Chris Kelly

[MTaylorJ1]

...

I like his line right now. I wouldn't want that third line without him this season. He's a three-zone conscience that helps Smith and Soderberg do their thing. I don't think that 20 goals is above him either.

Thing is, if he doesn't come close to that or that pace, I find it difficult to justify his place over Spooner come this time next season.

He's generating under a shot per game. In order to approach 20 goals, he'd need to shoot 25% which would be an outlier, he's not that player. And with Rask and the defense I'd rather someone be able to enable Soderberg and Smith in the offensive zone than play 3rd defenseman when they're out there.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

He's generating under a shot per game. In order to approach 20 goals, he'd need to shoot 25% which would be an outlier, he's not that player. And with Rask and the defense I'd rather someone be able to enable Soderberg and Smith in the offensive zone than play 3rd defenseman when they're out there.

And see, I don't think that Soderberg and Smith are SO explosive offensively, that they couldn't use Kelly to keep them a 2-way line. And I don't think that Spooner in Kelly's place gets them there either. Not yet anyway.

I certainly don't see Kelly hindering the production of that unit with his play. They appear to compliment one another.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

And see, I don't think that Soderberg and Smith are SO explosive offensively, that they couldn't use Kelly to keep them a 2-way line. And I don't think that Spooner in Kelly's place gets them there either. Not yet anyway.

I certainly don't see Kelly hindering the production of that unit with his play. They appear to compliment one another.

Don't see him hindering or helping, you don't lose anything by moving Kells to the 4th line for a couple weeks and see if Spooner can catch fire there. I'm of the mindset that I want Spooner to start making his NHL mistakes now rather than April May or June or make offseason decisions without a better a idea of what you have in him.

 

[Alicat]

Do we have to talk about Spooner in every thread?

 

[Mainehockey33]

Don't see him hindering or helping, you don't lose anything by moving Kells to the 4th line for a couple weeks and see if Spooner can catch fire there. I'm of the mindset that I want Spooner to start making his NHL mistakes now rather than April May or June or make offseason decisions without a better a idea of what you have in him.

Exactly, I think for the best possible lineup come playoff time, they should move Kelly to the 4th in place of Thornton, move Campbell to RW and call up Spooner. Not only does he need to get his feet wet, he needs to build chemistry with his line mates.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

Do we have to talk about Spooner in every thread?

No, it would be foolish to talk about him in the Loui Eriksson. Or Krug. But the current player who is playing the position Spooner would be most likely to play? Makes perfect sense actually. Unless when you started the thread you were hoping for 100 posts saying keep Kelly he's adequAte.

 

[Alicat]

No, it would be foolish to talk about him in the Loui Eriksson. Or Krug. But the current player who is playing the position Spooner would be most likely to play? Makes perfect sense actually. Unless when you started the thread you were hoping for 100 posts saying keep Kelly he's adequAte.

Let's talk about the guy who has played the position for the past 3 seasons and not the one "most likely" to play it in the future. Spooner thread is that way --->

 

[MTaylorJ1]

Let's talk about the guy who has played the position for the past 3 seasons and not the one "most likely" to play it in the future. Spooner thread is that way --->

I'll talk about his inevitable replacement in both threads thanks. Sorry, but right now the Bruins are amongst the best teams in the league, and I don't think it's unreason to try and upgrade a position to make them the clear cut best team.

 

[Alicat]

I'll talk about his inevitable replacement in both threads thanks. Sorry, but right now the Bruins are amongst the best teams in the league, and I don't think it's unreason to try and upgrade a position to make them the clear cut best team.

You assume way too much.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

Let's talk about the guy who has played the position for the past 3 seasons and not the one "most likely" to play it in the future. Spooner thread is that way --->

You assume way too much.

Says the person who's made a ton of assumptions just by starting this thread. Did you expect a Chris Kelly lovefest? His play has fallen off from 10-11, after which he signed the contract that you keep bringing up to "prove" that chia is in love with him as much as you are, never mind that pevs signed a similar version of that contract and they couldn't move it fast enough last summer. Then, unlike now, the Bruins didn't have a player to replace or bump Kelly down. I suspect they already think they do now. You also assume that the 3rd line needs a defensive minded center, yet in 07-09 Krejci played that role, and played it well. The Bruins problem then wasn't forwards, it was defense.

 

[Alicat]

Says the person who's made a ton of assumptions just by starting this thread. Did you expect a Chris Kelly lovefest? His play has fallen off from 10-11, after which he signed the contract that you keep bringing up to "prove" that chia is in love with him as much as you are, never mind that pevs signed a similar version of that contract and they couldn't move it fast enough last summer. Then, unlike now, the Bruins didn't have a player to replace or bump Kelly down. I suspect they already think they do now. You also assume that the 3rd line needs a defensive minded center, yet in 07-09 Krejci played that role, and played it well. The Bruins problem then wasn't forwards, it was defense.

You're not worth my time.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

You're not worth my time.

