The Athletic - Boston Neely: "We have to be as brutally honest as possible"

[Spooner st]

What opportunities? They get very few. And even in the case of Senyshyn this year, he got hurt and per dom, they kept him back in Providence because of potential time played bonuses. And they supposedly did that for a lot of guys as well, like Vaak and Zboril. Not for nothing, but I'd at least want to know if they have anything in those guys before they write them off. So why not give them a shot to see?

They already know what they have. Just trade them or let them go already ffs.

 

[BruinDust]

Actually Sweeney picked up Rick Nash - absolutely the right guy without vertigo courtesy of that dirt bag Cedric Paquette.

Coyle & Johansson home runs

I'm not talking deadline deals, but some a small deal I'll say early-to-mid season to bring in a guy who can help in the bottom half of the line-up.

You see other GMs make these types of deals all the time. Every deal Sweeney has ever made has either been

1) Early July

2) Before the season opener

3) Trade deadline.

In 5 years at the helm he's made just one deal outside these times of the year (Carey-Golobuf)

I'll use an example, on Dec. 2 Vegas traded a 5th rounder for Chandler Stephenson. He helped solidify their 3rd line and didn't cost much. Worst case they got a quality 4th liner for pennies.

So if Zboril/Senyshyn/Kuhlman/Frederic/etc. aren't up to the task, Sweeney should be able to make a deal like the example above to fill in the gap during the heart of the season, not just at the deadline.

No reason to go out at the start of free agency and load up on the same caliber of player (3rd-4th line F and 3rd pairing D) you can acquire in trade for a really a small cost.

I'm not trying to trash Sweeney but his inability/lack of desire to make any sort of deals mid-season is concerning.

 

[NeelyDan]

I went searching for a Bruins draft primer, and this came up - this may not be the appropriate thread, so mods please move if you deem necessary. I just thought it was super interesting to look back.

https://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/224/boston_bruins_prospect_roundup_and_draft_primer/

 

[JOKER 192]

They already know what they have. Just trade them or let them go already ffs.

They have zero value on the trade market.

 

[Deuce17]

I went searching for a Bruins draft primer, and this came up - this may not be the appropriate thread, so mods please move if you deem necessary. I just thought it was super interesting to look back.

Boston Bruins Prospect Round-Up and Draft Primer - Hockey's Future

I found that interesting but am I crazy or is that from 1999?

 

[Blowfish]

Actually Sweeney picked up Rick Nash - absolutely the right guy without vertigo courtesy of that dirt bag Cedric Paquette.

Coyle & Johansson home runs

The pool of available trade deadline players was weak so I give bruins credit for picking him up however some of us & hockey gurus weren't sold on Nash knowing his history.

I thought Nash was okay however at the time of the trade (Boston gave up too much) Nash was a known under performer in the playoffs, on a rapid production decline, and prone to injuries...concussion history led to his ultimate decision to retire. Yes Cedric didn't help but the playoffs are not as forgiving as regular season. It was a risk the bruins decided to take.

Coyle and Mojo were absolute home runs too bad Don didn't pursue Mojo the following year. Sabres with a pretty decent deal. Maybe it's time to reach out to the Sabres?

 

[NeelyDan]

I found that interesting but am I crazy or is that from 1999?

that's why I found it interesting - seeing some of those old names, how few made an impact, etc.

 

[DKH]

The pool of available trade deadline players was weak so I give bruins credit for picking him up however some of us & hockey gurus weren't sold on Nash knowing his history.

I thought Nash was okay however at the time of the trade (Boston gave up too much) Nash was a known under performer in the playoffs, on a rapid production decline, and prone to injuries...concussion history led to his ultimate decision to retire. Yes Cedric didn't help but the playoffs are not as forgiving as regular season. It was a risk the bruins decided to take.

Coyle and Mojo were absolute home runs too bad Don didn't pursue Mojo the following year. Sabres with a pretty decent deal. Maybe it's time to reach out to the Sabres?

Nash was my guy back then so have to stick with it

Reason number I want Tampa losing to Islanders or Dallas is Paquette hit that ruined Nash, the Bruins, and I have to listen to excessive shit this was a bad move

 

[DKH]

I'm not talking deadline deals, but some a small deal I'll say early-to-mid season to bring in a guy who can help in the bottom half of the line-up.

You see other GMs make these types of deals all the time. Every deal Sweeney has ever made has either been

1) Early July

2) Before the season opener

3) Trade deadline.

In 5 years at the helm he's made just one deal outside these times of the year (Carey-Golobuf)

I'll use an example, on Dec. 2 Vegas traded a 5th rounder for Chandler Stephenson. He helped solidify their 3rd line and didn't cost much. Worst case they got a quality 4th liner for pennies.

