The team gets worse and moves picks. Just why?

Can't see any reason CHI would not do this. Someone might even want Smith at the TDL.

1. Need to move either Reilly and Smith to be able to activate Forbort. To ginandtacos point, Bruins might be able to get more for Smith but his stock is pretty low right now... expiring contract @ $3M when most of the league is short on cap space, 33 years old, not putting up a whole lot of points for a guy who is a volume shooter.

2. Adds grit to the 4th line with Hathaway, who I think will be a little bit more consistent than Greer that we will need come playoff time.

3. Opens approx $2.5M of cap space for other TDL moves.

Why do you need to move smith and reilly? (They don’t)

Need to move at least one... Reilly has been through waivers twice and is probably their 9th D when healthy. I think he can still contribute and play at the NHL level - just clearly does not have a role on this team and is not in the future plans.

Smith is more interesting... he can definitely still play but is a victim of his salary. He is cold right now and just not consistent enough. I don't think he is an ideal fit for 4RW role, which is what he is being asked to do now that Zacha is the 3RW. Lauko and Greer have been taking turns at 4RW, but I think Hathaway adds a little more consistency/grit than the two of them. Providence also has McLaughlin and Beecher who should see some time in the 4RW role and could provide similar production at lower cost. Dealing Smith also opens up cap space to make additional moves at the TDL.

Bruins have to clear at least $1.7 mill for forbort to be activated. Thats with Reilly buried. So yes, they need to move either Reilly or Smith.

No they don’t, they can send down Stralman and they’re good. BOS cap hit today is 83.454 mil.

Yes, but I think there is a good chance Stralman gets claimed on waivers if he is sent down. He is a great vet reserve defenseman with minimal cap hit.

Even if he is not claimed, that leaves the Bruins with $50k in cap space. If an injury occurs, they cannot call up anyone from Providence barring an LTIR move because it would put them over the cap... not exactly a great position to be in.

One of Reilly or Smith has to be moved. Preferably both.

Well you said reilly and smith. No problem moving reilly, but that isn’t even necessary, let alone moving him and smith.

So bury stralman because he’s awful. Done.

Again, this makes the team worse. Why do it?

Reilly is their 7th d. Maybe 6th if the cap isn’t an issue.
Smith is fine. Solid 3RW. He’s just been injured.

Bottom line, your moves have made the team worse.

Point taken on Smith. If the team is worse given the trades, its a marginal difference IMO as Reilly and Smith aren't currently contributing.

The top 6 D is pretty well set: McAvoy, Lindholm, Carlo, Grz, Forbort, and Clifton. Reilly is battling with Zboril for the 7th D spot, but I think Zboril takes it pretty easily given the contract and upside. Realistically that puts Reilly as the 8D... he's not a bad player just on a bad contract.

Selling both potentially gives $2.5M+ at the TDL to make a move that could put the team over the top.

Hypothetical: would you sell both Reilly and Smith if it gave you an opportunity to make a move for a guy like Bo Horvat and secure a top-line center for next year (assuming both Bergeron and Krejci retire after this season?)

I think it would go a long way to convincing Pasta to sign long-term in knowing the team has a plan at C for the future. Potential deadline deal for Horvat (50% retained) would probably look something like Debrusk, Lohrei, this year's first, and possibly another pick.

That would give you for this season:

Marchand-Bergeron-Horvat
Hall-Krejci-Pasta
Frederic-Coyle-Zacha
Foligno-Nosek-Greer/Hathaway

Next season (post 37 and 46) would look something like this:
Marchand-Horvat-Lysell
Hall-Zacha-Pasta
Frederic-Coyle-Greer
Lauko-Beecher-McLaughlin

IMO this is a lot better than going into the offseason with holes at the top two center spots.

I don't think anyone will claim Stralman, he's been pretty brutal this year.

If minor injuries happen imo the guys who are scratched can fill. If injuries start to pile up though, then it becomes a problem.

I would prefer to hold onto Smith & Reilly as long as possible until the TDL. If I HAD to move one, I would prefer Smith being the one moved. Keeping Reilly for D depth is important for a playoff run. It's also easier to move Smith because he's an expiring contract.

This is what I would do if I'm Donny - https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/3758659

And we go from bad to horrid. Where to begin.
1. Let’s deal with the reilly stuff. Reilly has been better than zboril. No question. In the playoffs when the cap is lifted reilly would for sure be the 7D for boston. Seems like you’re bouncing back and forth between on ice performance and factoring in contracts.
2. NO NO NO to horvat. There is no room on this team for a center. What could possibly lead anyone to think he should be a target for the bruins? It baffles me.
3. Debrusk, a first, a top prospect, and more for a rental is one of the most egregious overpays I have ever seen on this site. Ridiculous
4. Horvat is not a winger. There is absolutely no evidence to show that he can play RW. There’s a pretty legit chance you move debrusk, a first, a top prospect, and more (still can’t believe what an overpay that is) - and make the team worse.
5. In what universe does acquiring a rental help anything for next year?

