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Post by SeaBass on Jan 10, 2023 9:05:43 GMT -5
It could have been very easy for Jim Montgomery to leave his lineup alone Sunday. The Bruins were coming off a 4-2 win over the Sharks. They were playing the Ducks, whose minus-67 goal differential coming into the game was the worst in the league.
But the Bruins coach changed all four lines, swapped his goalies and took out Jakub Zboril.
Montgomery’s team responded with a 7-1 rout of the Ducks to complete a 3-0-0 California sweep.
Everything has gone right for the Bruins since Montgomery replaced Bruce Cassidy behind the bench. This is not a coincidence. From on-ice strategy to in-game adjustments to a nurturing environment for his players, Montgomery has excelled to the point where the Jack Adams Award is practically tucked in his car trunk. Through 40 games, the 32-4-4 Bruins have a plus-68 goal differential, twice as good as the second-place Stars (plus-34).
Montgomery’s most recent magic act was coaxing the seven-goal eruption out of a lineup playing its second game in less than 24 hours — following travel, no less. This is usually not a problem for the Bruins during their California visits.
Last year, for example, the Bruins hung a 7-0 beating on the Kings on Feb. 28, 2022. After the win, the Bruins took a bus down Interstate 5 to check in to their Anaheim hotel. The following night, the Bruins lost to the Ducks, 4-3.
The schedule was not as kind this time. Not only was Sunday’s game a 5:30 p.m. start, but the Bruins also had to fly from San Jose to Anaheim instead of doing the usual back-to-back SoCal commute. The schedule was one of the reasons Montgomery rearranged his lineup.
“We want to spread the minutes out tonight with three in four, with travel last night,” Montgomery told reporters in Anaheim prior to the win. “Our start time, unfortunately, is 22 hours after our start time last night. All those things came in to the decision.”
Those were not the only reasons.
This has not been how Craig Smith saw his contract year progressing. The veteran right wing has been injured, scratched, waived and parked on the bench. He had just one goal and three assists at the start of the road trip.
But when Smith scored against the Sharks, Montgomery identified an opportunity. It involved, of all things, breaking up the line that every coach would love to have.
It isn’t just that Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak have a long history of flammability. In San Jose, the three connected for a tic-tac-toe strike. In other words, the top-liners, reunited partly because of Jake DeBrusk’s absence, were just reacquainting themselves when Montgomery pulled them apart.
The first-year Bruins coach, though, likes to reward players when they’re playing well. Montgomery saw a chance to give Smith the confidence he’s been missing for most of 2022-23. So Pastrnak went down to the No. 2 line with Pavel Zacha and David Krejci. Smith, formerly on the fourth line, moved up for a first-line ride with Marchand and Bergeron.
Smith played a season-high 14:11. Pastrnak logged just 14:19, his lightest workload of the year. That didn’t stop him from pumping three pucks past John Gibson. Pastrnak scored seven goals and one assist during four games and was named NHL First Star of the Week. The right wing has 32 goals, putting him one behind league-leading Connor McDavid entering Monday night’s action.
“It will never get old,” Pastrnak said of scoring hat tricks. “You’re scoring goals in the best league in the world. It’s not easy. I’ll never take it for granted. It’s my job to score goals. It still makes you happy.”
Krejci, scoreless on the first two games of the trip, recorded a goal and two assists. Chris Wagner made his season debut against his former team and landed a game-high six hits in 12:36 of play. Hampus Lindholm, also an ex-Duck, scored his first goal since Nov. 3, 2022.
By now, the Bruins could play with their sticks upside down and still make the playoffs. Part of Montgomery’s challenge is to convince them to play with good habits until the real games begin in April. That is not an easy ask. It’s a long time for Montgomery to demand excellence from his players.
But one of Montgomery’s strengths is eliminating complacency. He’s done so by making lineup changes, rewarding good play and encouraging offensive creativity. As a result, the Bruins are playing freer than they ever did for Cassidy. DeBrusk, Trent Frederic and Brandon Carlo are at the front of the line of players who are breathing easier and playing lighter for their new coach.
