Front-Runners in Bruins’ Forward Hunt (Mailbag)| The Skate Pod, Ep. 323

Front-Runners in Bruins’ Forward Hunt (Mailbag)| The Skate Pod, Ep. 323

welcome to episode 323 of the skate podcast I am Brian D fiz joined by Bridget Peru and Scott mcclaflin today is a special mailbag episode so thanks to everybody for submitting your questions we’re going to get to hopefully all of them uh Bridget Scott how how’s the off season going for you guys so far I know it’s not the offseason for all professional Boston hockey teams but at least for the Bruins it is yeah today we’re both going to be heading out to game five of pwhl Boston against Minnesota um so Scott and I will both be there it’s going to be the last game of the season uh that they go to seven game uh they don’t go to seven games they go to five games so um yeah not quite the off season yet for hockey for for uh me and I know Scott’s gonna cover this one as well so that’s exciting and tickets were up over $3,000 some of them like uh on the resale market and it’s kind of crazy so um hey maybe Boston hockey will have a championship this year it’s just not the Bruins yeah and wasn’t wasn’t uh BC or Buu so no yeah the the women gota gotta get it done um yeah I’ve also been covering the Celtics who are now they’re in their own off season uh before the finals start I think I think they’ll start in August sometime um long long layoff before the finals but I’ll I’ll be there for those games as well so yeah still still enough to keep me busy um which which is good I don’t know what the hell we’re going to do when there’s no basketball or PW though but by the by the time Celtics ends because like they space out the the finals so much it’ll just about be draft in free agency so true um you know t to the Bruins announced their their key offseason dates on uh Tuesday that was and uh rookie or sorry development Camp is July 1st through 4th over at Warrior so it starts the same day as the first day of free agency so you know there some stuff to do and and then then after that then it really quiets down July and August but but yeah there still still stuff going on now just we still got uh you know two good series in the Conference Finals um three straight overtime games between the Panthers and Rangers that’s that’s been fun uh yeah and of course we we have a baseball team still in town and then I’m sure there’ll be Patriots summer story lines going that’ll keep us invested in the Boston Sports landscape in general Bridget and Scott before we get into the mailbag questions there was a little bit of news regarding the Bruins as David pasnak and paavo zaka win gold over at World Championships and check Republic what are your thoughts on that clearly that means a lot to to the Czech players themselves and I know David pek wants to be invited to the four teams four nations tournament next year you mean that pretty September I think is it September or is it January when when’s that tournament again uh I think it’s midseason it’s instead of the All-Star Game right yes that be January but uh yeah no he made that very clear he uh he put it out there in a in a post uh on social media that he said no invite like because it’s uh the only two European countries are going to be Finland and Sweden and then it’s just us and Canada which we had already said like why can’t it just be you segment Europe into like eastern western or something like um so to let some of the guys that are really good players from countries that are not Sweden and and pH play uh and clearly poso just loves hockey that much that he always wants to be playing even uh instead of maybe even taking a break during the uh that break there for four nations but uh I don’t know if I’ve ever seen posa that happy to be honest with you he was up when they won he was up on the uh this bus that they had or whatever standing with the cop someone broke it they didn’t say who there was someone that had the cup of lot that was having a lot of fun with it uh that wears a Bruins Jersey normally but uh drinking a lot of beer out of it so much beer out of it it I mean flinging beer out of it into the crowd I know he’s a man of the people uh I think that this week he had probably more beer than he’s had in a long time but uh but he looked like he was having a lot of fun it was nice to see him just being like full past knock like just just going nuts and but the whole time I’m thinking okay well him and zaka they got to be over there kind of you know talking to Martin NIS like hey hey you know we had so much fun here winning gold maybe we could you know use you back in Boston um you know maybe there was a little politicking going on uh I know Brian you said that uh posn was also on a on a podcast uh after the gold medal game and and was saying you know that wasn’t really what he was doing but um I think everybody uh they all talk to each other about about what they’re gonna be doing during the NHL season yeah Elliot fredman actually uh was on NHL network and linked the Vancouver Canucks to having being one of the teams interested in in Martin nature so if the Bruins are interested they’re not going to be alone and um and yeah so I mean you bring up the the podcast so David pasnak was on spit and chicklets after he won over in Czech Republic and a lot of the conversation was about that tournament and but there was also Bruns talk and that’s that’s what we kind of care about most on here and yeah he he was asked if he was going to do any offseason recruiting and he talked about how being an original six team and the sports city that Boston is that should be enough for anybody to want to come and play in Boston so that’s more or less his his political answer I’m sure he’s having more conversations about that um and he talked about also how the Panthers were just so much deeper than the Bruins and such a so so much of a better team than Boston and we were talking about it before the podcast we don’t know if the pan the Panthers had more uh Elite Talent in their top six which is where David pasak plays I don’t know if saying that Florida was so much deeper is accurate even though that’s coming from somebody who was in the series I think it’s more that Florida was well they were deeper but they were deeper at at the highend skill positions and so you read between the lines and I I just think that David pasnak clearly is yearning for a true top centerman to play alongside going forward in his time in Boston said it’s going to be interesting summer for GM Don Sweeney he didn’t mention Sweeney’s name but that’s what he meant and I think that’s kind of a a good segue into a lot of the questions that were asked in this week’s mailbag which is what is the future of the bru Center IED position and and where are they going to where and how are they going to fill in these holes that they clearly had on the roster last year yeah so I’ll start with sorry Bridget but before we get going I was just one one last thing in Pak just so we don’t like gloss over this but he scored the winning goal in the gold medal game and had you know really a national hero moment for the Czech Republic yes um which obviously he’s already a legend over there but um that really just cements it further and you know for people who maybe weren’t following or aren’t really familiar with the the world championship because it’s not a very important tournament over here it takes place same time as the staning Cup playoffs so obviously you’re not getting all the best American and Canadian players um but over in Europe it does mean something and and it has for a long time time this is a tournament that’s existed for like over a hundred years um and for Czech