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Bruins Re-Sign Matt Grzelcyk To Two-Year Deal

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The Boston Bruins have locked up one of their many impressive young players, announcing an extension for defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. The deal carries a $1.4MM AAV and will keep the Boston native with his hometown team for at least two more years.

While Grzelcyk may not be one of the most talked-about young players in the league or even in Boston, the small but capable blue liner was a pleasant surprise as a rookie in 2017-18. A 2012 third-round pick and a former pair-mate of fellow Bruin Charlie McAvoy’s at Boston University, the Bruins always had high expectations of Grzelcyk. However, few could have expected that his performance would thrust him into a starting role and leave veterans like Adam McQuaid and Paul Postma as afterthoughts for much of the season. Grzlecyk skated in 61 games for the Bruins, contributing 15 points along the way. He also posted a +21 rating, tied for third-best on the team with two-way star Patrice Bergeron. In the postseason, Grzelcyk played in all but one of Boston’s games as well and didn’t look out of place.

Perhaps the greatest attribute that Grzelcyk showed as a rookie – and one that caught the eye of those in tune with advanced analytics – was his possession ability. Grzelcyk finished the year with a top 25 Corsi For rating (among players with at least 300 minutes of ice time) of 55.67%, which was third best among rookies behind only McAvoy and Columbus’ Pierre-Luc Dubois. Grzelcyk even held the best relative shot differential among all defenseman in the NHL for a significant span of time mid-season. While not an overly physical player nor a player with huge offensive upside, Grzelcyk showed himself to be a safe puck-handler and a player that can be relied on to create offense and suppress the opposing offense.

Moving forward, Grzelcyk’s role may change. The Bruins continue to show a desire to add a top-four left-handed defenseman, likely to pair long-term with McAvoy at the top of the depth chart. This would likely shift Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug down, as McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, and Kevan Miller form a solid grouping on the right side. The result could be Grzelcyk becoming an extra man rather than a starter for the next year or two. Grzelcyk’s skill set and ceiling could make him an ideal seventh defender in his career, if that is the role he is asked to play. However, the value of this contract and the speed with which both sides agreed upon the terms indicates that the Bruins have plans for Grzelcyk, likely short-term or long-term. The young defenseman is just getting started with his NHL career and will get plenty more chances to show himself in Boston.

Deadline Primer: Boston Bruins

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?

Outside of the Vegas Golden Knights, there may be no bigger surprise in the NHL this season than the Boston Bruins. Following a 6-7-4 start, capped off by a four-game winless streak in mid-November, the Bruins have won 26 of their last 34 games, have the fewest regulation losses in the league, and trail only Vegas and the Tampa Bay Lightning for the best points percentage in the NHL. With games in hand on both clubs, the Bruins have gone from a team that many felt pre-season would miss the playoffs to one with a legitimate shot at the President’s Trophy. Boston is bona fide contender and thus a surefire buyer. The only question that remains is to what extent they are willing to trade futures for immediate help. The evidence points to a quieter deadline in Boston than some may expect.

Record

31-11-8, 2nd in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$2,452,057 in deadline cap space
43/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: BOS 1st, BOS 2nd, BOS 3rd, BOS 4th, BOS 6th, BOS 7th
2019: BOS 1st, BOS 2nd, BOS 3rd, BOS 4th, BOS 5th, BOS 6th, BOS 7th

Trade Chips

Bruins GM Don Sweeney has been clear that he won’t trade any of the team’s young players on the roster. While that surely includes Charlie McAvoy – one of the most untouchable players in the NHL right now – Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk, Danton Heinen, Jake DeBrusk, and Anders Bjork, where exactly Sweeney draws the line could determine the size of the deals he’s willing to make. Could frequent 13th man Frank Vatrano be on the move? An electric player in the AHL, Vatrano has failed to show he can produce at the same level in the NHL. A chance of scenery and a larger role on a young, struggling squad could be what Vatrano needs to rediscover his scoring touch, potentially making him an enticing asset. Would Sweeney be willing to move his AHL “tweeners” like Austin Czarnik or Rob O’Gara, who have shown big-league ability, but haven’t been able to crack the roster in Boston? Sweeney may also be reluctant to move many of the Bruins younger prospects, like recent first- and second-rounders Zach Senyshyn, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon in Providence and Trent Frederic, Ryan Donato, and Ryan Lindgren in the NCAA, especially with several ready to fight for a spot in Boston as early as next year. The Bruins own all but one of their picks over the next two years and that wealth could ultimately wind up being the team’s real trade chip.

