bruinmann77
Registered User
The Bruins need the toughness of JB especially if they are going with Younger speedy less physical Wingers.
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
The Bruins need the toughness of JB especially if they are going with Younger speedy less physical Wingers.
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.
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.
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.
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
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?