Proposal: Solving Boston's center depth beyond this season

[rfournier103]

Hey Bruins fans, I come in peace. With the likelihood of both Bergeron and Krejici retiring at the end of this year, that leaves Boston with just Coyle as a top 6 C. The Canucks have Miller available, and there seems to be a fit for him in Boston. Not neccessarily this season, but future years if the plan is to continue to go for it. So I thought why doesn't Boston go all in this season while having cap to re-sign Miller long term?

Heres my proposal (with the premise Miller is willing to sign either a 8 year 7M extension or 7 x 7.75M extension with Boston):

To Boston:
JT Miller (50% retained)

To Vancouver:
Craig Smith
Nick Foligno
Fabian Lysell
2023 1st round pick
2025 2nd round pick

Sure a top prospect + a future 1st and 2nd are a lot to give up, but this gets Boston out of their cap issues (-$1,441,667) with just over 2M in cap space. I would imagine both Krejici and Bergeron hit their bonuses, so just under 2.5M penalty carries through for next season which makes retaining Miller even more possible.

Boston's lineup would be something like:
Marchand Bergeron Pastarnak
Hall Krejici Debrusk
Zacha Miller Coyle
Frederic Nosek Wagner

Lindholm McAvoy
Grzelyck Carlo
Reilly Forbort

Swayman
Ullmark

In the offseason, if Boston needs more cap space, i'm sure it would be relatively easy to find a team that needs Ullmark creating the cap space to re-sign Swayman and replacing Ullmark with a backup.

For the Canucks we shore up our prospect pool and get 2 vets we can hope to sell to the highest bidder with 50% ret at the TDL

I don't know as much about JT Miller as my ursine brethren, so I will defer to their judgement on Miller.

As far as the center situation after this season is concerned... do the Bruins have a plan? Can we count on the Bruins to NOT botch the 2023 and 2025 picks we won't be sending to Vancouver in this trade? Asking for a friend.

I would be more inclined to see who gets the number one overall pick and try to pry it loose to draft Connor Bedard. He's a little on the smallish side, but it appears that he has some serious talent. The NYT ran a story about him last month and I was pretty impressed with what I read. I know getting Bedard is the longest of long shots, but consider this: the Bruins have historically drafted and developed defensemen and goaltending (defense) far better than forwards (offense). At least for as long as I've been watching. If the Bruins sacrificed on defense to get a cornerstone center, I think that replacing those losses would be far easier than finding a "diamond in the rough" to be our next Hall of Fame center. And even if Bedard is out of reach or not the prospect everyone thinks he is, shouldn't a serious push be made to get someone as "can't miss" at that position as possible? Part of me just feels like there is no sense of urgency with our front office and I have zero faith in them solving this problem in any competent way.

My two cents.

 

[Kegs]

Jt Miller is fantastic. But expiring contracts aren’t worth this much.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

I don't know as much about JT Miller as my ursine brethren, so I will defer to their judgement on Miller.

As far as the center situation after this season is concerned... do the Bruins have a plan? Can we count on the Bruins to NOT botch the 2023 and 2025 picks we won't be sending to Vancouver in this trade? Asking for a friend.

I would be more inclined to see who gets the number one overall pick and try to pry it loose to draft Connor Bedard. He's a little on the smallish side, but it appears that he has some serious talent. The NYT ran a story about him last month and I was pretty impressed with what I read. I know getting Bedard is the longest of long shots, but consider this: the Bruins have historically drafted and developed defensemen and goaltending (defense) far better than forwards (offense). At least for as long as I've been watching. If the Bruins sacrificed on defense to get a cornerstone center, I think that replacing those losses would be far easier than finding a "diamond in the rough" to be our next Hall of Fame center. And even if Bedard is out of reach or not the prospect everyone thinks he is, shouldn't a serious push be made to get someone as "can't miss" at that position as possible? Part of me just feels like there is no sense of urgency with our front office and I have zero faith in them solving this problem in any competent way.

My two cents.

Feel like you're really softballing in your pitch to just "see who gets 1st overall and try to pry it loose".

McAvoy is probably the only piece in the Bruins system who gets a team willing to trade that pick.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I don't know as much about JT Miller as my ursine brethren, so I will defer to their judgement on Miller.

As far as the center situation after this season is concerned... do the Bruins have a plan? Can we count on the Bruins to NOT botch the 2023 and 2025 picks we won't be sending to Vancouver in this trade? Asking for a friend.

I would be more inclined to see who gets the number one overall pick and try to pry it loose to draft Connor Bedard. He's a little on the smallish side, but it appears that he has some serious talent. The NYT ran a story about him last month and I was pretty impressed with what I read. I know getting Bedard is the longest of long shots, but consider this: the Bruins have historically drafted and developed defensemen and goaltending (defense) far better than forwards (offense). At least for as long as I've been watching. If the Bruins sacrificed on defense to get a cornerstone center, I think that replacing those losses would be far easier than finding a "diamond in the rough" to be our next Hall of Fame center. And even if Bedard is out of reach or not the prospect everyone thinks he is, shouldn't a serious push be made to get someone as "can't miss" at that position as possible? Part of me just feels like there is no sense of urgency with our front office and I have zero faith in them solving this problem in any competent way.