The truth hurts, I know what it's like to defend my favorite player, except mine led the playoffs in scoring twice, yours was -7 last spring, is generating less than a shot per game (spare me the not there for his offense bs, Campbell isn't there for his offense, Kelly got 12 and an ntc to do both).

 

[KnightofBoston]

Exactly, I think for the best possible lineup come playoff time, they should move Kelly to the 4th in place of Thornton, move Campbell to RW and call up Spooner. Not only does he need to get his feet wet, he needs to build chemistry with his line mates.

That's what I would do but i trust Chia to make the right decisions, we'll see him up again soon

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Reason they likely won't be able to keep Kelly around: $3 million dollar per season cap hit.

Don't get me wrong ... Love Kelly as a player, but his cap hit and cap hit alone will sink him as a Bruin.

Campbell's cap hit is 1.6 mil. Kelly only makes 1.4 more than him you can get rid of GC and keep Kelly through the rest of his contract.

IF Paille and Thornton are replaced with kids a 4th line centered by Kelly becomes cheaper than our current 4th line.


I love the thought of a 4th line centered by Kelly. Its basically going to be Merlot or better and Kellys a lights out penalty killer.

 

[DominicT]

Campbell's cap hit is 1.6 mil. Kelly only makes 1.4 more than him you can get rid of GC and keep Kelly through the rest of his contract.

IF Paille and Thornton are replaced with kids a 4th line centered by Kelly becomes cheaper than our current 4th line.


I love the thought of a 4th line centered by Kelly. Its basically going to be Merlot or better and Kellys a lights out penalty killer.

Campbell + Paille + Thornton = $ 4 million

Kelly = $ 3 million.

Add any two kids you want and that 4th line becomes more expensive then the current 4th line.

 

[member 96824]

I've thoroughly enjoyed Kelly's time here, minus the postseason last year(especially the wide god damn open net).

That being said, I don't believe he'll be here next year. Just simply a business and roster thing. We need to get faster and more skilled. Kelly brings some great stuff to the table, as we see in post #1...I disagree his skillset is unique though, in fact, I believe he's redundant on our roster and in the league in general. Leadership is certainly something I worry about in a loss of Kelly, but we don't have a group of young inexperienced guys anymore, they've been there twice, done it once and grow with every moment. Lucic, Krejci, Seidenberg, etc. have grown into such strong leaders.

 

[Minny Shinny]

He's the last player I'd make a player discussion thread on right now. He's simply playing to expectations. Nothing more, nothing less.

The third line has been the most consistent and solid line since the start of the season, despite A. Soderberg missing games at the start of the season with injury and B. Smith filling in on the second line with the absence of Eriksson. The one constant has been Kelly at center.

That alone is worth the discussion. The production of that line (which has been more productive than the second line), and the heaping praise for Reilly Smith, who appears to be a real gamer, and Soderberg showing a level of comfort some of us didn't expect needs to at least somewhat be attributed to playing with a veteran center who understands the system. Again....the little things that don't come across in a box score.

The success and failure of these guys don't exist in a vacuum (again, as much as some folks like to look at individual stats as the sole indicator of success). If Bergeron, Marchand and Eriksson are all struggling as a line, we look at them collectively. If Kelly, Smith, and Soderberg are succeeding as a line......guess what....we look at them collectively, and right now, that line is playing above what we all expected.

Well worth the discussion.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

The third line has been the most consistent and solid line since the start of the season, despite A. Soderberg missing games at the start of the season with injury and B. Smith filling in on the second line with the absence of Eriksson. The one constant has been Kelly at center.

That alone is worth the discussion. The production of that line (which has been more productive than the second line), and the heaping praise for Reilly Smith, who appears to be a real gamer, and Soderberg showing a level of comfort some of us didn't expect needs to at least somewhat be attributed to playing with a veteran center who understands the system. Again....the little things that don't come across in a box score.

The success and failure of these guys don't exist in a vacuum (again, as much as some folks like to look at individual stats as the sole indicator of success). If Bergeron, Marchand and Eriksson are all struggling as a line, we look at them collectively. If Kelly, Smith, and Soderberg are succeeding as a line......guess what....we look at them collectively, and right now, that line is playing above what we all expected.

Well worth the discussion.

On this I'll agree. Kelly is absolutely worth a discussion thread. No doubt about it. But discussion definitely isn't, let's all agree that he brings a lot to the table and can't be replaced.

The 1st line has been the best and most consistent. It's not even arguable. They're +9, +9, +10.

In terms of the one constant, to me that's meh. Not even in terms of individual stats, from watching the games, I've seen Smith and Soderberg develop chemistry with each other, and Smith with Bergeron, and Spooner with Soderberg. Note that there's a name I'm not mentioning there. I haven't seen it with Kelly. He's not effective enough at possessing the puck for what I want out of a 3rd line center. He may have been a couple years ago, but I'm not seeing the same player anymore. Not sure what happened to him between signing that contract and the lockout, but he's been ineffective at the offensive end of the ice, and his contract is such that he needs to at least be effective if not a plus up there.

On a team with a completely offensive minded top 6 juggernaut, Kelly would be an ideal 3rd line center. On a team that needs a blend from all 3 lines, I want something more from there. Would it be great if he found his stride? Absolutely. But I don't see signs of it coming at all.

