Bringing the entire Bruins roster back for next season is impossible. The team is guaranteed to lose a player in Expansion, but even beyond that they can't possible find space for everyone currently on the roster that maximizes their value. Ritchie, for instance, is an RFA with arb rights and is going to argue that his current career year is what is to be expected moving forward. Yet, Ritchie will likely never play a top-six/PP1 role in Boston again if he stays. If the Bruins re-sign both Hall and Kase (who has a higher upside at a cheaper price point than Ritchie), he may even be penciled into a fourth line role, which has not worked well for him this season. I think Ritchie becomes expendable this off-season and will be traded if he is not selected by Seattle. Another player who has to go is Moore. Even when the Bruins blue line was dropping like flies earlier this season, Cassidy still hesitated to play Moore. The reliable depth defender simply doesn't have a role here, especially returning from surgery, and is a strain on the salary cap. Moore needs to go, he's worth more elsewhere. Finally, perhaps the most surprising player who will be expendable this summer, is Vladar. Vladar is a talented, young player, yes, but with Swayman establishing himself as the better of the two and an NHL player moving forward, Vladar does not have a roster spot but also will not clear waivers. The Bruins need to trade Vladar before they lose him for nothing.
Will the Bruins move Ritchie, Moore, and Vladar all at once? Probably not, but I like the fit for all three in Arizona. The Coyotes are set to lose Antti Raanta in free agency, could lose Adin Hill in expansion, and have to at least entertain trade offers for Darcy Kuemper, a 2022 UFA. They need a goalie of the future and there isn't one in the pipeline. Vladar fits the bill in a major way and the 'Yotes will not be low enough on the waiver priority next fall to wait for him to hit the wire. The team also needs forward depth and goal scoring ability (Ritchie) and depth on the left side of the blue line (Moore), where they have numerous players about to hit free agency. The return is fair for both sides in my opinion. The Bruins gets Columbus' second-round pick, which will land somewhere between No. 34 and No. 38 - a really good pick for a team in Boston with a weak farm system. The Bruins also get Johan Larsson to replace the departing Kuraly. Kuraly seems to be a better fit as a third line center, which is not what the Bruins need. With this projected young fourth line, the B's need a defensive center to sub in and a left-handed center especially is valuable. They might have been able to ask for a little more for just Vladar and Ritchie alone, but this is fine when Arizona takes Moore as well, even though it is a player I think they could use.
The final piece of the deal ties more into my second point: the Bruins still have work to do on the blue line. I like Reilly, but I don't see him as a natural fit in the top-four. I like Grz with Carlo on the second pair long-term and think someone with a more well-rounded, two-way game and experience playing big minutes needs to pair with McAvoy. I also think Reilly could price himself out of Boston. I also see Seattle taking Lauzon or, if not, Zboril in the Expansion Draft. That leaves the Bruins with just Grz and Zboril/Lauzon and Vaakanainen on the left side. Given the injury issues on the blue line in recent years, this left side needs to be deeper. Acquiring Goligoski's rights before free agency could be part of the solution. The 35-year-old is still playing at a high level, eating minutes and contributing in all three zones, he is now eligible for performance bonuses and could be interested in a one-year, low-base, incentive-laded deal to join a contender and chase another Cup. Goligoski alone still may not be enough though. He too could be an injury risk or could hit a wall late in the season if he is playing too many minutes. Zboril and Vaakainainen have yet to show that they can be top-four players as well. A player that I love for the Bruins this off-season is Jake McCabe. I am a big fan of McCabe and based on his past couple of seasons, he likely would have earned the Sabres a first-rounder at the deadline and commanded a sizeable contract in the off-season. Instead, he tore his ACL and is sidelined into next season. With cap room to spare and a long-term need at LD1, I think it is well worth it for the Bruins to target McCabe with a multi-year deal in hopes of getting a great player at well below market value if he can return to 100%. It's a risk, but with LTIR available the upside is much greater than the down. McCabe could join the team mid-season, split time with a youngster or provide rest to a vet like Goligoski and Miller, all while working his way back to full strength. At best, he takes over the LD1 role next to McAvoy before the playoffs and keeps it through 2022-23 (and beyond?). At worst, he's still a better value than Moore even if he's off and on IR. Again, with injury concerns still prevalent (Miller, Grz, Carlo, McCabe) and older players in need of rest to stay sharp, adding Goligoski and McCabe by no means leaves Zboril and Vaakanainen with no play time next season. There will be plenty. I'm comfortable with saying that Clifton has peaked and he is just a nice, affordable 7/8 D whose play time is not really important.