Republic to win on home ice and Prague was a huge deal and so for Pak to score that goal like he I’m going to guess if you asked him he would he would tell you that he scored the two big BG goals of his life within the last month game seven against Toronto and that goal in the gold medal game um so obviously not directly related to the Bruins but just a huge moment for Pak and you know hopefully something that gives him something to feel good about the one other piece of news that came out of all this was he gave an interview with a a check paper and you got to always be like a little of these translations and kind of what gets through but he said he was dealing with a hip injury and the translation said he was told he needed surgery but then the check doctor said he didn’t I’m I’m just a little skeptical of the overall translation but I guess it’s going to be something to monitor um I don’t know like it sounded like he doesn’t think he needs surgery Don Sweeney said in his end of year press conference that no one was scheduled to have surgery but remember panak did say on breakup day that he was dealing with the groin thing all year on and off and groin pain can be a symptom of a hip issue so there’s there’s something there but I I don’t think we have 100% Clarity just yet yeah and I was GNA say that the the POS not goal the game-winning goal uh it starts with a Faceoff win by pav zaka and uh those two were were out there uh most shifts together actually I think it was David spachek who scored that goal right yeah I wasn’t gonna say it Brian but that was a rough one that was I mean like he said it might be past’s like one of his more memorable like to and special to himself goals and the call was not that David posn scored so um I’m gonna reserve my my comments on on that but fortunately for fortunately for pasta I bet the check call got it right so the check call yeah okay so he can just keep that save that um anyway let’s get to some of our mailbag questions so um we’re gonna start with Jimmy uh who sent this to us in an email he said uh he’s a Bruins fan from Sweden uh and he and he had a lot of questions about different options that Bruins could add this off season so he said I love the skate pod um only second to his favorite team the Bruins um so thank you for that he said in preparation for the offseason and the hunt for a center I’ve I think this is must be a Swedish term I vacuumed the league for Al uh for Alternatives I don’t maybe that’s a a Swedish term that we just don’t like like kind of like sweep sweep ground like cover ground I actually might start using that that’s I contextually exactly know what he means means are we Swedish I I I technically yes but I’m I mean I don’t speak any Swedish uh Scott and I look Scott if you’re looking at us on YouTube Scott and I look nothing like a Swedish person but brid very clearly does you get the blond hair going blond hair blue eyes that’s the staple of sweds right yeah I’m also I was gonna say I’m not tall enough to be Swedish so I also can cook some Swedish food so I think that makes me you know officially at least somewhat but um and and for Jimmy um Swedish brownies are great and I know how to make those so uh anyway he said he vacuumed the league for Alternatives uh and asked for our opinion on them uh he said I do not see NIS as a center which I am also very skeptical of him as a center we can get go through why that is um but if they lose Jake de brus like you still need another top six Winger probably um he says uh if he was he would have taken over kmi’s spot long ago um and then he says of the eight Alternatives that he went through and and saw um just three of them were unrestricted free agents Lin Holm duain and Stephenson were the ones that he pinpointed um and before we get to the rest of his questions just initial thoughts on those those three uh ufas yeah so we we’ve talked about Elias Lindholm quite a bit and obviously the Bruins have been linked to him in the past um I like Elias lolm for the right price I’m not I’m not going crazy because I don’t think he’s a stone cold lock Bonafide number one Center I think he was great when he had Johnny Gad and Matthew kachuck as his linemates I think having David poso as a linemate would help um you know plays a 200 foot game he had a good postseason for Vancouver this year so I like them but there there’s a limit to that like and I’m gonna say that limit is roughly seven and a half million a year or maybe a little more than that I definitely don’t think I’d go over eight um Chandler Stevenson good player who intrigues me I don’t think he’s the number one Center um but at the right price I think he makes your team better like he he can he can be a second or third line Center he can play Wing you know he’s he’s fast we’ve talked about cam Ney said they need more speed like Stephenson would help with that so uh intriguing player I don’t think really a number one Center option matu Shane interesting like clearly still has has some some gas in the tank he’s had a good season in Dallas and again I don’t know if he’s a number one Center at this point but I do think he’s a player that can still make a contending team better um he you know still plays um you know still creates a lot of offense still has some speed in his game so he he intrigues me but again it’s got to be at the right price and it can’t be too long of a commitment he’s what 36 or 37 so um The Shane yeah no I don’t think he’s that old um oh 30 yeah I guess yeah um if he’s 37 that makes me pretty old as well so uh no He’s 33 don’t rush our age 37 37 in dog years Scott well you might have to sign him until he’s 37 then yeah like I could see that uh I could see you know him being wrapped up with your team till he’s 37 or something like that I mean he had an incredible season with the Predators a few years ago when he had 43 goals 43 assists but like it’s for me what’s hard with him is I just don’t know the fit necessarily um and I mean there’s no denying that he’s been a good player uh there’s been some I mean there there’s some criticism about like may I don’t want to say work ethic but like there’s just been there’s just been things that have come out about him that I’m not 100% sold on him as your solution for for the number one Center or even a number two Center job um and some of it has to do with age some of it has to do with other things that uh you hear and I I know that every organization has a list of guys that they just might not necessarily see as a fit with a team and he’s I he’s he’s interesting because I think there’s a good case to be made for him uh the kind of you know the kind of production he has uh but there are other drawbacks I think in the move if you if you’re were trying to sign your Shane no nobody Scott you’re clearly Googling something I think Brian’s Frozen so yeah no I mean I think you’re yeah it it is interesting like I I still don’t know why Nashville bought du Shane out like maybe there was some I don’t know office locker room stuff like I have no idea because he was still playing at a pretty high level and was more or less worth his contract and then he you know production wise he’s been a steal for Dallas so um yeah I don’t don’t I you’re right like it seems like there’s something weird there that Nashville would have wanted to move on from him but I don’t know I haven’t heard anything negative about about him in in Dallas certainly seems to be be a fit there and you know had had a good season and is a big part of the reason that that they had as good of a year as they did and are still going in the Western Conference Finals yeah so I mean definitely worth talking about worth