The Athletic - Boston Fluto: Trade Winds? Bruins are all ears

[NDiesel]

No. That ship sailed with the loss to St. Louis in game 7 of the SCF. That was the current core's last chance and it blew it. The organization needs to retool or rebuild - whatever you want to call it - and let Krug and Chara walk and trade Krejci, for starters.

But it probably won't happen because ownership likely wants another deep playoff run. Sweeney's hands will be tied.

I find it hard to believe that their last chance at the cup was two years ago, after just being the President Trophy winners. They have holes, hopefully they fill them with guys who can help now and later, but I'm down for one last run.

 

[wintersej]

I would trade Krug's rights now for a decent pick. Carlo I would move in the right deal for a top 4 D equal or better or for a young top 6 forward.

I wonder if they hope that the market is as tight as expected and Krug stays after all this.

 

[sarge88]

In his latest article, The Athletic's Craig Custance lists 22 players who could be on the move this offseason.

One Bruin made the list:

19. Brandon Carlo, Boston Bruins: This is admittedly a bit of a longshot. He’s 23 years old and a right-shot top-four defenseman. Those players are at a premium. The Bruins are getting calls on him but aren’t actively looking to move him. If he gets traded, it’s part of a major deal that brings a legitimate top-six forward back or a similarly talented (and aged) left-shot defenseman. Those aren’t easy deals to make. “I’d be shocked (if they traded Carlo),” said a rival executive. “They’re going to be fascinating to watch. They’re going for it for one more year and they’re going to take some aggressive risks.” Even though they’d like to bring him back at the right price, the Bruins would also listen to offers for Torey Krug’s negotiating rights.​

It makes no sense to move Carlo for help up front not named McDavid, Draisaitl, McKinnon, etc. (which isn't happening) when there are quality guys available via FA. Just about any forward they can get by trading him has a comparable that is a Free Agent. Now the money might not be the same, but when you factor in saving a million or so vs. giving up Carlo, it's a no brainer, IMO.

 

[Estlin]

I find it hard to believe that their last chance at the cup was two years ago, after just being the President Trophy winners. They have holes, hopefully they fill them with guys who can help now and later, but I'm down for one last run.

Assuming that Krejci, Chara and Rask return, they, along with Marchand and Bergeron, will be one year older when the next season begins. Can anyone realistically expect them to maintain their performance as they age? (A couple of those guys are already showing signs of wear and tear.) Even if a new piece or two is added, I don't believe that this team with its current core can win another Stanley Cup. For me, the Bruins need to get younger and rebuild.

 

[bbfan419]

I wonder if they hope that the market is as tight as expected and Krug stays after all this.

Possible, but I feel the money would better spent elsewhere, Krug is one dimensional and almost 30 now, a long term deal at big money could look bad very soon, let him go to Detroit for a pick.

 

[sarge88]

Assuming that Krejci, Chara and Rask return, they, along with Marchand and Bergeron, will be one year older when the next season begins. Can anyone realistically expect them to maintain their performance as they age? (A couple of those guys are already showing signs of wear and tear.) Even if a new piece or two is added, I don't believe that this team with its current core can win another Stanley Cup. For me, the Bruins need to get younger and rebuild.

They can absolutely contend for a cup, with the right additions. Krejci with two legit wingers is a lock for 65 points, IMO. Chara as a 5/6 D-Man can still be effective, although I wouldn't be upset if he didn't return.

Bergeron, Marchand and Pasta will still be a legit #1 line.

Rask is fine.

The time for rebuilding is not now.

 

[Dr Hook]

Assuming that Krejci, Chara and Rask return, they, along with Marchand and Bergeron, will be one year older when the next season begins. Can anyone realistically expect them to maintain their performance as they age? (A couple of those guys are already showing signs of wear and tear.) Even if a new piece or two is added, I don't believe that this team with its current core can win another Stanley Cup. For me, the Bruins need to get younger and rebuild.

Ideal roster management is to never have to rebuild at all, as you have the steady progression of young players moving in. I don't think he Bruins quite hit it right, but I do think they can avoid doing an actual rebuild. They have a lot of good young or prime age players on the roster- the entire defense minus Chara (if he's back), Coyle, Pasta, JDB, Kase, Kuraly and probably a couple other bubble guys like Nick Ritchie, Bjork, Kuhlman, Studnicka. The concern is at Center, of course. I think Brad stays high level for a couple more years at least, maybe longer. Bergeron and Krejci are the issues. They need that legit scoring wing and may need to figure out how to get in a younger top 6 center at some point fairly soon depending on how 46 and 37 hold up. That just doesn't scream rebuild to me. It feels more like address a couple of issues and it's good.

