Wow. Still flabbergast.
Perhaps there was an arrogance, here, in my thought that Krejci would come back. I thought it was a game with the media and other GMs but secretly, a no-brainer, a f***in’ gimmie of a tap-in when you’re two inches from the hole (golf or ah… other). Don’t blame DK, he doesn’t owe this organization squat.
Still torn on if SweeNeely knew or not. If they knew, they *really* played their hand wrong since before expansion.
All in all, I didn’t hate ‘FA Frenzy.’ In a silo, I like each individual signing. Nosek, Haula, Forbert and even Foligno. Ullmark was a surprise but I’m pretty ‘up’ on that move compared to the board. While none were ‘my’ guys, I like each individually and see what the pro scouting department is advising Sweeney to do.
That said, I don’t think this fixes the macro level - it’s a bit like the law of diminishing returns. You can only stick 10 pounds of crap in a 10-pound crap-barrel. The rest overflows and is waste. Sopping wet with inefficiency. Unless there are other moves to be made…
If they knew (DK46) prior to expansion… it stresses to me that they don’t have confidence in their own creativity. They walked into expansion with open protection spots (I would argue) and oodles of cap space; they could have made some creative gambits.
Here they be, up against the cap after addressing the little problems on their roster – not the big problems.
Going into the season at 2C: Coyle. Studnicka. Foligno? Haula?
All present a gamble, but I wonder if:
Marchy-Bergy-Smith
Hall-Stud-Pasta
Can be effective? Smith has show chemistry with those two. Hall the setup guy, Pasta the triggerman does make sense – can Studnicka keep up? Only training camp will tell.
Or if more defensive savvy is needed to let Hall/Pasta do their thing then Coyle… or Haula, I suppose.
Now, if they don’t believe in either rightfully taking the reins, what are they left with for trade assets to address 2C – especially long-term? Really DeBrusk is their best viable asset on the pro roster; the one who seems on the most outskirts of the organization’s tolerance level. As much as I think Gryz has the most trade value, from a non-core piece component, that’s not how I believe they view him. We are left with Jake and it takes the right GM who so happens to need a LW and is willing to take a gamble.
If they explore RFA status, while they have the 3rd from Vladar, they don’t have their own 3rd (OTT, Reilly); so they’d have to reacquire that one to provide an offersheet. Really the only guy is, you guessed it, Reinhart and Florida has just under 8M in space.
There is also Pettersson, who initially I didn’t think was eligible for an offer sheet but according to Sportnet,
NHL's Top 13 RFAs of 2021: Latest rumours and reports , he is. But the ‘Nucks have about 14M in capspace – however, they also have to sign Hughes. Is it enough room for both players? Even if it is not, I’m not sure the Bruins have the fortitude to do something like that where they are pushing an AAV north of 8.222M at a player (2 firsts, a second and a third).
And even then, how would they clear the cap necessary to get there? They aren’t moving any of the players they sign signed. Not moving the top line. DeBrusk, 3.675 and John Moore, 2.75 – it doesn’t get you there.
By fixing the smaller issues first, they wasted their best asset – raw cap space. They had significantly more than 2/3rds the league (or more) and their lack of communication, adjacent to their concretized lack of creativity/imagination, now leaves them backed into a corner; their success hangs on too many ‘ifs’ and wishes/prayers.
Now, since this has turned into my ode for Mike/Alberta O’Reilly Fan, I ask the hockey gods a simple, hopeful question – can the Bruins get McAvoy on a steal of a deal? That would leave me with a much better feeling if he gets locked up, long-term.