GloryDaze4877
Barely Irrelevant
This is going to be a long one, so bear with me (no B's pun intended).
I guess it's human nature to look to blame everything on one person/group, but I look at it a little differently.
I think Don Sweeney is a smart guy (hockey and otherwise), but I think he might be a better scout or Dir of Scouting than a GM? When he was AGM, I saw him scouting NCAA games and this really appeared to be his element? He has added to the scouting department every year he's been GM, and clearly understands the importance of drafting and development. This is ironic given that the 1st round of the 2015 draft has been a key component in the lack of talent beyond the Top 3. I don't have an answer for that, other than I believe the B's had no intention of making all three of those picks (which doesn't excuse the lack of preparation). I also believe that Sweeney may be handcuffed to an extent when it comes to "rebuilding" (more on that in the JJ section).
Like Dom, I was skeptical about Cassidy, but he has won me over for the most part. That said, I think he relies way too much on his 1st and 4th lines and isn't great about allowing chemistry to develop, except with those two units. One of the reasons this team has no secondary scoring is his insistence on keeping the first line together (the other is lack of cheap talent, which isn't Butch's fault). How many other teams in the league have their top three offensive options on one line? The answer is very few (if any) because nobody has the depth to do it, and that depth will worsen for everyone with expansion. In addition, I think his system of defensive responsibility leads to the team always being competitive, but I wonder if it hinders the F's a bit when it comes to generating offense/scoring.
I think Neely means well and wants the Bruins to do well, but I'm not sure he's the best guy to be running the team (ie the John Moore overreaction signing after the B's D got pushed around in the Tampa series)?? I don't know Cam Neely at all, but I think it's safe to say that he's a relatively smart guy who is extremely passionate about the game and believes there is a right and wrong way to play it. It's clear that he loves the game and the B's and basically sacrificed parts of his body to play said game. I admire all of that and it's why Cam is probably my favorite bruin all-time (Top 3 at the worst). However, none of this means that he's the best candidate to be the Prez or whatever his title is. I believe he has a tendency to overreact and has not adapted to the way the game is played now with physicality taking a back seat to speed and skill, which has resulted in FA signings like Beleskey and Backes, trades like Jimmy Hayes, and drafting players like Frederic (who I like) and Beecher over more skilled alternatives.
Next up, you have the players. I think for the most part, the B's have been blessed the last 10-15 years with some very good players and leaders in the room. They have won only one Cup over that time, but have had a lot of success, going to three SCF's and winning tons of games. That said, the players (and not Don Sweeney) were the ones at fault in 2019 for not winning the Cup. His moves (in part) got them to a Game 7 at home that they should have won. Sh** happens, and there are no guarantees, but lets not act like the players don't share a big chunk of the blame for losses like that and stretches like now, when they are not playing well.
I think JJ spends to the Cap every year, but I also tend to think it's all about the bottom line for him (as opposed to someone like Kraft, who was a fan before he was the owner). I have nothing to substantiate this, but I think JJ looks at the successes of the other teams in Boston, and I don't believe he has or will have the patience to rebuild this team properly, until it is forced upon him (which may be soon). Dom keeps saying that everything begins at the top. He may be directing this at Neely and Sweeney, but the tippity-top is really above them and the buck stops with JJ and his son presumably. Given Sweeney's apparent love of scouting and prospects, it is my belief that he probably would have preferred to build this roster a little differently, but was limited in his options. Again, while that sucks, it is not an excuse for lack of execution.
The point of this little exercise was to say that there are a number of people and factors at play when it comes to the success and/or failure of a team. Everyone bears some responsibility and everyone is at least partially to blame. So, while there are factions that want to lynch Sweeney and Neely, and some that want Cassidy fired, and some that want players traded, and some that want new ownership, none of them are completely right, or completely wrong.
Now you are saying to yourself, great Joe, then what should they do? Truth is, I don't know. They are in a tough spot with several of their key players aging out, and because of poor drafting and free agent signings they don't have a pipeline of talent at this moment to step in. I don't believe that any one change being proposed will fix the team. Personally, I think that the B's FO really needs to nail the draft, expansion and trades/FA signings now and in the offseason, otherwise this team is headed towards a stretch of bad/mediocre years and will need to be almost completely overhauled. I guess the difference between me and some fans is that I think that this is somewhat natural and incredibly hard to avoid (look at LA and CHI) with the way the league is set up (unless you have a generational talent like Crosby and even that's not a guarantee ie McJesus/EDM).
Bottom line is that I want the team to do well, and if that means firing Sweeney and Neely, or firing Cassidy, or trading players (even ones I like), or getting new ownership (unlikely) I am down for all of that...PROVIDED that there is some sort of plan, and better options than the people they get rid of.