Do you sneakily hate the bruins or something?

What moves would you suggest the Bruins make this season to improve the team? Do you want them to keep both Reilly/Smith and ride with the current roster?

1. When accounting for value to the team, contracts have to be factored in. Performance isn't everything, $3M is simply too much for a 7th dman who you will have to bury in the AHL until he might get a chance to play in the playoffs... especially when you factor in how tight the team will be to the cap next year and he'll still be on the books if you don't move him. There is a reason why Reilly has been through waivers twice (unclaimed both times despite D needy teams in Toronto and Ottawa). Reilly and Smith collectively account for $6M of cap and have been healthy scratched multiple times this season... despite injuries. Both are NHL players who should see regular minutes on other teams but they're trending in the wrong direction.

Smith has a better chance of contributing to the Bruins this season, but his shooting percentage has decreased each of the past six years, he is an incredibly streaky player, and he hasn't played his best in the playoffs for the Bruins. It is hard to see a good return for either player as many teams are right up to the cap and cannot afford to take on their contracts, but I think Bruins are better off moving both to make room for TDL deal.

2. Centers of Horvat's caliber do not hit the open market. Bruins have significant holes at the center position for next year and beyond... the team needs to address it. Horvat is a better player than you give him credit for.

3. Not a whole lot of comparables for a top 6 center cost in a trade, but looking at recent forward acquisitions (somewhere between Hagel/Fiala/Rakell/Duchene/ROR and Eichel)... the cost is a young NHL player, top prospect, and first. Might be an overpay for Horvat, but I think he could fetch close to that return from another team. Maybe Debrusk and a first gets it done?

I am a big fan of Debrusk, but its hard to see a spot on the team when his deal expires after next season (assuming Pasta re-signs). He is going to want a raise and money is tied up with Marchand, Hall, and Pasta. Lysell will likely be pushing for a Top-6 role at that point too. IMO Debrusk should be the key piece in securing a trade for a Top-6 C of the future. The move for Horvat or a similar target would not be a rental, but a long-term move.

An alternative to this as KennyBoi noted in another thread is to go all-in this year and get a pure rental like Patrick Kane at the deadline. His proposal was Merkulov and two draft picks (both were first rounders IIRC). Pros to this approach are that you add a key piece albeit a rental without losing an important player like Debrusk and risk messing up the room. I understand the short-term view of this move, but if you make this move you would also have to be prepared to go into next season with Zacha and Coyle as your top two centers, which is less than ideal and hope that one of Beecher, McLaughlin, Harrison, Poitras turns into a Top-6 C which is most likely 3-4 years down the road if ever because the team will be short on draft capital.

4. Easier transition to go from center to winger than winger to center. Horvat is a good player with solid hockey IQ... I think he can figure it out especially if he is playing with Bergy and Marchand.

5. Again if the Bruins are making that move for Horvat, they already have a deal in place for an extension.

Oh geeze.
1. Toronto didn’t need D when he was put on waivers. Well, i should say, they needed top pair D, but not bottom pair D. Still probably dont. No clue why you would bring those two teams up.
Smith is a streaky goal scorer. Not a streaky player. He’s been hurt this year.
2. I never made any comment on how good horvat is, at any point. Players of his caliber do indeed make it to market. In fact, he may be one of them. Who is Toronto’s captain again?
3. You just listed a winger with three years of term, an RFA, a center that was traded with five years of term, Rakell…for some reason, a center way better than horvat with five years of term, and duchene.

Duchene is interesting. He was traded as a pending UFA rental, and I think it’s pretty universally accepted that the trade was brutal for columbus……and then what happened? THEY LOST HIM IN UFA! You can’t say “ohhh players like this don’t make it to the market,” and then turn around and use one of your comps as a guy who made it to the market.

Why is it hard to see a spot on the team in two years? You pulled that out of nowhere. Explain.

4. Where did you pull that from? For some guys maybe. For others, not so much. Just saying, “oh, he could figure it out,” doesn’t mean he could figure it out. Lots of guys struggle on the wing, especially on their off-side.

5. Okay. I guess i can agree with this. Now how do they keep pastrnak, extend horvat, and find a 2C to remain competitive long term (which is apparently the whole point of this because it sure isnt a guarantee to help short term).