So many Bruins fans wouldn’t be down, but mostly curious if Boston’s max offer would be in the running or not.
2025 1st, Mason Lorhei, Matt Grzelcyk, Oscar Jellvick for Hanifin with enough retention to even out with Gryz’s cap hit.
Here is Wheeler on Lorhei:
I would add that he is not yet ready for top 4 time on a contender. But, he has made noticeable strides in his first pro year. Good learner. 6’4” two way D that leans offense. Really good playmaker in the o-zone. Good skating for his size but with heavy emphasis on the qualifier. It’s including him in the offer that most Bruins fans would thumb their nose at. He will be an NHLer and the ceiling is high. He is also one of those guys with a lot of uncertainty where he is going to fall in that spectrum. If Calgary prefers Lysell, sure that’s fine.
Gryz is there for cap. He has been in the top 5 in +\- for D in his career, but also last amongst his peers in the playoffs. Whether that is about sample size or his size is a never ending debate on Boston’s board. With Calgary having so few D signed beyond this year, you can view him as a test run, but I understand his value isn’t much to Calgary.
Jellvik is a placeholder for any Bruins prospect not named Lysell or Portras.
If Bruins fans were on board (and I’m not sure I would be either) would this get them in the conversation?
2025 1st, Mason Lorhei, Matt Grzelcyk, Oscar Jellvick for Hanifin with enough retention to even out with Gryz’s cap hit.
Here is Wheeler on Lorhei:
Lorhei’s late-blooming but rapid progression has turned a lot of heads over the last few years. He went from undrafted to second-team all-star and overaged second-rounder, to USHL Defenseman of the Year, to one of the most productive defensemen in college hockey in consecutive seasons, an immediate standout in the AHL and a few really strong showings in his first NHL appearance.
I wondered, when his age and size advantage were muted up levels, whether his tools on either side of the puck would translate smoothly. But he has just continued to look the part on offense and defense, making slight adjustments to his game without losing some of the bold command that made him who he was at lower levels. His game is less and less rough around the edges, and his tools have continued to stand out (the 6-foot-4 frame, the confidence with the puck on his stick considering that size, the physical imposition, etc.). He plays hard, he has become more and more consistent and he has shown an aptitude to recover and track back whenever he’s made a mistake pushing up ice. With continued reps, he’s got the tools to be a good NHL defenseman.
I would add that he is not yet ready for top 4 time on a contender. But, he has made noticeable strides in his first pro year. Good learner. 6’4” two way D that leans offense. Really good playmaker in the o-zone. Good skating for his size but with heavy emphasis on the qualifier. It’s including him in the offer that most Bruins fans would thumb their nose at. He will be an NHLer and the ceiling is high. He is also one of those guys with a lot of uncertainty where he is going to fall in that spectrum. If Calgary prefers Lysell, sure that’s fine.
Gryz is there for cap. He has been in the top 5 in +\- for D in his career, but also last amongst his peers in the playoffs. Whether that is about sample size or his size is a never ending debate on Boston’s board. With Calgary having so few D signed beyond this year, you can view him as a test run, but I understand his value isn’t much to Calgary.
Jellvik is a placeholder for any Bruins prospect not named Lysell or Portras.
If Bruins fans were on board (and I’m not sure I would be either) would this get them in the conversation?