Category Archives: 2016-17 Offseason

2016-17 Offseason, 2017 NHL Entry Draft, 3 Amigos, Boston Bruins, Boston Bruins prospects, Jack Studnicka, Podcasts , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

3 Amigos Podcast Ep. 11: Bruins NHL Draft recap with 2nd-rounder Jack Studnicka & Free Agency preview

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The 3 Amigos are back with our post- 2017 NHL Entry Draft wrap-up show featuring Boston’s 2nd-round selection (53rd overall) Jack Studnicka, center for the OHL’s Oshawa Generals.

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Jack Studnicka (Kirk Luedeke photo)

Dominic Tiano worked with the Gennies to have Jack join us, and he talks about myriad topics, including his final U16 season (before being a 1st-round OHL draft pick) with Belle Tire under coach Kyle Krug, father of B’s D Torey.

Reed Duthie, Dom and myself not only interview Jack, but also break down all of Boston’s picks and discuss possible free agent targets as the annual open market derby begins Saturday, July 1.

We didn’t talk Noel Acciari’s 2-year contract extension announced yesterday, but Acciari has been a solid undrafted free agent addition, and he even showed an ability to generate some important offense down the stretch last season.

Here’s the audio- it clocks in at a little over 90 minutes. We know the audio isn’t the greatest but again- this is three guys doing this because we enjoy it- not because we’re the highest-tech operation. We appreciate your time and support in listening- we know there are plenty of other podcast options out there.

 

 

2016-17 Offseason, 2017 Expansion Draft, Boston Bruins, Colin Miller, Kevan Miller, Patrice Bergeron , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Colin Miller to Vegas; Bergeron wins 4th Selke

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Colin “Chiller” Miller (Photo courtesy of Alison M. Foley)

And so begins the debate and Chiller watch- as the Boston Bruins officially saw 24-year-old defenseman Colin Miller snapped up by the newest NHL franchise- the Vegas Golden Knights at Wednesday night’s NHL Awards Show and Expansion Draft.

Miller is a good player, but as your TSP founder explained in Monday’s audio file on the expansion draft, GM Don Sweeney made a roster-building choice over keeping someone he didn’t value as much to protect an asset. As strange as this may be for some to grasp- not every move can be made with accruing more assets in mind. Now, the matter will be complicated by rumors that the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to trade for Miller, and depending on what that potential return could be, that will be the next friction point in the polarized Chiller vs. Killer debate. We welcome it.

As said earlier- the gap between the two is not that big. Chiller is younger, more talented and carries a better cap hit (at least for one more season). Killer doesn’t measure up on paper, but the games aren’t played on paper. He’s an ideal third-pairing D who makes the Bruins tough to play against and you need those guys to win in the NHL. It may not earn you much street cred on message boards and subreddits, but the coaches obviously trusted Killer, or else he wouldn’t have been in the lineup ahead of Chiller when the rubber met the road in the playoffs. Building winning hockey teams means sometimes choosing a less-skilled player who brings more of a complete body of work and who is trusted in key situations over someone with greater talent but who struggles with decisions and making the right plays. That the Bruins valued Killer over Chiller? That’s for the GM to explain if he chooses to do so, but at TSP- we don’t have a problem with it.

Now, with both Adam McQuaid and Kevan Miller back on the roster, it remains to be seen if Sweeney can move one of them to free up some cap room and streamline the team going forward. Both players are good soldiers, but one of them probably should move on at some point.

We’ll see what happens next.

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Patrice Bergeron won his fourth Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward tonight, joining Canadiens star Bob Gainey as the only player to win four of those awards. As a finalist in 2013 (barely losing to Jonathan Toews) and 2016 (ditto to Anze Kopitar) he might be on a six-year streak had a few votes not gone his way.

But seriously, is there anything this guy can’t do? He’s Boston’s Mr. Everything.

Oh, and he did it all this season, while playing with a hernia.

He’s headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame when it is all said and done- he’d be a lot closer to 1,000 career games and 1,000 points had he not missed an entire year and a half to lockouts and most of another to a concussion thanks to a hit from behind.

Bergeron is Boston’s heart and soul.

2016-17 Offseason, 2017 Expansion Draft, Colin Miller, Kevan Miller, Podcasts , , , , , Leave a comment

Audio post: Bruins and the Expansion Draft (Also debating Colin vs. Kevan Miller)

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Here’s an audio post (non-3 amigos) where your founder covers his thoughts on the Boston Bruins list of available to the Vegas Golden Knights in this week’s expansion draft.

We start with the available forwards and go down the list with points about each for your consideration.

