The Athletic - Boston Will the Bruins improve? Will Zdeno Chara return? Our fan survey results

[RoccoF14]

Do you think he looked good last year? Ignore the advanced stats and just tell me what you saw. Is his skating up to snuff in today's game? Again, no snippets of advanced stats, just what you see.

Honestly?

If I have to kill a crucial penalty? I still want #33 on the ice.
If I'm hanging on to a 1 goal lead late in a game and the other team has their goaltender pulled? I still want #33 on the ice.
Bottom pair left sided D? I still want #33 on the ice.

I agree with you Lonnie, that he's on the 18th hole of his career and his legs are gone. However who are you comfortable rolling with if Chara isn't in the lineup? I can't find anyone on free agency that I'd consider a better alternative, and there isn't anyone in our current system that I'd trust more than Z in situations spelled out above.

So unless there's a trade out there for a quality Left Dman, I think you gotta roll with #33 for one more year. Especially if its a shortened year and the money is right.

 

[GordonHowe]

Yeah, it sure does suck to be a Bruins fan.....

100+ points each season and a Stanley Cup finals appearance over the last 3 years.

One of those Cup runs were under Sweeney and Neely.

They manage Mr. Burns' money well. Other than that, they blow.

Get rid of both. And, eventually, this will happen, after the team tanks. Not yet, though. As long as Jacobs is making his change.

 

[Mathews28]

Orr finished somewhere else.
Bourque finished somewhere else.
Chara can finish somewhere else.

It's not a slag on their legacy as a Bruin, just at a given time, the "time has come". It shouldn't impact what Chara has done for the franchise and his number will still go to the rafters either way. If they didn't sign Miller to a stupid deal I don't think this whole Chara thing would be a topic really. If not for that stupidity this would just be a guy riding into he sunset and fare thee well either way.

for my money you can put every single player on the “finish somewhere else category” if it makes the team more of a contender and helps the long terms prospects of the team.

Every. Single. Player.

I’ll say it, oh...37 times...if necessary.

Not that I want that, but if that’s what it takes.

 

[Midship]

wrong thread

 

[Gordoff]

Orr finished somewhere else.
Bourque finished somewhere else.
Chara can finish somewhere else.

It's not a slag on their legacy as a Bruin, just at a given time, the "time has come". It shouldn't impact what Chara has done for the franchise and his number will still go to the rafters either way. If they didn't sign Miller to a stupid deal I don't think this whole Chara thing would be a topic really. If not for that stupidity this would just be a guy riding into he sunset and fare thee well either way.

Orr was a terrible bit of trickery by a lowlife shyster criminal.
BRAD PARK (remember him?) hurt like HELL in that they tried to patch the defense with the remnants of Guy Lapointe, and Jim Schoenfeld. It took a year or two for Ray Bourque to become RAY BOURQUE but there were some real lean times on Causeway St. until that happened.
Bourque finally left because he realized that cheap bastards Harry Freakin' Sinden and Mikey (Lapdog ) O'Connell were move worried about the Bruins internal cap than winning a Stanley Cup.
Chara has a little bit left in the tank and in a shortened season I don't want him going to Montreal or Toronto etc and coming back and making an example of a young Bruin and putting him thru the boards. Lose him now and you have Gryz as your #1 LD and then kids IIRC (it's been a long year and my memory is challenged by so much since Covid started. If they were to have gotten OEL than no way that you bring him back because you couldn't afford the luxury of 33 or especially Bones Miller.
Give him this season on the 2nd or 3rd D-line for under 12 minutes a game with PK time and let the guy finish here as the MAN who helped to turn the franchise around.
Before signing him though he needs to realize that it's high time that Patrice Cleary is given the "C" HIGH TIME. If he doesn't have the realization and respect for that fact then maybe he is done here.

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

Canadiens, Islanders, Oilers, Penguins, Red Wings.

Devils also have 3.

Interesting list... how many of those teams would our fan base be erecting for this year?

Seems winning cups might actually be a fairly rare thing you cant demand every year (or every decade even)

And even when you win the glory very quickly fades and you go back to suckville

Give me a team that battles everyday even if they dont win every fight

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Orr was a terrible bit of trickery by a lowlife shyster criminal.
BRAD PARK (remember him?) hurt like HELL in that they tried to patch the defense with the remnants of Guy Lapointe, and Jim Schoenfeld. It took a year or two for Ray Bourque to become RAY BOURQUE but there were some real lean times on Causeway St. until that happened.
Bourque finally left because he realized that cheap bastards Harry Freakin' Sinden and Mikey (Lapdog ) O'Connell were move worried about the Bruins internal cap than winning a Stanley Cup.
Chara has a little bit left in the tank and in a shortened season I don't want him going to Montreal or Toronto etc and coming back and making an example of a young Bruin and putting him thru the boards. Lose him now and you have Gryz as your #1 LD and then kids IIRC (it's been a long year and my memory is challenged by so much since Covid started. If they were to have gotten OEL than no way that you bring him back because you couldn't afford the luxury of 33 or especially Bones Miller.
Give him this season on the 2nd or 3rd D-line for under 12 minutes a game with PK time and let the guy finish here as the MAN who helped to turn the franchise around.
Before signing him though he needs to realize that it's high time that Patrice Cleary is given the "C" HIGH TIME!

