Bruins fans should care about more than just laundry

[bruinmann77]

The Bruins need the toughness of JB especially if they are going with Younger speedy less physical Wingers.

 

[BNHL]

I never got the impression Boychuk was underappreciated. Maybe his first 2 years but not the last 2 or 3.

 

[BMC]

Why does everyone equate toughness as no skill, or small as skilled and not tough?

I want both in my players regardless of size. Granted it's usually the bigger guy, but we had PJ Stock who would take on anyone...so we know little guys can be tough too

Excellent question and answer!!!

The trick is finding players who combine both. Not easy IMO.

 

[BMC]

The Bruins need the toughness of JB especially if they are going with Younger speedy less physical Wingers.

I agree. They need Boychuk, Chara & Seidenberg riding shotgun out there or the kids will get run over.

 

[sarge88]

Let me preface the following post by saying this: I'm not in favor of trading Boychuk just to bring in Erhoff. That is asinine. I want Boychuk here, think he is a solid top 4 guy and his cap hit is relatively appropriate, and we can shed salary elsewhere.


But anyways...

I understand the sentiment of building a 'tough' team. That we can't get away from what won us the cup. That guys like Boychuk are who we need. I don't necessarily disagree with that. The reason we won the cup in 2011 was largely because of this. The team's ability to intimidate the Canucks, strike fear in their hearts, and basically just grind their wills to pulp. And it worked. But that Canucks team was mentally weak.

The teams coming out of the West these days, the Kings, the Blackhawks, the Ducks maybe? They aren't mentally weak. They are built the same way, to handle that mental adversity. To grind through each game. To get in your head. And guess what? They are also more skilled. You aren't going to intimidate these teams. They are going to fight back and then once that 'tough' edge is gone, what are you left with? Skill and desire vs. skill and desire. And we all know it seems like the desire isn't always there, and as Montreal proved to us, maybe some of the skill wasn't there either.

Again, I'm not advocating for moving Boychuk. But losing him wouldn't change this team. Losing him and not replacing his MENTALITY would. Replacing him with Erhoff is going the complete wrong direction. You can still find the guys out there that WANT it. The guys that are willing to grind out every shift. As long as the Bruins continue to do that (and for the most part, I've yet to see them move away from it). They are in a bit of a cap crunch here, and there are places to free cap space in order to ice a proper team, but I feel as long as they sign guys who want it and have the skill to play, they don't necessarily have to fit this big ol tough guy role.

I just wish there were more guys out there like Justin Williams. By no means a world class player, but his compete level is always there, he can certainly play, and isn't exactly a super bruiser. He can play physical, but that doesn't define his game. Yet he is the exact type of guy that fits the culture of this team. Too bad there are so few out there these days.

Awesome post!

Nobody likes or embraces toughness in hockey players more than I do, but toughness without skill produces little.

IMO the Bruins have had success because they have had several good to great players and among those players they've had more toughness than most teams.

When you can put out a #1, #4 and a #6 defenseman that are 3 of the six best fighters on one of the toughest teams in the league and your first line has two of the other 3, that's way more than most teams can handle.

The Bruins are unique in that they can have a legitimate tough guy, that can handle themselves in a fight vs. 95% of the league on every shift during a game.

Again it isn't always the reason they win, but it certainly makes them unique and is part of the reason for success

 

[smithformeragent]

Devil's Advocate Post

If it's a foregone conclusion that Boychuk is gone, doesn't it make sense to sell high and get as much value back as possible?

He could be a solid building block number 2 for an up and coming team with the cap space to lock him up.

 

[DominicT]

If it's a foregone conclusion that Boychuk is gone, doesn't it make sense to sell high and get as much value back as possible?

He could be a solid building block number 2 for an up and coming team with the cap space to lock him up.

But we should care more than just about the laundry don't you know?

It explains all the posts we've seen about Jared Knight

 

[Salem13]

All I know is I just put on my last pair of clean underwear so for now life is about nothing but laundry.

 

[Oates2Neely]

Boychuk at his current cap hit is good value. Boychuk at $5m + is overpaid. Fans here fall in love with players. I wouldn't consider Boychuk part of the "core". He is what he is, a solid rugged dman who plays a physical in-your-face style. As Bruins fans, we all love that style of play. I just think Boychuk is really overrated here. He isn't quick, his skating is average to mediocre, & his puck retrevial skills leave lots to be desired. Speedy teams like the Habs shoot forecheckers at Boychuk & he is often hemmed in his own zone because of his lack of agility & foot speed.