On Wednesday, the four coaches whose teams have the highest points percentage in each division will be headed to Sunrise, Fla., for the All-Star Game. Montgomery and Cassidy will be there as rewards for their half-season’s work.
They may be both in contention for Coach of the Year honors at year’s end, too. But at this point, it is Montgomery’s award to lose.
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Post by SeaBass on Jan 10, 2023 9:58:04 GMT -5
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Post by madmarx on Jan 10, 2023 11:34:26 GMT -5
Mount Rushmore of Hockey, you can’t pick Gretzky Lemieux Orr or Howe . Who you got ? Very tough question, the four you have up there were my automatic entries as well. There could be a wide variance in opinions on the next four. I’m going with Crosby, Ovechkin, Bourque and Lidstrom. I would tend to include Ovechkin as well as Crosby Bourque and Lidstrom Mount Rushmore of Goalies.
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Post by KSJ08 on Jan 10, 2023 12:15:29 GMT -5
Sawchuck, "Tiny" Thompson, Roy, Furh
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Post by madmarx on Jan 10, 2023 12:18:17 GMT -5
Sawchuck, Brimsec <sp?, Roy, Furh Jersey?
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Post by KSJ08 on Jan 10, 2023 12:23:43 GMT -5
Sawchuck, Brimsec <sp?, Roy, Furh Jersey? Yeah Dam it I for got about Marty!!! Good catch!
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Post by SeaBass on Jan 10, 2023 12:26:51 GMT -5
Brodeur, $@%^@^^@ Roy, Hasek and #$@%@^$@#^@#$ Dryden
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Post by madmarx on Jan 10, 2023 12:36:35 GMT -5
Brodeur Roy Hasek Hall
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Post by SeaBass on Jan 10, 2023 13:05:41 GMT -5
Chris Kelly - Too funny
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Post by madmarx on Jan 10, 2023 13:19:38 GMT -5
Pretty much half way through the Season anyone want hand out report cards.
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Post by madmarx on Jan 10, 2023 14:35:05 GMT -5
😂😂😂
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Post by nfld77 on Jan 10, 2023 15:03:17 GMT -5
I will go with Crosby, Bourque, Lidstrom and Jagr Damn this isnt easy..I mean, if we had to go back to lets say the Eddie Shore days, you would have a different crop of superstars but keeping it within our generation I would go with Bourque, Ovechkin, Lindstrom and Bergeron..Yes I'm likely showing favorism BUT Bergeron has won 5 Selkes, coulda been 8 so he HAS to go on my list even before Bourque..
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Post by madmarx on Jan 10, 2023 17:19:51 GMT -5
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Post by SeaBass on Jan 10, 2023 17:26:36 GMT -5
He had some good stories.