Also engaged in a conversation on Twitter about wisdom of protecting Kevan Miller over Colin Miller, so the counterpoint of Killer vs. Chiller is presented here for your awareness and agreement or disagreement. Bottom line- building winning teams is not just about stockpiling talent, and there’s no guarantee that the B’s could get enough of a return to justify losing their perceived value K. Miller brings vs. the other Miller.

Here’s the audio file- It runs a little over an hour. Sorry, you have to listen to it on the site. Will try to post it to Soundcloud at some point for ease of download.

As always- thanks for reading/listening.

 

2016-17 Offseason, 2017 NHL Entry Draft, 3 Amigos, Anders Bjork, Boston Bruins, Boston Bruins prospects, Podcasts , , , 1 Comment

3 Amigos Podcast: What’s Next for the Bruins (Pt 15)- the Finale

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The 3 Amigos are back with a 90-minute podcast in which we put the finishing touch in the “What’s Next” for the Bruins series at this blog. It’s now June and that means expansion draft and NHL Entry Draft, with July giving way to the major roster-shaping period.

Listen to the pod for an idea of the shape we think the team is in and what challenges and key events Don Sweeney is focusing on. We also talk Anders Bjork, who the Vegas Golden Knights might pluck from the roster, NHL draft options, and myriad other things.

You can listen here:

2016-17 Offseason, Anders Bjork, Boston Bruins prospects , 2 Comments

Bjork signs 3-year ELC

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Anders Bjork is in the fold- the Boston Bruins announced the signing of one of their prized prospects today to a three-year entry-level contract.

There isn’t a great deal more to say that hasn’t been covered on this blog space about the now former Notre Dame Fighting Irish star. He has exceeded expectations to date and while the B’s wanted to sign him earlier and get him into the big lineup at the end of the regular season and possibly playoffs, ND’s extended run to the Frozen Four put the kibosh on that.

The offseason and a trip to the World Championships where he played sparingly with Team USA gave the B’s another opportunity to get his name on a contract, and so now it will be interesting to see where in the lineup he ends up. It won’t be just handed to him, but we have to think there were certain discussions that convinced him to forego his senior season and a chance to test unrestricted free agency (where the Blackhawks were already rumored to be circling like vultures) to stick with Boston.

Of course- Bjork has said publicly that the B’s said and did all the right things (you can check out his interview with CBS Boston.com’s Matt Kalman here), so ultimately- fans should give both sides credit here for getting a deal done and one of the organization’s top prospects into the pro ranks where he could have a chance to make an immediate impact. Just don’t ask us to project where he’s going to be in the Boston lineup- it’s late May. Let’s see what happens next, first.

Now, it’s onto the offseason, the expansion draft, entry draft and what should be a decision point for Don Sweeney to perhaps make a trade or three to free up some breathing room in the organization while upgrading his NHL roster in the process. He has the organizational assets to do something, and with Bjork on board, flexibility to pare things down a bit and streamline.

This whole re-tooling on the fly thing seems to be working out well enough…

 

2016-17 Offseason, 3 Amigos, Boston Bruins prospects, Cameron Clarke, Ryan Lindgren, Uncategorized, Wiley Sherman , , Leave a comment

What’s Next for the Bruins (Pt. 14): Rounding out the Young D

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Editor’s note- In our (soon to be finished) series breaking down an immediate and longer-term future for the Boston Bruins, the 3 Amigos consisting of TSP founder Kirk Luedeke, hockey scout/analyst Dominic Tiano and Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) PBP man Reed Duthie have tried to cover all the bases. In this penultimate post on the subject, KL briefly looks at a trio of unsigned young defensemen on the eve of the start of the Stanley Cup final series.- KL

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Cameron Clarke, RD, Ferris State (WCHA)- The NAHL’s top defenseman for the 2015-16 season was Boston’s second of two picks in the fifth round last June in his final window of draft eligibility. The Michigan native just turned 21 this month and is coming off a solid, if unspectacular freshman year with the Bulldogs in which he found the back of the net just once, and finished with 11 points in 35 NCAA games. He’s got good size at about 6-1, but is still light and continuing to work on adding mass. He’ll play one more season, perhaps two in college, continuing to develop his body and overall defensive game. We should see him emerge as more of an offensive threat, as with his skating, vision and hockey IQ, he has the potential to put up good numbers at this level. In a nice side story, Clarke’s father was a Bruins fan growing up (his favorite player was Rick Middleton), so although the prospect was born and raised in Detroit Red Wings country, it was not hard for the family to switch their allegiance to the B’s after the 2016 draft.