Players To Watch

LW Frank Vatrano, C Austin Czarnik, LW Peter Cehlarik, D Rob O’Gara, D Emil Johansson

Team Needs

1) Forward Depth

If you can’t tell from the list of players above, it seems like the Bruins are not exactly aiming to acquire the best that the trade market has to offer. The team is unwilling to move young roster players and has high hopes for their many promising prospects. Sweeney and company have done an excellent job of drafting and developing and seem more inclined to wait and see who pans out and who doesn’t rather than trade them away for rentals. The Bruins’ farm system is also severely lacking in right-shot defensemen and right wingers, meaning they’d likely prefer to hold on to their top picks if possible in search of a solution to those holes. The result is a lineup of middling or aging prospects and mid- and late-round picks as the B’s preferred trade capital, not enough to acquire stars, but sufficient to add depth players. And for the 2017-18 Bruins, that’s perfectly fine. They showed early on this season that they have the depth already to deal with injuries up front (and on the blue line) and since the team got healthy, they’ve been rolling on all cylinders. Each scoring line has two veterans and a young player, led by arguably the league’s best grouping of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak. A second line that has seen success turning a left-handed natural center in Ryan Spooner into a right wing with David Krejci and DeBrusk and a third line with immense chemistry in David Backes, Riley Nash, and Heinen round out a solid top nine. Perhaps the one area where they could use some assistance is on the fourth line, where Tim Schaller, Noel Acciari, and rookie Sean Kuraly have done a fine job, but the addition of a solid, two-way bottom-six forward (or two) could be a welcome addition to the energy line and another injury depth option. Even if the Bruins don’t see a need for a starter, with late draft picks to burn, they could add another veteran forward just to improve their depth. In a buyer’s market, even one of the bigger names on the market could fit this role.

2) Left-shot depth defenseman

Similarly, each defensive pair is also well-balanced with a veteran and a youngster and a puck-mover with a physical threat. The Bruins usually line up with Zdeno Chara and Calder candidate McAvoy, Torey Krug with Carlo, and possession monster Grzelcyk with Kevan Miller. Now that he’s healthy, career-starter Adam McQuaid is the #7 defenseman in Boston – stellar depth already – and free agent addition Paul Postma is #8 – also impressive. The only problem is that both McQuaid and Postma are right-handed, as are the right-side rearguards on each pair. If injury strikes the left side, or if Grzelcyk’s play drops off, the B’s could use a left-shot option. O’Gara and Tommy Cross have seen NHL action and Zboril, Lauzon, and Johansson have shown NHL promise, but the Bruins can afford to add a more reliable player with regular play time this season if they so choose.

3) Top-six right wing with term

Don’t expect this. Long-term, there could be a hole on Krejci’s right side, as Backes did not work out last season and Spooner’s success thus far has come as a surprise. Senyshyn or Donato and an off-wing option like Bjork or Cehlarik could eventually take the job, but there are some who think the Bruins should instead try to buy one of the top wings on the trade market. However, there are two problems with this thought: 1) Sweeney seems unwilling to part with the pieces necessary to land such a player, and 2) the line chemistry implications could backfire. Spooner is an offense-first, top-nine player. If forced out of his current spot, Spooner’s only real option would be to supplant Nash on the third line. If that doesn’t work out, then there’s no role for him. An expensive trade could wind up pushing one of the Bruins’ top play-making forwards out of the lineup. Adding a top-six winger would be a luxury for Boston and Sweeney does not seem to be a guy keen on giving up hard-earned, home-grown prospects or picks for a luxury.

Injuries Unending In Boston; Krejci, DeBrusk Join Sidelined

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Boston Bruins beat writer Joe Haggerty could not have said it better: “You can’t make this stuff up”. The unbelievable rash of injuries continues in Boston, as center David Krejci and rookie winger Jake DeBrusk have been ruled out for Wednesday night’s match-up against the Atlantic-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.

The sheer number of injuries suffered by the Bruins this season, especially among the forward corps, is hard to comprehend. 22 games into the 2017-18 campaign the only forward to have played every game are David Pastrnak and energy-liners-turned-top-nine-mainstays Riley Nash, Sean Kuraly, and Tim Schaller. While there is no word yet on the extent of DeBrusk’s injury, the young scorer has been one of the Bruins’ more dependable forwards with 12 points in 21 games, but of course he now joins the long list of casualties. Currently out of the lineup alongwith DeBrusk and Krejci, who had only just returned to action, are 2016-17 leading scorer Brad Marchand, veteran David Backes, power play catalyst Ryan Spooner, promising rookies Anders Bjork and Peter Cehlarik and, of course, defenseman Adam McQuaid as well. Spooner just recently re-injured the groin that had kept him out all but eight games on the season. In the same game, Cehlarik suffered a leg injury that should keep him out at least a month. Marchand and Bjork have been sidelined since November 13th and there has been no concrete information on when exactly either can be expected back.  Backes has made a remarkably quick recovery from major surgery to cure his diverticulitis, but he too is not quite ready to return and there are doubts about how he will play once he is back. Other Bruins forward who have missed time already this season: Patrice Bergeron (5 games), Noel Acciari (13 games), and Matt Beleskey (2 games).

The defense has done a bit better though, with captain Zdeno Chara and talented youngsters Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo all suiting up for every game. Kevan Miller has missed only one game, while Torey Krug’s four-game absence seems like nothing. A platoon of Paul Postma, Rob O’Gara and Matt Grzelcyk has performed well enough in the absence of McQuaid.

In total, the Bruins have missed a whopping 100 man-games already this season, far more than any other team in the league and heavily weighted toward their forwards. That makes it all the more impressive that the team is still sitting pretty in the Atlantic Division. In terms of points percentage, the B’s are third in the Atlantic and just behind the two-time Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins overall. Their 60 goals for may a bottom-five number in the NHL, but what would you expect from a two-way team missing most of its offensive talent? A recent winning streak showed that the Bruins and head coach Bruce Cassidy can get it done, even with a makeshift roster. There is no sign of when Boston will get back to full strength, if ever this season, but if they do it could be dangerous for the rest of the NHL.

