smithformeragent
Moderator
There has been a lot of discussion and debate surrounding Chiarelli falling in love with his core given the extension of Krejci. I think it would be interesting to sort of flesh out this team's short and long term chances at another cup.
Some of the items I'd like to touch on are as follows:
1. The Core Who constitutes the core? I think we can all agree that you start with Rask, Chara, Bergeron and Krejci. Do you include Hamilton, Seidenberg and Lucic? Does it matter? For reference, Bergeron, Krejci, Chara, Seidenberg and Rask are all signed for the next four years or more. 2 FWD, 2D, 1G. Neither of the forwards are wings.
2. Age This is tied directly to the core. We all know that Chara isn't getting better at this point. Bergeron and Krejci are approaching 30. Rask is 27. How long can the core players produce at their best ability? How sharp will their drop off be and at what point are their contracts poor value?
3. Organizational Depth The ability to draft and develop. This organization is haunted by the misses on Caron and Hammill. However, they have connected on guys in the 2nd round. They've made changes to their scouting and draft team. What's in the cupboard and what are their needs in order to supplement what they have?
4. The Salary Cap All indications are that it will rise. What are some of the cap implications on this team? Who are the potential cap casualties and do you move on early in order to maximize return or do you hold onto them and let them play out their deals in the hopes of winning a cup? I'll also tie the Bruins ability to attract free agents to Boston here. Are players willing to take less to come to Boston? I think back to 2005/2006 and then the 2006 off season where they had to "overpay" for Chara and Savard in order to make a statement. The culture has changed. They have the ability to bring in tertiary pieces in order to augment the core. I think you'll see reclamation projects want to come to Boston for a year at short money in order to boost their value.
5. The Conference The general consensus is that the East is inferior to the West which makes the path that much easier. Who in the conference scares you? Which teams are on the rise and which are on the decline. We can tie the divisional playoff format into this as well. Does having to go through a Montreal in the playoffs change how you build a club? Style of play?
6. The Clode Is he tied directly to the core? Is his window of opportunity the same as theirs? How much slack does he get? Does the system work or does it need to evolve in order to match up to certain trends in the league?
In conclusion, what would you say the Bruins odds are to win the conference this season? The cup this season? Number of cups in the next 5 seasons?
Some of the items I'd like to touch on are as follows:
1. The Core Who constitutes the core? I think we can all agree that you start with Rask, Chara, Bergeron and Krejci. Do you include Hamilton, Seidenberg and Lucic? Does it matter? For reference, Bergeron, Krejci, Chara, Seidenberg and Rask are all signed for the next four years or more. 2 FWD, 2D, 1G. Neither of the forwards are wings.
2. Age This is tied directly to the core. We all know that Chara isn't getting better at this point. Bergeron and Krejci are approaching 30. Rask is 27. How long can the core players produce at their best ability? How sharp will their drop off be and at what point are their contracts poor value?
3. Organizational Depth The ability to draft and develop. This organization is haunted by the misses on Caron and Hammill. However, they have connected on guys in the 2nd round. They've made changes to their scouting and draft team. What's in the cupboard and what are their needs in order to supplement what they have?
4. The Salary Cap All indications are that it will rise. What are some of the cap implications on this team? Who are the potential cap casualties and do you move on early in order to maximize return or do you hold onto them and let them play out their deals in the hopes of winning a cup? I'll also tie the Bruins ability to attract free agents to Boston here. Are players willing to take less to come to Boston? I think back to 2005/2006 and then the 2006 off season where they had to "overpay" for Chara and Savard in order to make a statement. The culture has changed. They have the ability to bring in tertiary pieces in order to augment the core. I think you'll see reclamation projects want to come to Boston for a year at short money in order to boost their value.
5. The Conference The general consensus is that the East is inferior to the West which makes the path that much easier. Who in the conference scares you? Which teams are on the rise and which are on the decline. We can tie the divisional playoff format into this as well. Does having to go through a Montreal in the playoffs change how you build a club? Style of play?
6. The Clode Is he tied directly to the core? Is his window of opportunity the same as theirs? How much slack does he get? Does the system work or does it need to evolve in order to match up to certain trends in the league?
In conclusion, what would you say the Bruins odds are to win the conference this season? The cup this season? Number of cups in the next 5 seasons?