Management Bruins and the continued search for Lucic part 2

[Troublesome 85]

Its no secret since the team traded Lucic they have been looking for a replacement. First was Beleskey which was horrid, then Backes who became horrible, Brett and Nick Ritchie one had no fire in his belly the other doesnt have much talent and now we are on the putrid Nick Foligno.

At this point what do you think this team should do? Continue the search for a PF in trades or FA? Try to draft and develop one? Just give up on the whole thing? I mean do we trust Sweeney and Neely to do it? I dont.

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[BobbyAwe]

There's NO replacement for Looch...except for LOOCH (and he's past it )

 

[McGarnagle]

Sweeney (and probably under Neely's directive) have been chasing that dragon for a long time.

My philosophy is that you need to draft those guys. Anyone who makes it to unrestricted free agency has a lot of miles on that worn down chassis and will never live up to the contract, and anyone who gets traded for less than a king's ransom has flaws and isn't being held onto for a reason (i.e. Nick Ritchie). Last guy of that style who was available while still in his prime was maybe Josh Anderson, and that cost the Habs a promising player in Domi.

I think they've tried to get that in the draft with someone like Frederic, but he never really filled out physically and has plenty of holes in his game.

Even then, they really don't come around often. How many true top-six power forwards are there in this league? Less than 10?

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

I remember a poster here recently did a breakdown showing how many picks and dollars the B’s would have saved by just hanging on to looch and it was pretty funny how incompetent it shows Sweeney to be. Not that he needs any help showing that.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

I remember a poster here recently did a breakdown showing how many picks and dollars the B’s would have saved by just hanging on to looch and it was pretty funny how incompetent it shows Sweeney to be. Not that he needs any help showing that.

Was Lucic going to be held hostage? He wanted to go out west for personal/family reasons. It takes two to tango.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

A desperate GM might trade for Andersen from Montreal but he is no Lucic.

 

[mikelvl2]

I can't wait until Neely makes him give up next year's first for Miles Wood.

 

[Gee Wally]

I can't wait until Neely makes him give up next year's first for Miles Wood.

welcome back.

 

[Shaun]

anthony camara worked out great

 

[Bruin4Life]

anthony camara worked out great

This and then it fell

 

[PB37]

I remember a poster here recently did a breakdown showing how many picks and dollars the B’s would have saved by just hanging on to looch and it was pretty funny how incompetent it shows Sweeney to be. Not that he needs any help showing that.

Seems like a waste of a post. Lucic wanted to go out West to be closer to his family after his father's suicide. The Bruins obliged.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Seems like a waste of a post. Lucic wanted to go out West to be closer to his family after his father's suicide. The Bruins obliged.

/thread after this post.

 

[Number8]

Sweeney (and probably under Neely's directive) have been chasing that dragon for a long time.

My philosophy is that you need to draft those guys. Anyone who makes it to unrestricted free agency has a lot of miles on that worn down chassis and will never live up to the contract, and anyone who gets traded for less than a king's ransom has flaws and isn't being held onto for a reason (i.e. Nick Ritchie). Last guy of that style who was available while still in his prime was maybe Josh Anderson, and that cost the Habs a promising player in Domi.

I think they've tried to get that in the draft with someone like Frederic, but he never really filled out physically and has plenty of holes in his game.

Even then, they really don't come around often. How many true top-six power forwards are there in this league? Less than 10?

Couldn't agree more. Not easy to find and draft them -- but by the time they've demonstrated that they are the kind of big body physical presence (in the NHL) you have to worry about mileage on bodies. Plus, typically the bigger physical guys are not great skaters (and why when you get that combo it's magic) so as they age that becomes a factor.

Time to identify and grab them is when they are young and heal fast from playing that kind of game. Not an easy thing to do by a long shot though, or everyone would have one riding hard over the opponent.

Rare players, for sure.

 

[Absurdity]

Players currently in the NHL that are closest to* prime Lucic are probably Matt and Brady Tkachuk, and they have more talent and a little less snarl.

Like many have said here, you can only find these kind of players in the draft.

 

[Healthy Wrap]

You forgot Rinaldo for a 3rd

 

[NDiesel]

The thing is, and I'm not saying he'll be close to Lucic, but we draft a guy like Frederic who is the closest to him in our cupboard right now and I think because Lucic broke in at such a young age we forget that big dudes take a long time to hit their stride. Nichushkin breaking out at 27, Marchment at 27, Ferland broke out at like 25, Wilson was scoring like 15 points a year for his first 3 or 4 seasons. Tanner Jeannot coming out of nowhere at 25 years old too.

