Boston Bruins 2023 Off-Season CAP, Trade Rumors and Free Agent Talk VII

[TCB]

I agree that the UFA lists always look sexy a year out, only to dry up by the time July 1 rolls around. But you never know...

Who would have predicted Lindholm would be available now? Or PLD, or Vilardi, or Hall, or Ullmark, or Hanifin…

All we know is, the teams with cap space have all the leverage.

Its just the lay of the land now with teams and their FA. Their either signing them and keeping them or moving them out in a deal. Just look at Tkachuk, that's why he got moved out. The days of the top FA hitting the open Market are dwindling, but yes cap space is a luxury to have without question and Hopefully Sweeney will take advantage of it, but Im betting if he's getting a Lindholm or a Nylander he'll have to give up assets and not be able to land them through Free-Agency. Which is fine and dandy but he has to have the assets, not just the cap space.

 

[Dellstrom]

This entire post gave me a headache

I got to Geekie before I stopped reading

and I love the Geekie signing

 

[The don godfather]

That means he has no cap space to sign anyone else.

He got the inside info they coming they wont leave like that with such a terrible taste in the mouth plus they played very well last year.

 

[PlayMakers]

I understand that but there had to be better options.

We literally gave away a top 6 player for nothing.

I don’t know, I’ve played with Capfriendly for weeks looking at options… but at end of the day cap space was so tight nobody was making trades, and the guys that were traded were given away, like Reilly Smith for a 3rd. People say “move Coyle.” How? Matt Duchene was bought out. Johansen traded for nothing and half his salary retained.

Before free agency started, I figured the best way to create cap space was moving Ullmark, but then the market was flooded with goalies. My guess is that was and still is an option but Sweeney is not able to get fair value, and if he can’t get back enough to improve the team he decided we’re better off keeping the Vezina winner.

 

[JOKER 192]

I think I have figured out the method to Sweeney's madness. If he's doing what I think he's doing it's pretty smart. I'm not gonna say what it is because I don't want to give it away but if that's what he's doing it's borderline genius.

who else do they have?

You take your pick. Zacha, Coyle, Geekie.

All are not true top 6 C.

Zacha could play C... but Geekie and Coyle are better at the dot

If you take out Geekie. Who plays C or LW with Zacha/Pasta?

So you chose the least productive one for 1st line duties?

 

[Alan Ryan]

I don’t know, I’ve played with Capfriendly for weeks looking at options… but at end of the day cap space was so tight nobody was making trades, and the guys that were traded were given away, like Reilly Smith for a 3rd. People say “move Coyle.” How? Matt Duchene was bought out. Johansen traded for nothing and half his salary retained.

Before free agency started, I figured the best way to create cap space was moving Ullmark, but then the market was flooded with goalies. My guess is that was and still is an option but Sweeney is not able to get fair value, and if he can’t get back enough to improve the team he decided we’re better off keeping the Vezina winner.

If the cap goes up as projected for 2024-25 it won't surprise me if the Bruins keep both Ullmark and Swayman going forward. That pair for under $10 million is good value.

 

[rocketdan9]

Geekie takes a hit to make a nice pass


Geekie with a laser - 3 on 3 play

 

[JOKER 192]

I understand that but there had to be better options.

We literally gave away a top 6 player for nothing.

Not for nothing , for Cap space. Still probably don't have enough to sign Swayman, TFred and Lauko.

 

[TCB]

If the cap goes up as projected for 2024-25 it won't surprise me if the Bruins keep both Ullmark and Swayman going forward. That pair for under $10 million is good value.

That will be Ullmark final year under his current contract and I just cant see them not moving him by then as its a position of strength and Swayman will eventually be hitting the Market once again shortly there after and he'll be getting a big pay day as well. In either event Imo Swayman and Ullmark both wont be on the Bruins past the 24-25 season.