Some other notes:
- I have 24 names on the roster because Studnicka and Vaakanainen are both waiver-exempt and I think they will be swapped out for each other frequently based on the lineup
- the Bruins should not trade DeBrusk. His value is in the toilet and they will never get fair compensation for his upside. If Kase is back at full strength, I think his game will elevate DeBrusk and Coyle (something Ritchie cannot do).
- Love the young fourth line. Wish the B's would roll this out in one of their final games. Having the veteran bottom-six depth of Wagner and Larsson is a great fallback and Providence is teeming with options like Senyshyn, Kuhlman, Blidh, and Steen
- the Bruins are a wildly right shot-heavy team and an injury or two away from have no natural left wings in the top-six. I think Lauko is probably the next in line at that spot, but I signed Taro Hirose as well if this becomes an area of concern. I like a lot of the Providence forwards, but they all fit that two-way mold a little too well. Hirose is more of an offensive-minded weapon who could produce with top talent around him if the situation arises.
- Goalie depth is a tough question to answer. On one hand, it's hard to find an established name that is willing to play behind an all-world vet in Rask and one of the top prospects in the game in Swayman. Yet, they need someone in case of injury or Swayman hitting a sophomore slump. They also would want to target someone who, while a reliable NHL option, is used to a split-time role, as Keyser needs his AHL starts. This list is short, but to me Carter Hutton could be the most likely target. He played his college hockey nearby, has gas left in the tank, but probably won't have many suitors. Scott Wedgewood is another name I like. Aaron Dell, Anton Forsberg, and Calvin Pickard are other options.
Especially with Larsson being one of the best purely defensive players of his generation (unreal xGA numbers in context) and speaking of which omg he's gotta be on that 4th line there especially given Frederic sucks at everything right now 😬 lol
On the one hand, you say Moore can't get playing time with the Bruins who are struggling to keep defensemen healthy. Why would teams pay for a player on a contending team who can't get ice time when they have constant injuries on the back end?
You say McCabe could have warranted a 1st round pick in a deal at the deadline, at best scenario could play the 1LD in Boston, but you're paying him less than Moore is making?
Pretty sure under the new CBA negotiating rights are no longer aloud, But might be wrong. Possibly using picks as negotiating rights is no longer aloud.
On the one hand, you say Moore can't get playing time with the Bruins who are struggling to keep defensemen healthy. Why would teams pay for a player on a contending team who can't get ice time when they have constant injuries on the back end?
You say McCabe could have warranted a 1st round pick in a deal at the deadline, at best scenario could play the 1LD in Boston, but you're paying him less than Moore is making?
Moore can definitely play a greater role elsewhere. It's a coach's decision issue here. I have no problem with Moore at $2.75MM if he's contributing every night, but that will never happen in Boston. Cassidy won't let it. So instead he's just an expensive backup. That's why I said he's worth more elsewhere.
McCabe has a torn ACL. How many players entering free agency coming off a potential career-altering injury like that get more than one or two years at below market value? If the Bruins feel reasonably certain that McCabe will recover fully and will be able to stay on the ice, I would be more than happy to give him more money. I just don't think that happens in Boston or anywhere.
Especially with Larsson being one of the best purely defensive players of his generation (unreal xGA numbers in context) and speaking of which omg he's gotta be on that 4th line there especially given Frederic sucks at everything right now 😬 lol
Larsson's D game is exactly why I targeted him and you're probably right that Freddy and Studnicka will have to earn their play time over him. I still think a fourth-liner, even a great one, and a second round pick is not worth more than a top-nine scorer and a potential future starting goalie to a team like Arizona.
Not a good business decision to pay Kase 2.6M. All the points you make about him having higher upside and cheaper price point than Ritchie or elevating DeBrusk and Coyle with his play on the third line are irrelevant because he is not healthy. Unfortunately it is time to move on from him.
Not a good business decision to pay Kase 2.6M. All the points you make about him having higher upside and cheaper price point than Ritchie or elevating DeBrusk and Coyle with his play on the third line are irrelevant because he is not healthy. Unfortunately it is time to move on from him.
When LTIR exists and contracts are insured against injuries, I don’t see it as a bad business decision at all. It’s the same reason I signed McCabe. The Bruins have plenty of young depth looking for opportunity and the cap space to make an addition later in the season if need be. I’d rather take the risk on the upside of a Kase or McCabe and deal with the injury risk than not take that chance and miss out on the potential.
When LTIR exists and contracts are insured against injuries, I don’t see it as a bad business decision at all. It’s the same reason I signed McCabe. The Bruins have plenty of young depth looking for opportunity and the cap space to make an addition later in the season if need be. I’d rather take the risk on the upside of a Kase or McCabe and deal with the injury risk than not take that chance and miss out on the potential.
Not the position I would take but I see your point of view. Many ways to go about trying to improve a team.
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this post probablt took 10 hours cu of the thing u wrote at the beggining
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