PerreaultForever

We can go that route but unless we go all in I'm more inclined to spread the money around on mid level guys that fill holes and roles and let the homegrown talent we already have be the core with the (eventual) big salaries. This is why I'd go after a guy like Nosek. He's everything we wanted Cody Eakin to be but he wasn't. PK instantly improves.

Meier would be good, but he's going to be expensive and in demand. Doubt it's viable. But who's killing penalties in that line up????

i've been expecting Boston to fade for a while and yet here they are in record setting season. Everyone talks about Bergeron and Krejci coming in on those team friendly deals, and they are a factor, but there's a few other things that have made Boston what they are. Lindholm in his first full season has been incredible. Arguably their best D man and way better than anyone realized coming out of Anaheim. Carlo and Gryzlyk also playing their best hockey of their careers. Even without Orlov added their D is very very good and will mostly be back. Ullmark obviously a big part of the story. They actually have too many goalies. They lack top scoring offensive prospects (maybe Lysell, maybe) but they also have a bunch of young bottom six guys like Lauko ready to take over from the Folignos and others that won't be back. Zacha has shown he can replace Krejci, so all they will really be missing is Bergeron. One good free agent like maybe ROR and they'll be almost as good as this year. In many ways they are the antithesis of the Sabres. Vezina goaltending, deep and solid D with mediocre offense aside from Pasternak As opposed to bad goaltending (prior to Levi), thin D and multiple offensive threats. Total opposites.

idk where you get the idea of him being a bad person from. Is it perhaps just the name? Anyway, to your question of how team mates feel....... idk about this character bs, I just know he has been outstanding in Boston and if they win the cup he might very well be a big part of that. Exactly the type of player we need.

Ya, not a starter but a solid veteran to take 1/3 to 1/2 of the regular season load. A Swayman/Ullmark type situation ideally only the other way around.

They haven't had much to play for over the last month so it's hard to say if they are playing as good as they can or not. Seasoned playoff team with a playoff goalie I wouldn't count them out just yet.

I know, that was discussed many times earlier. It's an odd comment because usually it's the other way around. Learning to play defense in the NHL is the hard part. Lots of hotshot rookies have come into the league and been fine offensively and then taken steps back as they learn defense. idk, maybe Granato is right, but it's the exact opposite of what Montgomery says in Boston and I've heard others over the years say the same thing. My own view is in line with that and imo Granato has it backwards if that is what he truly believes. So next year we will see if he can get the "easy" part done as the offense was just fine this year but the D was not.

You know, I would have said that about Bertuzzi but I've been watching all these Boston games and he isn't the player I thought he was. I figured they just got him as a 4th line net front big dumb body in case Foligno can't play but he's been incredibly good and seems team oriented. They have him on a line with Pasternak and not only does he go to the dirty areas he makes a lot of quick and smooth (often blind) passes right onto Pasternak's stick and often through traffic. Guy is a very good playmaker and he would fit here using Thompson as the sniper the same way. He has much better vision and awareness than I thought. I didn't forget Savoie, I'm just not into another development year. If he's quite good he takes the 3rd line center spot and if he's maybe but maybe not fully ready he's the first injury sub on the top lines. Kulich might also be there, Rousek, idk, but to me you get a deep call up roster and not just scrubs. Main point is I want to win and make the playoffs next year not wait for the year after.

There are a number of different ways to take this team and turn it into a solid playoff team. You have to spend in free agency though and they won't. But for the sake of the dream: One option: Skinner-Mitts-Tuch Thompson- Cozens- BERTUZZI Peterka-Krebs-Quinn WOOD - NOSEK - HATHAWAY Samuelsson-Dahlin Power-ORLOV CLIFTON-Lybushkin Levi-ANDERSEN Obviously, it would never happen but ANY of those pieces would be great. Yes, I have several players currently on the Bruins here but they are all FAs and there is no way the Bruins can afford to keep them all, if any of them next year. Secondary Options: Girgensens stays on the 4th line. Greenway stays somewhere. COMPHER is another guy I would target as 3C or 4C depending on how you structure it. Goalie could be VARLAMOV or JARRY . Similar players in style for the same positions as plan C options, but that line up above could win the division next year.

I will answer this. I think everyone agrees the team has to improve defensively. If Granato was teach offense first then defense it's quite possible that instilling a more disciplined team D system will result in diminished offense. Part of the reason we scored as much as we did was our free wheeling guns blazing style that often burnt us with counter attacks. It's hard to have both defense and offense and a balance needs to be struck. idk what their plan will be, maybe they think they can win 8-7 every night but it's never worked before.

I think we should sign a veteran FA to back up Levi but I don't think they will. I think you are absolutely right. Levi and UPL will be it.

