Confirmed with Link: Boston Bruins Acquire Ondrej Kase (RW) from ANA -- Backes On The Move!

[BigBadBruins7708]

If Sweeney is as cavalier about 1st round picks as you are. He's going to run the franchise into the ground. You cant continue to trade 1st for "established" (you are using that term extremely loosely given the players hes brought in) and expect to have any long-term success. You need high round top end talent on entry level deals to build any sort of contender

My biggest issue with the trade was Sweeney gave up the 1st and retained salary on Backes. You do 1 or the other, not both

 

[McGarnagle]

The first relieved a lot more than "a couple million". $9M over 2 years. That is significant. There was actually also cap relief in the current year of the trade as they traded him in February.

The way I see it is they got that relief for a late first and took a flyer on Kase; a player with the floor of a good 3rd liner with 2nd liner upside. The risk was his concussion history. Without that, Anaheim doesn't trade him. Bruins knew this was a risk, but the guy was basically free. Good decision making in my view.

The money saved basically got them Craig Smith.

If you look at it that way and have Kase as a throw-in, it's not bad. Not like they miss Backes

 

[Over the volcano]

The money saved basically got them Craig Smith.

If you look at it that way and have Kase as a throw-in, it's not bad. Not like they miss Backes

True - also true that Backes has as many goals this year as DeBrusk, Bjork, Krejci and Kuhlman combined, and he’s only played 9 games to their combined 60.

 

[McGarnagle]

I've said it plenty of times in here and other threads that I've always liked Kase and the way he played, even back from when I saw him in Anaheim.

But it's been 8 weeks since his concussion and he's still not back - that's bad. He might want to think about his quality of life after retirement before he comes back. The style of hockey he plays leaves him vulnerable to take hits, but if he changes that and gets more passive, what does he bring? I'm not sure what we can really expect from him after this.

 

[McGarnagle]

True - also true that Backes has as many goals this year as DeBrusk, Bjork, Krejci and Kuhlman combined, and he’s only played 9 games to their combined 60.

Debrusk being a ghost is its own separate issue. Krejci's at least getting assists despite having Debrusk on his wing. the other two are nothing 4th liners.

 

[Over the volcano]

Debrusk being a ghost is its own separate issue. Krejci's at least getting assists despite having Debrusk on his wing. the other two are nothing 4th liners.

That’s all well and good but combine all their goals and they just match Backes who isn’t an every day player, cost us a first, plus $, plus a good prospect we took in the 2nd round to ditch

 

[Smitty93]

Is it fair game to revisit this deal?

Nets out to what? Cost them a late first round pick to save a couple of million under the cap?

(Assuming you get a net zero out of Kase. Hope that’s not the case, but as of today.)

I guess if they use the cap space at the deadline to improve the club then it was maybe worth it?

What do people think?

I think it was worth the gamble. The deal was universally lauded at the time. Considering the cost to move contracts, it basically looked like you traded Andersson for Kase, which is an easy deal to make. If there's anything unfortunate about it, it's the fact that, up to this point, they haven't really taken advantage of the cap savings they got from Backes.

Kase has been a victim of poor luck, some of it is his own doing. He missed the playoff training camp because he got COVID. I thought he looked solid in the Carolina series, and then his whole line was a no-show against Tampa. The lack of goals is tough. This is a guy who was an 11.5% shooter through 150 games. Then he injures his shoulder, and he's been 4.8% since, not including playoffs. It takes players a while to recuperate from shoulder surgery, and some never get the same strength. He gets a concussion this year on a nothing play 4 periods into the season. It's really just unfortunate, both for the Bruins and Kase's career. I really hope that he's able to turn it around and get back to the player he was the first few years in the league, whether it's here or somewhere else.

 

[DangleCity]

I think it was worth the gamble. The deal was universally lauded at the time. Considering the cost to move contracts, it basically looked like you traded Andersson for Kase, which is an easy deal to make. If there's anything unfortunate about it, it's the fact that, up to this point, they haven't really taken advantage of the cap savings they got from Backes.

Kase has been a victim of poor luck, some of it is his own doing. He missed the playoff training camp because he got COVID. I thought he looked solid in the Carolina series, and then his whole line was a no-show against Tampa. The lack of goals is tough. This is a guy who was an 11.5% shooter through 150 games. Then he injures his shoulder, and he's been 4.8% since, not including playoffs. It takes players a while to recuperate from shoulder surgery, and some never get the same strength. He gets a concussion this year on a nothing play 4 periods into the season. It's really just unfortunate, both for the Bruins and Kase's career. I really hope that he's able to turn it around and get back to the player he was the first few years in the league, whether it's here or somewhere else.

You dont gamble with 1st rounders. That's how you set your franchise back years. Established vets for 1 year cup run? Sure, but not on a gamble with a injured player and a salary dump. The move was bad at the time and is only getting worse.