I hope this wasn't too much of a waste of your time.
I guess it's human nature to look to blame everything on one person/group, but I look at it a little differently.
I think Don Sweeney is a smart guy (hockey and otherwise), but I think he might be a better scout or Dir of Scouting than a GM? When he was AGM, I saw him scouting NCAA games and this really appeared to be his element? He has added to the scouting department every year he's been GM, and clearly understands the importance of drafting and development. This is ironic given that the 1st round of the 2015 draft has been a key component in the lack of talent beyond the Top 3. I don't have an answer for that, other than I believe the B's had no intention of making all three of those picks (which doesn't excuse the lack of preparation). I also believe that Sweeney may be handcuffed to an extent when it comes to "rebuilding" (more on that in the JJ section).
Like Dom, I was skeptical about Cassidy, but he has won me over for the most part. That said, I think he relies way too much on his 1st and 4th lines and isn't great about allowing chemistry to develop, except with those two units. One of the reasons this team has no secondary scoring is his insistence on keeping the first line together (the other is lack of cheap talent, which isn't Butch's fault). How many other teams in the league have their top three offensive options on one line? The answer is very few (if any) because nobody has the depth to do it, and that depth will worsen for everyone with expansion. In addition, I think his system of defensive responsibility leads to the team always being competitive, but I wonder if it hinders the F's a bit when it comes to generating offense/scoring.
I think Neely means well and wants the Bruins to do well, but I'm not sure he's the best guy to be running the team (ie the John Moore overreaction signing after the B's D got pushed around in the Tampa series)?? I don't know Cam Neely at all, but I think it's safe to say that he's a relatively smart guy who is extremely passionate about the game and believes there is a right and wrong way to play it. It's clear that he loves the game and the B's and basically sacrificed parts of his body to play said game. I admire all of that and it's why Cam is probably my favorite bruin all-time (Top 3 at the worst). However, none of this means that he's the best candidate to be the Prez or whatever his title is. I believe he has a tendency to overreact and has not adapted to the way the game is played now with physicality taking a back seat to speed and skill, which has resulted in FA signings like Beleskey and Backes, trades like Jimmy Hayes, and drafting players like Frederic (who I like) and Beecher over more skilled alternatives.
Next up, you have the players. I think for the most part, the B's have been blessed the last 10-15 years with some very good players and leaders in the room. They have won only one Cup over that time, but have had a lot of success, going to three SCF's and winning tons of games. That said, the players (and not Don Sweeney) were the ones at fault in 2019 for not winning the Cup. His moves (in part) got them to a Game 7 at home that they should have won. Sh** happens, and there are no guarantees, but lets not act like the players don't share a big chunk of the blame for losses like that and stretches like now, when they are not playing well.
I think JJ spends to the Cap every year, but I also tend to think it's all about the bottom line for him (as opposed to someone like Kraft, who was a fan before he was the owner). I have nothing to substantiate this, but I think JJ looks at the successes of the other teams in Boston, and I don't believe he has or will have the patience to rebuild this team properly, until it is forced upon him (which may be soon). Dom keeps saying that everything begins at the top. He may be directing this at Neely and Sweeney, but the tippity-top is really above them and the buck stops with JJ and his son presumably. Given Sweeney's apparent love of scouting and prospects, it is my belief that he probably would have preferred to build this roster a little differently, but was limited in his options. Again, while that sucks, it is not an excuse for lack of execution.
The point of this little exercise was to say that there are a number of people and factors at play when it comes to the success and/or failure of a team. Everyone bears some responsibility and everyone is at least partially to blame. So, while there are factions that want to lynch Sweeney and Neely, and some that want Cassidy fired, and some that want players traded, and some that want new ownership, none of them are completely right, or completely wrong.
Now you are saying to yourself, great Joe, then what should they do? Truth is, I don't know. They are in a tough spot with several of their key players aging out, and because of poor drafting and free agent signings they don't have a pipeline of talent at this moment to step in. I don't believe that any one change being proposed will fix the team. Personally, I think that the B's FO really needs to nail the draft, expansion and trades/FA signings now and in the offseason, otherwise this team is headed towards a stretch of bad/mediocre years and will need to be almost completely overhauled. I guess the difference between me and some fans is that I think that this is somewhat natural and incredibly hard to avoid (look at LA and CHI) with the way the league is set up (unless you have a generational talent like Crosby and even that's not a guarantee ie McJesus/EDM).
Bottom line is that I want the team to do well, and if that means firing Sweeney and Neely, or firing Cassidy, or trading players (even ones I like), or getting new ownership (unlikely) I am down for all of that...PROVIDED that there is some sort of plan, and better options than the people they get rid of.
I hope this wasn't too much of a waste of your time.
