otherwise I do not see a long playoff run. Come on DS work some magic.

Crouse isn't getting traded. Plus we have a better Crouse at home already.

 

[kdog82]

View attachment 814887


Plug Hanifin in for Grizz. Plug Lysell in for JVR. That’s two forwards and two defensemen. Even if you go higher for Swayman to $6.5M, with Hanifin and Debrusk at your numbers you’re looking at $6.5M to fill 4LW, 13F, 3RD, 7D. Easily doable.

If you fill three of those at $1M apiece (like we have this year), you have $3.5M to play with. Getting an expensive C requires trading Ullmark - add $4M (Ullmark’s salary minus Bussi) and you have $7.5M for that last spot. And what expensive centers would really be available?

The cap situation for the Bruins is very favorable and they can add two impact players along with signing Jake and Sway, as long as they trade Ullmark as expected.

Include a trade that sends out Ullmark, there is another 5 million.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Include a trade that sends out Ullmark, there is another 5 million.

$4M. As I described above.