Morning Notes: Niemi, Subban, McIntyre, O’Gara

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While the Pittsburgh Penguins tackled one area of need yesterday evening when they traded winger Scott Wilson and their 2018 third-round pick to Detroit for center Riley Sheahan and a 2018 fifth-round pick, Penguins brass might not be able to take a break as a new weakness was exposed last night in their 7-1 loss Saturday to the Tampa Bay Lightning — goaltending.

The team went with backup Antti Niemi, who they signed after he was bought out by the Dallas Stars in June. It was his third appearance for Pittsburgh and he now has allowed 16 goals (only seven of those came last night) and has a 7.49 GAA and a .797 save percentage. The team may be forced to look for a new backup goaltender, according to Adam Gretz of NBC Sports.

The difference between Niemi’s starts and that of starter Matt Murray are night and day. Niemi’s only other start was a 10-1 loss, hence his high goals against. The team plays much better when Murray is in goal as the team is 5-0-1 and the Penguins have outscored their opponents 24-17 in those games. Gretz does suggest it can’t all be Niemi’s fault. Both of his starts came on the second night of back-to-back games when players were more tired and the team they played were rested.

However, despite those excuses, some blame has to fall on Niemi, who has legitimately struggled. The team isn’t used to having issues at that position as they have had the past luxury of having Marc-Andre Fleury as a backup. Now, they might have to look elsewhere if they want that aspect of their team to improve. The scribe suggests they will give Niemi more time to adjust, but also suggests the team has 2013 second-round pick Tristan Jarry sitting in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. He has struggled a bit too, although it’s a bit early, as he has a 3.96 GAA and a .883 save percentage in three games there.

  • John Shannon of Sportsnet tweets that Vegas Golden Knights’ backup goaltender Malcolm Subban, who had to leave Saturday night’s game due to an apparent leg injury, will have an MRI today to determine the severity of the injury. According to Shannon, a team source said the Subban will be “probably out weeks.” Subban, who has started the last three games after their starter, Fleury, went on IR last week with concussion-related issues, has a 2.06 GAA and a .936 save percentage in his three starts. Oscar Dansk filled in for Subban in the third and immediately allowed the game-tying goal to St. Louis’ Alex Pietrangelo, but then settled down and made 10 consecutive saves after that to claim the overtime victory, the Golden Knights’ sixth win of the season. Dansk had just been called up on Thursday to replace emergency backup Maxime Lagace, who was sent to the AHL Chicago Wolves to get playing time.
  • The Boston Bruins have assigned goaltender Zane McIntyre and defenseman Rob O’Gara to Providence of the AHL, the team announced. Both were recent call-ups to fill in for injured players and now, with the Bruins not playing until Thursday, the team sent them down. McIntyre was called up after Tuukka Rask reportedly was injured during practice Thursday. The 25-year-old did not get into a game with Boston. He has performed well in Providence, having accrued a 2.35 GAA and a .914 save percentage in three games. O’Gara was recalled yesterday and filled in for injured defenseman Kevan Miller. NBC Sports Joe Haggerty tweeted that O’Gara played a solid games for Boston. O’Gara had an assist in three games with Providence before his call up. CapFriendly tweets that with the two demotions, the team is $863,333 under the ACSL (the new upper limit), which allows them to accrue valuable cap space against that amount.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Boston Bruins

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Boston Bruins

Current Cap Hit: $64,848,335 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry Level Contracts

D Charlie McAvoy (two years remaining, $917K)
D Brandon Carlo (two years remaining, $789K)
F Frank Vatrano (one year remaining, $792.5K)
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (two years remaining, $917K)
F Anders Bjork (three years remaining, $925K)

Boston has one of the deeper prospect pipelines in the NHL with upwards of a dozen players in the system on entry-level deals who could earn a call-up before that deal expires. However, this group of five stands the best chance of having a major impact on the Bruins right away in 2017-18.

Carlo, of course, already has a full year under his belt in which he skated in all 82 regular season games and played in over 20 minutes per night, all under the tutelage of one of the best defensive players of his generation: Zdeno Chara. Carlo has already made his #37 overall draft slot look like a steal, but with two more years at under $800K as he develops into a shutdown NHL defender, he could be one of the best blue line bargains in the league.

McAvoy is certainly ready to give Carlo a run for that title though. One of the Calder Trophy favorites for the upcoming season, McAvoy was thrown into the fire last season, making his NHL debut in the Bruins opening round playoff series. McAvoy performed admirably among a ragtag group of replacement players on Boston’s battered blue line and showed that he is more than ready for NHL action. Burning a season off of McAvoy’s ELC was a tough call for GM Don Sweeney and company, but giving McAvoy a taste last year could pay off this year. The former Boston University star and 2016 first-rounder will have all eyes on him in 2017-18.

Burning a year off of Forsbacka Karlsson’s entry-level deal for just one late-season game may have been ill-advised however. The Bruins love “JFK” and his two-way ability and cerebral play at center, with some in the organization and outside observers comparing him to Boston’s own Patrice Bergeron, widely considered the best two-way forward in the game. Those are big expectations to meet, but the Bruins will give Forsbacka Karlsson every chance to earn a regular role this season as they work to develop him into a well-rounded pro. JFK may not have the immediate impact, and expected pay day, of Carlo or McAvoy, but in two years he will certainly be worth more than $917K.

