Nothing about Vanek excites me. That’s another Drew Stafford type addition. Vanek seems lifeless to me, he’s either scoring or gliding around aimlessly.
There are many of us here that go back to the dark days when the Bruins were just good enough but needed that one kick to vault them into an elite team but they never pulled the trigger. This was especially true during Bourque and Neely’s primes.
Now we’re seeing something I can’t really recall in the team’s history where there are so many good prospects in the pipeline and we’re getting great contributions from first and second year players on the big club.
I think this is the opposite situation for two major reasons:
1) The season isn’t quite at the halfway point and the Bruins are in the top 10 (#9 actually) in the league. The smart move would be to see how this team (especially the rookies) hold up as the schedule grinds on.
2) There shouldn’t be any urgency to mortgage futures at this point. I believe that Don Sweeney is playing the long game and that suits as this team is a solid contender right now.
Are they a solid Stanley Cup contender? At this point I would say no, but the way the league is now, anything is possible.
This is an exciting and fun team to watch and they play hard to the end.
As a fan, I can’t honestly ask for any better.
I remember those yrs to well. As yes many of those yrs the Bruins were just one deal away to get them over the top. Unfortunate for Bruin fans, but it really sucked for guys like Neely and Bourque who put their heart on the line every shift and played with blood sweat and tears for the organization.
Now things are different the Bruins are in a semi-rebuild which has been jump-started by the young guns ability to play at a high level. Back in the 80's-90's the Bruins didn't really have that prospect pool they do today to make that deal come as easy as it would be today but then again today you have the Cap. Every teams goal should be to win the Cup and I feel the Bruins are again like you stated
that one kick to vault them into an elite team. So I'm all in favor of having the trigger being pulled to bring someone in especially with the stock pile of prospects and only so many slots available.
I don't want them traded for a rental but for someone who's going to help this team be an Elite team for the next5-6yrs!
On the same night the Bruins played the Senators (Saturday) Providence was playing down the road against Belleville (Ottawa's AHL affiliate).
Sens had scouts at both games.
Do NHL teams often scout their own players?
#MakeOfItWhatYouWill
@DKH @GloryDaze4877 @LouJersey @Gee Wally @Fenway
It's an option I'm sure.Since we have a ton of prospects, what about the possibility of trading up into the top 5 in the upcoming draft? A combination of picks and a prospect or two could land us a top notch player.....
Any thoughts who Bruins would target from Ottawa? If spooned is an option to go the other way, what a perfect game a couple nights ago from him
Doiron recently came out and said everyone but Karlsson and Stone are available. Now could that change if a team like Boston is willing to cough up enough to make Doiron change his mind? Who knows. I do agree though that Stone would be a better fit than Hoffman and would be my preferred forward coming to Boston in a trade with Ottawa.Hoffman would be nice but Stone is a better fit. Right shot - possible RW for Krejci. A bit younger. Likely more expensive too in terms of cost now and later. A depth scorer is what we need. Someone to play with 37-63 or 46-74. Brassard might look good between Backes and Heinen once the Nash shine wears off.
If Ottawa wasn't in our division - a deal may be made in very short order.
I also believe our Krejci insurance is Ryan Donato after the Olympics. Think Craig Janney. I only say this because of the way Pierre McQuire oozes about him being their best prospect - better than the core of prospects not named McAvoy.
I like Zack Smith, know he is injured and the contract isn' great but a big, aggressive player who can play w or C. I would like Hoffman, Stone as well. Would like McCormick as a "throw in" to any deal.
The idea of professional sports is the win the championship. Not build your prospect pool year afetr year while not making the playoffs or winning a playoff series. This team is a top 6 team. It needs to be treated as such and not an expansion team on a five year plan....I wouldn't really touch this team too much this year. See what the kids have and keep building the prospect pool depth.
From next year forwards can go all in if it looks good.
The idea of professional sports is the win the championship. Not build your prospect pool year afetr year while not making the playoffs or winning a playoff series. This team is a top 6 team. It needs to be treated as such and not an expansion team on a five year plan....