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Post by SeaBass on Jan 11, 2023 7:49:21 GMT -5
Pretty much half way through the Season anyone want hand out report cards. I will give it a shot. Bergeron - A - Solid as usual Marchand - B - Still finding his game DeBrusk - A- - Stepped it up on both ends Krejci - A - Solid every night Zacha - B - Having a great year Pastrnak - A - For every goal he scores the price tag goes up, for every dumb turnover his price tag goes down. Coyle - B - Solid as usual Frederic - B - Montgomery has had a huge affect on him Hall - B - Wish he would shoot more Nosek - B - Solid 4th line center Foligno - B - What a difference a year makes Smith - D - Guy just can't find his game Greer - C - Started off strong but has disappeared Lindholm - A - Having a great year McAvoy - A - Looking good after surgery Grzelcyk - B - Most games he is solid Carlo - B - Still wish he would learn how to take a check Clifton - B - Much better this year, still needs to KISS Forbort - B - Our best PK'er Swayman - B - Started off slow but seems to be getting his game back Ullmark - A - Dude is on fire right now Montgomery - A - Seems to be pushing all the right buttons. With the team doing so well and with so many players on pace to smash their personal scoring records it is hard to find faults with most of them. Could nitpick for sure though Lindholm needs 7 more points for a career high Zacha needs 12 Frederic needs 2 Jake needs 13 and he still might get there even with a big injury Clifton already with a career high Ullmark needs 5 more wins
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Post by SeaBass on Jan 11, 2023 7:50:25 GMT -5
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Post by madmarx on Jan 11, 2023 11:48:26 GMT -5
Bergeron Marchand Debrusk Krejci Zacha Pastrnak Coyle Freddy Hall Nosek Fliggy Smith Greer
Lindholm McAvoy Grz Carlo Cliffy Forbort
Swayman Ullmark
Monty
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Post by nfld77 on Jan 11, 2023 12:09:11 GMT -5
Bergeron-A+ Marchand-B+ Debrusk A- Krejci-B+ Zacha-B+ Pastrnak-A++ Coyle-B- Freddy-B+ Hall B- Nosek-B- Fliggy-A- Smith-C- Greer-C- Lindholm-A+ McAvoy-A+ Grz-C- Carlo-B+ [since being paired with Lindholm] Cliffy-B- Forbort-A_ Swayman-B- Ullmark-A+ Monty-A++
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Post by madmarx on Jan 12, 2023 8:27:11 GMT -5
🤷♂️
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Post by madmarx on Jan 12, 2023 8:29:12 GMT -5
Bergeron Austin Martin DB 5 Marchand Dodge Demon Debrusk Dodge Viper Krejci AC Cobra Zacha Toyota Supra Pastrnak Bugatti Veyron Coyle Ford Raptor Freddy Dodge Charger Hall Plymouth Road Runner Nosek Ford Explorer Fliggy Plymouth Prowler Smith Rolls Royce Phantom Greer AMC Gremlin Lindholm Land Rover Defender McAvoy Hummer Grz. Mini Cooper Carlo Chevrolet Monte Carlo Cliffy Jeep Gladiator Forbort Dodge Ramcharger Swayman Mazda Protege Ullmark Jeep Wrangler Monty Nissan Pathfinder
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Post by madmarx on Jan 12, 2023 8:36:19 GMT -5
Should Don Cherry be in the NHL Hall of Fame ?
I say yes as a Builder
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Post by SeaBass on Jan 12, 2023 9:09:02 GMT -5
Should Don Cherry be in the NHL Hall of Fame ? I say yes as a Builder Yes as a builder
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Post by SeaBass on Jan 12, 2023 9:21:51 GMT -5
Hampus Lindholm is making a run at the Norris Trophy. Taylor Hall, second only to David Pastrnak on the Bruins with 21 five-on-five points, may be the best No. 3 left wing in the league. Charlie Coyle is fifth on the team with 18 five-on-five points while becoming a shutdown center.
To acquire the three players, general manager Don Sweeney traded, among other assets, three drafted-and-developed prospects: Urho Vaakanainen, Anders Bjork and Ryan Donato.
In his first 15 games in 2022-23, Vaakanainen had no goals and one assist while averaging 16:34 of ice time per appearance for the Ducks. Bjork is out of the league. Donato has been a healthy scratch in three of the Kraken’s past four games.
It’s easy to say, then, that Sweeney executed grand slams all around with the three deadline deals — not just in making the trades, but in signing Lindholm (eight years, $52 million), Hall (four years, $24 million) and Coyle (six years, $31.5 million) to extensions. All three are playing critical roles in the Bruins’ Stanley Cup sprint.
Meanwhile, Vaakanainen (24), Bjork (26) and Donato (26) are still trying to find their NHL ways. Whether any of the three gains full-time varsity traction remains to be seen.
To that end, four circumstances signal a liberal approach to trading prospects prior to the March 3 trade deadline:
1. The best-in-show Bruins will become even more of a championship favorite by adding to their roster.
2. History shows the youngsters the Bruins sent the other way did not develop into primetime players.
3. The Bruins can stretch out their competitive window by acquiring a veteran with term or by extending a pending unrestricted free agent.