Vatrano has been a revelation for Boston since he was signed as an undrafted free agent, leaving UMass Amherst early in 2015. Vatrano led the AHL in goal scoring in 2015-16 with a stunning 36 goals in 36 games, while tallying 29 points in 83 NHL games along the way as well. Injury and inconsistency slowed down Vatrano’s rapid ascension last season, making 2017-18, his final ELC season, a major year in his career.

Finally, the Bruins were able to convince Bjork, a superstar at Notre Dame and the team’s 2014 fifth-round pick, to leave school early and sign on in Boston. The maximum three-year, $925K per ELC was nice motivation, but the team likely had to promise some play time as well. While Bjork’s spot on the team this season is not set in stone, with fellow high-end prospects Jake DeBrusk, Zach Senyshyn, Peter Cehlarik, and Danton Heinen clamoring for NHL play time, it seems that he’ll certainly get a chance. If the 2016-17 Hobey Baker candidate can find even remotely similar success in the big leagues compared to his past two NCAA seasons, his three-years of production at under $1MM will look mighty nice on the Bruins’ payroll.

One Year Remaining

D Zdeno Chara ($4MM, UFA)
F Ryan Spooner ($2.825MM, RFA)
F Riley Nash ($900K, UFA)
G Anton Khudobin ($1.2MM, UFA)

While it is a relatively painless 2018 free agency class for Boston, the end of Chara’s contract does loom large. The NHL’s tallest man has been the Bruins top defenseman since he signed with the team originally back in 2006 and very well could continue to be next season. It is possible that the Bruins re-sign Chara, whose cap hit drops from nearly $7MM to just $4MM this year, to a more affordable, short-term contract, but the more likely scenario is that the 40-year-old simply retires. He’ll leave the Boston blue line in much better condition than he found it back in ’06, with Torey Krug ready to lead the next wave of McAvoy, Carlo, and prospects like Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, Ryan Lindgren, and Uhro Vaakanainen, but his size, strength, experience, and most of all, leadership, will not be easy to replace. The captain’s absence will be felt before the team even takes the ice for 2018-19 and could lead to the Bruins using the cap space Chara leaves behind to explore the free agent market.

Spooner and the Bruins nearly went to salary arbitration this summer, agreeing to terms on a one-year extension the morning of the hearing. Next year could be a very similar situation, whether Spooner performs or not. If Spooner can bounce back from a down 2016-17 season and prove that he is more than just a one-dimensional power play asset, then the Bruins will have to give him a raise on his new $2.825MM deal. If Spooner yet again struggles with the two-way and positional aspects of the game and is overshadowed by the Bruins’ younger talent, Sweeney will have to decide between bringing Spooner back again at a similar price and using up a roster spot or instead trading him away.

Nash and Khudobin, both signed on July 1st, 2016 to affordable two-year deals, also had incredibly similar seasons last year. Both were very disappointing for much of the year before their play picked up toward the end of the season. Going into 2017-18, Nash faces more pressure as he could take on the full responsibility of being the veteran presence on the checking line with Dominic Moore now gone. If Nash rises to the occasion, the Bruins have shown a fondness and loyalty toward their veteran fourth-liners and could reward Nash with an extension and a raise. If not, he’ll be gone. Khudobin also needs to have a big year, with starter Tuukka Rask in need of more rest than he got last season, but if Khudobin flops or if 24-year-old Zane McIntyre continues to light up the AHL, it seems very unlikely that he will re-sign.

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PHR Mailbag: Duchene, Kessel, Hurricanes, Bruins

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We’ve been taking your off-season inquiries over the weekend in the comments and using #PHRMailbag on Twitter. Here are some questions and answers to ponder:

Conorsoxfan: Is Matt Duchene still going to be moved? What about Landeskog? Are the Avs waiting for the right offer or are they holding on to all their assets for now?

We received several questions about Matt Duchene and for good reason. The Avalanche have been speaking with teams since the Trade Deadline about moving the talented forward and Duchene himself is on record as saying that he is open to a move, but months later he is still in Colorado. It seems that GM Joe Sakic has a very specific (and lofty) return in mind and is hesitant to move Duchene without getting exactly what he wants. That return certainly includes a young, proven defenseman, which is not exactly a commodity that most teams are eager to move. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes seem like they have the best chance of meeting Sakic’s demands, as both teams are loaded with young, NHL-ready defenseman. However, the rumor that Colorado rejected a deal for Travis Hamonic that included Duchene makes you wonder if Sakic is searching for a caliber of player that is simply unavailable. It would be best for Duchene, the Avs, and the rest of the NHL trade market if a deal would get done sooner rather than later, but don’t be surprised if Duchene is still a talking point at the next Trade Deadline.

As for Gabriel Landeskog, rumors of his deaparture have definitely been on the back burner this summer after he too was hot topic at the Trade Deadline. Although the Avalanche are coming off a historically bad season, they seem to be playing it safe with their rebuild. They have not sold off all of their veteran pieces, nor have they operated like a team that’s pushing for a playoff spot. Their only major additions this season are a backup goaltender, Jonathan Bernier, and a low risk-high reward gamble, Nail Yakupov. They got potentially the best player in the draft at #4 overall in defenseman Cale Makar, but he is at least two seasons away from seeing NHL ice time. It seems that Sakic is content with keeping his roster intact and slowly adding in younger players and moving out older pieces. That type of status quo strategy would seem to indicate that Colorado isn’t keen on losing its captain unless the return could truly change the course of the franchise. Especially if Duchene does end up traded, don’t expect Landeskog to follow. He’s likely to remain in Colorado for the time being.