Ryan Lindgren, LD, University of Minnesota- The U.S. NTDP U18 team captain in 2016 was drafted with the second of two picks acquired when the B’s traded Johnny Boychuk to the NY Islanders on the eve of the 2014-15 season. Although not considered “big” for the position, Lindgren plays with fire and has some real nasty to his game. He didn’t produce much in the way of offense as a true freshman with the Golden Gophers, but saw a good amount of ice time and is expected to be one of the team’s “bell cow” blue liners going forward. He’s a good skater with a fine stick and brings the kind of physicality and tenacity every team wants. With his excellent skating and agility, he has the potential to chip in offensively at the pro hockey level, but we’re not sure he projects as someone who will be a true point-getter, but will bring more value with his mobility and hard-nosed defense. Lindgren is strong in puck retrieval. He suffered a nasty lower body injury late in the season that cost him the remaining schedule and B1G 10 & NCAA tournaments- the Gophers sure could have used him against Notre Dame, giving up a third period lead to get bounced right away as the top seed. It will be interesting to see how Lindgren performs going forward, but he’s expected to rise up the B’s organizational depth chart as one of the team’s better prospects after helping USA win gold at the 2017 WJC- he could wear the ‘C’ for the 2018 squad.

Wiley Sherman, LD, Harvard- This 6-7, 220-pounder was drafted in 2013 (fifth round) out of the Hotchkiss (prep) Bearcats and played another year at that level before arriving to Cambridge for the 2014-15 season, As a rising senior with the Crimson, he’s effectively used his size and long reach in three collegiate seasons. He’s not going to be a two-way D at the next level, but he did post a career-best 13 helpers (no goals) as a junior. With fluid footwork and skating for such a big man, Sherman is a capable puck-mover who doesn’t play all that physical a style, but keeps opponents to the outside with strong gaps and the huge wingspan he possesses. The Connecticut native is expected to finish out his NCAA eligibility at Harvard and earn that degree- he could possibly sign with the B’s next spring, whenever his team’s season ends, as former Yale standout Rob O’Gara did in 2016.

 

 

2016-17 Offseason, Boston Bruins prospects, Emil Johansson, Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, Linus Arnesson, Matt Grzelcyk, Rob O'Gara , , , , , Leave a comment

What’s Next for the Bruins (Pt. 13): The Young D

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Editor’s Note- No, not Dominic Tiano this time. I’ll do a quick-hitter between packing up the moving truck (that’s dedication for you) and driving away to provide a snapshot of the younger defensemen coming up through the ranks in the Boston system. Because Charlie McAvoy proved himself ready for primetime against Ottawa in six games, he’s not a part of this post- you all saw him and what he’s capable of.- KL

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The B’s young defense is shaping up, but even with the immediate splash provided by McAvoy in the 2017 NHL playoffs, there is no surefire way to predict that the team will continue to enjoy the fruits of their system to the degree we saw with their 2016 top pick. However, there are several (left-shot heavy) young blue liners who are signed (we’re not including the college kids like Ryan Lindgren, Wiley Sherman and Cameron Clarke in this particular post but will address them later) and if not playing in Boston regularly next season, will probably make cameos at some point.

Continue reading →

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Dominic Tiano: What’s Next For the Bruins (Pt. 12)- Front Office & Coaching

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We all know Boston Bruins President Cam Neely and General Manager Don Sweeney have decisions to make, some of them tough ones, when it comes to players. But what decisions are there to be made in the front office or behind the bench, if any?

Let’s begin with the position of Director of Amateur Scouting, a position that has been vacant since Keith Gretzky departed to join former Bruins’ General Manager Peter Chiarelli with the Edmonton Oilers as an Assistant General Manager. Assistant General Manager Scott Bradley has been filling the role and will run the 2017 NHL Draft for the Bruins.

A decision must be made whether to keep Bradly in the duo role or focus more on one position or the other. If the Bruins brass decides to keep the two positions separate, they could look outside the organization to fill the role, much like Chiarelli did when he brought Gretzky to Boston.

They could also promote someone from within, and there are a couple of very good possibilities currently scouting for the Bruins.

Dean Malkoc has been through ten drafts with the Bruins and has scouted Western Canada, but has done more cross-over scouting recently. Ryan Nadeau is about to enter his 15th season with the Bruins. He has served as Director of Hockey Operations/Analytics for the past three seasons while also scouring the NCAA as a scout. The Bruins have done well drafting from the NCAA the past few seasons and Nadeau deserves some credit.

With the interim tag being removed from coach Bruce “Butch” Cassidy, the head coaching job is filled. As an assistant under Claude Julien when he was dismissed by Sweeney during the season, could/should the Bruins be looking for another assistant now to serve under Cassidy?

