Boston Sports Journal Despite a promising preseason, a trip to Providence appears to be in the cards for Anders Bjork

yazmybaby

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Sprong was put on waivers by the Ducks, not sure if anyone picked him up yet. I would pick him up take a chance on him.
He scored 14 goals in 47 games last year, played about 12 mins a game.
 

maxl7

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Jun 14, 2017
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I was never really a Bjork guy but he was undeniably one of the best forwards in camp. Eye test, underlying numbers, you name it. The fact that he's getting sent down and Brett Ritchie has been given the white glove treatment speaks volumes to me.
 
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Absurdity

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I felt the same way about Donato making the team over Cehlarik last season.

With that said, if Ritchie doesn't seize the spot he is given and Backes doesn't play well enough, I hope they go back to Bjork as early as possible. I don't want to see a Ritchie/Backes platoon 20-30 games into the season.
 
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YouTakeTheVan

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I don't mind having a higher threshold for young players to earn their way onto the roster, so when they do make it they're set up to thrive.

Put it this way: Bjork was told he was one of the top 12 forwards and the everyone was told the piece he didn't show was scoring goals. Well, if he goes to Providence and pots a few.... the last excuse is gone and he'll be back.

Waiving Ritchie is a non-issue, who's going to claim him anyway?
 

Dennis Bonvie

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I really dont understand how so many of you dont get this. Do the Math! Backes had a great camp and will get time with Coyle. Kuhlman had a great camp and will get time with Krejci deservedly so. Linholhm is an obvious choice to play in Nordstroms spot while he is out. That leaves either Bjork, Steen or Ritchie as the 13th forward for now. Steen can be sent down and is learning the north american game. Obvious choice to go down. That leaves Ritchie or Bjork. Ritchie would have to clear waivers to go down. Bjork does not. Why in God's name would they send a player through waivers that they just signed when they can send down a player safely who has missed large chunks of two seasons and needs to play a lot right now to get his mojo back when it is likely whichever one stays up will be the 13th forward for now. This is such an obvious decision regardless of how anyone played in camp. Bjork will play in Providence for a while and hopefully dominate. There will be players with injuries or struggles this year. Bjork will get his chance. Patience.

Some posters think pre-season games are the equivalent of high school tryouts.
 

bob27

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There are two explanations for Cassidy's comments, and neither one is good. He either forgot about what Bjork was as a draft prospect, or he's lying about it.

Bjork definitely wasn't drafted as a scoring winger and Cassidy should know that, but I don't really care if he's lying about it. Saying whatever you have to get the best out of your players is what coaches should do and if telling the media - and implicitly telling Bjork - that they project Bjork as a top-6 player is for the best then so be it.

That said Bjork and Steen should be in the NHL since they'd clearly improve the team.
 

Dennis Bonvie

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Bjork definitely wasn't drafted as a scoring winger and Cassidy should know that, but I don't really care if he's lying about it. Saying whatever you have to get the best out of your players is what coaches should do and if telling the media - and implicitly telling Bjork - that they project Bjork as a top-6 player is for the best then so be it.

That said Bjork and Steen should be in the NHL since they'd clearly improve the team.

Based on what?

Steen is 21, never played in North America, a 6th round pick. How does he clearly improve the Bruins?
 

Gordoff

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Bjork definitely wasn't drafted as a scoring winger and Cassidy should know that, but I don't really care if he's lying about it. Saying whatever you have to get the best out of your players is what coaches should do and if telling the media - and implicitly telling Bjork - that they project Bjork as a top-6 player is for the best then so be it.

That said Bjork and Steen should be in the NHL since they'd clearly improve the team.
Hopefully by mid-season we see them both. I like the idea of Backes being rejuvenated by the skating coaching that he received. In terms of Ritchie I'm wondering if it's just a veteran apathy toward pre-season OR if he just has no juice left. IIRC, not sure if it was John Bucyk but I do remember some vets having terrible training camps and then coming alive when the season started. If he's simply lost his zeal for the game though he should be gone like last years Thanksgiving dinner.
 

ODAAT

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Hopefully by mid-season we see them both. I like the idea of Backes being rejuvenated by the skating coaching that he received. In terms of Ritchie I'm wondering if it's just a veteran apathy toward pre-season OR if he just has no juice left. IIRC, not sure if it was John Bucyk but I do remember some vets having terrible training camps and then coming alive when the season started. If he's simply lost his zeal for the game though he should be gone like last years Thanksgiving dinner.[/QUOTE

have to think for the vets out there, TC is little more than just trying to get up to speed, get a sweat going. Can`t imagine the grind of doing it year in and out
 

Dr Hook

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In terms of Ritchie I'm wondering if it's just a veteran apathy toward pre-season OR if he just has no juice left. IIRC, not sure if it was John Bucyk but I do remember some vets having terrible training camps and then coming alive when the season started. If he's simply lost his zeal for the game though he should be gone like last years Thanksgiving dinner.

