Confirmed with Link: Holland signed to 2-year extension

[Claypool]

I think what Boston has done over the last few seasons to get back to contender status is impressive. I remember everyone saying they should trade their best players, tear it down, and start over after a few down seasons. Good thing they didn't do that.

They traded several good players in 2015 in an attempt to "blow it up" after missing the playoffs and bringing in Don Sweeney. They made eight trades that offseason.

Dougie Hamilton, Milan Lucic, Reilly Smith, Brett Connolly, Carl Soderberg, and several others were moved out for draft picks. What has kept Boston afloat is Rask, Brad Marchand becoming a superstar overnight and Pasternak. That's really it.

For how well the team is right now, the wheels could come off any season. All their best players are in their 30s. Bergeron has probably two big seasons left in him.

Personally, I think the Bruins are lucky to be where they are. I think the plan was to suck.

 

[Frk It]

Teams like Philly and Boston have been able to consistently find good players later in the 1st round (and draft) to stay competitive.

I think what Boston has done over the last few seasons to get back to contender status is impressive. I remember everyone saying they should trade their best players, tear it down, and start over after a few down seasons. Good thing they didn't do that.

I still contend that there was nothing wrong with trying a "rebuild a fly" approach as it CAN work. Holland and company just didn't draft the right players and make the right moves to be successful. It wasn't the APPROACH that was the issue, it was the EXECUTION that was the issue.

We know the odds of hitting on the picks in the late 1st round, though. We know it’s terrible. Most teams would fail consistently picking in that range regardless of what their approach was. Teams realized this and it’s why tanking exists. It’s why borderline playoff teams like NYR would rather sell off than try and straddle the line and beat the odds picking mid-late 1st.

“It’s been done” isn’t really a good reason. I mean you could say that about the power ball if you wanted. Boston did a lot through trades, it wasn’t just the draft. At least if you are referencing when they actually won the Cup.

 

[Winger98]

They traded several good players in 2015 in an attempt to "blow it up" after missing the playoffs and bringing in Don Sweeney. They made eight trades that offseason.

Dougie Hamilton, Milan Lucic, Reilly Smith, Brett Connolly, Carl Soderberg, and several others were moved out for draft picks. What has kept Boston afloat is Rask, Brad Marchand becoming a superstar overnight and Pasternak. That's really it.

For how well the team is right now, the wheels could come off any season. All their best players are in their 30s. Bergeron has probably two big seasons left in him.

Personally, I think the Bruins are lucky to be where they are. I think the plan was to suck.

Wasn't Boston having some cap issues for awhile? And rumored locker room issues? I know the latter was reportedly part of the reason they dealt Seguin. I don't disagree that they got really lucky along the way, but if they wanted to be bad then Bergeron/Krejci/Chara/Rask would have been moved.

Really like that McAvoy kid, too.

 

[Claypool]

I don't disagree that they got really lucky along the way, but if they wanted to be bad then Bergeron/Krejci/Chara/Rask would have been moved.

If your plan is to stock pile draft picks after missing the playoffs and changing general managers, you're not expecting to compete.

“No, I don’t think it’s a rebuild,” he said on Tuesday. “We have a tremendous core group of guys that will carry and even more tremendous load while we wait for these young players to find their footing.” [Source: Don Sweeney says Bruins aren’t rebuilding, defends trades]

Sound familiar?

 

[dragonballgtz]

So the man who hasn't fixed our defense in 6 season will continue to lead the ship,

 

[Heaton]

Signing a single veteran defenseman (Daley) to a relatively inexpensive deal is doing everything he could to ice a playoff team?

Within reason, yes. A full maxed out veteran team (oldest in the league, actually) is a team that Holland expected to make the playoffs.

 

[dragonballgtz]

Within reason, yes. A full maxed out veteran team (oldest in the league, actually) is a team that Holland expected to make the playoffs.

Or at the minimum "play meaningful games"

 

[Winger98]

If your plan is to stock pile draft picks after missing the playoffs and changing general managers, you're not expecting to compete.

“No, I don’t think it’s a rebuild,” he said on Tuesday. “We have a tremendous core group of guys that will carry and even more tremendous load while we wait for these young players to find their footing.” [Source: Don Sweeney says Bruins aren’t rebuilding, defends trades]

Sound familiar?

They were expecting to be bad while still rolling those four guys I mentioned, throwing money at Matt Belesky and Zac Rinaldo, and then trading for JM Liles and Lee Stempniak to try to make a late push for the playoffs. That's not a rebuild, that's not expecting to be bad. Do I think Boston still got lucky to be as good as they are right now? Yeah, they are. They could have whiffed on the McAvoy pick, Spooner and Krug could have plateaued, Pasternak could have ended up not being the steal of the first round, etc.

They were a competitive club before Sweeney stepped in, they were competitive the two years they missed the playoffs, they're certainly competitive now. They never expected to be bad.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Teams like Philly and Boston have been able to consistently find good players later in the 1st round (and draft) to stay competitive.

I think what Boston has done over the last few seasons to get back to contender status is impressive. I remember everyone saying they should trade their best players, tear it down, and start over after a few down seasons. Good thing they didn't do that.

I still contend that there was nothing wrong with trying a "rebuild a fly" approach as it CAN work. Holland and company just didn't draft the right players and make the right moves to be successful. It wasn't the APPROACH that was the issue, it was the EXECUTION that was the issue.

Boston and Philly have both retooled around existing core players though and in both cases have been aided by some non-playoff picks (Coutorier, Provorov, Macavoy, Zboril, Debrusk). That’s not to say Boston isn’t a nice example of a team drafting well and retooling instead of tearing it down.

 

[aar000n]

Two years ago Boston missed the playoff and we barely made in because they lost. Today they almost won the division. Nothing but excuses from Detroit.