 

[BlackFrancis]

Geekie takes a hit to make a nice pass


Geekie with a laser - 3 on 3 play

That look-off on Whitecloud, just perfect exaggeration and the hands/head to pull it off.

 

[The don godfather]

I think some big nuke type trades happen tomorrow.

 

[bruinmann77]

ok guess we can enjoy the 4th as FA biggest part has passed

 

[The don godfather]

ok guess we can enjoy the 4th as FA biggest part has passed

Maybe trade incoming.

 

[GloveSave1]

I don’t know, I’ve played with Capfriendly for weeks looking at options… but at end of the day cap space was so tight nobody was making trades, and the guys that were traded were given away, like Reilly Smith for a 3rd. People say “move Coyle.” How? Matt Duchene was bought out. Johansen traded for nothing and half his salary retained.

Before free agency started, I figured the best way to create cap space was moving Ullmark, but then the market was flooded with goalies. My guess is that was and still is an option but Sweeney is not able to get fair value, and if he can’t get back enough to improve the team he decided we’re better off keeping the Vezina winner.

Yeah, interesting. And ya gotta consider I’m sure DS is still living under a playoff mandate. Linus/Swayman should lock that down.

 

[KrugAvoy]

Maybe trade incoming.

Not feeling a trade. Bergeron resigns in August and is our last signing

 

[The don godfather]

Not feeling a trade. Bergeron resigns in August and is our last signing

I agree dk and bergy comeback.

Yeah, interesting. And ya gotta consider I’m sure DS is still living under a playoff mandate. Linus/Swayman should lock that down.

We solid back there for sure nice luxury to have.

 

[slim399]

Bergeron and Krejci will resign for one last dance and join Looch at 1M each.

Frederic 2x2m
Swayman 2x3.5m
Lauko 2x800k

Marchand-Bergeron-Debrusk
Zacha-Krejci-Pastrnak
JVR-Coyle-Frederic
Lucic-Geekie-Lauko
Greer

Gryz-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Forbort-Shattenkirk
Zboril

Ullmark
Swayman

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

Not going to miss him, but dam its tough watching him Orlov and Bert all leave for basically 3 playoff wins at the cost of 2 first, a 2nd, 3rd, and a 4th

While I honestly don't blame Sweeney for going all in, the way they were playing, it was probably what any GM would do.

That said... we need to recoup assets at some point. Or if we are using futures, not use them on rentals.

Overall, the long list of assets we've sent out, what we've got to show for it on the current roster is pretty underwhelming.

On top of all the picks needed to move out Sweeney's mistakes, we could have "saved up" and gotten a player we'd actually keep here.

Bergeron and Krejci will resign for one last dance and join Looch at 1M each.

Frederic 2x2m
Swayman 2x3.5m
Lauko 2x800k

Marchand-Bergeron-Debrusk
Zacha-Krejci-Pastrnak
JVR-Coyle-Frederic
Lucic-Geekie-Lauko
Greer

Gryz-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Forbort-Shattenkirk
Zboril

Ullmark
Swayman

I say, no more punting bonuses to next year if we can.

Cap space is king and if we remotely want space to be available for a #1 C (or potential one) on the south side of 30, gotta have that space available.

 

[GordonHowe]

A bargain-bin bridge, building from the net out & a future spending spree? Mapping out Bruins’ future plans

The Bruins aim to be competitive in 2023, while aiming for larger retool in 2024. Saturday's free-agent moves put those plans in motion.

www.boston.com

 

[GordonHowe]

Bruins make several signings in busy start to free agency, including reunion with Milan Lucic - The Boston Globe

Lucic is back in Boston, eight years after his departure.

www.bostonglobe.com

 

[EvilDead]

Not for nothing , for Cap space. Still probably don't have enough to sign Swayman, TFred and Lauko.

Sign Swayman, sell high on Frederic, and try to bring back Lauko.

Bergeron and Krejci will resign for one last dance and join Looch at 1M each.