Fans watch highlight reels & see the occasional open ice hit, or the "johnny rocket", & speak as if he's bringing that on a nightly basis. IMO Boychuk is a slightly better version of Andrew Ference. While I wouldn't seriously advocate dumping him for cap space, I think Chia should let him walk next season if his agent is sniffing for $5m +. Unlike most of you, I don't think losing Boychuk after this season will be that big a deal. Hopefully by then Morrow will be ready to contribute with the big club. If not, I'm sure there'll be less expensive options available. Chia has the trade chips to make that happen.

 

[sarge88]

Boychuk at his current cap hit is good value. Boychuk at $5m + is overpaid. Fans here fall in love with players. I wouldn't consider Boychuk part of the "core". He is what he is, a solid rugged dman who plays a physical in-your-face style. As Bruins fans, we all love that style of play. I just think Boychuk is really overrated here. He isn't quick, his skating is average to mediocre, & his puck retrevial skills leave lots to be desired. Speedy teams like the Habs shoot forecheckers at Boychuk & he is often hemmed in his own zone because of his lack of agility & foot speed.

Fans watch highlight reels & see the occasional open ice hit, or the "johnny rocket", & speak as if he's bringing that on a nightly basis. IMO Boychuk is a slightly better version of Andrew Ference. While I wouldn't seriously advocate dumping him for cap space, I think Chia should let him walk next season if his agent is sniffing for $5m +. Unlike most of you, I don't think losing Boychuk after this season will be that big a deal. Hopefully by then Morrow will be ready to contribute with the big club. If not, I'm sure there'll be less expensive options available. Chia has the trade chips to make that happen.

Your points are valid and I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with him moving on next year if his contract demands were unreasonable. My issue is that IMO they have a very good chance to win a cup in 2014-15. Where Boychuk would/should be a big part of that, as I don't think there is a replacement ready right now.

Miller was great as a substitute for McQuaid, but I'm not sure he's ready for #4 minutes (McQuaid either).

Chara
Seids
Hamilton
Boychuk
Krug
McQuaid/Miller

Is much stronger than

Chara
Seids
Hamilton
Krug
McQuaid
Miller

 

[DKH]

But we should care more than just about the laundry don't you know?

It explains all the posts we've seen about Jared Knight

Knight bashing - nice!!!! Filed away

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

I don't know what the point of this thread is.

Surely, nobody WANTS to see JB go (nobody who's sane, that is).

But, isn't it purely Chia's fault that we're stuck with Kelly's ridiculous contract? And, that Chia won't use a compliance buyout to dish him?

So, what are we left with? M-a-y-b-e one, and only one of: Iginla (but only w/incentive laden contract) or JB or McQuaid or Kelly?

IF that's the scenario, then sure, you'd want to do everything you can to keep JB, imo.

The options we have appear to have are either "bad" or "worse", but Chia's to blame for this; not us fans.

 

[zaYG]

No desire to let go of Boychuk. Guy is an absolute warrior.

I'd rather let Iggy walk than get rid of Boychuk, but you try and dump Kelly before you do either of those. However, if you get a great offer for Boychuk, you take that too.

 

[SPV]

I've said since we lost, and will say forever, that the reason we lost the Montreal series is NOT because of lack of speed, it was lack of experience on defense with the absence of DS. If he's in the line-up, I think we are back in the Cup finals this year. I'm convinced of this.

With that said, I continue to advocate that moving Kelly & McQuaid is still the best, and only acceptable, solution to our cap woes. It gives us enough with the LTIR to re-sign Krug, Smith, Fraser, and a couple guys for the 4th line; and have enough to sign Iginla to another incentive loaded contract (if he would accept that).

I do strongly agree with the sentiment of not trading Boychuk, he's a heart and soul guy, or as Chia used to call Ference, a glue guy. He's needed back there!

 

[BMC]

I've said since we lost, and will say forever, that the reason we lost the Montreal series is NOT because of lack of speed, it was lack of experience on defense with the absence of DS. If he's in the line-up, I think we are back in the Cup finals this year. I'm convinced of this.

With that said, I continue to advocate that moving Kelly & McQuaid is still the best, and only acceptable, solution to our cap woes. It gives us enough with the LTIR to re-sign Krug, Smith, Fraser, and a couple guys for the 4th line; and have enough to sign Iginla to another incentive loaded contract (if he would accept that).

I do strongly agree with the sentiment of not trading Boychuk, he's a heart and soul guy, or as Chia used to call Ference, a glue guy. He's needed back there!

Hear, hear!!!!

With Seids back there this is basically the same time that took the Blackhawks to six games in 2013. Without him...well we all know what happened. I hope he will be 100% when camp opens. Has there been any word on his progress?

 

[DitClapper]

Hear, hear!!!!

With Seids back there this is basically the same time that took the Blackhawks to six games in 2013. Without him...well we all know what happened. I hope he will be 100% when camp opens. Has there been any word on his progress?