@Wings16Canes13: When and will Pittsburgh trade Kessel? Or does another coach have to go first?

It always seems like there’s some controversy surrounding Phil Kessel. This question alludes to rumors coming out of Pittsburgh that the uber-talented winger and head coach Mike Sullivan don’t see eye-to-eye on many things. Moreover, it’s been said that assistant Rick Tocchet acted as go-between for the two these past two seasons, and with Tocchet likely headed to Arizona as the head coach of the Coyotes, the relationship between Kessel and Sullivan could get worse. However, the Pittsburgh Penguins are also back-to-back Stanley Cup champs, with both Kessel and Sullivan playing major roles in each title. Neither is likely to be on the move any time soon, especially not because they dislike each other. It may not be the most comfortable locker room, but the two will learn to live with each other and any struggles for the Penguins in 2017-18 will be attributed to Stanley Cup hangover, not a feuding coach and player. With that said, Kessel has a $6.8MM cap hit for five more years, which could cause cap trouble down the road for the Penguins, while the team has also shown a willingness to move on from head coaches after just a down season or two. Both Kessel and Sullivan could be gone in a few years, but it’s impossible to know which first and when, only that it’s highly unlikely to be this year.

mikedickinson: Hurricanes are loaded on defense and have three kids who can play in the AHL as well. They aren’t trading any of their top 4. Can they trade from their strength to address a weakness (center)? Also, JVR to Raleigh to play with his brother?

The Carolina Hurricanes boast one of the youngest, deepest, and most talented defensive corps in the entire league. All-Star Justin Faulk leads a group that includes 2015 #5 pick Noah Hanifin, 2012 fourth-rounder Jaccob Slavin, 2013 third-rounder Brett Pesce, 2014 #7 pick Haydn Fleury, 2014 second-rounder Roland McKeown, and now the recently-acquired Trevor van Riemsdyk, not to mention dependable depth defender Klas Dahlbeck and 2016-17 AHL surprise Jake Chelios. There’s also 2016 first-rounder Jake Bean to consider as well, though he remains in juniors. That group has one thing in common: none of them are more than 26 years old. When the Hurricanes acquired van Riemsdyk from the Vegas Golden Knights last month, many felt that the move indicated that Faulk, the team’s top right-shot defenseman, would be on the move. After all, the team has been linked to Matt Duchene as well as others as they try to bring their forward depth up to the same level as their defense. However, GM Ron Francis has stated since that he wants to keep his starters together. It also seems unlikely that he’s keen to move talented teenager Bean, leaving promising, but slowly developing players like Fleury, McKeown, and Chelios as his top trade chips from the blue line. None of those players will get a Duchene or similar-caliber player, but don’t be surprised if the ’Canes use them to add some depth forwards this off-season or along the way next season. If Francis is posturing, then yes any of Faulk, Hanafin, Slavin, or Pesce could be used to bring in a big fish.

As for James van Riemsdyk, it is an interesting development to have his brother in Carolina, an up-and-coming team (like the Maple Leafs) that’s in need of an impact forward. JVR is entering the final year of his contract and it seems unlikely that Toronto will re-sign him, considering the expensive extensions coming down the line for Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. The question then becomes whether or not the Leafs are interested in moving him this off-season and whether the Hurricanes are willing to pay the price for his services this year when they can sign him next summer for free. If the Leafs look to deal him, Fleury or McKeown as the centerpieces likely won’t cut it. The Leafs are on the hunt for a top-pair right-shot to pair with Morgan Rielly and Faulk certainly fits the bill, but that’s a high price to pay for an impending free agent. I think you’re on to something with JVR and TVR teaming up in Carolina, but I think it could come at a lower price toward the Trade Deadline or via free agency next off-season.

mpfallon: Will the bruins make some big offseason moves?

This depends on your definition of “big”. Despite rumors that the Bruins have been looking into acquiring a top-four left-handed defenseman and a top-six winger, GM Don Sweeney has also made it clear that he doesn’t want to acquire players that will block Boston’s talented young prospects. College star Anders Bjork, 2015 first-rounder Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, who got a taste of the NHL last year, and possibly even Danton Heinen and Jesse Gabrielle will all compete with Frank Vatrano, Matt Beleskey, and recent signing Kenny Agostino for a top-nine spot on the left side, and Ryan Spooner could join the mix if the B’s prefer rookie Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson at third line center. The left wing battle could spill over to the right side as well, where top forward prospect Zach Senyshyn will also look to make the team. On the blue line, Rob O’Gara, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon will all fight for the final spot on the left side, and the recent signing of Paul Postma could indicate that the team is okay with moving Kevan Miller to the left side to free up a spot for Adam McQuaid to continue to be a starter with Postma as the seventh man.

