Are bruins going to struggle next season?

[David Krejci*]

Spooner and Koko are ready to make the leap.

People keep saying this. Where are they going to play? Not center. Do you throw them at wing and hope for the best, or what? Because they're both centers and Spooner looked terrible at wing last year, whereas he flourished at center when Kelly went down. You aren't going to move Krejci to make room for one of them at center, so I believe they have the most value in a trade.

I know I've said it a million times with the Saad/Khoklachev thing. But Chiarelli's inability to draft quality forwards is a big reason, maybe the biggest reason that we are in the Cap conundrum that we are in right now. Hopefully Spooner/Khoklachev can transition seamlessly to wing, and contribute. If not, whoever they get in a deal for them, better be able to, or we're screwed.

 

[Paddington]

If the Bruins D corps can stay healthy the Bruins will be at/near the top of the east again. The blueliners along with Tuukka can hold the fort every night and the offence can get scoring by committee. Come playoff time it could be a different story if they don't have a guy who has the ability to pot a timely goal.

 

[LSCII]

Yes, but Phil Kessel helped us net us Seguin and Hamilton, the former who helped us win a Stanley Cup. And Iginla just got a 3 year deal. I'd take the current situation, with a Stanley Cup, over paying a declining Jarome until he's 40.

He's one of my favourite players ever, but he's not worth that term in the least.

So you know definitively what they would have done had the team been composed with a different roster? Who's to say they don't win 2 cups, or 3? Point being, saying they won a cup and wouldn't have won it with other players is not something you can ever prove, therefore it's a nonsensical argument, IMO.

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

28 goals from Smith, 29 goals from Loui, 20 goals from Yeti, 15 goals from Paille, it's going to be just fine, and we'll be in the thick of things when it counts.

 

[Rubber Biscuit]

As of today, their lineup has a lot of question marks. It could be really good, or it could struggle.

Personally, I think their defense will play well enough to keep them close to the top of the division. The offense could be a pretty big hit or miss.

 

[DoubleAAAA]

I don't see it, not after Chia said today they wouldn't break up the team for one player, if they were going to, they would have for Iggy. Don't see it.

I do find humour in the fact that we don't have a top gun right wing, yet in the last 5 years We have had Phil Kessel, Tyler Seguin and now Jarome Iginla, and now we have none. Crappy, but humorous nonetheless.

You forgot Nate

 

[mich25]

The B's will do fine during the regular season. I think they absolutely will struggle during the playoffs. The past 2 playoff season there has been a consistent theme and the main problem has been not being able to score. A real 1st line playoff proven RWinger is needed. I do not believe Loui Ericksson is that finisher nor do I believe he is a consistent 30g scorer. He won't net 30gs. You have to figure in injuries as well potentially to one of our current roster forwards. I like giving young kids a chance but you can't expect them to be playoff level performers and difference makers, they will make mistakes in the playoffs and not have the experience. We saw this with your young D as well this year in the playoffs. It too bad the cap situation we are facing, and not really too much I think we can do about it.

 

[CanadianBruinsFan]

So you know definitively what they would have done had the team been composed with a different roster? Who's to say they don't win 2 cups, or 3? Point being, saying they won a cup and wouldn't have won it with other players is not something you can ever prove, therefore it's a nonsensical argument, IMO.

Obviously not.

But Seguin was also one of the reasons we lost a Stanley Cup, being an absolute no show. Kessel got a ton back. Iginla wanted too much. Horton didn't want to be here and got too much.

The only move I consider taking back is the Seguin deal, but hindsight is 20/20. Pretty hard to see Eriksson getting 2 bad concussions coming.

My point is that yes, having all those names out the door looks terrible on paper, but I'll take a Cup and another finals appearance. Could it have been more? Maybe. But you also can't definitively say that keeping any of those 4 gets them any more Cups.

EDIT: There is also the deadline that they can add someone. Moral of my story here is that I'm disappointed where they're at, but not panicked in the least.

 

[ashnathan]

You forgot Nate

He didn't want to be there though or am I mistaken, but you're right, hes another.

 

[Oates2Neely]

They'll qualify for the playoffs, all whilst the young kids gain experience.

Trade for rental Bobby Ryan at trade deadline.

Lucic Krejci Ryan
Marchand Bergeron Smith
Kelly Sodërberg Ericksson
Paille Campbell Florek

Solid

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

They'll qualify for the playoffs, all whilst the young kids gain experience.

Trade for rental Bobby Ryan at trade deadline.

Lucic Krejci Ryan
Marchand Bergeron Smith
Kelly Sodërberg Ericksson
Paille Campbell Florek

Solid

What's the max cap retain on a UFA a trading team can do? Because with the zillion dollars in cap space the Sens do have, we could do a blockbuster deadline deal with them as long as they were open to retaning all the $.

I'd certainly send something like 1st + Koko + Morrow if they were open to it. Better than they've gotten in their other deals, lol.

 

[smithformeragent]

Meh.