Glad to see there are other people who feel the same way I do. KA imo underestimated the potential of this team. A number of things came together at once and we could have made the playoffs if he'd believed that was possible and made those key moves we all know needed to be made. There's absolutely no question he did a great job with the necessary subtraction part of things. Three great trades and a fresh new locker room vibe. I wanted that subtraction 3 years ago but he finally made it happen and he made great deals in all 3 cases. Kudos. But that doesn't mean he walks on water. He has totally botched goaltending. Perhaps wanting a high draft pick this year for one more draft as he waited for Levi, perhaps just blowing his negotiation with Ullmark as a rookie GM, perhaps missing out on trade options, whatever the reason we've had no decent goalie for far too long and it cost us. I mentioned this in another thread but if you take Vanacek away from the Devils and give him to us do we have over 100 points and they are on the outside of a wild card? I'd say that's a distinct possibility. and the holes in the D were there and are still there. Will he fill them this off season? he better or next year might be just the same as this one. But sure, the team has a brighter future in all likelihood. It's more of a team and I agree, easier to like and cheer for. Better personalities on it too. Lots to like. There just could have been so much more.

To the first paragraph. I think KA did a very good job with the necessary deconstruction. 3 good trades and the necessary removal of star egos from the locker room. I think on the other hand he has botched goaltending and done a poor job filling gaping holes on the current roster. To the second paragraph, yes, the team is more fun to watch now than in past years since the tank. Yes, they have true potential. It does feel like the beginnings of a true TEAM is taking place. The future may be bright. I simply disagree with KA's longer timeline/plan. I think it could be stepped up a little without compromising the future. I hope they see that this off season.

Disappointing. Good effort, but ultimately disappointing, and even more disappointing with Pittsburgh losing to Chicago at home. Dare I say New Jersey is better coached than us? They are not that different from us in terms of talent, but they play a more structured and disciplined game, better team D, block more shots, intercept more passes, just better team structure. I guess they are in fact a good year or so ahead of us. Maybe we get their point total next year if we fix our holes. Owen Power is quietly becoming very very good. Looking at his progress and development this year I think he will eventually be more important to this team than Dahlin. Maybe not as dynamic offensively, but more important in terms of an all around game. He also seems to elevate his game under pressure and the bigger the game the better he plays. On the other hand, we need to upgrade Jokiharju and Bryson/Stillman. I don't think anyone will disagree that Bryson is terrible and Stillman is a bottom end sub at best but Jokiharju is also terrible. Sure, he has some good nights and occasional good offensive plays but he is simply a bad defenseman. Power deserves a better partner . Really hope management makes the necessary moves this off season.

I know, spell check is hilarious sometimes. (If Peterka becomes a soft player - which I do not in any way think will actually happen - we can start calling him Patricia regularly :))

NOPE. What I have said (repeatedly) is I had a more optimistic view of this team and their potential than KA did. If you go back you will see I talked about this long before this late season charge with Levi. Go back to the Reinhart trade thread. When lots of people were saying bad trade and brushing him off as some 7th round pick I said it was a great trade and it wasn't a question of IF Levi would be a star goalie it was only a question of WHEN. Look at what I've said about Cozens since he was first drafted. I could list off a lot of "I told you so's" but the main point is before this season started I saw and talked about playoff potential but it required a few moves to fill gaping holes but if filled we could win NOW. KA didn't see that likelihood so this was a "development year" and so we sit on a cusp rather than fighting for 2nd place with the leafs and that lost moment irritates me, but whatever, I'm the negative guy for you. Carry on.

I watched NJ play the Bruins the other day and they are very very similar to the Sabres and I don't really think they are any better. Only reason they have more points is because they had solid goaltending. They have good and fast young talent but so do we. Can Levi go again? idk, that's asking a lot but maybe he's young and spry enough to continue. Pace like this is a lot to ask but there's no other option really. Winnable game if they skate and keep moving for a full 60.

I make a joke about you spelling Peterka as Patricia and you give me a lecture instead of having a laugh. I wonder who's adding nothing to the converstation. Once again, lighten up.

What makes you think I have a contaminated sour disposition? I merely feel that discussion of the flaws, weaknesses and problems with the team (and the solutions to these problems) is far more interesting than a lot of attaboy fan back slapping. That's boring. The bar I set for this team is high. I want to win the cup, not just not suck. Everything I talk about in terms of criticism is forward thinking on what we need to get there. So spare me the personal attacks okay.

It's not that exceptional. If it was, he'd have a greater offensive role.

He didn't have to be Devon Levi. Don't be silly. He just had to be better than the old man, the career back up and the hot and cold big but flawed kid. The comparison is obvious. The team we play next New Jersey. Would our positions be switched if we'd gotten Vanacek? We could have made a deal with Washington and protected him. We could have offered a 2nd to Seattle to get him. We could have offered 2 2nds and a 3rd to Washington to get him that time. and we could have made a better offer in both cases. Just one example, but where would NJ be WITHOUT Vanacek? Imagine what we'd look like right now with Vanacek signed and Levi coming in to play with him. We'd be solid for years.

Of course the other way of looking at this is - if only KA had signed a proper goalie after he lost Ullmark...................

I think you see Lazar as a much lesser player than I do. After we threw him into the Hall trade he was a solid 4th line player for the Bruins and they were a pretty good team. He hit people all over the ice and played solid D. Just couldn't score so they let him go and he signed for more money elsewhere. Not that different from Krebs (as Krebs is right now).

Lighten up. It's funny when someone on a fan site spells their team wrong. Have a laugh at it yourself and relax. "Patricia" was pretty good tonight.

I think it makes him an adequate 4th liner. He might still get better, but for now that's it. I do like his attitude though, but Lazar had that too. He was also an adequate 4th liner.