There is more than enough depth in Boston that the Bruins may make no moves for the rest of the off-season. Odds are that they do something, but likely not anything “big”. A trade for a left-shot defenseman, possibly a Nick Holden or Jonathan Ericsson, or the signing of a stopgap winger, like Drew Stafford, Thomas Vanek, or Alex Chiasson seems possible, but anything bigger could be a long shot. So the short answer to your question is no, they won’t make “big off-season moves”. They could make a small, but significant move or two, but chances are a big trade would come closer to the Trade Deadline after they give the kids a shot first.

Expansion Primer: Boston Bruins

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We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

While the Boston Bruins have a legion of talented young players pushing for major roles, they are still a team that is defined by a veteran core: 2011 Stanley Cup winners Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, Zdeno Chara, and Tuukka Rask. Add young mainstays like David Pastrnak and Torey Krug and 2016 free agent acquisition David Backes to the mix and it may seem like the Bruins would be in a tough position with expansion like many other deep veteran teams.

However, the expansion process, while burdensome for some, gives the Bruins just enough space to protect all of their most valuable players including that entire core. They still face some tough decisions, but none that will drastically alter the franchise on June 21st.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards
David Krejci (NMC), Patrice Bergeron (NMC), Brad Marchand, David Backes (NMC), Matt Beleskey, Jimmy Hayes, Riley Nash, David Pastrnak, Ryan Spooner, Tim Schaller, Alexander Khokhlachev

Defense
Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara (NMC), Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller, Colin Miller, Joe Morrow

Goaltender
Tuukka Rask (NMC), Anton Khudobin, Malcolm Subban

Notable Exemptions

Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Frank Vatrano, Austin Czarnik, Zane McIntyre

Key Decisions

With Bergeron, Krejci, and Backes having No-Movement clauses and Marchand and Pastrnak two of 2016-17 top scorers, Boston is locked into a 7-3 protection scheme. Chara also has a No-Movement clause and Krug isn’t going anywhere so that’s five forward spots and two defensive spots locked up (Rask has a NMC as well if that was even a question). So which three Bruins get the final spots?

There have been many rumors this off-season, and even before the season ended, that perhaps Ryan Spooner’s time had run out in Boston. The 25-year-old center clashed with former coach Claude Julien and, after a brief rejuvenation, also lost play time under replacement Bruce Cassidy, including scratches in the playoffs. However, Spooner is still a top-end passer and a power play expert and the Bruins won’t just let him go for nothing. If Spooner hasn’t been traded before protection lists are due, he is guaranteed a slot. Whether or not he is still traded after the Expansion Draft remains an unknown.

For the final forward spot, the Bruins face a tough decision, but one with few negative repercussions. Jimmy Hayes has been a disaster in Boston and Tim Schaller is nothing more than fourth liner, so neither likely even gets consideration, nor would Vegas be interested unless otherwise incentivized, as has been rumored with Hayes. Alexander Khokhlachev left the organization last summer to play in the KHL, and little attention has been paid to his absence. The Golden Knights have drawn the interest of Russian players, but drafting Khokhlachev, who never proved his NHL viability in  Thus, the decision comes down to Matt Beleskey and Riley Nash. Beleskey had a career year in Boston in 2015-16, the first of a five-year deal, and seemed to fit in well with the Bruins. After a brutal, injury-riddled 2016-17 campaign, that fit is in doubt and there have been rumors that the team might look to trade a pick to Vegas in order for them to take the remaining three years and $11.4MM off of their hands. However, a healthy Beleskey could be far more valuable than Nash, who struggled to produce in his first season with the Bruins. Yet, Nash is a versatile veteran forward and a key penalty killer who makes just $900K next year. Hayes, Beleskey, and Nash all fulfill the 40/70 qualification and two will be exposed, so the team won’t have to worry about that requirement.

On defense, the decision holds some more weight. If Boston is unable to entice the Knights into selecting Hayes or Beleskey, it seems most likely that a defenseman will be chosen. The team must choose whether they want to protect long-time Bruin Adam McQuaid, exciting young player Colin Miller, or perhaps the most complete player of the group, Kevan Miller. Joe Morrow was once a top prospect, but his time to reach those lofty expectations in Boston has come and gone and the Bruins would be happy if Vegas chose to take him instead of one of the other two. Assuming that doesn’t happen, this becomes a big decision. Colin Miller is just 24 years old and an offensively-minded puck-mover, whereas Kevan Miller and McQuaid are very similar stay-at-home types. Colin Miller was also a major piece of the Milan Lucic trade from just two years ago. However, his development has had its fair share of bumps and Kevan Miller has definitely established himself as a more complete player. McQuaid also is in the mix and could be the beneficiary of club loyalty and a desire to have a seasoned vet behind young centerpieces Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo on the right side of the blue line. All three players meet the 40/70 qualification and have term on their contracts, so again meeting that one-player quota won’t be a concern.