They're built down the middle at center.

The wings are interchangable parts.

Having said that, they're worse off today than they were to end the season, at least on paper.
However, we don't know what it will look like with a healhy line up and how Eriksson will look getting a long look on the top line.

 

[David Krejci*]

They'll qualify for the playoffs, all whilst the young kids gain experience.

Trade for rental Bobby Ryan at trade deadline.

Lucic Krejci Ryan
Marchand Bergeron Smith
Kelly Sodërberg Ericksson
Paille Campbell Florek

Solid

Will they be able to do this, because of the pro rated salary since it's halfway through the year? Or do you think we can get Ottawa to retain the salary, since he is a UFA to be?

This would be the ideal situation, in my opinion. And Bobby Ryan is better than 38 year old Iginla. We'd be in really good shape if we could pull this off.

 

[Flannelman]

What is 'struggle'? Most teams go through rough patches, the best ones overcome and learn from them.

Depends on your expectations, I suppose. If you're looking for a cup contender, let's have a more serious discussion before the trade deadline.This team, as it looks like it'll be shaped, looks like it'll still make the playoffs - barring any major meltdown (which I believe is highly unlikely), they should still be a top 4 team in the East.

Judging by the holes, the needs for them to use cheaper players and maybe get 'faster' - the team is going to need all it can from the AHL and with that will come learning curves.

Not willing to freakout yet. Still pissed that PC didn't address the D last deadline, but that's a different thread.

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

Ok so barring a few other rules, Ottawa (or any team) could retain 50% of the player's remaining cap hit. That's not bad!

http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2014/1/19/5321360/nhl-cba-rule-retained-salary-trades-ryan-miller

 

[wintersej]

Will they be able to do this, because of the pro rated salary since it's halfway through the year? Or do you think we can get Ottawa to retain the salary, since he is a UFA to be?

This would be the ideal situation, in my opinion. And Bobby Ryan is better than 38 year old Iginla. We'd be in really good shape if we could pull this off.

Bobby Ryan got left off the Olympic team because he is a soft and lazy player.

 

[acr*]

Bobby Ryan got left off the Olympic team because he is a soft and lazy player.

According to a man that just paid Derryk Engelland 2.9 million a season for the next 3 years.

 

[David Krejci*]

Bobby Ryan got left off the Olympic team because he is a soft and lazy player.

Which was a mistake because he can put the puck in the net, and Team USA looked like **** against Canada, and could've used his goalscoring (They lost 1-0). That and Brooks Orpik is terrible, but that's another story for a different day.

He's not going to fight or anything, but he doesn't shy away from contact and would be great on that line. You can get away with being a soft type player if you are a dynamic scorer, which he is. He's also been good in the playoffs when he's gotten there.

 

[Furry89]

They'll be slightly less potent offensively than last year, but still a top 3 team in the East. I can't see any team in the East beating a Western Conference team in a 7 game series anyways. That conference is leaps and bounds better than the East.

 

[smithformeragent]

They'll be slightly less potent offensively than last year, but still a top 3 team in the East. I can't see any team in the East beating a Western Conference team in a 7 game series anyways. That conference is leaps and bounds better than the East.

Eh, just get to the finals and you neve know.

Hey, maybe the $7M Vezina winner steals you a series at the right time.

We've seen it happen.

 

[Fenian24]

They will struggle to make the playoffs, the overrated rookies (Spooner, Koko) will prove to not be NHL caliber, Loui Eriksson will prove he is a third line winger at best, Bartkowski and Caron will somehow play regular minutes and reinforce their inability to play for a contending team, they will get pushed all over the ice because of Chiarelli thinking finesse and speed are the keys to winning, Lucic will break his hand in a fight and the heavy anti fighting crowd on here will bemoan the fact that fighting is still allowed as the Bruins try to become the Red Wings and some of the fan base follow along like lemmings, Rask will have a good season against everybody but the Canadiens, Svedberg will prove to be a solid back up, Bergeron will repeat as Selke winner and continue to be a great leader and two way player, Soderberg will continue to improve, Hamilton will continue to track as a future Norris winner, Chiarelli will again fail the deadline and make excuses when they are officially eliminated from the playoffs in late March.

 

[KrejciMVP]

Pick up Heatley for dirt cheap and put him with Krejci or Soderberg. Time to find some wallmart deals that payoff.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

They will win the division. Do you consider that struggling?

 

[SPLBRUIN]

We will be fine, our goaltending should be about the same, our D better with the return of Seidenberg and the experience gained by our kids and lines 2-4 will be as good if not better them last year, only the Krejci line will regress a bit until the inevitable trade for a RW.

 

[13Hockey]

We have the best goalie in hockey

A top 5 dman in the nhl

Maybe the best top 6 D Corp in the league with Seids coming back

Lucic, Krejci, Bergeron, Marchand, Eriksson, Smith, Soderberg

7 top 6 fowards

This team will not struggle at all we will cruise to 100 points this season again easily