 

[DangleCity]

Also please stop with the bad luck... Kase had a known bad concussion history, that Sweeney should have been aware of, and if he wasnt, then it was neglect and mismanagement on his part. It wasnt bad luck that he got hurt on a nothing play. That's what happens when you get concussion after concussion, less contact generates a concussion and the symptoms last longer.

 

[Smitty93]

You dont gamble with 1st rounders. That's how you set your franchise back years. Established vets for 1 year cup run? Sure, but not on a gamble with a injured player and a salary dump. The move was bad at the time and is only getting worse.

Literally no one thought it was a bad move at the time. Everyone thought it would cost you a 1st rounder to move Backes' contract, and all you had to include was Andersson and $1.5M a year to get Kase. That's a no-brainer deal, and the experts said as such.

 

[Montecristo]

Havent even noticed him

 

[22Brad Park]

Literally no one thought it was a bad move at the time. Everyone thought it would cost you a 1st rounder to move Backes' contract, and all you had to include was Andersson and $1.5M a year to get Kase. That's a no-brainer deal, and the experts said as such.

So Bruins had to give up a 1st to shed Backes basically was the deal.Giving Backes the deal he gave him was beyond bad.

 

[DangleCity]

Literally no one thought it was a bad move at the time. Everyone thought it would cost you a 1st rounder to move Backes' contract, and all you had to include was Andersson and $1.5M a year to get Kase. That's a no-brainer deal, and the experts said as such.

That means nothing. Its not the fans job to know the history of every player. It is the GMs job though. It shows either neglect on Sweeney on doing his due diligence on a player or gambling with more 1st rounders. Neither is good for the organization

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

Literally no one thought it was a bad move at the time. Everyone thought it would cost you a 1st rounder to move Backes' contract, and all you had to include was Andersson and $1.5M a year to get Kase. That's a no-brainer deal, and the experts said as such.

I did.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

The first relieved a lot more than "a couple million". $9M over 2 years. That is significant. There was actually also cap relief in the current year of the trade as they traded him in February.

The way I see it is they got that relief for a late first and took a flyer on Kase; a player with the floor of a good 3rd liner with 2nd liner upside. The risk was his concussion history. Without that, Anaheim doesn't trade him. Bruins knew this was a risk, but the guy was basically free. Good decision making in my view.

I think you need to recalculate.

Nowhere near $9M over two years.

Backes was in Providence. $6M - $1M = $5M

Kase makes $2.6M/yr. $5M - $2.6M = $2.4M

Bruins retained $1.5M/yr. $2.4M - $1.5M = $900k in savings

You may want to argue that just under a $1M in cap savings and Kase was worth giving up the first round pick. Certainly I too hoped Kase was going to be a great add. But to claim this $9M absurdity is disingenuous at best.

 

[Kalus]

I think you need to recalculate.

Nowhere near $9M over two years.

Backes was in Providence. $6M - $1M = $5M

Kase makes $2.6M/yr. $5M - $2.6M = $2.4M

Bruins retained $1.5M/yr. $2.4M - $1.5M = $900k in savings

You may want to argue that just under a $1M in cap savings and Kase was worth giving up the first round pick. Certainly I too hoped Kase was going to be a great add. But to claim this $9M absurdity is disingenuous at best.

Oh, my mistake, I misread the guy's post. Thought it was just about the relief from unloading Backes, not the net including Kase. And I did miss the ahl relief component assuming they would have kept him there.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Any idea when he will be able to return?

Skating yet?

 

[DangleCity]

Any idea when he will be able to return?

Skating yet?

Best course of action would be to take it extremely slow with him. Give him as much time as needed and then some to get right. The guy is one more bad head knock away from possibility of his career being over

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Best course of action would be to take it extremely slow with him. Give him as much time as needed and then some to get right. The guy is one more bad head knock away from possibility of his career being over

I get that.

We have a pretty big glaring need for depth wing scoring though.

 

[McGarnagle]

If he were healthy, I think he'd be a perfect 4th line winger with Wagner and Kuraly - straight north-south player, not afraid to grind, shoots from all angles. That would give us tremendous depth. But I still have doubts that he'll be back, back to his full self, and able to stay healthy.

 

[trenton1]

Also please stop with the bad luck... Kase had a known bad concussion history, that Sweeney should have been aware of, and if he wasnt, then it was neglect and mismanagement on his part. It wasnt bad luck that he got hurt on a nothing play. That's what happens when you get concussion after concussion, less contact generates a concussion and the symptoms last longer.

No one would cop to it, but it appeared that Kase was acquired while sidelined with a concussion. This trade isn't a total disaster if they use all the cap space wisely, but it's turned poor because Kase can't even contribute a small amount.

 

[BMC]

Any idea when he will be able to return?

Skating yet?

He is skating on his own but still no time table for his return

 

[DangleCity]

I get that.

We have a pretty big glaring need for depth wing scoring though.

Let's hope Sweeney doesn't make a bad situation worse by trying to rush back Kase to try and solve the Krejci winger issue that hes had years to resolve