Projected Protection List

Scheme: 7F/3D/1G

Forwards

David Krejci (NMC)
Patrice Bergeron (NMC)
David Backes (NMC)
Brad Marchand
David Pastrnak
Ryan Spooner
Riley Nash

Defensemen

Zdeno Chara (NMC)
Torey Krug
Colin Miller

Goalie

Tuukka Rask (NMC)

The general rule of expansion (and just common sense) is that if you’re allegedly willing to trade a draft pick to move a player, like Matt Beleskey, you’re probably happy with taking the risk of leaving him unprotected as well. Riley Nash played his best hockey toward the end of the season and that effort level next season at only $900K is tough to pass up. Still, the Bruins are unlikely to lose a forward, unless they do make a trade, because of the superiority of the players that they could potentially expose on defense. Kevan Miller is likely the best defenseman of the three, but Colin Miller brings a unique skill set from he and Adam McQuaid and has youth and potential on his side. Vegas would likely jump on the chance to take a young, offensive defenseman like Colin Miller, while there may be several defenseman of similar caliber to Kevan Miller and McQuaid available. Protecting Colin Miller may in fact be the Bruins’ best chance of retaining all three. If Vegas does pass up on a defenseman, it will be to take a goalie. No, not Anton Khudobin. Khudobin finished the season with a stretch of some of his best play since his last stint in Boston, but Vegas has more than enough options for backups that Khudobin won’t be of interest. Instead, young keeper Malcolm Subban could be the pick. Subban has been passed up by Zane McIntyre on Boston’s organizational depth chart and simply doesn’t appear destined to be an NHL regular with the Bruins at any point. Vegas GM George McPhee has stated that the team will likely draft many goalies and a minor leaguer with some promise would not be a wasted pick. Subban would also be the most harmless pick the Bruins could endure.

Eastern Notes: Miller vs. Miller, Koivula

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The Boston Bruins look to be in good shape when it comes to the upcoming expansion draft. However, the biggest decision that the club must make is who to protect as their third defenseman, according to Joseph Ochs of The Hockey Writers. He writes that forwards are basically set with Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, David Pastrnak, David Backes, Riley Nash and Ryan Spooner. While Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug are obvious keepers on defense, the team will have to make a decision on the two Millers: Kevan Miller and Colin Miller. Ochs states that while they may share the same team and same name, they are totally different players.

The 29-year-old Kevan Miller just finished his fourth season. The rugged, defensive punisher has played more than 200 games, but also has missed a lot of time on injured reserve. While he only tallied three goals and 10 assists on the year, he is one of the team’s top penalty killers and teamed with Chara to make a solid second defensive unit. His improvements, despite missing the first 19 games due to injury, have been evident and is awareness and confidence have turned him into a top defenseman. The veteran defenseman is locked up until 2019-20 at $2.5MM.

However, the 24-year-old Colin Miller had developed quickly for Boston. He is younger with a higher upside and finished his second season with six goals and seven assists in 61 games. He is more of a well-rounded defenseman and set an AHL All-Star record in 2015 with a 104 mph slapshot. On top of that, he is only owed $1.0MM next year and then hits restricted free agency, so he will be under team control for several more years.

The Bruins may have it easier than many other NHL teams, but they will have to make a decision on the two blueliners soon.

  • New York Islanders prospect Otto Koivula was named Rookie of the Year in the Finnish Liiga, playing with Ilves. The fourth-round draft pick in 2016 had a breakout year in the Finland veteran league with a 10 goal and 20 assist season in 50 games. Koivula, the 120th pick in last year’s draft, was actually acquired by the Islanders in a trade on draft day when they traded a 2017 fourth-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers to acquire the pick to select the left wing. The 18-year-old was playing for the Finnish junior league when he was drafted and had just finished a season in which he scored 26 goals and 32 assists for 58 points.

Devils-Bruins Notes: Lappin, Prout, Stafford, McPhee

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Ahead of tonight’s road match-up with the Boston Bruins, the New Jersey Devils have recalled rookie winger Nick Lappin on an emergency basis from the AHL’s Albany Devils. Lappin is expected to get the call tonight, as the 24-year-old forward has worked his way back into the lineup. Lappin has four goals and three assists in 35 games with New Jersey this season, but was sent down to the minors on January 12th and had yet to return to the lineup. While in Albany, Lappin was nearly a point-per-game player, with nine goals and eleven assists in 24 contests. Lappin is in just his second pro season since leaving Brown University, and no matter how many games he plays for the Devils down the stretch, he will not be eligible for exposure in the Expansion Draft. GM Ray Shero will have to look elsewhere on the roster for the solution to his coverage problem.

  • A pair of deadline day acquisitions will make their debuts tonight. With Andy Greene out of the lineup for personal reasons, Dalton Prout will get a chance to show the Devils what he brings to the table. The 26-year-old tough guy had only played in 15 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season before being traded for Kyle Quincey at the deadline, but brings a physical game and hard-nosed presence to any game that he is a part of. With another year left on his contract, Prout is looking to impress his new team and carve out a role for himself in the future. In the short-term, he is likely trying to play well enough tonight to get into the Devils’ lineup tomorrow, against his former Blue Jackets team.
  • On the other side of the ice, Drew Stafford will get into his first game with the Bruins since being acquired on Wednesday. It has been a tough season for Stafford with the Winnipeg Jets, as injuries have limited him to just 40 games, and he has managed to score just 13 points in that sample size. However, Boston knows all too well how dangerous Stafford can be when he’s on his game. As a member of the Buffalo Sabres, Stafford was a consistent goal-scoring threat and tended to have some of his best games against the Bruins. Coach Bruce Cassidy hopes that Stafford can get back to his productive ways skating on a line with Ryan Spooner and Frank Vatrano, who have both been on fire since the coaching change.
  • With the trade deadline over with, Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee is out scouting with a clearer picture of who might be available to his team on June 21st when the new expansion team will be picked. Tonight, he’ll be taking in the Devils vs. Bruins in Boston, likely with an eye on defenseman. Although Boston and New Jersey are not exactly known for their blue line depth, neither team looks to have many attractive options up front to be exposed in the Expansion Draft. Instead, the Devils will have to pick four of Greene, Prout, Damon Severson, John Moore, Ben Lovejoy, and Jon Merrill to expose, while the Bruins can only protect one of Adam McQuaid, Colin Miller, and Kevan Miller to go along with Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug.  