EDIT: forgot the goalie. If Rask is back, then it's good as goalies typically age well and he isn't looking like slowing down. Time enough to get one of our three high potential young guys to develop in the position. If not, that is a problem, but you can get goalies on the market if you need to.

 

[NDiesel]

Assuming that Krejci, Chara and Rask return, they, along with Marchand and Bergeron, will be one year older when the next season begins. Can anyone realistically expect them to maintain their performance as they age? (A couple of those guys are already showing signs of wear and tear.) Even if a new piece or two is added, I don't believe that this team with its current core can win another Stanley Cup. For me, the Bruins need to get younger and rebuild.

Well we aren't expecting them to maintain their performance for another 5 seasons, we literally need them to maintain it for one season and post season. I would bet that Marchand, Bergeron, and Rask don't see much if any regression next season. Chara I wouldn't even want back and Krejci may slow down. A lot of Dallas' top players are similar age to these guys too. Pavelski 36, Radulov 34, Benn 31, Khudobin 34 and Bishop 33. Seguin older than Pastrnak. McAvoy, Gryz, Carlo very similar age of their D corps. They just went deep two straight years. Why can't our core, with a couple additions, not go deep again?

 

[wintersej]

Bruins already got the kinda players you tank for by getting lucky with Pasta and McAvoy. They need to find one more at the center position to pair with Studnicka that is closer to the Pasta/McAvoy level of player. As long as they try to keep enough picks ...I like to think of them as scratch tickets... to try to get lucky again, they can avoid a huge rebuild. They HAVE their next core sans one center.

The idea of tearing it all down is both bad business and bad team building.

A retool like they did a few years ago? That’s totally on the table in the next couple of years, especially if Barkov doesn’t make it to UFA. I’d avoid trading away more picks if I can, but you always have to balance the needs of the present vs the future.

 

[Estlin]

Well we aren't expecting them to maintain their performance for another 5 seasons, we literally need them to maintain it for one season and post season. I would bet that Marchand, Bergeron, and Rask don't see much if any regression next season. Chara I wouldn't even want back and Krejci may slow down. A lot of Dallas' top players are similar age to these guys too. Pavelski 36, Radulov 34, Benn 31, Khudobin 34 and Bishop 33. Seguin older than Pastrnak. McAvoy, Gryz, Carlo very similar age of their D corps. They just went deep two straight years. Why can't our core, with a couple additions, not go deep again?

That's fair. I'm simply not optimistic that the current core (if all players belonging to it are all retained for another year) can get it done, in terms of not only age/wear and tear, but also internal drive. This is to say nothing of some other teams in the division/rest of NHL that will be as good as or better next season.

Boston can still rebuild/retool with Marchand and Bergeron, both of whom won't be going anywhere, and a decent core of young players (Pastrnak, Kase, Bjork, McAvoy, Carlo, Lauzon and Debrusk (if the latter is not trade bait)), complemented by some internal promotions (Zboril, Senyshyn and Frederic).

 

[BB88]

Krejci signed for one more year. Then hopefully he can be convinced to sign a short term deal. 2 years/ 5m per. Krejci has a few seasons of very good hockey in him.

Re-signing Krejci for few years would mean a down year for Stud.

He needs to take the next step and be a top9 C for us.

 

[Oates2Neely]

Re-signing Krejci for few years would mean a down year for Stud.

He needs to take the next step and be a top9 C for us.

Is he even capable of centering an NHL line? He can start on the 4th? Or on the wing similar to Seguin? To not sign Krejci because it would prevent Studnicka from a 2nd line center position he hasn’t earned is absurd.

 

[BB88]

Is he even capable of centering an NHL line? He can start on the 4th? Or on the wing similar to Seguin? To not sign Krejci because it would prevent Studnicka from a 2nd line center position he hasn’t earned is absurd.

That was for summer 2021.

I'm not re-signing Krejci this summer, if it happens it should be next.
Stud is the only good prospect pretty much in the system and the only real shot at quality top9 C they have, so I'm really hoping he keeps developing and Coyle+ Stud can be the midd6 C's for this team 21-22 season, while Sweeney keeps looking for Bergy replacement.

 

[BAD BOY]

Assuming that Krejci, Chara and Rask return, they, along with Marchand and Bergeron, will be one year older when the next season begins. Can anyone realistically expect them to maintain their performance as they age? (A couple of those guys are already showing signs of wear and tear.) Even if a new piece or two is added, I don't believe that this team with its current core can win another Stanley Cup. For me, the Bruins need to get younger and rebuild.