4. The Bruins are not deep in high-end prospects, as shown by colleague Scott Wheeler’s 30th-place organizational ranking:
As such, every asset should be on the table as the Bruins consider 2022-23 roster optimization.
This is not to say the Bruins are running to let Fabian Lysell and Mason Lohrei go. The right wing and left-shot defenseman, the Bruins’ top two prospects, look like future long-term NHLers.
Lysell (eight goals and 20 points in 21 games for Providence) is a point-per-game AHLer as a 19-year-old. Lohrei, a 21-year-old sophomore at Ohio State, is developing into an all-around defenseman. Both are competitive, smart, free-skating players who could offset, for one, Charlie McAvoy’s $9.5 million average annual value on their NHL entry-level contracts.
The Bruins once thought similar things about Vaakanainen, Bjork and Donato. Vaakanainen, their 2017 first-rounder, looked at times like a top-four NHL defenseman. Bjork, the team’s fifth-round pick in 2014, once took shifts with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Donato, selected in the second round in 2014, shared second-line action with David Krejci.
But when Anaheim, Buffalo and Minnesota, respectively, identified the three as players they’d like to have, Sweeney sent them packing because of what they brought in return.
So if either Lysell or Lohrei (or Matthew Poitras, Jakub Lauko, Georgii Merkulov, Riley Duran, Kyle Keyser, John Beecher, Brett Harrison or Trevor Kuntar, the eight other prospects in Wheeler’s top 10) means the difference in acquiring an impact player — like Bo Horvat, for example — don’t expect Sweeney to hesitate.
In the case of Horvat, No. 1 on The Athletic’s trade board, the Bruins would add a left-shot center to complement Coyle, Bergeron and Krejci, all righties. Assuming they followed the contractual model of Lindholm, Hall and Coyle, the Bruins could sign the UFA-to-be to an extension. The 27-year-old would be an in-his-prime center to take over Bergeron’s and Krejci’s shifts when the graybeards say goodbye — though Bergeron is playing so sublimely that an exit may not be pending.
Occupying the lower floors of prospect rankings is nothing new for the Bruins. A history of finishing high in the standings and trading first- and second-round picks has produced a spare prospect pool. Perhaps those chickens will come home to roost at some point.
Jeremy Swayman, 24, is the youngest drafted-and-developed player on the roster. The Bruins selected him in the fourth round in 2017. From the five subsequent drafts, only one player has seen NHL action: Lauko (No. 77, 2018), as a seven-game fourth-liner this year.
Sweeney, however, has deferred doomsday partly by acquiring and extending core players like Lindholm, Hall and Coyle. It’s been a smashing strategy to extend the Bruins’ championship window and align it around the next superstar core of McAvoy (25) and David Pastrnak (26).
The latter, of course, is free to walk at year’s end as a pending UFA. If, somehow, negotiations go awry, Lysell would be first in line to take some of Pastrnak’s shifts.
But assuming an agreement comes together, it’s not like the Bruins will be short-handed at right wing anytime soon, given the ages of Pastrnak, Jake DeBrusk (26), Pavel Zacha (25) and Trent Frederic (24). Trading Lysell for a proven and long-term NHL player, in other words, would not be a scenario to eliminate just because of the right wing’s potential.
Sweeney has traded 13 prospects (Ryan Spooner, Dougie Hamilton, Anthony Camara, Rob O’Gara, Donato, Danton Heinen, Bjork, Zach Senyshyn, Dan Vladar, Ryan Lindgren, Vaakanainen, Jack Studnicka and Axel Andersson) the Bruins once drafted. Only two (Hamilton and Lindgren) are averaging more than 18:00 of ice time per game this season.
The Bruins are the top team in the league. Coach Jim Montgomery is keeping complacency away. They are better positioned than at any point of Sweeney’s stewardship to win the Cup. If improving their championship odds costs them a high-end prospect, so be it.