Actually, it didn't take Bourque a year or two. He was a first team all-star as a rookie. There were no "real lean times".

 

[Kegs]

Actually, it didn't take Bourque a year or two. He was a first team all-star as a rookie. There were no "real lean times".

Fax.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Interesting list... how many of those teams would our fan base be erecting for this year?

Seems winning cups might actually be a fairly rare thing you cant demand every year (or every decade even)

And even when you win the glory very quickly fades and you go back to suckville

Give me a team that battles everyday even if they dont win every fight

Consider, between 1976 and 1993 the Canadiens, Islanders, Oilers and Pens won 17 of the 18 Cups.

 

[Gordoff]

Actually, it didn't take Bourque a year or two. He was a first team all-star as a rookie. There were no "real lean times".

I guess not REAL lean but those first 2 years after Park left were IMO not great. Whatever, I felt that he left a big hole, especially in the PP and PK unit when he was gone. Sadly he had pretty much nothing left for cartilage in the last few years of his career. It's always bothered me (he seems okay with it) that they didn't get him a Cup.

 

[DominicT]

Curious where you guys stand on this. For the record, I voted before Christmas

 

[Sheppy]

^ I commented on that actually, haha.

 

[DominicT]

^ I commented on that actually, haha.

You did! But you won't like my last reply. I was half joking though

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I guess not REAL lean but those first 2 years after Park left were IMO not great. Whatever, I felt that he left a big hole, especially in the PP and PK unit when he was gone. Sadly he had pretty much nothing left for cartilage in the last few years of his career. It's always bothered me (he seems okay with it) that they didn't get him a Cup.

Bourque and Park were teammates for 4 season. Parks last year the Bruins had the best record in the league but lost to the dynasty Islanders in the Conference finals when Pete Peters couldn't stop a balloon.

You are correct that 2 years after Park left the team they declined to the point they barely made the playoffs.

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

Consider, between 1976 and 1993 the Canadiens, Islanders, Oilers and Pens won 17 of the 18 Cups.

And before that it was like montreal winning 50%... of course there was only 5 other contenders

No doubt some good things lined up for those 4 dynasties. Perhaps nothing more favorable than no cap

Credit where credit is due... edmonton won with gretzky... pittsburgh with lemieux... and we won with orr. I guess the lesson learnt is if you get one of the 3 best players in history you should expect a couple cups?

Of course montreal was getting the 2 best quebec players every year gifted to them. They road that unprecedented wealth of depth a full decade before falling back to reality

But what point are we making? Others say shame on boston not winning a cup under neely/sweeney

Im arguing winning cups is a rare thing and maybe 3 cups in 52 years isnt so bad

Here we have 4 teams with more... will the fans flock to these banners and reward such success?

Honestly i like our fortunes better than any of these teams this season. I shall cheer the bruins

Let montreals last cup win in 93 warm the hearts of their fans if so desired. And memories of gretzky put smiles on grandfathers in edmonton too

Bruins have just won a president trophy and a cup final appearence these last 2 years... i like my happy memories as recent as possible

 

[Bruinaura]

Curious where you guys stand on this. For the record, I voted before Christmas

I voted the same as you.

Looks like most people think he will stay with the Bruins next season.

 

[veganbruin]

I voted the same as you.

Looks like most people think he will stay with the Bruins next season.

I stay off Twitter. What’s the verdict? Most people think he resigns?

 

[SPLBRUIN]

Curious where you guys stand on this. For the record, I voted before Christmas

I think Chara and Sweeney have a handshake deal, I see it being formalized just before training camp starts, whenever that is.

 

[BruinDust]

Under the current format I think he comes back. And I think financially they will make it worth his while.

Given we will be playing the same teams 8 times in the regular season alone, I want Chara back more than ever now. There is going to be some real animosity this year, Chara fought 4 times last season, 20% of Boston's total.

 

[Bruinaura]

I stay off Twitter. What’s the verdict? Most people think he resigns?

 

[DominicT]

Under the current format I think he comes back. And I think financially they will make it worth his while.