Joe Sacco and Jay Pandolfo serve as assistants. Bob Essensa is the goaltending coach, but spent a lot of time watching from upstairs once the coaching change was made. It’s not known yet who may become available that has a professional resume under his belt, or if one will even become available.

The Bruins could also look at the minor-league level, juniors or the NCAA for coaching talent.

Allow me to throw a name into the circle if I may, he’s a long shot, but a very capable coach. Rocky Thompson, head coach of the Windsor Spitfires, who are currently competing for the Memorial Cup.

Thompson began his coaching career with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League. He would become an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League and in 2014, spend a season as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers. Last season, he returned to junior hockey and was named head coach of the Spitfires.

If you know me, then you know one area of concern I’ve had for the Bruins for some time now is the professional scouting department. The group is made up of Matt Lindblad, Adam Creighton, Tom McVie and Dennis Bonvie.

Creighton and McVie are the elders of the group, having been with the Bruins for 16 and 23 years respectively. There really isn’t enough of a sample size to judge Lindblad, added a year ago, and Bonvie, added two years ago. But this is one area I feel Neely and Sweeney must address this off season.

 

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Dominic Tiano: What’s Next for the Bruins (Pt. 11)- Ryan Spooner

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Ryan Spooner during his Providence Bruins days (Photo courtesy of Alison M. Foley)

Editor’s Note- Once more unto the breach…Dominic Tiano is back to provide his analysis on options pertaining to RFA Ryan Spooner. Drafted in 2010, Spooner has spent his entire career with the Bruins to date, and whenever it has appeared that he was on the way out, he’s managed to turn things around. We’ll always respect Spooner for his willingness to see things through and be accountable when the play & production hasn’t been there. He’s not taken an easier path by trying to quit or demand a trade, but perhaps a change of scenery would work out for both parties involved. And now- 1/3 of the 3 Amigos- Dom- will give you his take.- KL

Like the one he’d use while dining at a fine restaurant, the fork Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney is holding when it comes to Ryan Spooner has four tines. Each of those tines represent an option Sweeney has with the restricted free agent. They are:

  • Expose him to the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft.
  • Negotiate and sign him to a contract extension.
  • Use salary arbitration to come to an agreement on a contract.
  • Trade his rights to another team.

Let’s take a closer look at these scenarios:

The Bruins could make Spooner available to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. With no-movement-clauses, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and David Backes will be protected. You can bet Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak will occupy two more of the seven forward spots.

That leaves the Bruins with two additional spots to protect at the forward position. Despite what side of the fence you sit on with Spooner, unless you believe there are two players worthier of protection, then Spooner absolutely should be protected. Barring those two players, and unless your hands are tied, do you allow a player such as Spooner to go for no return?

I acknowledge the fact that the Bruins could acquire a player worthy of protection in a trade or in free agency. But, as of today, no such player is coming via trade and one won’t be coming via free agency – the latter not mattering since it comes after the expansion draft.

If such a trade does materialize, then Sweeney and company will make their decision. National Hockey League general managers can’t be dealing in ifs-ands-or buts. It’s just not that simple.

The Bruins could, and in my opinion should, give Spooner his qualifying offer of $1.1 million, if only to retain his rights, and begin negotiations on a contract. Spooner under contract will have a greater value than simply dealing his rights or exposing him to the Golden Knights.

Which brings me to the next point, salary arbitration. I am of the belief that Spooner conceivably could get more in salary arbitration than he could negotiating a new contract. Hence, I’d be surprised if the Bruins filed for salary arbitration. Which raises the question: If Spooner and agent Murray Kuntz believe the same, could they file for player-elected salary arbitration? It would leave Sweeney in a precarious position if the award is more than what he’d be comfortable paying.

That is just one of the reasons trading his rights won’t bring the value as a signed Spooner will. There have been reports already that Sweeney has shopped Spooner but no one wanted to pay the asking price.

Also, devaluing Spooner when it comes to trading his rights is the fact that this is no regular offseason. The expansion draft has thrown its best curve ball into the situation. The number of teams that would be willing to part with an asset for his rights is reduced by the number of teams that don’t have a spot to protect him in the draft.

What complicates matters even more for Sweeney is that, if a team without a vacant protection spot wishes to acquire him, that team may be forced to trade another asset to the Golden Knights to pass over him.

Contrary to what some believe, Spooner has value to the Bruins. If trading him is in the cards and before the expansion draft, that value may come more in a package deal. Otherwise, they can expect the return to be low.