So if Zboril/Senyshyn/Kuhlman/Frederic/etc. aren't up to the task, Sweeney should be able to make a deal like the example above to fill in the gap during the heart of the season, not just at the deadline.

No reason to go out at the start of free agency and load up on the same caliber of player (3rd-4th line F and 3rd pairing D) you can acquire in trade for a really a small cost.

I'm not trying to trash Sweeney but his inability/lack of desire to make any sort of deals mid-season is concerning.

They were running away with it this year and did flip Heinen

last year they went big with Coyle then minor with MoJo

If not for COVID & Oskar Sundqvist, Bruce Cassidy boat is named ‘back to back’

 

[DKH]

Absolutely- no one is questioning those moves. On the other hand, maybe one or more them become unnecessary if they actually developed a prospect for the role instead of leaving them in Providence and then benching them repeatedly if they make mistakes when they do get a call up that finally ends in a send down. That is what we are talking about here. It's perfectly fine to go shop at the trade deadline if you have a need, but I think the beef here is that they are not bothering to really find out what they have in their prospects because the ice time is taken up by bottom 6/bottom pairing grinder types

Right now I’m looking at
1. Are they spending to Cap
2. If so I inquire with Hall 5/40
3. Then Hoffman 5/30
4. Trade for 2021 UFA Brandon Saad

 

[Dr Hook]

Right now I’m looking at
1. Are they spending to Cap
2. If so I inquire with Hall 5/40
3. Then Hoffman 5/30
4. Trade for 2021 UFA Brandon Saad

That is what I think they should do also- find a legit scoring wing for the second line, that has been a need, prospects or no prospects for a long time. I don't consider JDB a real solution there just yet. Sometimes he is, just as often he isn't. But I do wish they'd push harder on development in areas of need. They know and have known they need a scoring winger for the top 6 for a long time. Why not try to find that within the system. If it works out, great. If not, you can still make a deadline deal. This year should be the year of Bjork and Senny- give them regular time and see what they have. Maybe one or both, or Studnicka, or someone gives you some answers so you don't have to overpay some UFA down the line.

 

[BB88]

With Hall.

Could they offer a bit less money for the 1st 2 seasons, then the money is at it’s highest on the middle years snd comes back for the final year or 2, the expected decline years if they are nervous on paying big money today due to Covid?

 

[Gordoff]

With Hall.

Could they offer a bit less money for the 1st 2 seasons, then the money is at it’s highest on the middle years snd comes back for the final year or 2, the expected decline years if they are nervous on paying big money today due to Covid?

I doubt that Hall would agree to it unless he's paid top dollar in those "middle years."

 

[kdog82]

I’d like Hall too but this is the Bruins we are talking about. Sweeney wants Hall, offers him 6 million per year.

 

[Gordoff]

I'm not talking deadline deals, but some a small deal I'll say early-to-mid season to bring in a guy who can help in the bottom half of the line-up.

You see other GMs make these types of deals all the time. Every deal Sweeney has ever made has either been

1) Early July

2) Before the season opener

3) Trade deadline.

In 5 years at the helm he's made just one deal outside these times of the year (Carey-Golobuf)

I'll use an example, on Dec. 2 Vegas traded a 5th rounder for Chandler Stephenson. He helped solidify their 3rd line and didn't cost much. Worst case they got a quality 4th liner for pennies.

So if Zboril/Senyshyn/Kuhlman/Frederic/etc. aren't up to the task, Sweeney should be able to make a deal like the example above to fill in the gap during the heart of the season, not just at the deadline.

No reason to go out at the start of free agency and load up on the same caliber of player (3rd-4th line F and 3rd pairing D) you can acquire in trade for a really a small cost.

I'm not trying to trash Sweeney but his inability/lack of desire to make any sort of deals mid-season is concerning.

Maybe it's good that the whole timeline schedule this season is changed in terms of the draft, free agency etc. It feels as though he's in a rut and only does certain things (as you described above) at particular times... This breaks the pattern, hopefully the one in his mind. Maybe he'll think outside that box

 

[BruinDust]

Maybe it's good that the whole timeline schedule this season is changed in terms of the draft, free agency etc. It feels as though he's in a rut and only does certain things (as you described above) at particular times... This breaks the pattern, hopefully the one in his mind.

I think he's going to be busy. That's my gut feeling.

 

[Baddkarma]

Nash was my guy back then so have to stick with it

Reason number I want Tampa losing to Islanders or Dallas is Paquette hit that ruined Nash, the Bruins, and I have to listen to excessive shit this was a bad move

His injury history is part of the deal. The Bruins gambled and lost on Nash. Too bad the haters of the deal, like me, were right. They were primed for a run again.

