The Bruins played the Sharks in San Jose last night. I am writing this before the puck has been dropped. So, I’m going to make some predictions.
Let me consult my crystal ball…
My sources say the Czech Davids and Swede Carl Loui von Flarpsberg Eriksson IV will strike again, to the tune of four points. Czech David v2.0 will light the lamp.
The Bruins will win 4-3 in regulation, and the Sharks will be so insulted that they get docked 30 points by the league for unsportsmanlike conduct, and land in the draft lottery. The Sharks lose the lottery, because they will have actually won it and will be forced to give us their 1st overall to make “Auston to Boston” a thing (what a silly spelling, though, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews).
Anyway, enough about the game – I’m going to need some caffeine.
What’s on tap?
Hot off the
pressesintarwebs! New Bearly on Topic.Morning all.
Not too bad a game to sit up for last night, but thank god the next two will be on Friday and Saturday. All the coffee in the world is on tap.
So a lot of our important assets wouldn’t be eligible (Chiller, Malcolm, Vatrano will only by 1st or 2nd year NHLers in June 2017). My protected players:
G: Tuukka
F: Bergy, Marshy, Pasta, Spooner, (Krejci- negotiable, may need to trade or expose then for cap reasons), Beleskey
D: Chara (last season is 17-18, reduced cap hit then), Krug, one of Morrow/Trotman (TBA)
If Krejci were exposed (this would not be a great approach, best would be to protect him and THEN trade him to an expansion team in dire need of a 1C), then I’d need to come up with another F, presumably either Hayes or Connolly should either actually prove to be worth protecting
Oh, monkey wrench. Means Malcolm and Chiller would need protections. except Malcolm can’t be if Tuukka is.
Good money says Malcolm is the guy we’d lose if there is only 1 expansion team. Phooey.
I’d wait until any possible expansion draft before worrying about Malcolm. By that point there are three potential things that will have occurred: 1) He gets some NHL time and proves he’s all that and ready to go. 2) We trade him. 3) He fails at the NHL level.
Right now, though, I don’t know what to expect anymore from him, so I’m not too worried yet. Which means I’ll be wrong and losing him next year will sting.
He’ll be waiver eligible next fall and with how he was playing before the injury, he will probably be backup next season unless his recovery goes poorly
We place a lot of stock in Malcolm around here, but Tuukka isn’t going anywhere, it isn’t very likely that Malcolm will be close to the player Tuukka is, and Zane McIntyre is in the wings. In reality, Subban is just a trade chip for the Bruins. He’ll never play more than 12 games in a spoked B. If Zane works out, he’ll be ready about the time that having a successor to Tuukka will be a relevant thing.
You can make the same exact statement about Zane too though. Our goalie depth is such a luxury.
He’ll never play more than 12 games in a spoked B
Fuck, I hope its more than that (assuming hes backup next season)… thats sub-Svedberg levels of commanding Claude’s trust
Perhaps 12 is a bit low, but I just don’t see Claude platooning Tuukka with a backup (as compared to Reimer/Bernier situation where neither was quite good enough). And it’s awfully hard to immediately commit to Subban as backup considering he got pulled after 25 min in the one game he played last year, and no games played this year. Especially after the Svedberg experience.
Context is important on that one game, though. He was thrown to the wolves when he could have had his first career start in Edmonton instead. Claude gonna Claude.
Subban is waiver eligible next year as a 4th year pro. So, theres that.
And I’m not talking him getting 30 starts. But if your backup can’t be trusted with 20-25, you are doing it wrong
Does it even make sense to look to expansion in 2017 with the salary cap likely on the decline?
It won’t be. Daly said today- either flat or going to $74 million (contingent on the NHLPA using the escalator clause)
well that’s some excellent news right there
Are there any ramifications to using the escalator clause?
Yes. They become stairs.
“Sorry for the convenience”
NHLPA has always used it. it raises the cap, but if flat HRR, then it increases the amount of salaries held in escrow, pending the true hockey related revenue for the season. Frankly I’m not even slightly sympathetic to the NHLPA’s disgruntlement over escrow.
HRR = Hockey-Related Revenue?
oui
I would only float Krejci if he’s value begins to decline and our cap situation is a disaster again. So far, I’m not sure I’d even float Connolly even as a “eh, we need another forward” situation.
And honestly, as much as I’d like to see Chara retire a Bruin, protecting him is going to really depend upon how well he’s holding up by then and how well the other D-men (either young guys or future acquisitions) are playing.
Thats the thing Chara depends on if we have another D WORTH protecting. Right now it doesn’t project.
Krejci’s cap could be a problem as soon as 17-18 though. Spoons, Marchand, and Pasta all need new contracts for that year (and at least 2 of the 3 have earned massive increases from current salary), and we still don’t know what Krug’s extension is going to look like
Yeah, Connolly & Hayes fall into the ‘dime a dozen’ category. They don’t hurt us, but don’t add much. Easily replaced pieces. Maybe they turn into something better over the next 90+ games, but I’m much more concerned about the players who still project upwards – Spooner, Vatrano, Chiller.
I just put out 2 “fires” well above my pay grade thanks to some of the dumbest decisions people have made in this place. It’s not a complicated process to take parts from other units when a machine is in need of one, yet no one can actually do it right.
Good morning ladies and germs. Last day of a ten day work week. Vacation tomorrow. This will be me at 3:00 today:
vacation?
http://i.imgur.com/9g5TRkr.gif
And I think that calls for some Good wine, right phony?
http://cdn.meme.am/instances/400x/53815394.jpg
Meeting time. Send Help
All meetings should require kittens.
Update: Division meeting was painless. Our director is out and it was run by one of the section managers (and the director’s likely successor when he retires at some point this year), and was quick, efficient and non-acrimonious. This is all a positive.
…the safety meeting is run by a short facist/engineer (who has zero understanding of what field staff does and thus does not espouse practical safety protocols (as in, the only kind that staff will ever actually follow), so that will be a less pleasant experience
And no kittens.
I approve of Fabbro, plus Phony would be able to provide updates next season because hes a BU commit
So I’ve been working my way through re-watching Prison Break because Netflix causes you to make silly decisions. Goddamn that show went off the rails after the midpoint in the 2nd season.
And yet they are making a limited-run new series, because of course they are.
A minor list of things:
Work shenanigans are constant. Like taxes & death.