PerreaultForever

To the 3 bolded parts. 1. Yes, that's exactly what they should do instead. 2. Holes need to be filled with quality and the money is there to fill them. 3. It's an assumption. If they do that, if they still spend money and we get a good goalie and a veteran RHD and some depth or character guys fine, but until they do that - IF they do that......well that's the crux of it isn't it?

Face it, this cap floor philosophy is ownership cutting costs and going with a slow long term building plan. It's BS, and it means we will be waiting longer to make the playoffs and we won't be truly competitive until many more of the kids like Power, Quinn, etc. come fully into their own. There's other ways to do this. You can go with mostly kids but you can also plug in key FA signings. Look at LA for example. Kept some veterans, lots of kids, added a guy like Danault, and they made the playoffs already. Look at the Rags. There's a mix of kids, veterans and free agents. Building with the draft is the right approach, but strategic FA signings and smart moves get you there faster. The opportunity to take a leap forward was here, NOW, but this franchise wants us to wait. I could still be proven wrong, they might make moves, but I doubt it. I think we as fans are just going to be f'd again.

Damn, I actually agree with you. I think this might be a first. Miller was a good player, but not good enough to have his number retired. I think these things diminish the retired numbers that truly deserved it. The bar is way too low for this franchise.

I'm not going to mince words, I think this approach is dumbass.

Send photos, please. I so want to see this!

Well unless we are getting something good from this deal I'm not in favour of this approach. Rather we overpaid a free agent who could actually plug a hole and provide something, even if it's not up to his money, but something. This tells me we're going with mostly all kids and what we have. Personally I'd have taken Nick Foligno's contract off the Bruins (expires in one year) as the burned out local boy would have at least provided some solid leadership if nothing else. In any event, with Vegas and other teams in cap hell, there has to be better ways than just taking on a dead contract.

I hear what you're saying and it's not wrong, but the Bruins biggest problem this year was the lack of a good 2C to play with Hall. When Krejci paired with Hall that tandem was dynamic and Hall's numbers went way up. Without that center he's been okay but there were a lot of unfinished plays that the year before were maybe goals. Krejci's value was underestimated. If he doesn't come back they need Bergeron AND another 2C to be truly competitive against Tampa, Florida, Toronto and (hopefully) Buffalo. Haula was signed for that role but didn't really deliver. He's more of a good third liner. If I was KA I'd make a call about Haula. He has one year left on his deal, can play center or wing and is pretty fast so he'd fit in. Bruins might want to unload him so they can upgrade with a UFA and/or sign Krejci. Maybe they'd give us Haula for next to nothing if we agreed to take Foligno off their hands. Could fill our holes while the kids develop.

or maybe Jack Eichel? 🙂 I hear what you're saying but a lot of that had to do with a core that involved Bergeron and Chara. Also good goaltending. When you have guys like that at the core leading the team you get to make mistakes and still be good. The mistakes however, have cost them several cups I think. They were in 3 but only won once. If they hadn't made a lot of those mistakes they'd likely have been a dynasty and won several more. I think it's over. Time will tell.

There's 3 main things that'll affect the Bruins path to next season. First, Bergeron. If he retires that's likely the start of a rebuild. Second, Krejci coming back. Rumour is he didn't get along with Cassidy and wants to return. If he returns rebuild will be less of a rebuild and maybe just a shuffle. If Bergeron AND Krejci return they'll be giving it another go now. Lastly Pasternak. If Bergeron is gone, and Krejci doesn't return and Pasternak won't sign or wants too much it'll be a full on rebuild and he will be dealt. Pasternak is one of the few players around I'd consider trading high picks and/or prospects for. Guy is a scoring machine and could fit in anywhere on any team.

Absolutely. As Doohickie mentioned there's a few teams similar to us that could rise. We have to be better than all of them but that's a reasonable goal.

That's the key for me. Going forward I only want guys with that work hard and keep trying to improve mentality. Cozens types. We're on that path now and I don't want to steer off it. No floaters.

Not taking Lambert, period. I'd agree on Ohgren over both of them as well. I would be quite happy if we picked him.

Absolutely. I think this could be the moment we see the table turn and they fall as we rise and eventually swap spots for a while.

lol, I can't really argue with that and if I was playing against him I'd have given him some shots too no doubt. Couldn't stand yappers in general and I wasn't a clean player by any means so he'd have gotten his. But yes, Chara would have destroyed you back in that day. That team was tight. I found the face lick funny, but I get how that crossed a line and revolted some people. Definitely not his best moment. He's on the list for sure, but worst in history is the point I disagree with. He's caused a lot less injuries than some of those other guys and most of his antics are just annoying, not dangerous, but most of all he also has skills and that makes him better than most of that list. Going to stick with Avery as the worst. In hockey anyway.

