Bruins Off-Season Thread

[Dutchy]

Bruins signed Steve Begin' date=' 1 yr 850K[/quote']

 

Might as well just hand us the cup now

[Dutchy]

It's official, Yelle's gone. I'll miss his playoff wins but I think Begin's more solid overall.

[Dutchy]

This is all speculation, so don't kill me for trying to start some discussion, but could Begin play 4th line center, Sobtoka play 3rd line wing and Recchi move up to 1st line wing if Kessel doesn't budge at all on his $5 million demand?

[Looch Ness Monster]

I think Phil Kessel's worth $5 million definitely. It's just a matter of being able to bring back Hunwick as well. I say Phil signs for $4.25 million.

[yankeessuck013]

Recchi returns to Boston for 1 year, $1 mil.

 

Good Contract for the B's. Recchi can still produce in the league and it isn't much of a risk for the Bruins to sign him.

[Dojji]

Either they're trading Ryder, Ward and/or Kobasew, or Phil's gone.

[YanksHater213]

Like the deal for Recchi, but that definitely signals some sort of move that we've gotta make.

[TheKilo]

I think Kobasew gets moved regardless but I still have my doubts that they can afford Phil.

[TheKilo]

The Bitz deal is for 2 yrs, $687,500 per

[WhiskeyBreath]

I really doubt Kessel is coming back. Imo, they were only going to bring back one of Krejci/Kessel and they have already made their choice. It's going to be tough to lose him because he is such a great goal scorer.

 

Guess they will have to be happy with the draft picks.

[yankeessuck013]

According to thefourthperiod.com the Hawks are shopping Patrick Sharp and Cam Barker

[Looch Ness Monster]

I don't think we should be looking at any other UFA's. At this point, we're almost too deep. We need to retain Kessel.

 

This is how our lines are looking assuming Axelsson is gone.

 

Lucic-Savard-Kessel

Wheeler-Krejci-Ryder

Recchi-Bergeron-Kobasew

Bitz-Begin-Thornton

 

Chara-Ward

Wideman-Ference

Stuart-Hunwick

 

Thomas

Rask

 

Bold = unsigned

 

If Hunwick doesn't return I'm looking for McQuaid or Boychuk from the Providence Bruins to step up and fill in as extra defensemen. If Kessel doesn't return I'm looking for Recchi on the top line, with Sobotka on the 3rd line with Bergeron and Kobasew. That just doesn't strike me as the type of team that can win a championship if that's what your lines are going to be like.

[yankeessuck013]

Sources tell TSN the NHL and the NHLPA are investigating what might have been an enormous mistake by the Chicago Blackhawks.

 

Chicago tendered qualifying offers to several key players this week, including Kris Versteeg, Cam Barker, Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, Aaron Johnson and Troy Brouwer, however the investigation underway is to determiner whether the qualifying offers were filed correctly.

 

If not, there is the remote possibility the qualifying offers could be ruled invalid and the players listed above, conceivably, could be deemed unrestricted free agents because of the blunder.

 

There are few details, but one source says the players involved didn't receive the necessary notification of the offers.

 

The National Hockey League is in the process of trying to determine whether the situation was remedied in time.

 

Chicago general manager Dale Tallon says the qualifying offers were mailed to the players in time, on June 29th, but says because of the July 1 holiday, some of the players didn't receive them in time.

 

Additional sources say qualifying offers are not supposed to be mailed.

 

Overnight delivery via courier and direct fax to the players agent is preferred and certified or registered mail is acceptable only if the other means are unavailable.

 

Tallon says fax copies of the offers were sent to the league, so he doesn't anticipate any significant fall out.

 

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=283634

[TheKilo]

If Kobasew and Ference are back I will be disappointed.

[Dojji]

ehh, it depends on how able the B's are to replace them. Frankly I think Kobasew has more value in trade to another team than he has to the Bruins right now, but others seem to think he's a prototypical Bruins forward who hits, fights, battles and scores.

 

As for Ference, I don't think you'll get fair value for him. Unless Alexandrov is a lot better than I hear he is, I suspect he'll stay.

[Dutchy]

Not to beat a dead horse, but Kessel did score 9 of his 36 goals in the last 8 games of the season, after the Bruins had clinched and were facing a lot of teams with nothing to play for. He tends to be streaky, and I wasn't too happy that he only scored in one game of the Canes series. Sometimes I wonder how determined he is, whether that's fair or not.

 

Let's just say, I won't be as heartbroken as I would be if we lost a different 36 goal scorer.

[TheKilo]

He was also playing with a torn labrum and rotator cuff

 

lolsoft

[Dutchy]

He was also playing with a torn labrum and rotator cuff

 

lolsoft

 

I might be more willing to believe that was why he didn't score more if he didn't disappear against playoff teams all regular season.

[TheKilo]

So what does his 15 points in 15 career playoff games tell you then?

 

He was on pace for 40, then he got mono for screwiung around with the Boston undergrads. He is only 21, you know.

[Dutchy]

So what does his 15 points in 15 career playoff games tell you then?