Bruins Scouting Ducks-Wild Game

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It would be a surprise to no one that the Boston Bruins’ brass are out watching other teams. While the Bruins are still clinging to a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, currently tied with the Ottawa Senators for second with 52 points, that position is only temporary. The Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, just two points behind, have six games in hand on Boston. They are currently doing battle with each other, which could result in a three-way tie with a Toronto win, a drop to third in the division with a Senators win, or the worst-case scenario, a Leafs OT-win in which both results would occur. Regardless, the Bruins are not going to be able to hang on to their spot long with the way they have been playing. Boston has lost three straight, including shutouts by the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders and a crushing 6-5 shootout defeat to the Detroit Redwings wherein they blew two three-goal leads. The Bruins have only won six of their last sixteen games and those six wins have come against four teams that are struggling as much or more than they are: the Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers (twice), and Buffalo Sabres (twice). Beyond just wins and losses, there are rumors about coach Claude Julien, reported turmoil in the front office surrounding president Cam Neely, injuries on defense to Kevan and Colin Miller, a 16-game goal-less streak for early-season superstar David Pastrnak, and ongoing issues with line chemistry. The Bruins need a shake-up to save their season, and everyone knows it.

So, when Minnesota Wild beat writer Michael Russo reported that Bruins GM Don Sweeney was on the press box list at tonight’s game, with the Wild hosting the Anaheim Ducks, it came as no surprise. Both teams are known for their immense lack of talented depth on defense, something that Boston would definitely be interested in. While the team has been shut out three times this month, their scoring has actually been trending upward. Patrice Bergeron has begun to shake off his early struggles, Frank Vatrano has been a shot in the arm since his return from injury, and Brad Marchand and Torey Krug have remained on fire. The recent return of Matt Beleskey should help to add some scoring and balance out the forward lines (much-needed), while the AHL’s Providence Bruins, who won 9-1 tonight, have been explosive and could potentially offer support up front. That’s not to say that the Bruins, who will have about $17MM in cap space by the time the NHL Trade Deadline rolls around, won’t still look to add an impending free agent forward with some finish, but despite appearances, the offense should be able to figure itself out in the short-term. The defense is a different story. While the Bruins are loaded with defensive talent in the system, none of it is on its way this year and maybe not next year either, and the Bruins need some help now. Krug has four goals and 25 assists, but has also had his issues in his own end. His pair mate Adam McQuaid has had a nice bounce-back season, but offers little in the way of puck movement and offense. Same goes for the top pairing of Zdeno Chara and Brandon Carlo, who have been one of the better shutdown duos in the league this season, but are slowing down as a 39-year-old and a rookie respectively. John-Michael Liles, an impending free agent, has just recently returned from injury and has yet to make a major difference. Colin Miller, though he has upside, was in and out of the lineup even before his injury, and Kevan Miller, also injured, is likely better suited as an extra man. The Bruins need a legitimate top-four defenseman for this year and for the near future, and both the Wild and Ducks provide intriguing trade partners.

As it stands right now, Anaheim and Minnesota are both guaranteed to lose a top-four caliber defenseman in the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft, if the Vegas Golden Knights choose to select that player. A team can either protect seven forwards and three defenseman or eight skaters total, allowing them to protect a fourth defenseman. Neither situation works out particularly well for either team. The Ducks will be forced to protect veteran Kevin Bieksa, due to his no-movement clause, and will likely choose to protect young cornerstone blue liners Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, and Cam Fowler as well, even if it means leaving a promising forward like Jakob Silfverberg exposed. However, Vegas could choose to instead take another good young defenseman in Josh Manson or potentially Simon Depres. Similarly, the Wild too are expected to protect four defenseman, selecting from Ryan Suter (a veritable lock), Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, Marco Scandella, and Matt Dumba. One way or another, one of those d-men will be exposed and almost certainly scooped up by the Golden Knights. So, with both teams fighting for position atop the Western Conference and with their eye on a Stanley Cup, Anaheim and Minnesota also have to be thinking about trading a defenseman. They would much rather get something in a trade rather than nothing in the draft, even if that means dealing away talent in a Cup-contender season. Armed with a deep prospect system and quality forwards they may willing to part with, such as David Krejci, Ryan Spooner, and Jimmy Hayes, the Bruins would be an interesting suitor for either team. With Don Sweeney in attendance, watching two teams that are facing a difficult situation and may feel like pressured to make a move, an important shake-up trade could be on the horizon in Boston. Could it be the revitalized Fowler? The youngster Dumba? A more Bruin-like player like Scandella or Manson? Only time will tell, but the connection between the Bruins and these defense-deep teams will be something to keep an eye on as we head toward the Trade Deadline in just over a month.

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