The Athletic - Boston Fluto: Bruins trade tiers: Who’s movable and who’s untouchable

[Durnberg]

Why is Beecher where he is on this list? Honest question..

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Why is Beecher where he is on this list? Honest question..

High hopes.

 

[Gordoff]

Don Sweeney is making and taking phone calls. The Bruins general manager is anxious to deal to improve his aging roster.

Sweeney’s challenge is to obtain value for players who aren’t necessarily among the trade market’s leaders. It’s one thing, for example, for Toronto to receive a first-rounder from Pittsburgh as part of a package for 24-year-old Kasperi Kapanen (36 points, $3.2 million average annual value). Whether a similar market exists for 24-year-old Anders Bjork (19 points, $1.6 million) remains to be seen.

Following are the tiers for 34 players in the organization. They’re classified by six categories of calls Sweeney would have with his fellow GMs.

1. Don’t bother calling

W Brad Marchand
D Charlie McAvoy
W David Pastrnak

2. Make it fast, I’m hanging up soon

C John Beecher
C/W Jack Studnicka
G Jeremy Swayman

3. I’ll listen, but I’m not really listening

C Patrice Bergeron
C/W Charlie Coyle
G Jaroslav Halak
G Tuukka Rask

4. Let’s talk business

W Anders Bjork
W Anton Blidh
D Connor Clifton
C Trent Frederic
D Steve Kampfer
G Kyle Keyser
W Karson Kuhlman
C Jakub Lauko
D Jeremy Lauzon
D John Moore
W Zach Senyshyn
C/W Oskar Steen
D Urho Vaakanainen
G Dan Vladar
W Chris Wagner
D Jakub Zboril

5. All ears if you’ve got a serious hockey deal

D Brandon Carlo
W Jake DeBrusk
D Matt Grzelcyk
W Ondrej Kase
W Nick Ritchie

6. Call back near the deadline

C David Krejci
C/W Sean Kuraly
C/W Par Lindholm

This whole list is pretty much dog-crap. Can't take it seriously. Fluto is becoming totally irrelevant right in front of our eyes.

 

[DaStinger]

I don't understand why this guy even bothers. If you wonna talk trade and team improvement add some depth or ideas. This is an absolutely pointless list.

 

[Gordoff]

I don't understand why this guy even bothers. If you wonna talk trade and team improvement add some depth or ideas. This is an absolutely pointless list.

Mailing it in I suppose. I guess we've all had times where we aren't at our best at what we do but he's in the public eye, and this public is pretty smahhrt and knows the game and the team. You can't just do this kind of job and expect to slide by. I don't understand how his bosses etc would except this unless of course they know less than him about the Bruins and hockey in general and just don't care?

 

[member 96824]

I just called business and asked about the free market value of Steve Kampfer. Business laughed at me

 

[Dr Hook]

I just called business and asked about the free market value of Steve Kampfer. Business laughed at me

They probably also told you to sue your economics professor

 

[CDJ]

You can't have Beecher, but let's talk Bergeron.

stopped reading at that lol

 

[Fenian24]

Don Sweeney is making and taking phone calls. The Bruins general manager is anxious to deal to improve his aging roster.

Sweeney’s challenge is to obtain value for players who aren’t necessarily among the trade market’s leaders. It’s one thing, for example, for Toronto to receive a first-rounder from Pittsburgh as part of a package for 24-year-old Kasperi Kapanen (36 points, $3.2 million average annual value). Whether a similar market exists for 24-year-old Anders Bjork (19 points, $1.6 million) remains to be seen.

Following are the tiers for 34 players in the organization. They’re classified by six categories of calls Sweeney would have with his fellow GMs.

1. Don’t bother calling

W Brad Marchand
D Charlie McAvoy
W David Pastrnak

2. Make it fast, I’m hanging up soon

C John Beecher
C/W Jack Studnicka
G Jeremy Swayman

3. I’ll listen, but I’m not really listening

C Patrice Bergeron
C/W Charlie Coyle
G Jaroslav Halak
G Tuukka Rask

4. Let’s talk business

W Anders Bjork
W Anton Blidh
D Connor Clifton
C Trent Frederic
D Steve Kampfer
G Kyle Keyser
W Karson Kuhlman
C Jakub Lauko
D Jeremy Lauzon
D John Moore
W Zach Senyshyn
C/W Oskar Steen
D Urho Vaakanainen
G Dan Vladar
W Chris Wagner
D Jakub Zboril

5. All ears if you’ve got a serious hockey deal

D Brandon Carlo
W Jake DeBrusk
D Matt Grzelcyk
W Ondrej Kase
W Nick Ritchie

6. Call back near the deadline

C David Krejci
C/W Sean Kuraly
C/W Par Lindholm

I bet teams are lining up for the "Let's talk business" list. Does Fluto get paid for this?

 

[UConn126]

I put Krejci in the 4th or 5th category. He's my #1 trade piece.

- Aging but still good
- Expiring deal
- Replacement in system (Coyle/Studnicka as the 2 and 3. Not great, but servicable).
- Need for high end prospects/picks from years of drafting late first round if even at all

Krejci can 100% return a 1st.

Imagine a word where we actually get Hall. I think he gels better with Coyle's more aggressive game.

 

[UConn126]

Why is Beecher where he is on this list? Honest question..

I'm with you. Seems like a prime candidate to be Frederic 2.0, who's already giving me Joe Colborne flashbacks. Big center with offensive potential that isn't panning out.