being on the list um I think that there are maybe other guys that I put higher in terms of like a potential and and fitwise and and especially because we’re we’re we’re finally we’re we’re a year past the Patrice berson dude create you retirement and you’re I assume that you’re trying to find a longer term fix like you’re trying to find a guy who you believe even for a little bit longer unless you’re unless you’re being patient and you’re you know we had some emails and some questions about and even Scott brought this up or someone brought this up like why don’t you wait till dry CLE becomes a free agent which I don’t think he’s ever going to become a free agent I think probably someone trades for him or he signs an extension before that but um anyway uh do you want to move on to a few of the other names in the list uh so linhome we did talk about already Steve Stenson he I just don’t know if he’s all that high up um in in terms of like is he a a like a legit top six guy um and he just might not be a big enough upgrade for what the Bruins are looking for yeah I mean none of none of the names quite frankly that we’ve talked about so far I think are are number one Center Solutions I I do think Lind Holm I’m trepidacious on I just think that he’s I I to Simply put it I feel like his better days may be behind him and I don’t have a ton of interest in signing him uh to be their number one Center and locking him up for a term that is uncomfortable for the Bruins the number Scott put out earlier which I think was like seven and a half like I would do that um I it would depend on how long but I don’t know I’m not I’m not really high on lolm going forward and um you know duch Shane he would be like he is in Dallas he would be a good role player in a middle six for championship team he’s on a number one Center Stevenson we’ve talked about I think he has potentially maybe two Center potential but not one and you know nature is the name to me that he’s younger he’s I think he’s 25 years old y he has all the skill and talent in the world amazing skater he’s 6’2 190 so he’s got size that you want at that position and the skill I think clearly maybe he wasn’t a center in Carolina because there’s probably some things to be desired on the defensive side of the puck which clearly he would need to work on but he’s still young and we’ve seen him C putting them with pasta like if you’re putting them on a line with zacha and pasta like uh probably needs somebody that’s a good 200 foot player for a center um yes you have to be defensively responsible yes and when we saw pav zaka transform back from a Winger to a center um however I think pav zaka was more he was still getting some looks in New Jersey at Center um just not for extended periods of time and when he first came to Boston he was started out as a Winger too so um I I do think that go ahead the one thing I would say on NAS that could maybe give you some hope that he you know might that there’s at least upside for him to be better defensively or or a better fit as a center is uh Carolina plays a different system they play man-to-man defense Bruins plays zone so like do do your pro Scout identify anything in nhos that would say oh he could be a better fit in a Zone scheme um which you know would require him to cover more ground which means he he has to be committed like right off the bat you have to have the work ethic but maybe his skating helps him more there like if we’re talking about you know the challenge of covering so much ground in the Bruins system well a good skater should have a bit of a leg up on that but again it’s all going to come down to you know is he committed to it like does he want to get better as a defensive player because in Carolina he’s played five full NHL seasons and at least like if you look at the analytics and like the advanced metrics there really hasn’t been any noticeable Improvement in how he grades out defensively so you would think that you know working under Rod brandamore who was a selky winner himself as a player and obviously has implemented a very good defensive system down there you would like to have seen you know some improvement at some point that would suggest that he’s not just a an offense only and you know transition player which has value don’t get me wrong like the the positives with NES far away the negatives but if you’re talking about transitioning to Center the defense has to be there yeah and and since we brought this up last uh we were talking about like okay because this is somebody who’s a restricted free agent right like this is someone that you have to acquire in in a trade um so uh like his rights in a trade uh and just the reason that it came up in the first place was that there was rumors that he just might not want to be there anymore and since we talked about that last uh the GM for Carolina resigned uh Don woodell so I don’t I don’t know if that changes anything but um obviously a general manager has a huge say and uh what moves are going to happen this offseason so um just kind of interesting to bring that up I think yeah by the way they’re new GM Eric tulsky former Advanced stats blogger writer type who’s worked his way up so so went win for the Nerds yeah Scott is that your end goal in like in like 15 years you’re work your way up yeah I’m well I I think I could be the Bruns general manager right now if they wanted to hire me that’s true I think I’ve heard you say that I I keep applying for it and they keep telling me no go away they keep telling you the job’s not open uh I mean I I will say this though guys just just quickly if they do make a move for NIS and and he just doesn’t he let’s just say he doesn’t pin out as a centerman still not a bad you know top Winger to have for your future I mean alongside passion like I I just think I think sometimes sometimes you’re just not a fit somewhere yes your coach could be a former Sky winner and Stanley Cup champion and have a huge emphasis on details and work ethic but look sometimes when you when you’re behind a star pupil in sa Sebastian AO who clearly is you know the favorite there uh in their their rightful number one Center to this point in his career I just think sometimes a change of scenery with somebody who has size and all the skill and talent in the world I think you know you can’t teach talent but you can teach you can teach defensive awareness and and it it could be a work in progress but I think it could be ultimately a a big time um acquisition for the Bruins I mean alternatively the other side of the spectrums Jimmy mentions is a cheaper option like like Phil doo in La who is all defense no offense right so you’re never going to have the perfect player I guess is my point um I just think right now the Bruins uh sometimes you you can’t be you have to be Beggars you can’t be choosers with the situation that they’re in and um so I I think he’s of the of the names that we’ve talked about he’s the one who interests me the most at this stage of course I don’t know a potential hockey trade that’s out there right like we’re kind of talking about SC about one what’s that well Scott wrote about one Scott did he did so we could do that well but that that was yeah that was involving NS and it was yeah you know potentially Lena Sark going to Carolina because the Hurricanes once again were let down by their goal tending in the playoffs um you know Freddy Anderson and P kov had both had some good stretches in the regular season but didn’t hold up in the in the postseason so there’s been there’s been rumors that you know Ellie fredman in that same podcast said that he he believed that Carolina was one of the teams the Bruins had