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Post by SeaBass on Jan 12, 2023 9:30:32 GMT -5
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Post by madmarx on Jan 12, 2023 10:09:53 GMT -5
Hampus Lindholm is making a run at the Norris Trophy. Taylor Hall, second only to David Pastrnak on the Bruins with 21 five-on-five points, may be the best No. 3 left wing in the league. Charlie Coyle is fifth on the team with 18 five-on-five points while becoming a shutdown center. To acquire the three players, general manager Don Sweeney traded, among other assets, three drafted-and-developed prospects: Urho Vaakanainen, Anders Bjork and Ryan Donato. In his first 15 games in 2022-23, Vaakanainen had no goals and one assist while averaging 16:34 of ice time per appearance for the Ducks. Bjork is out of the league. Donato has been a healthy scratch in three of the Kraken’s past four games. It’s easy to say, then, that Sweeney executed grand slams all around with the three deadline deals — not just in making the trades, but in signing Lindholm (eight years, $52 million), Hall (four years, $24 million) and Coyle (six years, $31.5 million) to extensions. All three are playing critical roles in the Bruins’ Stanley Cup sprint. Meanwhile, Vaakanainen (24), Bjork (26) and Donato (26) are still trying to find their NHL ways. Whether any of the three gains full-time varsity traction remains to be seen. To that end, four circumstances signal a liberal approach to trading prospects prior to the March 3 trade deadline: 1. The best-in-show Bruins will become even more of a championship favorite by adding to their roster. 2. History shows the youngsters the Bruins sent the other way did not develop into primetime players. 3. The Bruins can stretch out their competitive window by acquiring a veteran with term or by extending a pending unrestricted free agent. 4. The Bruins are not deep in high-end prospects, as shown by colleague Scott Wheeler’s 30th-place organizational ranking: As such, every asset should be on the table as the Bruins consider 2022-23 roster optimization. This is not to say the Bruins are running to let Fabian Lysell and Mason Lohrei go. The right wing and left-shot defenseman, the Bruins’ top two prospects, look like future long-term NHLers. Lysell (eight goals and 20 points in 21 games for Providence) is a point-per-game AHLer as a 19-year-old. Lohrei, a 21-year-old sophomore at Ohio State, is developing into an all-around defenseman. Both are competitive, smart, free-skating players who could offset, for one, Charlie McAvoy’s $9.5 million average annual value on their NHL entry-level contracts. The Bruins once thought similar things about Vaakanainen, Bjork and Donato. Vaakanainen, their 2017 first-rounder, looked at times like a top-four NHL defenseman. Bjork, the team’s fifth-round pick in 2014, once took shifts with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Donato, selected in the second round in 2014, shared second-line action with David Krejci. But when Anaheim, Buffalo and Minnesota, respectively, identified the three as players they’d like to have, Sweeney sent them packing because of what they brought in return. So if either Lysell or Lohrei (or Matthew Poitras, Jakub Lauko, Georgii Merkulov, Riley Duran, Kyle Keyser, John Beecher, Brett Harrison or Trevor Kuntar, the eight other prospects in Wheeler’s top 10) means the difference in acquiring an impact player — like Bo Horvat, for example — don’t expect Sweeney to hesitate. In the case of Horvat, No. 1 on The Athletic’s trade board, the Bruins would add a left-shot center to complement Coyle, Bergeron and Krejci, all righties. Assuming they followed the contractual model of Lindholm, Hall and Coyle, the Bruins could sign the UFA-to-be to an extension. The 27-year-old would be an in-his-prime center to take over Bergeron’s and Krejci’s shifts when the graybeards say goodbye — though Bergeron is playing so sublimely that an exit may not be pending. Occupying the lower floors of prospect rankings is nothing new for the Bruins. A history of finishing high in the standings and trading first- and second-round picks has produced a spare prospect pool. Perhaps those chickens will come home to roost at some point. Jeremy Swayman, 