 

[OutspokenMinority*]

Kelly is the sort of player that only intelligent hockey fans can appreciate. His contributions can never be judged by stats sheets, so stat sheet types will never understand or appreciate his game.

 

[MTaylorJ1]

Kelly is the sort of player that only intelligent hockey fans can appreciate. His contributions can never be judged by stats sheets, so stat sheet types will never understand or appreciate his game.

Hockey fans that appreciate both on ice contributions and statistics do exist. It's not an either or proposition. That there are things Chris Kelly does well is not up for debate. Good defensive presence, reliable player, good in the room, good on the dot. Plays a sound physical game. I can't recall arguing against any of those things.

What I have argued is the following.

1. I don't believe he's playing up to his current contract, especially given the fact the cap went down. He's being paid to do both the little things that only intelligent hockey fans can appreciate, as well as contribute to the stat sheet. Guys who only do the little things get between 1-2m per. When he signed his current deal, he was doing both, that's why he got it.

2. I believe this team already has a strong presence at the dot, in the room, and in their own zone, what they lack is an element of speed and skill. Since in the current cap environment, every other player in the top 8 provides a better value, he'd be the most likely to be replaced.

3. It also just so happens that unlike previous years, the Bruins have a candidate to replace him. Is it a slam dunk that it will work? No not necessarily. Is it worth TRYING before we have to commit to our roster (the deadline) for the playoffs. I think so.

I don't think any of these statements above is unreasonable, or indicative of some lack of intelligence as a hockey fan. It's about providing the optimal team on the ice come spring.

 

[BadBruins]

Kelly is the sort of player that only intelligent hockey fans can appreciate. His contributions can never be judged by stats sheets, so stat sheet types will never understand or appreciate his game.

Honestly, I think most people appreciate his game (even people like me who have suggested moving him to the 4th line). I appreciate him the same way I do Campbell and Paille. Both of whom have shown they can hit double digit goals, kill penalty's at an elite level, and lead by example. Kelly's peak is slightly higher than those two, but that's what class he's in IMO.

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

Would take Peverley over Kelly 100 times and again.

Wow I completely disagree, and Chiarelli obviously does too. Kelly I wouldn't move until at least the off season..hes too valuable of a player/leader. Players like Spooner, while a great player, don't win you cups.

Only player (that would make a significant salary cap difference) I'd consider trading is Boychuk, and given that Seids and Chara will be on the same unit come playoff time..it means Hamilton/Krug on the 2nd pair, which is NOT good enough at the moment.

 

[member 96824]

Kelly is the sort of player that only intelligent hockey fans can appreciate. His contributions can never be judged by stats sheets, so stat sheet types will never understand or appreciate his game.

I think every single person here knows that. I certainly appreciate what Kelly brings to the table, even though I also believe that you can find guys like that spotted all over the league.

But you do have to hold a player accountable for what matters at the end of the day, production as well. It would be unintelligent not to.

When it comes to Kelly, I believe the reason people look to him is because he's making a ton of money for what he brings, we don't lack what he does bring to the table (grit, leadership, etc.), but we do lack the two areas he doesn't bring (speed and skill.). I certainly don't want to speak for everyone, but at least in my eyes...that's where I stand. Nothing against Kelly as a player, it's just purely from a team perspective when I look at the big picture.

Now, I will go back to playing with rocks because I looked at Chris Kelly's stat line.

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

Honestly, I think most people appreciate his game (even people like me who have suggested moving him to the 4th line). I appreciate him the same way I do Campbell and Paille. Both of whom have shown they can hit double digit goals, kill penalty's at an elite level, and lead by example. Kelly's peak is slightly higher than those two, but that's what class he's in IMO.

Honestly think Kelly needs to be gone after this year though..while hes great (like I said above). Soderberg/Reilly Smith/Caron/Spooner/cheap vet/current AHLer could easily make up a formidable/much cheaper third line.

On the other hand though, if the cap goes up drastically next year, he might be keepable.

 

[member 96824]

Wow I completely disagree, and Chiarelli obviously does too. Kelly I wouldn't move until at least the off season..hes too valuable of a player/leader. Players like Spooner, while a great player, don't win you cups.

Only player (that would make a significant salary cap difference) I'd consider trading is Boychuk, and given that Seids and Chara will be on the same unit come playoff time..it means Hamilton/Krug on the 2nd pair, which is NOT good enough at the moment.

Why obviously? Do we know that Chia didn't try and get rid of Kelly instead of Peverley but Dallas wanted him because he would be a better fit there? Chia made a trade that involved Peverley, doesn't mean he didn't want to keep him over Kelly...unless those were three way calls and you were on the line as well.

"Players like Spooner don't win you cups" is absolutely ridiculous. Complete nonsense. How ridiculous is it to say "teams with skill guys don't win cups" ****. Check out the reigning Conn Smythe.

I will tell you what doesn't win cups though, is when you get 3 points from a "valuable player"(your words) through an entire playoff run.