Agreed that the Paquette and the Bolts are cheap and need to be dealt with next year. They have taken multiple cheap shots and liberties against the Bruins for the last three seasons. It needs to stop. The only way it stops is with players who are tough, not tough guys that can't play.

 

[Gordoff]

I'm not talking deadline deals, but some a small deal I'll say early-to-mid season to bring in a guy who can help in the bottom half of the line-up.

You see other GMs make these types of deals all the time. Every deal Sweeney has ever made has either been

1) Early July

2) Before the season opener

3) Trade deadline.

In 5 years at the helm he's made just one deal outside these times of the year (Carey-Golobuf)

I'll use an example, on Dec. 2 Vegas traded a 5th rounder for Chandler Stephenson. He helped solidify their 3rd line and didn't cost much. Worst case they got a quality 4th liner for pennies.

So if Zboril/Senyshyn/Kuhlman/Frederic/etc. aren't up to the task, Sweeney should be able to make a deal like the example above to fill in the gap during the heart of the season, not just at the deadline.

No reason to go out at the start of free agency and load up on the same caliber of player (3rd-4th line F and 3rd pairing D) you can acquire in trade for a really a small cost.

I'm not trying to trash Sweeney but his inability/lack of desire to make any sort of deals mid-season is concerning.

^^^^^^^^^^^This is the post that I meant to reply to. Excellent post!

 

[BB88]

I doubt that Hall would agree to it unless he's paid top dollar in those "middle years."

I'm not saying 4-5M but ranging from 7 to 10M making the average around 8.xM.

 

[BAD BOY]

This one is pretty easy.. Sweeney wanted a bridge rebuild . Which is stay competitive and get bounced in the first or second round of the playoffs. He wanted a rebuild with the younger players. But something went wrong and it was because the prospects and young players he might have drafted aren’t very good. Besides McAvoy and Pasta what young player on there your like WOW! Yeah he’s a keeper! So now he might move good players of the roster... Debrusk ( maybe) Rask ( doubt it) Carlo ( unlikely) DK ( maybe) don’t move just one of them and tell me your rebuilding or going for it. It doesn’t work that way. You can’t rebuild with Bergeron, Marchand, DK, Rask, Chara, Halak, Moore, on the roster , well not chara but the rest. It means no F/A , all drafting , moving players out on lopsided deals. Why they can’t figure this out is unreal but I’m not surprised. Here’s something for you are you ready for this .. if you wanna move Carlo how about seeing if you can get a number one center for him and drop Bergeron down on the the 2nd line C spot. That might work if you do something . Come on down JL,UV, your playing minutes now. It won’t work playing them 10 minutes a game .. scratching them for two games and going back in. Now would I do it..NO. But it would look like something I just said IMO.


What I would do is add on with the core. If they aren’t contenders which I know they will be , it’s all good. If come late FEB/MAR and they stink start moving good players for pieces probably not Bergeron but the rest make an offer. Plus don’t tell me you can’t get a first rd pick for any of those players when I see over the hill shit bums attract first rd picks. They will be some team that thinks they’re great and overpay. Trust me it happens every year at the TDL.

 

[Blowfish]

Neely scares me...can't but think he was heavily involved infuencing....

Sequin, Drafting, Trades, Player Roster decisions.

Hoping he's a Covid casualty when he questions "brutally honest" question.

 

[Blowfish]

Yes it was easy to see backes would break down. Hell nearly everyone called it immediately.

Double that with trading away a massive fan favorite and ideal Bruin for those exact same concerns.

Hayes was easy to see. They traded a 50pt player for a guy with 66 points in 170 games. Hayes sucked before coming here, but all they saw was 6'5 and get rid of soft Reilly

Beleskey was a 20pt player that they signed on the heels of 1 "breakout" season, as much as 32 points can be called breaking out.

All 3 were clearly them going for any size and ignoring all red flags. They pissed on our head and tried to tell us it was raining.

There was no "ghost of former selves" they were exactly what they are here. Fringe NHL'ers

This post hurts because all of the above were obvious to so many but Neely.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Neely scares me...can't but think he was heavily involved infuencing....

Sequin, Drafting, Trades, Player Roster decisions.

Hoping he's a Covid casualty when he questions "brutally honest" question.

Sweeney is the GM, not Neely.

Hoping he's a Covid casualty?

 

[DKH]

that's why I found it interesting - seeing some of those old names, how few made an impact, etc.

I was a huge Jeff Zehr fan for real

 

[DKH]

Neely scares me...can't but think he was heavily involved infuencing....

Sequin, Drafting, Trades, Player Roster decisions.

Hoping he's a Covid casualty when he questions "brutally honest" question.

Neely catches crap but he wants uptempo team that can crush you

he’s exactly what I want for vision

This team last 2 years was at least a top 10 team - oh wait I added a 0

SMILEY FACE LAUGHING

apparently they took away