24, is the youngest drafted-and-developed player on the roster. The Bruins selected him in the fourth round in 2017. From the five subsequent drafts, only one player has seen NHL action: Lauko (No. 77, 2018), as a seven-game fourth-liner this year. Sweeney, however, has deferred doomsday partly by acquiring and extending core players like Lindholm, Hall and Coyle. It’s been a smashing strategy to extend the Bruins’ championship window and align it around the next superstar core of McAvoy (25) and David Pastrnak (26). The latter, of course, is free to walk at year’s end as a pending UFA. If, somehow, negotiations go awry, Lysell would be first in line to take some of Pastrnak’s shifts. But assuming an agreement comes together, it’s not like the Bruins will be short-handed at right wing anytime soon, given the ages of Pastrnak, Jake DeBrusk (26), Pavel Zacha (25) and Trent Frederic (24). Trading Lysell for a proven and long-term NHL player, in other words, would not be a scenario to eliminate just because of the right wing’s potential. Sweeney has traded 13 prospects (Ryan Spooner, Dougie Hamilton, Anthony Camara, Rob O’Gara, Donato, Danton Heinen, Bjork, Zach Senyshyn, Dan Vladar, Ryan Lindgren, Vaakanainen, Jack Studnicka and Axel Andersson) the Bruins once drafted. Only two (Hamilton and Lindgren) are averaging more than 18:00 of ice time per game this season. The Bruins are the top team in the league. Coach Jim Montgomery is keeping complacency away. They are better positioned than at any point of Sweeney’s stewardship to win the Cup. If improving their championship odds costs them a high-end prospect, so be it. The only redo for Me would be Lingren, Sweeney has done a good job at the deadline.
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Post by orym on Jan 12, 2023 11:04:55 GMT -5
Should Don Cherry be in the NHL Hall of Fame ? I say yes as a Builder Absolutely yes!
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Post by kjc2 on Jan 12, 2023 13:01:58 GMT -5
Hampus Lindholm is making a run at the Norris Trophy. Taylor Hall, second only to David Pastrnak on the Bruins with 21 five-on-five points, may be the best No. 3 left wing in the league. Charlie Coyle is fifth on the team with 18 five-on-five points while becoming a shutdown center. To acquire the three players, general manager Don Sweeney traded, among other assets, three drafted-and-developed prospects: Urho Vaakanainen, Anders Bjork and Ryan Donato. In his first 15 games in 2022-23, Vaakanainen had no goals and one assist while averaging 16:34 of ice time per appearance for the Ducks. Bjork is out of the league. Donato has been a healthy scratch in three of the Kraken’s past four games. It’s easy to say, then, that Sweeney executed grand slams all around with the three deadline deals — not just in making the trades, but in signing Lindholm (eight years, $52 million), Hall (four years, $24 million) and Coyle (six years, $31.5 million) to extensions. All three are playing critical roles in the Bruins’ Stanley Cup sprint. Meanwhile, Vaakanainen (24), Bjork (26) and Donato (26) are still trying to find their NHL ways. Whether any of the three gains full-time varsity traction remains to be seen. To that end, four circumstances signal a liberal approach to trading prospects prior to the March 3 trade deadline: 1. The best-in-show Bruins will become even more of a championship favorite by adding to their roster. 2. History shows the youngsters the Bruins sent the other way did not develop into primetime players. 3. The Bruins can stretch out their competitive window by acquiring a veteran with term or by extending a pending unrestricted free agent. 