 

[Bench]

Gotta keep the band together that's been so successful. Can you really blame the organization? When you get results like we've seen lately, you do everything you can to keep those guys.

 

[Fil Larkmanthanasiou]

Wtf!

 

[Pavels Dog]

Two years ago Boston missed the playoff and we barely made in because they lost. Today they almost won the division. Nothing but excuses from Detroit.

They’ve done really well but their core is younger. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle Bergeron/Krejci/Rask declining/retiring. Pastrnak, Macavoy and a few others is great youth but not necessarily the kind that carries them to perennial contention.

 

[avssuc]

Where's the evidence of that?
That's a fan narrative.

Look at what Mr. I fired Dombrowski for. It's not a huge stretch to think that may have influenced Holland. Dombrowski did something rational, got great futures back, and got canned for it. It's pretty easy to speculate that Holland was being company man for the sake of employment.

That's the one... and only... reason I have any hope in this new contract.

 

[Winger98]

Dombrowski got canned for failing to deliver a Series for ten years despite having a lot of good pieces in place to build around and a perennially open wallet.

 

[Run the Jewels]

The end is in sight when it happens.

Calling it the "same approach" is complete and utter BS too. You really see no difference between drafting 20-30 and drafting top 10? No difference between having 6-7 picks or 12-13 picks?

LOL, Holland didn't choose to have top 10 picks while icing the oldest and most expensive roster in the league. He's been perfectly clear on how little interest he has with "tearing it down". The only reason we have top 10 picks is because his retool on the fly had been an epic failure. One first rounder over the past 13 years has turned into a quality NHL player. Nearly all of the first round picks that were swapped for multiple second rounders have been full on busts.

Sure, he's made trades once it was clear he failed miserably, but don't pretend this was his plan all along. He's been trying to ice a playoff team.

Many of us were saying 5 years ago that you needed to go with a youth movement and trade impending UFAs. Good to see Holland and his supporters are just starting to figure that one out!

 

[Redder Winger]

Listen to Ken Holland's own interviews.
Ken Holland did not believe in rebuilding.
Unless you think he was lying.

There was a window for "Rebuild on the fly."
It was 2010-2014 or so, while Pavel and Z were still good enough to lead the team. And even then, there was no guarantee it would work.

By the time Holland uttered that phrase, "rebuild on the fly," the window was closed and only a full rebuild was left as a realistic option.

Holland's "rebuild on the fly" was dead on arrival. Contracts to Abdelkader, Helm and Nielsen were just cinderblocks to make sure the franchise sunk deeper and faster.

This "give Holland a chance to rebuild" nonsense is bullshit.
He's had 8 years to rebuild.

If he wasn't rebuilding, that's his own fault.

 

[Redder Winger]

They’ve done really well but their core is younger. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle Bergeron/Krejci/Rask declining/retiring. Pastrnak, Macavoy and a few others is great youth but not necessarily the kind that carries them to perennial contention.

They're going to need centers.
They might have a couple coming in Jack Studnicka, Trent Frederic, Ryan Donato.

You know, considering all the shit the Bruins management has taken for lots of things, including passing up Barzal 3 straight times, they've put together a great group of young players.

McAvoy
Pastrnak
Donato
Heinen
Bjork
Carlo
Debrusk

And they've got some good talent on the way in Studnicka, Fredric, Vaakainen, Karlsson, Senyshyn (maybe) and maybe Zboril.

 

[Flowah]

Gotta keep the band together that's been so successful. Can you really blame the organization? When you get results like we've seen lately, you do everything you can to keep those guys.

I love snarky Bench.

 

[Syckle78]

I'll keep the pitchforks and torches put away until we see how this off-season goes. If he does dumb ass shit in free agency the riot should be on. If he goes down a path of continuing to rebuild and only signing moveable contracts and collecting futures for the next two years while time ticks away on his collection of terrible contracts I guess it doesn't really matter.

 

[Pavels Dog]

One first rounder over the past 13 years has turned into a quality NHL player. Nearly all of the first round picks that were swapped for multiple second rounders have been full on busts.

And how many 1sts have turned into quality players for Pittsburgh the last 13 years?
Do you see no correlation between drafting 21-30 or not at all and struggling to land elite talent?

 

[waltdetroit]

And how many 1sts have turned into quality players for Pittsburgh the last 13 years?
Do you see no correlation between drafting 21-30 or not at all and struggling to land elite talent?

I am not sure if I get what you meant, but that assumes that players picked 22-30 are always better than 30-40. A scenario: The group of prospects rated 20-40 are all rated about the same. Would'nt you want yo pick 2 of them rather than 1?

 

[Pavels Dog]

I am not sure if I get what you meant, but that assumes that players picked 22-30 are always better than 30-40. A scenario: The group of prospects rated 20-40 are all rated about the same. Would'nt you want yo pick 2 of them rather than 1?

Yeah, and before 2017 it was 17 years since we had more than 1 pick in the top 40 the same year. This year we have like 5 or something.

 

[Redder Winger]

Look at what Mr. I fired Dombrowski for. It's not a huge stretch to think that may have influenced Holland. Dombrowski did something rational, got great futures back, and got canned for it. It's pretty easy to speculate that Holland was being company man for the sake of employment.

That's the one... and only... reason I have any hope in this new contract.

I asked for evidence.

 

[Redder Winger]

And how many 1sts have turned into quality players for Pittsburgh the last 13 years?
Do you see no correlation between drafting 21-30 or not at all and struggling to land elite talent?

Pittsburgh has drafted quality guys.
But they've not drafted the next Crosby or Malkin.

Still - they drafted Letang and Guentzel and Murray and Sheary and Rust.
They traded for assets like Kessel