Frederic 2x2m
Swayman 2x3.5m
Lauko 2x800k

Marchand-Bergeron-Debrusk
Zacha-Krejci-Pastrnak
JVR-Coyle-Frederic
Lucic-Geekie-Lauko
Greer

Gryz-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Forbort-Shattenkirk
Zboril

Ullmark
Swayman

 

[UConn126]

Operating under the assumptions Bergy and Krejci aren't coming back, I wonder if it makes sense to offer Carlo and Freddy to Winnipeg for Scheifele then try and sign Dumba to be the 2RD. I love both players, but this lineup looks a lot better than what we have now.

Marchand-Scheifele-DeBrusk
JVR-Zacha-Pasta
Lauko-Coyle-Geekie
Lucic-Brown-Greer
Richards/Megna

Gryz-McAvoy
Lindholm-Dumba
Forbort-Shattenkirk
Zboril-Regula/Mitchell

 

[BruinsPortugal]

More like…

Marchand-Coyle-JDB
JVR-Zacha-Pastrnak
Frederic-Geekie-Rookie
Lucic-Brown-Rookie

Gryz-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Forbort-Shattenkirk

JVR is the Bertuzzi replacement. A left shot net front presence, trying to prove he can still play before the cap goes up. He had 24 goals in ‘22… We’ll see if he can keep the spot or if he’ll get bumped by a younger player, but I think they expect him to keep it.

Geekie is a 3rd liner who can play C or W. Sweeney said today either Frederic or Geekie could play C and that line gives them L/R faceoff options. It also means whatever rookie plays the best in camp, be it a LW (Merkulov) or RW (McLaughlin/Lysell), they can jump onto that line to fill the last spot and they can shift the other two.

Brown is a really active hitter and FO ace. I looked him up on Youtube and the first video was him snowing Bobrovsky hard and then wrestling with Gudas. He’s competing with Beecher to be the new 4C and regardless of the rookie that lands at RW (Lauko) it should be a pretty physical line.


That might be all there is, but fwiw, none of their moves today took them out of the trade or UFA market…

If Bergeron signs, Coyle goes to 3C, Freddy to 3LW, Geekie to 3RW and a rookie gets sent down.

They could still move Ullmark for a good asset to someone left without a chair once the goalie carousel stops. Then use that asset+ on a #1C.

What they did today was the bare minimum required to fill out the roster so that if none of those things come to fruition, they still have a solid team, and are set up well in terms of cap space for next summer.

Agree this is what we are looking at, and is ugly as hell. That has to be the worst center depth in the league.

And i find concerning that you build a team that fails miserably in the playoffs and dont do anything to change it(defense and g).

They went all in last year knowing it wasn’t sustainable so this year the only way was down. But they could have tried and change the make up of this team, instead they opted to just fill out the gaps.

I also think they have no idea what identity they want to have, last year they wanted more speed, now they got considerable more slower. That 4th line is just so weird.
Just go into the season and expect absolutely nothing and maybe you get something.

 

[LouJersey]

Hathaway to Flyers.

Good now everyone can be honest about him again

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Some context is in order.

First, the off-season isn’t over. Still many trades need to happen along with some big name UFAs yet to land.

But who in the Atlantic got better? Toronto signs the worst skater in the NHL (Reaves) and gives their Tomas Nosek a 4x$2.5M deal with a NTC. And signs the corpse of John Klingberg to a $4M deal.

Tampa loses Killorn and Colton with no cap to get better after that.

Florida loses Gudas and Duclair. How are they better (yet)?

Detroit is a disaster. Signing a pu pu platter of mediocrity or overpayments. Compher, Holl, etc.

Ottawa I guess if you think Korpisalo puts them over the top.

Buffalo signed Clifton.

This is a horrid UFA class, and I’m glad we didn’t jump in for one of these guys who got overpaid and overextended.

Now we see what happens with the trades.