The idea of professional sports is the win the championship. Not build your prospect pool year afetr year while not making the playoffs or winning a playoff series. This team is a top 6 team. It needs to be treated as such and not an expansion team on a five year plan....
Doiron recently came out and said everyone but Karlsson and Stone are available. Now could that change if a team like Boston is willing to cough up enough to make Doiron change his mind? Who knows. I do agree though that Stone would be a better fit than Hoffman and would be my preferred forward coming to Boston in a trade with Ottawa.
Although I was in favor of the Bruins potentially targeting Brassard if he were made available, I wouldn't make any changes to the Bruins' third line. They have chemistry, are dependable, and can produce, basically everything a team would want out of their third line. With that said, JFK and Donato are coming along nicely and can replace Nash next season if the Bruins decide not to re-sign him.
Back to Hoffman and what players Ottawa may be interested in, Heinen and Backes aren't going anywhere so that leaves Spooner, Bjork, Cehlarik, and DeBrusk, four forwards with two top 9 spots available (1 if Hoffman is added). I think Spooner is a given. Hometown kid who has been on a tear since coming back from his injury and seems to be committed to areas of the game he wasn't focusing on previously. Great forward for Ottawa to add. That leaves DeBrusk, Bjork, and Cehlarik, one of which will most likely be the last forward to make up the top 9. On Cehlarik, he has looked great in the games he has played here in Boston and developing chemistry with Krejci. The problem is that whenever he puts on a great stretch of games, he gets injured. Great player and may not necessarily be a part of the trade, but the injuries have to be a concern and something to consider especially if Cehlarik is penciled in as the Bruins 2nd line LW/RW. That leaves DeBrusk and Bjork. DeBrusk is on pace for 47pts, plays a two-way game, and goes to the dirty areas. What's not to love about his game. In time he will only get better. Fans may be willing to include Bjork in any trade because he's the one forward that has been left out of the mix once everyone got healthy, but he definitely has the highest ceiling out of the forwards I mentioned in this paragraph. We saw that in the preseason\earlier in the season when he was paired Marchand and Bergeron. The talent is there. He can end up being a two-way version of Pastrnak (60+ points).
In Providence, I would assume everyone but JFK is available for the right deal. Zboril could be a target. He has elevated his game recently, and there is some familiarity there with Chabot as they were both defensive partners on the Sea Dogs.
Apart from the players I mentioned, more cap has to be going Ottawa's way for any trade to materialize. When you look at what the young players on the Bruins have already accomplished, if the names I mentioned were made available for a forward on the Senators, I would want the Bruins to target the younger Stone.
With all of that said, I agree with @BB88. Let the kids grow and go from there to decide who should be a part of this team moving forward. Spooner has been great, DeBrusk has been great in his rookie campaign, and Bjork will be great. Sweeney will have to make a trade at some point with the influx of young talent, but there shouldn't be a need for him to rush especially since how well this team has been playing.
Thanks for clarifying the cap implications in my post Dom!I won't go through point by point and will focus on one thing only and that is your assumption that more cap has to go for a trade to materialize.
I think you are (wrongly) assuming that the player's full cap hit would have to fit as of today. That is far from the truth.
Two examples I will use (and I will ASSUME no one from the Bruins roster would be going the other way) with everyone healthy.
Mark Stone: His cap hit for the remainder of the season is about $1.8 million. The Bruins currently have about $220,000 in cap space. But if acquired (no roster player going back), three players would have to be sent to Providence in order to get to the 23 man roster limit. Postma, Cehlarik and Kuraly would save about $1.2 million the rest of the year. So you are up to about $1.4 million. And you are still carrying 14 forwards and could send down one more and bingo, you are compliant while still carrying an extra forward and extra d-man
Hoffman: A little more complicated because his cap hit the rest of the year is $2,600,000. The numbers change with each passing day. But still doable.
Cap issues is not a problem the Bruins have or one they can't work out of easily enough.
The obvious trade options = Postman, Vatrano, Czarnik
The good chance will be traded = McQauid, Spooner
Surprise traded = Krejci, Bjork, Cehlarik, Krug, a top prospect i.e. Zachery or Zboril.