I know ya'll hate old Marchand but biggest......in sports history? Really? I can think of quite a few guys just in hockey that were either dirtier or rattier and definitely had a lot less goals and assists. One of them wore Sabres colours, good old Matt Barnaby. Barnaby was our rat but he was pure dirty scum, and dumb as a post. I'm thinking over hockey history and have a few names you might remember. Darcy Tucker. Could play, quite a bit like Marchand, but not nearly as good and I'd say far dirtier. Kenny Linsman, possibly the biggest rat in history the way he'd start things and never finish them himself. Matt Cooke, king of the cheap shots. Claude Lemieux, now there's a man who defined dirty. Apple fell near the tree with his less talented son too. How about Dale Hunter? Let's ask Pierre Turgeon about him. Mr. Knee on knee Bryan Marchment is another good one. But the absolute winner for me is Sean Avery. Biggest ass....in hockey history without question.

Reading this, it sounds like a rebuild is maybe the plan: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/06/07/sports/bruins-boss-don-sweeney-admits-team-could-be-facing-rebuild-under-new-coach/ Looking at the expiring contracts, Haula, Frederic and Clifton are all players who could help the Sabres be better (for the right price obviously). Maybe take that Nick Foligno contract off their hands (one year) if they throw in Frederic or Clifton for free.

Regarding interviews, keep in mind they might not have interviewed guys they have already made their mind up on or have spoken to in a different setting already. The guys they interviewed here MIGHT be guys they are interested in, but might also be guys they aren't quite sure about and they want to add a little more info on. In other words, I wouldn't read anything into it.

I agree with the first sentence. The bar in Boston is certainly much higher than it is here in Buffalo and that is the way it should be. They do have a winning culture there for sure. As to the drop off, I wouldn't be so sure. McAvoy and Marchand both had surgeries, out 6 months. Reilly and Bergeron also had lesser surgeries. Bergeron might retire. Bottom end of the roster is incapable of scoring, prospect pool is small. Their season could be over by Xmas.

That's true, and Bruins fans aren't real happy with Sweeney (or Neely) either. They have squandered quite a few prospects and picks with deadline attempts to make cup runs too. For example, they gave Lindgren to the Rangers in the Rick Nash deal, and then a few years later were shopping for the exact same type of defenseman and then gave up more to get Lindholm. The 2015 draft haunts them forever obviously. I suspect there is more in the works, there will be some trades, and likely a change of direction. A lot depends on what Bergeron is doing as well as the rumour that Krejci might want to return. Ullmark has a no trade clause but I suspect a number of players could be moved. I'm sure KA will give them a phone call to see who or what might be on the market.

They were supposed to play Panama but instead but the match was cancelled at the last minute. They were selling tickets right up to game time and then they just cancelled it. Many pissed off fans in Vancouver.

That tweet is likely right. Cassidy was a good coach who had a solid defensive system and the team stats show that, but he's also a little out of step with the times and the direction of the league. He was horrible and far too demanding with young players. Guys like Studnicka would show promise, play well offensively and then make one defensive error and it was back to Providence. As said above, he was in some ways the anti Granato. Those defensive stats above were impressive, but goals for was only 15th, PP was average, the offense was really not that good. Tank? Change of direction? No idea, but that does open a playoff spot for sure.

Exactly. There's an embellishment penalty for diving, there should be one (enforced) for all the overly dramatic head/neck bobbing, goalies and players.

I think free agency, and the draft (with any big trades made at that time) will go a long way to answering that question. Which of those teams will choose to build slowly, internally, and which (if any) wants to try to leap forward. We have the cap room to add 2, 3, even 4 key pieces. Big names even. But I really don't think we will. Just a feeling/guess. Goalie is of course the main issue we have to address. If it's just UPL/Anderson or UPL/Tokarski well, then it's probably best to lower expectations and think about playoffs in 2024. Personally, I really hope we make the moves and take the leap now.

obviously not, but I'm just talking about the locker room and the attitudes of young players. This team had no leadership and was a mess inside that locker room. Toxic cultural problems have clearly been an issue even if we as fans were never privy to the details. Girgs and Okposo didn't cause that, but they didn't lead either. I just think their value is over rated. They fell into the veteran leader roles due to a lack of other candidates. Kyle definitely stepped up, but he's not a key part of the future imo that's all. I see him gone in a year OR relegated to a smaller role. I want a captain in place who loves the team, wants to be here, and will be here for the future. We need to be looking forward, only forward. imo Tuch's arrival (and Eichel's departure) is day 1, and everything before it goes in the dumpster.

might not be any games for me to watch anyway. Team Canada's in some sort of dispute over money and is refusing to play games. No idea on the details or who is right or wrong but it seems soccer has lots of governing bodies and behind the scenes organizations. It's clearly big business, and I think kind of corrupt.