My two cents.

To give you a sense of what you’re suggesting, it’s pretty much like “see if we can pry the #1 pick loose to get Connor McDavid”.

 

[Lobster57]

Feel like you're really softballing in your pitch to just "see who gets 1st overall and try to pry it loose".

McAvoy is probably the only piece in the Bruins system who gets a team willing to trade that pick.

McAvoy, a signed Pasta and the B's first gets a "maybe...."

 

[rfournier103]

To give you a sense of what you’re suggesting, it’s pretty much like “see if we can pry the #1 pick loose to get Connor McDavid”.

I know what I suggested.

I did say it was the longest of long shots.

 

[rfournier103]

To give you a sense of what you’re suggesting, it’s pretty much like “see if we can pry the #1 pick loose to get Connor McDavid”.

I know I’ve already replied to this, but I’ve since given it a little more thought.

Have you ever wondered what these GMs and executives actually do all day? Shouldn’t Don Sweeney pursue EVERY SINGLE AVENUE to get the Bruins’ next number one center? You’ll never hit a home run unless you swing big. Trading for next year’s top pick is a long shot and would be costly, but Sweeney owes it to the Bruins and the fans to at least spend a few minutes looking into it.

Thats what I think.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

I know I’ve already replied to this, but I’ve since given it a little more thought.

Have you ever wondered what these GMs and executives actually do all day? Shouldn’t Don Sweeney pursue EVERY SINGLE AVENUE to get the Bruins’ next number one center? You’ll never hit a home run unless you swing big. Trading for next year’s top pick is a long shot and would be costly, but Sweeney owes it to the Bruins and the fans to at least spend a few minutes looking into it.

Thats what I think.

A few issues with that. First, you can’t trade for the top pick now. It’s a lottery. So that’s a crapshoot as it is.

Second, we’re you to wait until after the lottery, you’d be looking at starting the offer with McAvoy, Lysell, and two firsts. And then adding significantly. Even then, why would Chicago or Arizona trade the pick?

It’s just not feasible - just like when the McDavid draft was coming up. It’s not going to happen.

 

[rfournier103]

A few issues with that. First, you can’t trade for the top pick now. It’s a lottery. So that’s a crapshoot as it is.

Second, we’re you to wait until after the lottery, you’d be looking at starting the offer with McAvoy, Lysell, and two firsts. And then adding significantly. Even then, why would Chicago or Arizona trade the pick?

It’s just not feasible - just like when the McDavid draft was coming up. It’s not going to happen.

I’m well aware that any offer would have to wait until after the lottery, and the likelihood of anyone parting with that pick is minuscule. I was just musing “aloud” about an extreme possibility. Why not?

I heard that Montreal once traded for someone’s first rounder and then sent good players to the other teams in their division. Not sure if it worked or not, but they took a shot!

Anyways, in all seriousness, I’m just hoping the Bruins do SOMETHING and not wait until Bergeron and Krejci are officially retired before they act.

 

[bodacious]

I’m well aware that any offer would have to wait until after the lottery, and the likelihood of anyone parting with that pick is minuscule. I was just musing “aloud” about an extreme possibility. Why not?

I heard that Montreal once traded for someone’s first rounder and then sent good players to the other teams in their division. Not sure if it worked or not, but they took a shot!

Anyways, in all seriousness, I’m just hoping the Bruins do SOMETHING and not wait until Bergeron and Krejci are officially retired before they act.

If you want them to do something that would have a realist chance of getting Bedard, they would have to do what Montreal is doing, strip down the team and tank for the best chance in the draft. Even if you end up with the #2 pick, you could package it to get #1. The Bruins have 10 months before your scenario happens. The chances that they make a deal for a #1C in that interval are practically 0.

 

[BigGoalBrad]

I don't understand why our fans are so bratty. We have 2 legendary players playing for half their market value at center.

I feel like you are all throwing a tantrum and demanding that Sweeney ask Winnipeg to give us Pierre Luc Dubois for Foligno.

 

[bruinmann77]

I would not do it, Bruins need all their top 1st and 2nd rd picks and top prospects, Miller while a good player is also into his 30's, I think after this season you will see the Bruins try to keep the younger core guys like Pastrnak , McAvoy and Swayman and build around them.

Pass

 

[ODAAT]

I`m horrible at trade predictions and such, the B`s will have quite a bit of $$ available next year I believe but with Sweeney`s UFA history, that doesn`t necessarily leave me feeling confident but we shall see. I think Beecher might surprise many and wind up a solid 3/4 C so that`s help, I worry though about elevating Coyle to much more than a 3C.