But we have no patience for our own guys, Freddy is already a whipping boy, but generally speaking his next 2 to 3 seasons would be when a guy his size would start to figure it out in this league. If he has the skills is another question in itself, but we as fans lack the patience to wait and find out.

 

[Patdud]

I think the solution would be to stop trying to trade for or sign lucic 2.0

 

[Troublesome 85]

You forgot Rinaldo for a 3rd

I wanted to mention Tyler Randell too

 

[BruinDust]

The thing is, and I'm not saying he'll be close to Lucic, but we draft a guy like Frederic who is the closest to him in our cupboard right now and I think because Lucic broke in at such a young age we forget that big dudes take a long time to hit their stride. Nichushkin breaking out at 27, Marchment at 27, Ferland broke out at like 25, Wilson was scoring like 15 points a year for his first 3 or 4 seasons. Tanner Jeannot coming out of nowhere at 25 years old too.

But we have no patience for our own guys, Freddy is already a whipping boy, but generally speaking his next 2 to 3 seasons would be when a guy his size would start to figure it out in this league. If he has the skills is another question in itself, but we as fans lack the patience to wait and find out.

I don't find there to be many similarities between Frederic and Lucic. Almost none.

I just hope whatever coach comes in here puts Frederic back at center and leaves him there. There is a lot more Barclay Goodrow there than Milan Lucic.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

I don't think the OP was suggesting we should have kept him (as stated in the thread, he wanted to go out west for personal reasons).

But I think the vision for the team seen by Sweeney vs. seen by Neely has definitely hurt the team by not seeing either mans vision of the team.

I'm not defending them at all, but it feels like the team is just 3/4's built at all times. Like they just need to add a few pieces, but it's always a few pieces. And when we get those pieces other pieces leave. A constant state of not enough, and vision for the team that is disjointed.

As for finding the "next" Lucic, the Bruins are probably better served with figuring out what to do with the players they have and/or start stockpiling darts because we really need to start hitting on more of the draft picks. And sheer number of picks would help those odds. Then build around what they have.

While we have a young #1 goalie, top pair LD, top pair RD, top line RW to build around, and perhaps that involves transitioning our style of play to fit what we have instead of chasing old ghosts. With the immediate hole down the middle, now is a great time to start evaluating that.

 

[BruinDust]

As for finding the "next" Lucic, the Bruins are probably better served with figuring out what to do with the players they have and/or start stockpiling darts because we really need to start hitting on more of the draft picks. And sheer number of picks would help those odds.

I don't think we'll ever see another Lucic in the NHL. Between the way the game has changed and the fact he was such a unique one-of-a-kind player, trying to find a guy like him who is young or in his prime will be like trying to find a unicorn.

 

[Spooner st]

A desperate GM might trade for Andersen from Montreal but he is no Lucic.

The Habs would only trade Anderson if there's an over payment.

 

[Dellstrom]

Looch absolutely was one of a kind. Doubt we’ll ever find another guy that plays like and is capable of close to what he was, unlikely the league sees that anytime soon.

There are certainly power forwards in the league, but to consider a prime Looch just a “power forward” is a gross undersell. He’s a big part of the reason why big guys with any semblance of a scoring touch are taken so high in the draft… and why they often bust. I’m glad we got his full prime, and good value for him to get him closer to his family. Miss him dearly but it was right for both sides.

 

[NDiesel]

I don't find there to be many similarities between Frederic and Lucic. Almost none.

I just hope whatever coach comes in here puts Frederic back at center and leaves him there. There is a lot more Barclay Goodrow there than Milan Lucic.

Yeah, me neither, Looch is a unicorn.

Id love for Frederic to be a Goodrow at this point. I like the strides he made last season, 18 points in 60 games is not bad for a guy his size but still have my doubts about his hockey IQ. 25 to 27 is when lots of guys his size breakout, so we'll see what happens with a new coach and hopefully some time at center

 

[Baddkarma]

I don't think we'll ever see another Lucic in the NHL. Between the way the game has changed and the fact he was such a unique one-of-a-kind player, trying to find a guy like him who is young or in his prime will be like trying to find a unicorn.

Looch really was a one of a kind. Stepped in at 18 with some serious jam and only got better. Bruins need some of his attributes, but it will take several players to get there...