Official Bruins Training Camp Thread 2014

[DKH]

Maybe Fraser could be a Hortonesque type on the first line, but I don't know if I see it. The shot is there, but the skating is not. Have to say, if he's on line 1 opening night, you're probably right...it may be a frustrating season. There's a lot to like about Fraser and his game, however...I wouldn't say there is enough to be excited about him being on line 1 RW opening night.

It's too bad Pastrnak is missing some time here, obviously it's pretty crucial for the young guys.

I wonder if we see this though:

Lucic-Krejci-Smith
Marchand-Bergeron-Griffith
Kelly-Soderberg-Loui

as the top 9....or even better, if Griffith's emergence is for real, maybe he allows you to move Kelly over moving Johnny Boychuk. I wouldn't mind seeing Fraser-Soderberg-Loui again, they were one of the better looking lines this past playoff run.

I'm told Horton was one of the most dominant Junior players ever and a very good NHL forward- Fraser had 1 point in his first 14 games called up and was undrafted. That is like comparing olive Oil to Tennis pro Simona Halep pre surgery

 

[Beesfan]

I'm told Horton was one of the most dominant Junior players ever and a very good NHL forward- Fraser had 1 point in his first 14 games called up and was undrafted. That is like comparing olive Oil to Tennis pro Simona Halep pre surgery

Interesting, considering Nate never scored more than 68 points in a junior season.

 

[Fenian24]

I asked a very well respected hockey observing fan who saw the game and has seen a lot of Fraser what he thought. He's just a fan, no scout but he's got my trust. He said his opinion is he has a great shot but has 'tunnel vision' he doesn't look for his linemates until he sees a shot he doesn't like. He said he would have hated playing with that guy because he does not use his team mates.

This makes an interesting argument for him on the fourth line though. Obviously if he isn't using his linemates you don't want him on a first line but with Campbell and Paille a shoot first, second and last option isn't such a bad idea. He also used to fight a bit in juniors, not very good at it, but at this point Brent Hughes is looking like John Wensink so I'll take somebody willing to fight 10-12 times a year on that line.

 

[Serge]

Fraser on the first line is not a pleasant thought. I agree it would be portentous of a frustrating season.

Kind of like Adam Oates with PC Drouin on his wing. In the annals as one of the most frustrating seasons in recent memory.

 

[DKH]

Interesting, considering Nate never scored more than 68 points in a junior season.

Third overall in big draft year

 

[ap3lovr]

Third overall in big draft year

Put it this way, when talking about Nathan Horton on draft day, it was the first time I ever got weirded out by Pierre McGuire.

 

[SPV]

I like the idea of Fraser and/or Griffith making a top line for this team. This has been suggested multiple times in the many years that I've been on this message board, but splitting the groups into pairs and finding a productive third player makes more sense to me than stacking your top lines.

Assuming Smith comes back relatively quickly; I think he stays with Bergeron & Marchand. But then I think you find the right player, not necessarily the best player, to skate with Looch & Krejci, and the same for Soderberg & Eriksson.

 

[b in vancouver]

Third overall in big draft year

It was a coin toss whether him or E . Staal should go 1st so of course the Penguins take Fleury ( in the best draft in a long time)
Then they tried to have a do-over a few years later and take J. Staal instead of Toews, Backstrom or Kessel.

If one of the kids make it at RW I won't be surprised if they start the year with Bergeron and Marchand as they seem to try and develop young players or new comers with them for a bit.
Hope Paille earns a job on the 3rd line with as he was playing his best hockey post Olympics last year (if my hazy memory serves). I think he's paid enough dues on the Merlot line to be given 20 games with Soderberg and Eriksson.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

He's not a great skater compared to great skaters in this league,he's a decent skater and somewhat clumsy with an awkward first step,how is this even debatable? Wanna compare him to a Monday night pickup skater,well he's a great skater.

I think he was being sarcastic? Also, my comment that Chara is an "amazing" skater was in the context of him being 7 feet tall. Obviously, when compared to the best skaters in the league, Chara comes up lacking and he is an average NHL skater.

I guess it's a good thing that he has a slap shot of around 110mph, and a wingspan that allows him to (literally) take away half of the offensive zone so he doesn't have to rely on his wheels

 

[EverettMike]

15 days until opening night in the NHL. I hope that's enough time to finish the evaluation process.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

I'm told Horton was one of the most dominant Junior players ever and a very good NHL forward- Fraser had 1 point in his first 14 games called up and was undrafted. That is like comparing olive Oil to Tennis pro Simona Halep pre surgery

I almost missed the Halep thing, had no idea who she was (thank you Google Images ). Just one thing to say about that...sometimes surgery can be a BAD thing.

As far as Nate goes, didn't see him play in Juniors, but comparing him to Fraser (not even talking talent, just stylistically) is classic apples and oranges. Fraser seems to be a pure shooter, not a bad skater, but is not going to create his own offense and needs a set up guy. Horton is a much bigger body, and much more physical (when properly motivated). Horton also was capable of playing center and while he's better known for his shot, was an excellent passer as well.

No issues with Nate as your 1st line RW, Fraser not so much.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

15 days until opening night in the NHL. I hope that's enough time to finish the evaluation process.

As long as Caron, Gangne and Vile aren't cut...

 

[member 96824]

I'm told Horton was one of the most dominant Junior players ever and a very good NHL forward- Fraser had 1 point in his first 14 games called up and was undrafted. That is like comparing olive Oil to Tennis pro Simona Halep pre surgery

Well to be fair, what they do in juniors and where they are drafted doesn't mean much after their junior careers and draft day is over. Colten Teubert will be the first to tell you this.