One more year of going all in. If it don’t work out the rebuilding starts.. no more wasting time. This is it. Throw all the chips in . Why? Because I’m
not sure if all of the young players they wanna try out will make it. I would keep them or at least try. Once the rebuilding starts they will have no choice and all of us won’t either.

 

[Oates2Neely]

That was for summer 2021.

I'm not re-signing Krejci this summer, if it happens it should be next.
Stud is the only good prospect pretty much in the system and the only real shot at quality top9 C they have, so I'm really hoping he keeps developing and Coyle+ Stud can be the midd6 C's for this team 21-22 season, while Sweeney keeps looking for Bergy replacement.

Agree. No need to resign Krejci this summer. Let the season play out.

If Studnicka is as good as being speculated, he will force his way into a spot in the top 6. I don’t believe in handing young players roster spots.

 

[member 96824]

One more year of going all in. If it don’t work out the rebuilding starts.. no more wasting time. This is it. Throw all the chips in . Why? Because I’m
not sure if all of the young players they wanna try out will make it. I would keep them or at least try. Once the rebuilding starts they will have no choice and all of us won’t either.

The flip side, of course, is that the rebuild will be a hell of a lot faster and easier if they get value in return for Rask and Krejci vs. just letting their contract expire at the end of the year. Bergeron's up at the end of next year as well.

That's a lot of trade off short, medium, and long term for one more kick at the can, as much as I would like to see that for Bergeron's sake.

I expect Don Sweeney and team to deeply explore both options. Anything less would be completely irresponsible.

 

[BAD BOY]

The flip side, of course, is that the rebuild will be a hell of a lot faster and easier if they get value in return for Rask and Krejci vs. just letting their contract expire at the end of the year. Bergeron's up at the end of next year as well.

That's a lot of trade off short, medium, and long term for one more kick at the can, as much as I would like to see that for Bergeron's sake.

I expect Don Sweeney and team to deeply explore both options. Anything less would be completely irresponsible.

I agree , my thought was I would be trying for another cup for the core knowing that I don’t think they went all in a lot over the years or off season or at least the smart way like the old penguins teams did or Tampa who I hate lol I not saying they won it but the sure in hell tried for the fans and organization too.

 

[BruinsNetwork]

I wonder if they hope that the market is as tight as expected and Krug stays after all this.

If Joel Edmundson just got a significant contract after having his rights acquired, there’s certainly a market for Krug. I don’t think there will be as many suitors, or for as much money as we all thought, but I think there’s definitely a market for him in multiple places.

 

[PB37]

Couple that with really...I’m not sure what he’s good at offensively. Average shot, average IQ. Not a great playmaker.

I think Anderson is closer to Beleskey than he is Nathan Horton. Not a bad guy to have on the 3rd line but most certainly not a target if you’re being honest about your issue scoring 5v5. Anyone that gets Anderson is getting 17 goal, 30 point Josh Anderson. Not one time 27 goal(More than anything ever at AHL or OHL levels) Josh Anderson. If that’s how they chose to spend $5M this offseason...well.....

He's also coming to that age where power forwards tend to drop off. Maybe that's why Anderson wants to get paid now, because of the strong chance this might be his last shot at a big money contract.

 

[wintersej]

Agree. No need to resign Krejci this summer. Let the season play out.

If Studnicka is as good as being speculated, he will force his way into a spot in the top 6. I don’t believe in handing young players roster spots.

With next years UFA class so poor, I could see Krejci coming back on a one year deal if the moves they make this offseason don’t require his salary.

 

[Fenian24]

I understand the "go for it" mentality - I really do.

I just want everyone who wants the Bruins to "go for it" to understand that if they load up for one more kick at the can, the rebuild is going to be longer and tougher.

Longer than the 39 years between 1972 and 2011?

 

[Fenian24]

It makes no sense to move Carlo for help up front not named McDavid, Draisaitl, McKinnon, etc. (which isn't happening) when there are quality guys available via FA. Just about any forward they can get by trading him has a comparable that is a Free Agent. Now the money might not be the same, but when you factor in saving a million or so vs. giving up Carlo, it's a no brainer, IMO.

Have you not watched the Jacobs regime at work? If it was the difference between winning a Cup or saving 300.00 which one do you think JJ is taking?

 

[DKH]

Are they spending to Cap ?

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

Have you not watched the Jacobs regime at work? If it was the difference between winning a Cup or saving 300.00 which one do you think JJ is taking?

Don't you ultimately end up making more as a Cup champion?

 

[Tbaybruin]

Playoffs alway show us that the best regular season teams don’t always win. Teams get hot. Sure you need some talent, but a good coach can take you a long way. Case in point, Barry Trots. I honestly think he is the most valuable person in all of hockey, players included. Look at his record. Impressive.