talked to about allmark at the trade deadline so you would have to think with the way the playoffs went Carolina might be one of the teams that circles back on that obviously we don’t know if they’re on or off his no trade list or if he would go there or whatever but um you know you can certainly see like how the framework of a of a deal like that works out you know Pierre LeBron in the athletic also wrote about a possible Nas trade and said Carolina’s not really interested in Futures like draft picks prospects and unless they can turn around and go get another star but they want you know they they’re in win now mode like they they’re not they’re not rebuilding so in that in that sense like you could see where why allmark would be appealing and again like there could be a hockey trade out there with a team that has a number one Center that we just have no idea as bridg as you mentioned last episode somebody could just be unhappy like there could be something we just don’t know about like this would have never happen but for example what if Tage Thompson was just on his way out in buff like who you just you just never know we don’t so we’re kind of keeping this strictly to the names that are on you know the UFA Market or or restricted free agent market and a name that we haven’t mentioned really at all I think it’s probably because we just don’t see him leaving Tampa Bay is Stephen stos I mean he is an option right um he is a free agent but I just don’t see him leaving a maybe that’s why we just haven’t really gone there very often but we don’t mean to ignore his availability just you know yeah and and but not for nothing but like they could have they had a chance to extend them and they haven’t uh you know the same thing we were talking about with Jake de Bros last episode it’s like there was a window there that seemed like it would have made sense to sign an extension and didn’t you know it didn’t happen and he’s been allowed to go to free agency which I think makes him uncomfortable and makes and he could tell there’s a bit of questioning like okay how do we get to this point um so maybe it maybe it isn’t as easy as like okay he’s definitely going back to Tampa because I I think there’s doubt there I think there’s a real chance he ends up not in Tampa um just it just seems like some some’s off about I don’t know what changed about their negotiations or or what what they what the organization was waiting for or they want to see something from him um or maybe they just say they just think to themselves we had a good run but he’s kind of on the other side of his career and we we looking to to change things up so um I do think he’s a legitimate option uh it’s hard to imagine him anywhere besides Tampa just because that’s where we’ve always seen him but I I I think that you can you you personally like as long as it as long as it makes it to free agency before he signs anywhere you you can negotiate with him you can talk to him you give them an offer um so yeah and just just to just to clarify because sometimes people tend to take things literally the Buffalo Sabers are not trading Tage Thompson I was just illustrating we just don’t know what’s what’s out there outside of you know free agency like there could be things have no idea oh yeah AB some people you know in Buffalo have have wanted out before it’s it’s you know I want in in the sake of in the sake of moving things along I want to mention someone who Jimmy brought up also in this email who’s very interesting to me and that’s nazam Kadri um who just had a very good season in Calgary on a team that’s clearly rebuilding you know they traded away like half their team at the deadline uh he KY put up you know top 70 points and did it on a line with two young players in Connor’s and uh Martin posil who you know are nice young players but like obviously he wasn’t playing with stars and he still went over 70 points um you know Jimmy mentioned the possibility of like salary retention by Calgary which I think could be in play so you know I remember we we talked about Kary couple years ago when he was a free agent and it was like probably the same debate you’re going to have now which is like is he really number one s is he more of a two on a really good team um but he’d be better than any Center you have on your roster right now so he’s a year out from or no I think he has a couple years left in his deal right but he’s made comments on the past about like you know he didn’t really sign up for a rebuild or there’s been rumors reports that he’s not kind of fully on on board with the idea of a long rebuild so he’s he’s in his 30s you would think he wants to kind of wants to be in more of a win Now situation so um that’s definitely intriguing to me obviously he you know when he was in Toronto he was a villain around here um but to me no doubt he’s a good player like I think I think he’s plays a 200 foot game obviously has some Edge wait did you say he has one year left on his contract no I think he has a few oh yeah he signed a seven-year contract in 2022 with Calgary yeah still got plenty of term left cat cat friendly is freezing on me so I wasn’t to pull it up got plenty of term uh left to that contract which by the way he’s 33 so that would take him to his his late 30s uh whoever picked up that contract um and but you like you said maybe some retention on on Calgary’s part uh could be there but that’s a that’s a long contract to pick up because he was one of top free agents uh at that point uh in the summer of 22 uh and people were were wondering if someone would overpay for him and and you know he’s got he’s got a pretty big contract but um not not like not so big that you can’t do it but he’s a good player and I like what he has to offer uh everything Scott kind of mentioned here’s my concern with a lot of these names and I appreciate Jimmy’s question because they’re quite frankly like they’re the names that are we we we know to be available to an extent and uh for a position of need that the Bruins need to fill none of them just really uh none of them really are truly what they’re in need of though right like they could play onec Charlie Coyle played 1C last year like but it’s not but it’s not what they these players aren’t what they truly need I think NIS could be if he were to become a two-way guy but we don’t know that um what concerns me guys is that the Bruins are looking for stop gaps during the prime years of mavo and pasnak and I feel like it’s partly because their their hands are tied but if they can find a way to be methodical and potentially acquire somebody that has Youth and potential I’d rather take that gamble than somebody who might be more established but they’re kind of on whole 16 and 15 of 18 and I’m just I’m concerned that they’re gonna lock somebody into a term and value that I don’t know I guess you could always try to move somebody but do you understand what I’m trying to say I don’t know stock Gap one Center hockey during these valuable years of passion and makoy in particular is what they want to do not sure well you want to be the best team you can be in competitive but yeah I mean you’re if you’re only trying to to grab someone that that you want to like give a test drive to for for two or three years like you’re probably gonna have to trade for that person free free agents are gonna that we’ve mentioned are going to want more than that maybe maybe you could get one of the older guys like Stam Coast for for two or three years you know but uh and I don’t see that what do you guys think that Trevor zis well I have my reservations similar to mat Shane about Trevor zus uh so that’s a hard one same I like I I