He also has value to other NHL teams. But as I’ve said, a signed Spooner to a team that can protect him, or to any team after the expansion draft, should bring more back to the Bruins.

It’s all about the timing.

2016-17 Offseason, Adam McQuaid, Uncategorized , 3 Comments

Dominic Tiano: Las Vegas Golden Knights Mock Expansion Draft

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Editor’s note- Dominic Tiano is graciously keeping the blog afloat this week with content while the founder moves his household. Here’s an intriguing look at a possible future for the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights, who will take one player from each of the NHL’s existing 30 clubs about a month from now.  Regardless of what happens, Dom has done a fine job of thinking through this and giving his best swag. Enjoy. -KL

The National Hockey League’s expansion draft to fill the roster of the Las Vegas Golden Knights is just a month away.

There are bound to be trades involving some of these players so that teams don’t lose an asset “for nothing”. There will probably be some back room bargaining between Golden Knights’ General Manager George McPhee and his counterparts to attain more assets for the Golden Knights in the form of draft picks or prospects to ignore some of these players and select a different player. Heck, a rival GM may ask McPhee to draft a certain player from a team and in turn, trade that player to him in a prearranged trade.

We don’t know which of those deals will be consummated so we’re just looking at who is available and who I think McPhee might select as of today.

If you believe in building from the net out, then this is a pretty decent group in goal and on defence – the latter at least making things difficult for the opposition. The forwards need some work. I also took into consideration expiring contracts in which McPhee can use at trade deadline to acquire assets.

The goaltending is young with an average age of just 25.3 years. Two of the goaltenders I’ve selected are restricted free agents. But the teams exposing them must make them a qualifying offer to meet their exposure rules, therefore the Golden Knights will retain their rights. The defence (27.8 years) and forwards (27.6 years) are a good mix with expiring contracts that can be used at trade deadline to gain extra prospects/picks.

The picks listed meet the Golden Knights draft obligations; 1) one player from each team; 2) 21 players under contract for 2017-2018 (must select 20); 3) Draft picks have an aggregate salary of $59,145,834 – must select players with an aggregate cap hit of $43,800,000.

Here are my picks for the Golden Knights along with contract status and age:

Goaltenders (3)

Joonas Korpisalo – Columbus Blue Jackets (RFA) (23)

Antti Raanta – New York Rangers (one year @ $1,000,000) (28)

Philipp Grubauer – Washington Capitals (RFA) (25)

Defencemen (10)

Adam McQuaid – Boston Bruins (two years @ $2,750,000) (30)

Josh Gorges – Buffalo Sabres (one year @ $3,900,000) (32)

Trevor van Riemsdyk – Chicago Blackhawks (one year @ $825,000) (25)

Stephen Johns – Dallas Stars (one year @ $725,000) (25)

Alex Petrovic – Florida Panthers (RFA) (25)

Brayden McNabb – Los Angeles Kings (one year @ $1,700,000) (26)

Jonas Brodin – Minnesota Wild (four years @ $4,166,667) (23)

Ben Lovejoy – New Jersey Devils (two years @ $2,666,667) (33)

Thomas Hickey – New York Islanders (one year @ $2,200,000) (28)

Marc Methot – Ottawa Senators (two years @ $4,900,000) (31)

Forwards (17)

Jakob Silfverberg – Anaheim Ducks (two years @ $3,750,000) (26)

Teemu Pulkkinen – Arizona Coyotes (RFA) (25)

Michael Ferland – Calgary Flames (RFA) (25)

Lee Stempniak – Carolina Hurricanes (one year @ $2,500,000) (34)

Sven Andrighetto – Colorado Avalanche (RFA) (24)

Riley Sheahan – Detroit Red Wings (one year @ $2,075,000) (25)

Mark Letestu – Edmonton Oilers (one year @ $1,800,000) (32)

Tomas Plekanec – Montreal Canadiens (one year @ $6,000,000) (34)

Austin Watson – Nashville Predators (RFA) (25)

Michael Raffl – Philadelphia Flyers (two years @ $2,350,000) (28)

Carl Hagelin – Pittsburgh Penguins (two years @ $4,000,000) (28)

Joel Ward – San Jose Sharks (one year @ $3,275,000) (36)

Nail Yakupov – St Louis Blues (RFA) (23)

Vladislav Namestnikov – Tampa Bay Lightning (one year @ $1,937,500) (24)

Matt Martin – Toronto Maple Leafs (three years @ $2,500,000) (28)

Reid Boucher – Vancouver Canucks (RFA)

Matthew Perreault – Winnipeg Jets (four years @ $4,125,000) (29)