Backes just had to have a decent camp, and he did. Anything short of complete suckage and he was going to be here. He gets paid too much not to be. It is what it is. About Ritchie, we have to hope this is right. I am skeptical he is going to turn it on and emerge, but I guess you never know what sort of understanding he had with management and the coaches. For all we know he was told to just show up and get his skating legs as much as possible and enjoy the season with the big club.
 

maxl7

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Backes just had to have a decent camp, and he did. Anything short of complete suckage and he was going to be here. He gets paid too much not to be. It is what it is. About Ritchie, we have to hope this is right. I am skeptical he is going to turn it on and emerge, but I guess you never know what sort of understanding he had with management and the coaches. For all we know he was told to just show up and get his skating legs as much as possible and enjoy the season with the big club.


But again, all of that flies in the face of "the best players will play" and "if a player shows up and performs, they will make the team". If Sweeney, et al. want to have a different philosophy, that's whatever but they shouldn't pay lip service to something that they have no intention of following through on.
 

Dr Hook

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But again, all of that flies in the face of "the best players will play" and "if a player shows up and performs, they will make the team". If Sweeney, et al. want to have a different philosophy, that's whatever but they shouldn't pay lip service to something that they have no intention of following through on.

Of course it does. Maybe I am cynic, but I take whatever they say for public consumption with a grain of salt. It is a bad look for Cassidy or Sweeney to come out and say "Backes and Ritchie will be on the roster for opening day" before a single camp workout has happened. These guys don't like or want controversy, but I've always felt, and it seems to be borne out by experience, that a young player on the Bruins has to do twice as much work to earn a spot than an older veteran has to do to keep it, if that makes sense. They just can't say it.
 
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maxl7

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Of course it does. Maybe I am cycnic, but I take whatever they say for public consumption with a grain of salt. It is a bad look for Cassidy or Sweeney to come out and say "Backes and Ritchie will be on the roster for opening day" before a single camp workout has happened. These guys don't like or want controversy, but I've always felt, and it seems to be borne out by experience, that a young player on the Bruins has to do twice as much work to earn a spot than an older veteran has to do to keep it, if that makes sense. They just can't say it.

They could just say nothing at all. But what they're doing results in bad optics as well as suboptimal roster construction. Dumb.
 

Dr Hook

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They could just say nothing at all. But what they're doing results in bad optics as well as suboptimal roster construction. Dumb.

Well, but you see what they say- Sweeney: "Ritchie has proven he can get inside on heavy defensemen" Cassidy: "Anders was drafted to be a scoring winger" blah blah blah bullshit. Then they are covered at least optically.
 
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maxl7

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Well, but you see what they say- Sweeney: "Ritchie has proven he can get inside on heavy defensemen" Cassidy: "Anders was drafted to be a scoring winger" blah blah blah bull****. Then they are covered at least optically.


Not sure it works optically when you and I both see how empty the words are but :dunno:
 
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AngryMilkcrates

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They have a plan to make Ritchie into a guy who cuts inside and can play in front of the net. I did not see that in camp nor pre-season but he will obviously get some NHL games to prove he can.

Don't see why this is such a passionate issue with so many people here. Ritchie could be waived next week, or he could look like Horton.

Time will tell.
 
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YouTakeTheVan

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I think if Bjork (or another forward on the cusp) had blown the doors off at camp they could have forced their way onto the roster. As it was, one waiver exempt forward made the team - Karson Kuhlman. And I don't think anyone beat him out of anything.
 

Estlin

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They have a plan to make Ritchie into a guy who cuts inside and can play in front of the net. I did not see that in camp nor pre-season but he will obviously get some NHL games to prove he can.

Don't see why this is such a passionate issue with so many people here. Ritchie could be waived next week, or he could look like Horton.

Time will tell.

Because it’s an issue of fairness and merit? Bjork is the best player among him, Backes and Ritchie, and yet he’s in Providence. Ritchie, for example, has been parachuted into the Boston lineup and is wholly undeserving of being there.
 

AngryMilkcrates

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Because it’s an issue of fairness and merit? Bjork is the best player among him, Backes and Ritchie, and yet he’s in Providence. Ritchie, for example, has been parachuted into the Boston lineup and is wholly undeserving of being there.

This has nothing to do with merit.

Bosotn is looking for a truck and Bjork is a sportscar.

The sportscar needs tuning, cant do that with the truck(waivers).

So drive it for a bit and see how the truck does. If not well, park it in the front yard with a for sale sign on it.

People get upset every summer about who does and does not make camp only to have all of that be meaningless in the first two weeks of the season.
 
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Oates2Neely

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This is such a BS decision and reasoning on the part of Cassidy. Bjork is the better player in every way. I also think that he’s as much a playmaker as a scorer, so I feel that the coach is being unfair/mistaken in his assessment.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Ritchie was forced on to the team by Neely.
I don’t see it this way. Kid is a scorer, who isn’t scoring. It’s a sound strategy in my opinion to send him to Providence in anticipation that he regains his scoring touch and some added confidence. Easier to do in the AHL. Bring him up once/ if he’s potting goals.
 

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