4. The Bruins are not deep in high-end prospects, as shown by colleague Scott Wheeler’s 30th-place organizational ranking: As such, every asset should be on the table as the Bruins consider 2022-23 roster optimization. This is not to say the Bruins are running to let Fabian Lysell and Mason Lohrei go. The right wing and left-shot defenseman, the Bruins’ top two prospects, look like future long-term NHLers. Lysell (eight goals and 20 points in 21 games for Providence) is a point-per-game AHLer as a 19-year-old. Lohrei, a 21-year-old sophomore at Ohio State, is developing into an all-around defenseman. Both are competitive, smart, free-skating players who could offset, for one, Charlie McAvoy’s $9.5 million average annual value on their NHL entry-level contracts. The Bruins once thought similar things about Vaakanainen, Bjork and Donato. Vaakanainen, their 2017 first-rounder, looked at times like a top-four NHL defenseman. Bjork, the team’s fifth-round pick in 2014, once took shifts with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Donato, selected in the second round in 2014, shared second-line action with David Krejci. But when Anaheim, Buffalo and Minnesota, respectively, identified the three as players they’d like to have, Sweeney sent them packing because of what they brought in return. So if either Lysell or Lohrei (or Matthew Poitras, Jakub Lauko, Georgii Merkulov, Riley Duran, Kyle Keyser, John Beecher, Brett Harrison or Trevor Kuntar, the eight other prospects in Wheeler’s top 10) means the difference in acquiring an impact player — like Bo Horvat, for example — don’t expect Sweeney to hesitate. In the case of Horvat, No. 1 on The Athletic’s trade board, the Bruins would add a left-shot center to complement Coyle, Bergeron and Krejci, all righties. Assuming they followed the contractual model of Lindholm, Hall and Coyle, the Bruins could sign the UFA-to-be to an extension. The 27-year-old would be an in-his-prime center to take over Bergeron’s and Krejci’s shifts when the graybeards say goodbye — though Bergeron is playing so sublimely that an exit may not be pending. Occupying the lower floors of prospect rankings is nothing new for the Bruins. A history of finishing high in the standings and trading first- and second-round picks has produced a spare prospect pool. Perhaps those chickens will come home to roost at some point. Jeremy Swayman, 24, is the youngest drafted-and-developed player on the roster. The Bruins selected him in the fourth round in 2017. From the five subsequent drafts, only one player has seen NHL action: Lauko (No. 77, 2018), as a seven-game fourth-liner this year. Sweeney, however, has deferred doomsday partly by acquiring and extending core players like Lindholm, Hall and Coyle. It’s been a smashing strategy to extend the Bruins’ championship window and align it around the next superstar core of McAvoy (25) and David Pastrnak (26). The latter, of course, is free to walk at year’s end as a pending UFA. If, somehow, negotiations go awry, Lysell would be first in line to take some of Pastrnak’s shifts. But assuming an agreement comes together, it’s not like the Bruins will be short-handed at right wing anytime soon, given the ages of Pastrnak, Jake DeBrusk (26), Pavel Zacha (25) and Trent Frederic (24). Trading Lysell for a proven and long-term NHL player, in other words, would not be a scenario to eliminate just because of the right wing’s potential. Sweeney has traded 13 prospects (Ryan Spooner, Dougie Hamilton, Anthony Camara, Rob O’Gara, Donato, Danton Heinen, Bjork, Zach Senyshyn, Dan Vladar, Ryan Lindgren, Vaakanainen, Jack Studnicka and Axel Andersson) the Bruins once drafted. Only two (Hamilton and Lindgren) are averaging more than 18:00 of ice time per game this season. The Bruins are the top team in the league. Coach Jim Montgomery is keeping complacency away. They are better positioned than at any point of Sweeney’s stewardship to win the Cup. If improving their championship odds costs them a high-end prospect, so be it. I just heard an interesting comment. “If Lindholm didn’t get hurt in the playoffs or was perfectly healthy, the Bruins win that round, Cassidy doesn’t get fired and Monty ends up in Vegas. Interesting and plausible I think.
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Post by kjc2 on Jan 12, 2023 13:05:09 GMT -5
Should Don Cherry be in the NHL Hall of Fame ? I say yes as a Builder Absolutely yes! Agree, absolutely yes. I’m not a huge fan of the cancellation culture and hurt feels club. I do think it was time for him to go but they could have done it respectfully.
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Post by SeaBass on Jan 18, 2023 9:38:29 GMT -5
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Post by SeaBass on Jan 20, 2023 9:27:56 GMT -5
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