don’t obviously he’s talented he’s had a couple 60 point Seasons but yeah there’s gonna be questions there but the the reality is is like true number one Center is just you know Jack eel doesn’t shake loose very often that’s like a kind of a once from Buffalo yeah one one guy in maybe like the last 10 years yeah it’s it’s I don’t know you know if you can find that guy great but they’re they’re not usually out there what I was gonna say was uh before you mentioned zis was if you can get someone for that you can you think are you know they’re not over the hill and they’re and they can be reliable for another two or three years like a Steven Stam coast and Matt pot it continues to develop uh the way that he was earlier in the season before he got hurt maybe you see a path where you don’t necessarily have to fill somebody in your roster that you that you signed for six years maybe you find someone like Stam Coast that’s that’s good and valuable for the next two years Matt ptra starts to work in get more uh you you start to find out whether or not he can be at some point a number one and two Center in your lineup so and and the whole stop Gap statement I made it’s not it’s not a blanket statement like if if yeah to your point if Stephen Stam Coast is that guy I mean you have a championship window right there but if that guy is Elias lolm or you know Chandler Stevenson or whatever whoever we’ve been talking about uh it’s different cadri right like stamp Coast gives you an immediate Championship window with the current core the Bruins have the other guys don’t so that I would be okay with because you’re not wasting those Prime years of mavo and passion but like you know so it just depends but so aside from stamp Coast I mean yes that that would be something but who knows I mean I I I think I still think you have a championship window it’s something less than like a true star number one Center I mean you made the final eight with really nothing more than like a decent number or solid number two Center so if you get you know even like a Cadre who’s like a you know either an excellent number two or or a solid number one and then you know another scoring Wing to go along with it like are you gonna be a staning cup favorite like no you’re not going to be the favorite going into the year but you you’ve gotten better from a team that already you know went to six games with with Florida in the second round of the playoffs like you’re you’re getting closer you’re giving yourself a chance so yeah I I still see value in that type of move even if it’s not you know hey we just landed our Superstar Center that we’ve been looking for yeah I I agree with that uh since you brought up since you brought up zis I just say this factiously uh cutter goate probably be available a little bit shortly we just got traded over there but I don’t know how like I just it’s a joke but uh yeah he’s he’s probably coming in and taking over for zis or yeah ion say I I don’t know if there’s enough room for zis and goate ah I don’t think so I don’t think so um all right let’s we spent a lot of time on Jimmy’s questions so that’s gonna but a good good thing is a lot of people were also curious about the same thing so um though we didn’t get to everything Jimmy sent he also sent quite a bit so we are going to go down to um I guess I’ll go to Kim so Kim emailed us um and this has to do with Matt ptra who I brought up briefly uh a little bit ago she says I’m so confused back in February Monty met with when Monty met with the media after Patra surgery he made it clear that the reason to do the surgery in February was so that Patra would have a full summer to get prepared uh to work on getting stronger uh stamina and which we did see you know we we thought he was you know maybe need to put on a little a bit more muscle um and they were they were starting to rest him where you know a normal full-time nhlr would would not be getting rested in certain situations so um basically she’s saying that’s the strategy that they said they were going to to go with get the get the surgery early give them time this offseason to get back into the swing of things um and be ready to go so she says if they waited for the surgery until October and then Patra would have to play catchup uh or if they would to get the SE till after the season he he wouldn’t get back till October so that’d be like right at the start of the Season he have to play catchup H and she’s asking why are why now are 50% of Bruin’s media and podcasters saying that ptra should start the year in Providence or spend the entire season in Providence so that his shoulder can heal um so guys I the the reason that this comes from is was probably the comments made during the the managers and you know ownership press conference uh after the season ended because we talked about this uh in in our episode to to cover that that they were basically saying patcha needs to re earn his job and I think that’s how you end up bringing yourself down that road like does he start in Providence um but I I in my mind I read it as less of a hey he has to start in Providence kind of thing and more of a he just the same as everybody else needs to earn his spot the way he did out a camp last year yeah everyone has to win a jump so yeah I didn’t take that as some sort of shot that like he padri wasn’t gonna be ready to do that or anything and you know I I don’t know like exactly who Kim’s referring to I guess maybe I’m not listening to enough podcast from fellow colleagues or anything but I haven’t really heard that um no I I think where that comes from is like obviously this past year it sending P to Providence wasn’t an option he either had to be in Boston or go back to Juniors because he’ll now be 20 years old he can go to Providence next year that doesn’t mean he will um but it’s an option like if he’s not know if he doesn’t win a job out of camp or if you get into the season and it turns out hey maybe he needs a little bit more development time like that’s on the table now and it’s just to me like it’s just worth keeping in mind because again he is only 20 years old he’s only played half an NHL season so you know it’s possible he’s going to need more development time but I think he’s going to have a really good shot at winning a job out of camp and sticking because we also saw a lot of promise from him from him last year um and his shoulder should be fully healed by the time training camp comes around we we already saw him on the ice towards the end of the season um not doing like any heavy lifting or taking contact or anything but he was at least back on the ice he was stick handling he was shooting pucks so it seems like he’s on Target and I don’t think it’s going to really derail his offseason at all he should be able to have mostly a pretty normal offseason um I believe he’s sticking around Boston so that’ll be good for him as well so um yeah someone else had a question about where where do they work out where do they skate in the off season do they skate at Warrior what’s the question uh so some of it’s at Warrior a lot of them go down to foxb yeah um and skate there that’s and that that’ll be Bruins and also just other ERS who come back to the area for the summer yeah Charlie Co used to come here even when he was playing with Minnesota yeah so did Pavo zaka because he followed uh Jimmy Hayes rest in peace um he followed him up here when they were teammates in New Jersey he came up to Boston for a summer and and skated there yeah and he already had a house here before he even got traded here so um so yeah in the offseason and swayan staying as well said he plans on staying around here as well um to work