 

He was on pace for 40, then he got mono for screwiung around with the Boston undergrads. He is only 21, you know.

 

You've already used that line. That's a small sample size and his performance this year in the playoffs was pretty quiet for the amount of points he got.

 

I don't have the number in front of me, but the amount of goals he scored against teams that didn't make the playoffs compared to the amount of goals he scored against teams that did make the playoffs is pretty astounding. A a large chunk of his goal total also came after the Bruins had clinched.

 

I'm not saying he's not good, or that he won't improve. But for a streaky goal scorer, who can't play defense, I'm not willing to give up $5 million of cap space.

 

If we can find a way to make Kessel on the Bruins work, and still fill our other holes, then great. But if we have to trade him, I won't be devestated.

[Dutchy]

I looked it up and for reference, 29 of his 36 goals were against teams that didn't make the playoffs.

[TheKilo]

That's not fair though, especially since you haven't told me where the production is going to be replaced.

[Dutchy]

That's not fair though' date=' especially since you haven't told me where the production is going to be replaced.[/quote']

 

What's not fair? 29 of his 36 goals were against teams that didn't make the playoffs, that's a fact, not conjecture.

 

I'm not exactly sure where his goals will be replaced. Recchi could probably get some more with one of the best passers in the game helping him out. And I like that he stepped up against the Canes even though he was hurt. Definitely a lot riskier.

 

To be clear, in a perfect world we resign Kessel for a reasonable amount and are able to address our other holes. The guy can score, I just think he's a little soft.

[Looch Ness Monster]

What's not fair? 29 of his 36 goals were against teams that didn't make the playoffs, that's a fact, not conjecture.

 

I'm not exactly sure where his goals will be replaced. Recchi could probably get some more with one of the best passers in the game helping him out. And I like that he stepped up against the Canes even though he was hurt. Definitely a lot riskier.

 

To be clear, in a perfect world we resign Kessel for a reasonable amount and are able to address our other holes. The guy can score, I just think he's a little soft.

 

Because being "tough, big bad Bruins" has won us a lot of titles since 1972.

[Dutchy]

Because being "tough' date=' big bad Bruins" has won us a lot of titles since 1972.[/quote']

 

I didn't mean he wasn't physical enough. I meant his production was soft in that he racks up the points against bad teams and disappears against good teams. You have to admit 29 goals against non-playoff teams and 7 goals against playoff caliber teams is a pretty striking difference.

[TheKilo]

What was the split last season?

 

He's also 21 YEARS OLD.

 

I find it really hard to take someone who says Mark recchi can replace the offensive production of a Phil Kessel seriously.

[Dutchy]

What was the split last season?

 

He's also 21 YEARS OLD.

 

I find it really hard to take someone who says Mark recchi can replace the offensive production of a Phil Kessel seriously.

 

No one said Mark Recchi can replace Kessel's offensive production. Making an argument for Kessel is one thing, but putting words in my mouth after I provide stats to back up my point isn't a debate.

 

I'm not saying Kessel's a bum. I'm saying he's a good player. I just don't think a guy who's production is somewhat soft and who's defense is suspect is worth $5 million a year. That's my stance if you care to debate it.

[YanksHater213]

Don't bring back Kessel for what? Realistically, what can we do with the cap space that not signing Kessel creates?

 

Kessel is improving, and if he didn't have mono last year, we're looking at a 42-45 goal scorer, and he'll improve next year too, the guy is 21.

 

I think we can expect Lucic and Krecji to improve, Sturm will also add some goals into the mix, and I don't think it's reasonable to expect Recchi to play at the same high level he did last year, but they can't replace Kessel's production.

 

Bottom line is we're talking about a guy who is 21 years old and scored 36 goals, I'd pay him every bit of the $5 million at this point, and as I've stated before, I think he's a one way player. He can be a perennial 45-50 goal scorer. His stock will only rise, if we can lock him up for $5 million long term, why not?

[TheKilo]

OK fine.

 

Answer the question, who replaces the 36 goals Kessel scored even against the soft competition that he supposedly scored them against?

 

I also think he doesn't get enough credit for improving his defensive game. He's not a stopper or a great two way forward by any means but there's definitely improvement there.

 

Dutchy - were you in favor of the TT signing?

[YanksHater213]

OK fine.

 

Answer the question, who replaces the 36 goals Kessel scored even against the soft competition that he supposedly scored them against?

I also think he doesn't get enough credit for improving his defensive game. He's not a stopper or a great two way forward by any means but there's definitely improvement there.

 

Dutchy - were you in favor of the TT signing?

 

Not sure if this is directed at me, but I'll go at it regardless.

 

I'M ON YOUR SIDE!

 

I don't think it's fair to expect Lucic, Krecji, and everyone else to step up. I think that not bringing back Kessel would strictly be a money move, and not fair to the rest of the team. I think we're good enough to compete at a very high level, and we've got ourselves a nice window, and I don't see saving $5 million as enough of a justification to not bring in a guy who, was one of the best goal scorers in the NHL @ 21 years, and should be one of the best for years to come.