After last years playoff meltdown and the retirement of #37 and 46, Don Sweeney and his staff worked their magic once again to be in this position. It’s really unbelievable if you think about it, but now it’s the point of no return for the B’s.
Jim Montgomery has done an amazing job as well this season and there’s no question the B’s are in the conversation for run at Lord Stanley.
There’s a massive difference between “in the conversation” and “legit contenders” for the Cup.
The B’s need to identify specific areas on their roster to target to add and subtract. Trading DeBrusk and Ullmark right now might be a massive mistake. A longtime friend and hockey lifer told me this quote, that he heard from a longtime NHL scout.
“When you think and make decisions with your heart, you get heart burn.”
The B’s staff are paid to make the tough decisions, but if this doesn’t work out look out. Trading Ullmark and DeBrusk might actually fracture the room.
The B’s pro scouting staff have done a tremendous job over the last several seasons. Sure there has been some misses, but for the most part they have been bang on.
The chemistry issue that comes from moving key pieces out might be even more costly, but it might also send a message.
Was Rich Peverley an upgrade over Blake Wheeler? At that time, no, but at the time of the deal Peverley was exactly what the B’s needed, a versatile forward that could play both positions and another penalty killer with tons of speed.
That trade balanced things out for an already solid B’s forward group and it gave Julien even more match up options. Trading DeBrusk for another “underachieving” goal scorer who might need a change of scenery to excel isn’t an ideal trade in my opinion.
DeBrusk’s subpar season and up and down inconsistent offensive play is one thing, but away from the puck in my opinion he’s been very good. I guess it’s the intangibles that he brings to the B’s line up especially coming down the stretch that I would be very leery of losing. Yes I said it, Jake DeBrusk has intangibles he can bring to the lineup.
Tyler Bertuzzi’s addition last year was just what the B’s needed, right?
Yes and no.
Physically yes, playing making ability not so much.
Bertuzzi was great for the B’s last year, so what are you talking about? No, he should have been a perfect prototypical Bruin, but he wasn’t.
Again I’m not a big analytics guy, but he turned pucks over at an alarming rate and hung on the puck way too long. A matter of fact he didn’t play to his identity or the intangibles he was brought into deliver. He tried way to hard to be an offensive catalyst instead of providing a physicality and energy.
With DeBrusk you know exactly what you’re going to get, “good, bad or ugly,” I still believe DeBrusk will turn it on for the playoffs.
Obviously, when news comes out that the B’s and him are far apart on the contract front that definitely adds to the speculation a trade will happen today.
Is Ullmark their guy or not?
That’s the question they have to ask, what impact will a trade like that on Jeremy Swayman?
At times Ullmark hasn’t looked as sharp or as poised as he could be, the biggest question mark of all, is how does the team play in front of Swayman vs Ullmark. If Sweeney trades Ullmark and things back fire that will cost him his job, period!
Again this might be thinking with my heart and there might be some heart burn after the fact, but I just don’t see the B’s trading those two assets today.
One would assume Sweeney will use prospects and picks once again for trade bait, but there should be a couple of untouchable prospects, one of which is a tall smooth skating left shot D man with an incredibly high ceiling, Mason Lohrei.
Lohrei’s play has opened the door for the B’s to consider to move on from potentially another couple of NHL defenders. It will be very interesting to see what direction Sweeney takes on that front today.
Forbort or Grzelcyk could get moved?
It’s the point of no return for the B’s and Don Sweeney.
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