with his his goalie coach that he has like his trainers that he has that you know he’s he’s ready to go back to work um but yeah with with potra I don’t know Brian if you had any thoughts on on him starting where he would start yeah I kind of echo what Scott said I I I don’t every I mean well when you say everybody has a uh a spot to earn I mean that’s a little bit um not true not everybody but I I get what you’re saying Scott like he the people who have to earn a spot he’s he’s he’s one of them um I I guess I him and be again will have to prove you know and rewin that spot and it’s also the comments I also took is like just a little extra motivation like you’re not you know you don’t get it automatically like create some internal competition well and he you know he he did go through some some dry spells and some struggles at the NHL level before his you know ultimate season ending injury so um but I guess I would just say I expect him to be on the roster next October I’ll just put it that way y yeah and and you hope that he does exactly the same thing that he did last offseason or La last preseason and you’re you’re you’re comfortable and confident putting him in there because he’s proven that he’s here and he’s ready to go and and hopefully um with a time to heal and hope and hopefully get stronger maybe he looks even better than last year so um that’s up to him to prove Pro and if he does then I don’t think we’re talking about him being in Providence uh so so if you’re a potra fan Kim I don’t think you have to worry too much uh I’m not particularly uh sitting here thinking oh he’s got to start in Provence I think he’s still more than likely begins in Boston and uh if all goes well should stick around in Boston so um where should we go next here because we have a lot of questions we didn’t get to um so Sam Sam asked about the where they skate in the summer we answered that uh she also mentioned Will Smith signing in San Jose um so that gives the Scotts bu Terriers a bit of an advantage next year although mlin celebrini will probably be going to St a too something tells you that that was a part of Will Smith’s uh decision making to go so yeah they’ll get the get the clock started on you know finally I think give San Jose fans like some hope that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel because that organization’s been a mess for for many years now and but getting Will Smith and mlin celebrini in like that’s that’s certainly an exciting place to start yeah I I was like I was not sold on the fact that that last year’s BC’s freshman line was going to stick together I I know people wanted them to try to run it back and they would have had a decent chance to to to make another long run but will it to me it seemed like will was at the level playing at the level where he could easily just transition to the NHL after his freshman season so um he’s not gonna I don’t think he’s gonna regret deciding to sign with San Jose after after one season some some people like to you know enjoy the college experience a little bit longer but um no him him and celebrini probably go have a lot of fun out there and that kind of ties back into the Trevor zis thing like if go and zis were on the same team and they and they were you know both there like these younger guys that that are that have all this talent but I just doesn’t sound like that’s gonna be the case in Anaheim so uh whereas Will Smith and MC and celini should be okay should be good to go um and so and by the way one tie into the Bruins here that I’m at least curious about but uh you know s’s number one center right now before these before the two young kids come in is Logan cotor who I don’t think it’s gonna be traded this summer because he’s coming off an injury um and he’s he just has to get back on the ice and play games but certainly I think it’s going to be someone to monitor next season like I could see a situation where he’s around to be their captain and kind of help help those young guys acclimate to TL life early on and then assuming he is able to get healthy and play fairly well probably gets traded at some point during the season because he’s up there in years now too and like I don’t think he’s really gonna want to stick around for the for the whole rebuild um but again just you know another Center option to throw out there I don’t especially coming off injury I don’t know how much Couture has left in the tank but yeah a name to watch let’s uh let’s jump down to one of Annie’s questions um before we get to some of the YouTube comments what do you guys think of the futures for uh meroff and Fabian lysel I mean I think meroff I I I don’t think he got an extended look last year that he had hoped for maybe other fans had hoped for does that opportunity come again to Scott’s point he’s going to have to earn it in Camp it’s it’s GNA be a it’s an uphill battle I think for him um as it pertains to just the Bruins middle six it’s it’s merula isn’t going to be a top Center he’s probably not gonna be a second line Center and it’s those are the areas where the Bruins are kind of looking to add as the top six not so much the middle six or the bottom six and Fabian lysel he’s definitely been a a patient project for the Bruins he’s had Jackal and high development and that’s fine but he’s also had uh unfortunate injury issues that have set him back as well so Fabian lysel is he’s a mystery I don’t know if the Bruins necessarily know what they have in him and I don’t know because of that the rest of the league knows what they have in him as a as a potential um Prospect to acquire I think Fabian lysel certainly has a lot to earn this um this training camp and I think Merc just might be a a casualty to the numbers game yeah especially if all this focus and this extra cap space goes to signing a another Center up up the depth chart that pushes everybody a step back in the depth chart so um that definitely would not help him it almost feels to me like merkulov might have to beat out ptra like it might have to be a situation where hey maybe patra’s you know maybe it turns out he does need to work on some stuff andtime Province could do him well and merula’s right there ready to to pounce and show like hey guys I already learned everything you need me to learn like I’ve been in your system for two years now because other than that it’s like is is there really room for two young centers like that like it doesn’t really seem like it like maybe one of them bumps over to Wing um lell yeah look brunes would love for him to be a middle six contributor next year but I think again like you got to put yourself in a situation where he needs to win that job he needs to beat someone out um I don’t think you can Bank on that because like you said he’s had some inconsistency in his development he’s had some injuries by all accounts he you know everyone knows the comments mu Janelle made about him around midseason you know saying he he needs to buy in and be committed to an allaround game by all accounts he he was down the stretch he was playing a better well-rounded game and then still you know again suffered an upper body injury um but yeah like that it that’s also kind of interesting like if they do go and trade for Martin nus or you know someone like that who again you would love for NES to be a center but like potentially he just up slotting in as the number two right wing behind poster knock and it’s like well that would probably be the spot you’d pencil in like cell to to take in you know a year or two and what would it kind of say about what they think of him if they’re bringing in someone else who might just be locked into that spot for five