Fraser has that shot and big body like Horton...the potential could be there to find magic with that line....but I think it's eventually....not this year. Not without him working his way up the line

Marchand had 1 point in his first 20, but that doesn't mean we should have traded him for Chris Drury

 

[DoubleAAAA]

Dammit, why won't PC hurry up and do something so we can criticize what he did rather than criticizing what he isn't doing!!

 

[TP]

Caron is like that piece of corn that gets stuck in your teeth. Pick and pick, but the **** won't leave.

 

[EverettMike]

Dammit, why won't PC hurry up and do something so we can criticize what he did rather than criticizing what he isn't doing!!

The old classic Glen Ordway strawman. Vintage.

 

[GloryDaze4877]

Well to be fair, what they do in juniors and where they are drafted doesn't mean much after their junior careers and draft day is over. Colten Teubert will be the first to tell you this.

Fraser has that shot and big body like Horton...the potential could be there to find magic with that line....but I think it's eventually....not this year. Not without him working his way up the line

Marchand had 1 point in his first 20, but that doesn't mean we should have traded him for Chris Drury

Horton outweighs Fraser by about 25 pounds and is a much better skater as well.

Also, to be clear, I'm not bashing on Fraser. I think he could turn into a pretty good 3rd line sniper ala Ryder, but I just don't believe he's a first line player.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

The old classic Glen Ordway strawman. Vintage.

jesus, relax, he's not trying to make an argument out of it. he's obviously just making a joke.

i mean you know he's right, don't you? people are definitely going to criticize him no matter what he does. It's what we do here.

 

[Number8]

I'm told Horton was one of the most dominant Junior players ever and a very good NHL forward- Fraser had 1 point in his first 14 games called up and was undrafted. That is like comparing olive Oil to Tennis pro Simona Halep pre surgery

Apolgies DKH -- at first I was trying to reconcile how Nathan Horton could possible be connected to a pre-surgery Simona Halep reclining in a vat of olive oil.

Then I figured out you meant Popeye's Olive Oil.

Apologies.... ug ug ug ug ug

 

[member 96824]

Horton outweighs Fraser by about 25 pounds and is a much better skater as well.

Also, to be clear, I'm not bashing on Fraser. I think he could turn into a pretty good 3rd line sniper ala Ryder, but I just don't believe he's a first line player.

I don't either. I've said it in I think my last 3 posts.

Just that I could see him fitting on that line eventually like Horton did because he's got good size and a great shot. I think you and Dan are misinterpreting what I mean by that.

Same way Recchi wasn't a top 6 NHL player at the age of 43, but fit so well with Bergeron and Marchand.

 

[bp13]

I don't really follow the point that if Fraser skates line 1 it's a bad omen for the season. I mean it's not like being on the first line means he's one of our top 3 forwards. He'd find himself on the first line to take advantage of his strongest quality AND to balance out the lines and give Soderberg a player with whom he's had some success.

If Loui was on the first line instead, why would that make anyone any more confident? It just means our third line now has a question mark. If we're gonna lose confidence because Fraser is on line 1, I feel like we ought to lose confidence if he's anywhere in the top 9. What's the difference?

 

[DKH]

I almost missed the Halep thing, had no idea who she was (thank you Google Images ). Just one thing to say about that...sometimes surgery can be a BAD thing.

As far as Nate goes, didn't see him play in Juniors, but comparing him to Fraser (not even talking talent, just stylistically) is classic apples and oranges. Fraser seems to be a pure shooter, not a bad skater, but is not going to create his own offense and needs a set up guy. Horton is a much bigger body, and much more physical (when properly motivated). Horton also was capable of playing center and while he's better known for his shot, was an excellent passer as well.

No issues with Nate as your 1st line RW, Fraser not so much.

There was a time in my life if granted three wishes I was willing to use one on spending the rest of my life with Simona Halep.

Horton was a beast in the OHL but he's somewhat underachieved (on the ice) except when the stakes are high which tells you he could have been better

 

[GloryDaze4877]

I don't either. I've said it in I think my last 3 posts.

Just that I could see him fitting on that line eventually like Horton did because he's got good size and a great shot. I think you and Dan are misinterpreting what I mean by that.

Same way Recchi wasn't a top 6 NHL player at the age of 43, but fit so well with Bergeron and Marchand.

I wasn't disagreeing with you, I was just enhancing your post

 

[EverettMike]

jesus, relax, he's not trying to make an argument out of it. he's obviously just making a joke.

i mean you know he's right, don't you? people are definitely going to criticize him no matter what he does. It's what we do here.

Criticism is not allowed here by some. It's tiresome and boring. Making a passive aggressive joke about an annoying board development is just another tool of shooting down actual criticism.

As for "some will still criticize," yup, different people have different opinions. And if he finally makes a move and it is ****** his delay in making a move won't negate that.

The two things can co exist.

"Took to long to do something, and when he did it was bad." That isn't outrageous.

 

[DoubleAAAA]

Criticism is not allowed here by some. It's tiresome and boring. Making a passive aggressive joke about an annoying board development is just another tool of shooting down actual criticism.

As for "some will still criticize," yup, different people have different opinions. And if he finally makes a move and it is ****** his delay in making a move won't negate that.

The two things can co exist.

"Took to long to do something, and when he did it was bad." That isn't outrageous.

As are "still evaluating", "Cloode loves vets", and "we can't have nice things" memes.

There's no critical thought or reason behind them.

To be fair I was only half kidding, FWIW I do think PC may have overplayed his hand and gambled that the value he wanted would be there at some point, but may have waited too long.