Given we will be playing the same teams 8 times in the regular season alone, I want Chara back more than ever now. There is going to be some real animosity this year, Chara fought 4 times last season, 20% of Boston's total.

I agree.

We are still in uncharted waters. I don't know how the holiday roster freeze will affect anything because they aren't playing, and I guess I could try and find out.

Personally I think that if training camp starts Jan 3 for teams that were in the playoffs, that an announcement will come before the holidays.

I do know there have been discussions and those discussions were defined to me as intense.

 

[bb74]

Orr was a terrible bit of trickery by a lowlife shyster criminal.
BRAD PARK (remember him?) hurt like HELL in that they tried to patch the defense with the remnants of Guy Lapointe, and Jim Schoenfeld. It took a year or two for Ray Bourque to become RAY BOURQUE but there were some real lean times on Causeway St. until that happened.
Bourque finally left because he realized that cheap bastards Harry Freakin' Sinden and Mikey (Lapdog ) O'Connell were move worried about the Bruins internal cap than winning a Stanley Cup.
Chara has a little bit left in the tank and in a shortened season I don't want him going to Montreal or Toronto etc and coming back and making an example of a young Bruin and putting him thru the boards. Lose him now and you have Gryz as your #1 LD and then kids IIRC (it's been a long year and my memory is challenged by so much since Covid started. If they were to have gotten OEL than no way that you bring him back because you couldn't afford the luxury of 33 or especially Bones Miller.
Give him this season on the 2nd or 3rd D-line for under 12 minutes a game with PK time and let the guy finish here as the MAN who helped to turn the franchise around.
Before signing him though he needs to realize that it's high time that Patrice Cleary is given the "C" HIGH TIME. If he doesn't have the realization and respect for that fact then maybe he is done here.

Gordoff. I know the Orr story. Bourque initially was going to PHI but MOC didn't want him in the east ergo COL. They lost to Dallas the first playoffs and only the 2nd year there did Sakic hand him the cup. The B's weren't contending either way those years but yes Harry and MOC didn't go in when they could have. I think they got gun-shy from the Islanders / Oilers years and saw the same thing with DET and COL in the non cap heyday. They didn't have the purse to play from JJ.

As for Chara this year because we want to "let the guy finish here as the MAN", that's a feel good story and nothing else. Game is played on the ice, not in the oped section. I am not saying Chara has no value or cannot play the game anymore but he has definitely lost 2 steps - AND - reaction time. Doesn't take anything away from him to say thanks for everything but we are going in a different direction.

Also, if you really think Patrice is getting the C with Chara coming back then you're nuts. Will never happen. And doesn't matter anyway.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

And before that it was like montreal winning 50%... of course there was only 5 other contenders

No doubt some good things lined up for those 4 dynasties. Perhaps nothing more favorable than no cap

Credit where credit is due... edmonton won with gretzky... pittsburgh with lemieux... and we won with orr. I guess the lesson learnt is if you get one of the 3 best players in history you should expect a couple cups?

Of course montreal was getting the 2 best quebec players every year gifted to them. They road that unprecedented wealth of depth a full decade before falling back to reality

But what point are we making? Others say shame on boston not winning a cup under neely/sweeney

Im arguing winning cups is a rare thing and maybe 3 cups in 52 years isnt so bad

Here we have 4 teams with more... will the fans flock to these banners and reward such success?

Honestly i like our fortunes better than any of these teams this season. I shall cheer the bruins

Let montreals last cup win in 93 warm the hearts of their fans if so desired. And memories of gretzky put smiles on grandfathers in edmonton too

Bruins have just won a president trophy and a cup final appearence these last 2 years... i like my happy memories as recent as possible

I agree.

Except about the 3 best players in history. I'll take Mr. Howe over Gretzky & Mario.

Three Cups in 52 years isn't bad at all. Especially considering how good the Bruins have been over that period as a whole compared to the teams that won more Cups.

 

[GordonHowe]

I think Chara and Sweeney have a handshake deal, I see it being formalized just before training camp starts, whenever that is.

I certainly hope so.

Allowing Z, an exemplar of class and leadership, one of the greatest Bruins ever, to walk to save a few more dollars for Mr. Burns would be the last straw with SweeNeely.

They had damn better sign him, and give him the proper send off he richly deserves.

I have almost zero faith in Don and Cam at this point. They are, at best, protecting JJ's assets in the time of Covid. Other than money management, Charlie Coyle and a few undrafted signings, these two are piss poor.

Get rid of them.

 

[Sheppy]

Chara on the bottom pair is solid, Chara on the top pair is a mistake.

Here comes the issue:

Kevan Miller just signed.
Chara potentially re signs...

Who sits, and where do they play?

I like the idea of one of them playing when Tom Wilson is running our forwards to an early grave.