six seven years yeah and that’s kind kind of gamble that’s kind of a gamble you have to take because you’ve not seen lell at the the NHL level yet so um what do you guys think of Shawn Monahan Ben asked us about sha Monahan I think uh I as as a onc no I mean as a onc no I’ll just say that um he he he compares the uh that he says he could he could be had for half the money of Lyall and put up similar numbers I mean I don’t think at this stage in his career he’s a number one Center again there’s a lot of guys that can fit on a on a on a deep championship roster but if we’re talking in that spot I don’t think so I will say I like him I in the P like he’s had he’s had some some issues as of late but you know he’s had some really good Seasons uh it’s not been in a few years because he’s he’s dealt with a lot he hasn’t played a full season in any of his like he the last the last was I mean this past season he was he was really good that’s got to be one of this past season he was good um I was kind of talking about his the end of his time with Calgary and then um coming to Montreal uh but last season yes la like this last season I think he he did okay with Montreal and and the the the Jets but um I like him as a player I like like I like that this name was brought up because uh there’s definitely a conversation to be had about what what you think about about him and um when he’s when he’s playing at his best he’s very effective he can be pretty fast he can um he makes these really smart uh sophisticated looking plays sometimes that they’re just pretty um so yeah I I think that’s an interesting name to bring up yeah I for a long time I actually like really wasn’t a fan of his game and um the way he fell off in Calgary to like to the point where it wasn’t just that he was overpaid it was like he was like borderline unplayable he was so bad he rehabed his career in Montreal for sure and then I thought when the Canadians traded them I was like terrific job by them like they they just sold High I don’t think he’s going to be a Difference Maker in Winnipeg but then he had 24 points in 34 games there you know 13 goals like he was still really solid in Winnipeg so did the analytics say you know he was he had a good season and wasn’t block or anything like that so I can’t deny that I I’m still not the biggest fan of him overall um like anyone it comes down to price like do I think he can make you a better team sure but to Brian’s Point definitely not as a number one Center well and he and he doesn’t he doesn’t really address the the Need for Speed that the Bruins management and and Brass talked about um you know their press conference availability after the season so um I mean he’s a sloving big body cerman that is you know on the back half career um yeah he I mean know one point in his career he was pretty he had good birth the speed and and I just don’t really know how much of that’s left is the so did so did Tyler Sean he looked like the fastest player on earth when he was in Boston now he’s on a Dallas team where he’s you know he looks like he’s an average skater so it the game passes some of these guys by um as they get older d uh Daniel had a comment I think I think this was in reference to our last episode when we talked about how uh unlike the Harry sinden days the Jacobs family does spend ownership does spent to the cap so it’s not as if management doesn’t have the support of ownership to make the team as best as they can be uh to that Daniel said keep in mind that just because the team spends to the cap doesn’t mean they spend to the max in other areas teams seem fixated on American Born NCAA players followed by a fair amount of sweds they don’t seem to have as big a scouting staff as other organizations and I don’t get the sense based on their drafts that they cast a wide enough net perennial Cup teams in the cap era are built from the ground up Tampa Pittsburgh Chicago La retooling teams don’t have the chemistry to go four rounds no matter how good they are on paper the last time the bees won a cup was off of a rebuild so two-part question guys a do you agree that while the Jacobs spent to the cap that they could spend better in other areas and B do you feel as though that a Cup winner has to be a team that comes from a rebuild essentially rather than a retool um I don’t really agree with either so I I looked up scouting stat just I didn’t go through the whole league but just a few uh so the Bruins officially have 19 people listed under their scouting staff so that includes like regional directors Pro Scouts amateur European like the whole thing uh the Dallas Stars are generally held up as like the model of drafting for I’m GNA say the last five to seven years they have 14 people listed on their scouting staff I think we all agree that Tampa Bay Lightning have done some good scouting and Drafting and finding value without having a ton of high picks they have 15 people on their scouting staff so to me like it’s not about it’s not that they don’t have enough Scouts like they actually have it seems to me more than the average NHL team um you know I think they’ve had they’ve had some blind spots or some areas where they haven’t been comfortable drafting from that they don’t draft Russian players that’s a market they just have not been involved in uh um you know for there were a couple years there where they didn’t draft anyone out of major Juniors but that has changed now in recent years like obviously padra was a major Junior pick so yep I think sometimes the they just look for NCA players or you know Swedish players which obviously there’s the PJ axelon connection there because he is their European scouting director is from Sweden is based out of Sweden yeah like so I get it obviously they have places they’re more comfortable drafting from than others but I I don’t think they’re really ignoring anywhere other than possibly Russia like I am curious why they just stay away there’s there’s reasons to stay away from Russia like there’s political reasons there’s guys there who end up never coming to North America like it it is a tough It’s a market that presents unique challenge um but that’s really the only place I would say like they’ve kind of truly stayed away from yeah and PJ axelon we saw I don’t I’m sure you guys saw the behind the bees from last offseason where he’s talking to to Fabian LEL and kind of teaching him the history of of the Bruins and different things and and working with lysel who’s Swedish um and and I personally see Don Sweeney and Adam McQuade and uh actually there’s a few other staff members I recognize from from the Bruins that travel to uh both the Providence Bruins obviously to check on on their prospects there and and other ahlers and then they they’re a lot of the times they’re at um Hockey East ranks or you know in in the area looking at some of the guys playing locally because I mean that’s easy for someone like Don Sweeney who doesn’t necessarily have time to go fly around Europe and like during the regular season but he can drive down to Providence where I saw him because he’s got a few prospects that are playing for the Friars and like or go to a game at bu or BC because that’s easier but um there’s obviously going to be some some extra information that you’re able to glean from guys that are playing in this area in college or or otherwise so that makes it it makes it easier so yes there and there there’s you can’t deny that there’s a bu towards College hockey players but um in my experience broadcasting College hockey over the last 10 years that’s because College hockey is also attracting the best talent so like you’re lucky that it’s it’s coming to your