 

[BTO]

Lol yes Bergy is untouchable. Bruins win the Cup next year without Bergy on the roster I'm not interested. After he retires fine, but not before.

 

[Deuce17]

I'd listen on offers for Bergeron to be honest. It makes sense if you believe we don't have the roster to compete for a cup during the rest of Bergeron's prime

Right now it's "all we need is a top 6 forward, one or two top 4 defenders, and confirmation our starting goalie is actually going to play and we'll be golden!" so I mean...

As a kid, I never thought I'd see Paul Pierce play in anything but a Celtics uniform, however...dealing him (in the right deal) has provided significantly more joy than watching the Celts have a couple extra 1st or 2nd round knockouts while Pierce pushed closer to 40 years old.

Of course, all depends on the deal. Trade him for anything you can get? No. Trade him for a deal that sets the Bruins up well over the long term? You have to listen to it.

To be fair Saint Patrice takes dumps that are more iconic than Paul Pierce was

 

[member 96824]

To be fair Saint Patrice takes dumps that are more iconic than Paul Pierce was

Nah they hold the same weight.

 

[KnightofBoston]

Is Krejci the issue or is a lack of talent on the wing the issue


Get rid of the surplus of small defensemen and get some guys that can shoot and fight their way to the net and you’ll at least compete next year

 

[BadBruins]

Is Krejci the issue or is a lack of talent on the wing the issue


Get rid of the surplus of small defensemen and get some guys that can shoot and fight their way to the net and you’ll at least compete next year

I don't think Krejci is an "issue", but I do think there there's an obvious dilemma when he's on the verge of unrestricted free agency. Does anyone actually see him in the future plans here past 20/21? Top/star players aging, gradually declining, and then walking..... Not a great model for replenishing that talent. I fully expect this team to be competitive, so it's either trade him now or let him expire IMO. When you factor in the cap space, the potential return, and the open minutes at the center position for upcoming players (Studnicka).... Moving on might be best move going forward.

 

[Tbaybruin]

We come within one game of a cup, win a president’s trophy get a bum deal with all this Covid and people keep complaining as if we suck. Don’t get it. And ya I wanted a cup as bad as any one.

 

[remer]

I put Krejci in the 4th or 5th category. He's my #1 trade piece.

- Aging but still good
- Expiring deal
- Replacement in system (Coyle/Studnicka as the 2 and 3. Not great, but servicable).
- Need for high end prospects/picks from years of drafting late first round if even at all

Krejci can 100% return a 1st.

Imagine a word where we actually get Hall. I think he gels better with Coyle's more aggressive game.

Yes, it is time to move Krejci. Totally agree that letting players play out to UFA status and get nothing in return makes no sense.
See Loui Eriksson- absolutely dumb move to keep him and than let him walk.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Its pretty much what I've been reading on here. Shocked Marchand made the top tier.

Chara and Krug out and noone else in with tons of cap room and flexibility and still a top 5 team in the NHL is kind of what I want. Unless you get a top RFA without too much term or AAV.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

We come within one game of a cup, win a president’s trophy get a bum deal with all this Covid and people keep complaining as if we suck. Don’t get it. And ya I wanted a cup as bad as any one.

Yeah. And you left out the part where we finally have no bad contracts for once. Everyone is on a below market deal. Fans who obsess over those things should be giddy.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

I don't think Krejci is an "issue", but I do think there there's an obvious dilemma when he's on the verge of unrestricted free agency. Does anyone actually see him in the future plans here past 20/21? Top/star players aging, gradually declining, and then walking..... Not a great model for replenishing that talent. I fully expect this team to be competitive, so it's either trade him now or let him expire IMO. When you factor in the cap space, the potential return, and the open minutes at the center position for upcoming players (Studnicka).... Moving on might be best move going forward.

I don't think Krejci was the issue. But trying to build around him, and failing was. Not entirely his fault, as I think the hope would be he did mesh better with some of the other players than he did. And a few of them fell off a cliff. But it was a bit of an Achilles heel for the Bruins long term and short term. He's also probably the biggest reason Seguin became "expendable" as the Bruins were content building the team around Bergeron/Krejci down the middle for the past decade. Not without success, but imagine if the management managed to find the right wingers for him?

This said... expansion draft is coming up. If they can get a good return on him, I think they consider it. If they don't get a good offer, he's best used as our stop gap 2nd line center that we run zero risks keeping and letting walk in the off-season into the expansion draft.

 

[bbfan419]

Why is Debrusk and Ritchie in the same tier?

Agree, I would trade Ritchie for as little as a 4th or 5th rd pick.

 

[bbfan419]

removing the laundry and looking objectively.

aging center who cant stay healthy only playing 64, 65, 61 games the last 3 seasons. 2 weak playoffs by his standards the past 2 seasons as well.

Now, obviously you never trade Bergeron, come hell or high water he retires a Bruin. But just thinking what an outsider would say on the situation. Basically, the Belichick evaluation of an aging player

Love Bergy, but for the right player or players I would trade him. I am like Belichick on this matter.

 

[bbfan419]

They said all the right things at the time, but I could see them dealing him...They have honestly never seemed to be his biggest fans.

I would trade Rask, try for a first rd pick and roster player like a Kassian, then deal for Korpisalo, improves in goal and cap space.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

I bet teams are lining up for the "Let's talk business" list. Does Fluto get paid for this?

He used hockey to cover food around the country, his actual passion. Fire this clown.