Still lacking a scorer. If Eriksson and Smith are our top RW's, it could get a little shaky. But other than that, we're still a solid team.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Erhoff we don't need. Krug and Dougie bring what he does and are better.


Boychuk will stay and unfortunately could walk in free agency. Too important to not take another year of. If Seidenberg and Chara struggle at all Boychuk walking becomes unfathomable though and he needs to be kept at any cost. He only leaves if Hamilton, Seids, and Z have big years.


We turned into Vancouver East against Montreal. It sucks but we dominated the regular season you have to bring the same crew back and have a final crack with Chara and Seids with Boychuk in the mix. Need a faster and cheaper bottom 6 and no turnover on the blue line and we'll be fine can even handle losing Iggy. Few wingers with size that are close to NHL level in the system and 2 good center prospects behind our big 3. Good young goalie. Its a good team.

 

[wintersej]

As has been stated many times, no one WANTS to move Boychuk and no one underestimates the physicality he brings and how important that is to the culture of the team, and, in turn, how important developing a culture in a locker room is.

However, we do live in a cap world and IF you think Boychuk will get a sniff of free agency then you have to assume he will be gone. Just don't see the Bruins matching the offers of teams like EDM or Dallas.

Boychuk is an excellent, EXCELLENT complementary piece, but the core of the team is Bergeron, Chara and Rask. Those are the elite guys. You could add Lucic for his uniqueness in the top 6 and cultural effect, and Hamilton for his future effect to that group, or maybe, MAYBE, Krejci, but even he is a replaceable non-elite guy. To keep winning in this league, sometimes you have to let complementary pieces go and rebuild with youth around your core when your parts get too expensive (i.e. Chicago). And sometimes you have to let them go too early instead of too late (see Kelly, Chris).

If you think Boychuk is gone, and the Bruins are in a cap bind, and you can get young NHL ready ELC type talent that fit the Bruins style you have to at least look into it, don't you?

Obviously, the big wrench in this argument is the "Chara window" and balancing future needs and immediate needs based on that and if you think a Bergeron/Rask/Hamilton/Lucic core is a true Cup core or not. If you don't, then by all means, go for it now. Shoot. Trade Dougie if you need to. If you think that a Bergeron/Rask/Hamilton/Lucic core could get it done with the right complimentary pieces around it, well, you can't just think about 2014-2015. Again, not advocating moving Boychuk for just cap room, but if you can get a young cheap guy with top 6 upside, a current top 6 guy on a good contract, or a top 3 upside young D for him that plays the Bruins style AND it allows you to resign Iggy in the short term, you have to think about it.

That being said, and it may sound crazy, but over time I've really started to talk myself into the idea that Boychuk, not Krejci, should be the number one priority when it comes to resigning our guys and that PC should be poking around and seeing what the market for Krejci is.

Bergeron/Soderberg/Spooner(or Kelly or Koko) + the return for Krejci + resigning Iginla + keeping Boychuk

or

Bergeron/Krejci/Soderberg + Spooner at wing/return for Spooner + not resigning Iginla + maybe losing Boychuk

I think I might take the former. I mean these line combo's aint shabby, and this is assuming we can't move Kelly and that we only get futures for Krejci and that Savard isn't put on LTIR until after the season starts:

CAPGEEK.COM ARMCHAIR GM ROSTER
CapGeek Armchair GM Roster
FORWARDS
Brad Marchand ($4.500m) / Patrice Bergeron ($6.500m) / Reilly Smith ($2.500m)
Milan Lucic ($6.000m) / Carl Soderberg ($1.008m) / Loui Eriksson ($4.250m)
Chris Kelly ($3.000m) / Ryan Spooner ($0.760m) / Jarome Iginla ($2.000m) - bonus based 1yr deal
Daniel Paille ($1.300m) / Matt Lindblad ($0.834m) / Matt Fraser ($0.688m)
Marc Savard ($4.027m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Zdeno Chara ($6.917m) / Johnny Boychuk ($3.367m)
Dennis Seidenberg ($4.000m) / Dougie Hamilton ($0.894m)
Torey Krug ($2.500m) / Kevan Miller ($0.800m)
Matt Bartkowski ($0.800m) /
GOALTENDERS
Tuukka Rask ($7.000m)
Niklas Svedberg ($0.600m)
BONUS OVERAGE
$4,750,000
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $69,000,000; CAP PAYROLL: $68,994,226; BONUSES: $801,250
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $5,774

Or maybe you move Krejci + Kelly for Perron + futures. A 3rd line of Perron/Spooner/Iginla is pretty damn sweet...and cap compliant and we still have a top 4 of 33/55 + 44/27!