doorstep from other countries now where it hadn’t in the past had mostly just been America the best American players some of the best Canadian players but now College hockey attracts this whole uh wide range of of players from different countries so that’s why you see a lot of people coming out of the the NCAA even though uh you know they they might be from different places in Europe and and what have you as to the second part about a a team that retools not being able to have the chemistry of a rebuilding team I you know look I think if you look at the four teams remaining one of them is going to win the Stanley Cup and I I don’t really think anyone of those teams were ever are there because of a specific rebuild we can talk about I mean if you look at Florida I mean Aaron eblad was a first overall pick what was that a decade ago and he’s not even their top defenseman I would say right now he could arguably be their third best defenseman um you know Florida’s DNA changed with the hockey trade when you brought over Matthew kachuck you bring over Sam Reinhardt who was not a Panthers draft pick or cter Veri who was not a Panthers draft pick and Montour was in Anaheim so I mean Florida teraso was brought in like like FL is not an example of a team that like it was a core that came up together I mean Dallas Ben’s been there forever Sean was traded there Robertson was not a you know top pick uh Wyatt Johnston was like you know again like these weren’t lottery picks is what I’m trying to say New York artm panarin’s leading the way for them Adam Fox was drafted by was it Calgary um so and then who’s the uh the fourth team I’m missing um Edmonton I mean okay so Edmonton you have McDavid and but Edmonton’s been rebuilding since um what 1910 so I mean it’s not really a like a a foolproof plan and even they have their issues in gold and have forever yeah I mean so it’s it’s not it’s not as easy as just rebuilding Vegas winning the cup was built entirely externally like they didn’t have a team a decade ago to to build through the draft so you know that like obviously that’s unique but even even like after the expansion draft you know they went out and acquired a lot of their key players like they need a number one Center so they traded for Jack eigel they need a number one defenseman so they got Alex petrangelo you know so like those those big moves again like we’ve talked about it with this with at center it’s it’s hard but like if you’re willing to give up the pieces eventually you’re you’re going to be able to find something so um there’s different ways to do it like yes ideally you’re doing it through the draft you’re doing it internally but it doesn’t have to be that way like it’s and again it’s not it’s not going to be that way for you so like you unless you want to tear it all down like you’re not getting top five picks you know that that’s where you find franchise cornerstones so um you’re not you’re not gonna you’re not gonna have those picks so it’s not you got to do it another way yeah like yes the Blackhawks those Blackhawks teams had can and Taves uh Pittsburgh had Crosby and Malin the Kings had dowy and copar and others um the Avalanche had McKinnon Tampa Bay had stamp Coast Hedman so like this is not to invalidate the teams that were mentioned in this question but to Scott’s Point uh it it can be done outside of a classic rebuild and it has been done outside of a classic rebuild um and you know so like yeah the Bruins won the cup in 11 um yeah it was a rebuild they also had some pretty important free agents signings that that that came to Boston that were a backbone of that um and yeah I think I think some guy named Z yeah Tyler Sean was a draft lottery pit through the Phil kessle trade but he wasn’t he yes he had his moments but he wasn’t like the key guy in that play off run so um it it could be done in many ways there’s no one way right way to do it would have been interesting if Tyler San had uh been able to stay in Boston what what things would have looked like just a thought um but we don’t we don’t have a whole lot of time left guys is there any other question that you see and we will try to get to some of these next episode too because I think we only got through half to be honest with you um is there anything in particular that jumps out of you guys you’re itching to talk about uh before we sign off um maybe a so just a quick hit here uh CJs us on Twitter he explain how rookie camp and development Camp are different and then he said I assume lorri ptra beer will just be a training camp um yeah so development Camp is that comes first so that as I mentioned earlier is July 1st through fourth and that is really just it’s a so that’s going to be like all Prospect all younger prospects so not just guys who were in Providence in fact guys who are in Providence probably aren’t going to be there um but college guys major Juniors the guys you just drafted um will all be there and it’s really just a chance to kind of get everyone on the same page and and it’s more skill work um it’s about off off ice training and nutritional stuff so it’s it’s more kind of a hey we’re going to set up your plan for the summer type thing uh rookie Camp is the week before training camp and that is a lot more of like show us what you’ve got show us you either are ready to compete for a spot in Boston or deserve a spot in Providence that is like actual buildup towards training camp towards making a team like that’s that’s more intense like development is is also part of it but that’s more of a like show us how much you’ve improved since last season thing whereas whereas development Camp is here’s the things we want you to improve heading into next season yes and and rookie camp in the P covering rookie camp in the past it’s like you’re getting these guys from college in and you’re you’re trying to see like with your own two eyes in front of you like how um what their skill sets are During certain in drills and and have your own coaches like spend specific time on it to see whether or not you’re looking for them to play more time in college or or hopefully you know come up sooner or what have you um so the very first one I covered was actually mcavoy’s first rookie Camp it was makoy makoy Carlo uh Frederick denado bork that’s who the that those were some of the main people from the first one I did that feels like long time ago now but they’re trying to see which which go which of those guys were ready to to come uh to to play professionally so all right so I I I would say before we sign off if we didn’t get to your question today like Bridget alluded to a few minutes ago we will get to it the next time we record uh so thank you all for submitting your questions um we appreciate it bridet Scott any final thought thoughts before we go had to do it once you guys are good no we don’t yeah I you just missed my my popcorn face we don’t we don’t need any more of that so all right thank you all for listening and we’ll talk to you soon hey guys thanks for watching this gate podcast if you want to see more of our videos visit our playlist not in front of a screen you can listen to us on Spotify Apple podcast or ever you get your podcast don’t forget to follow us on social media and if you enjoyed this video please don’t forget to give us a thumbs up subscribe to our Channel and leave a comment

In this mailbag episode we answer many questions about top-6 forward options that the Bruins could look into this offseason. Plus, answering questions on where Matt Poitras, Fabian Lysell and other Bruins’ prospects currently stand heading into the 2024-25 season.

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