Are the Bruins changing their culture this season? | Poke The Bear

Are the Bruins changing their culture this season? | Poke The Bear

Poke the Bear is brought to you by Price Picks and welcome into Poke the Bear episode 358, part of the CLNS Media Network. If you have time, please subscribe to our Bruins ringside YouTube channel. We have pretty much daily content between Poke the Bear, Bruins Beat with Evan Marinowski, Pucks with Hags. We have you covered every step of the way this Bruins season. This episode is also brought to you by Prize Pix, the best way to win cash this football season. Download the app today and use code CLNS to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That’s code CLNS to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Prize picks. It’s good to be right. The show is also brought to you by Game Time Tickets, the best place to buy NFL tickets. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Swipe, tap, ticket, go download the Game Time app today. My name is Connor Ryan and once again, we are joined by the esteemed, the ever knowledgeable Tai Anderson 985. This What’s up, Ty? How you doing? What is going on today? How are we doing? Uh Ty, doing well. We actually have some tangible news to discuss today. We’re not talking about trade rumors. We’re not talking about Jack Eel. We’re not talking about anything that’s going to happen in 2026. We’re not talking about Gavin McKenna yet. We have some actual stuff to talk about because Bruins captain’s practice was this week. And there’s a few noteorthy things to dive into. Uh I think we’re going to lead this one off by discussing everyone’s favorite player, Jeremy Swayman. The guy who I think his chances of having a bounceback year, which I think we both agree is pretty high. I think he’s going to be the biggest key in terms of determining what um what to make of this team, how likely they are of bouncing back, all that stuff. And uh he spoke to the media for the first time on Thursday and hit on all the usual points. If you’ve talked with Jeremy Swayman, he’s a uh beacon of optimism, I would say, is probably the best way to put him. Doesn’t usually get rattled in terms of talking about the challenges he faced, which quite a few of them this past year. Uh but he was asked one question about how does he feel going into this camp compared to last year where surprise surprise he did not take part in any training camp. He was over at Ganis Arena. Great facility but wasn’t a training camp wasn’t with his teammates all that stuff was kind of playing catch-up the entire year. And when asked about, you know, how different this year feels compared to last year, he says, quote, I’m a completely different human being. And that’s a testament to the experience that I gained throughout my career to this point. And I’m so grateful for that, the ups and downs of it all. And standing here, Jeremy Swayman is in a great spot, and I’m really excited about that. Jeremy Swayman speaking in the third person. That was not me adding my commentary on top of it. Uh, Ty, when you look at his quotes, and a lot of them were along the same line of being grateful for what he went through last year and trying to channeling in some positivity, it’s more or less what we expected. But how much different do you think this year is going to be for him compared to all of the the drama, the BS, all that stuff that he dealt with this past uh this past fall? Yeah. Uh, I mean, off the bat, I never like anybody speaking in the third person. I I think it’s a low-key big time. That’s why we stop hating. We stopped hanging out with Evan because he thought that too. Evan hot dog. Yeah. He’s like, “Evan’s going to the Red Sox game for the 500th time.” Like, “Yeah, we know, dude. Go Evan like some popcorn.” I was like, “All right, let’s get you.” Yeah. I I just, you know, I It’s a low-key big sign of mental illness. Typically, speaking of third person. Um, no, but really, um, you know, I I think that that mindset, he kind of has to have that mindset, you I mean, he can’t I think that we often tend to run into this in the in the world of sports media, be it both as commentators and as fans and observers and what have you, is that like we’ll we’ll want a player to like have to atone for their poor play for like way too long where it’s like what do you want them to do? You want them to go in the town square, let everyone throw tomatoes at him like like what’s going to happen? So, the reaction to the comments is not surprising. Um, it’s also kind of the bet he’s made, but that mindset like, yeah, he needed a reset. Needed a summer where he wasn’t doing a media tour. Needed a summer where he was just back in the lab, so to speak, working, you know, getting his getting his body in rhythm, getting his body up to task because if he wants to be a 55game starter, like, you got to get your body ready for it off the jump. You can’t be playing catchup beginning October 10th or whatever it was this past year. So, I I understand the mindset, but he is in that again given given where, you know, where sports fans are and and how they feel about players when have a bad year, like he’s in all right, go out and prove it to me territory, right? And and he can do that. We’ve seen it before, right? Um, you know, we saw it in 2024. He was an all-star and and he was their playoff starter, you know, so he can do it. It’s just like any words he says right now are just going to be kind of, you know, fans are going to be rolling their eyes. They got to see him on the ice and the good news is he’s going to be on the ice. There is no contract hold out, you know, this month. He’s going to be out there and so he is in prove it territory for a lot of Bruins fans right now. It is kind of interesting how it that whole approach has changed because I don’t think Jeremy Slayman has changed his cadence or like his his uh commentary or like the way his like he handles like the media. like he’s always kind of been that confident, you know, preaching positivity, being thankful for the exper he’s mentioned experience a whole lot. Like the dude could probably get his his car towed in the north end and be like, I’m grateful for this experience, whereas I would be crying when they asked me cash only to get my car back. I wouldn’t be thankful for that opportunity. But like that’s kind of always been his MO. I think every, you know, pro alete, every goalie especially has to have that, you know, uh, that focused mindset of of, you know, hopping on the positives and everyone’s different in that regard. But this is not like, you know, him getting the the contract has changed like how he is or the leadup. It’s just maybe he’s under a a greater microscope or whether it’s just the added scrutiny of being one, the guy with that contract when you add in like the contract drama, all that sort of stuff. But you look back at, you know, what was it? May 24 where he pretty much single-handedly carried them to the second round uh in that Florida series and yeah they lose late in that game at TD Goden but he’s gotten like cheers uh of like sway him in like going into like the end of that game and like felt like he was ready to step into that next role and not saying that he can’t do that right like we’ve seen him be an elite goalie and we’ve mentioned this countless times before that we’re expecting him to have a bounceback year but it does feel like the overall sentiment on him now is like more of like nah h okay like we like you but not not that much. It’s crazy how much that has kind of changed in a year. And again the best way to remedy that just go out there and play and play at a high level which we’ve seen him do before. But it is it is interesting how that whole sentiment has kind of shifted over the span of 16 17 18 months. Yeah. And and you know I I just think that like there there is that contingent of people that are still not over what happened last year. They’re not over the contract dispute. They’re on over the team not playing up to the level they should have and a lot of them blame Swayman for it. Now, I think it goes beyond Swayman why that team last year was not good. But when you have a goalie that’s making over 8 million and he has what was an 895 893 whatever it was like he’s going to take a lot of heat. And so, you know, I think people like us that are that see the team and see know the value and and and perhaps I I I don’t want to say this because like I’m not trying to like dump on him and watch as a team, but like perhaps looks at it more rationally or or less emotionally invested. Like we go, well, you know, he can bounce back because goalies tend to bounce back and that position is weird and all that, whereas other people like they are going to cling to last year until they can’t anymore, right? Like like he could have a really good year, right? And that is going to follow him until until the end. Like, it’s going to follow him until the playoffs. Let’s say they’re a playoff team. People are still going to bring up game seven in 2023. They’re going to bring up game six in 2024 when he gives up the game-winning goal with like a minute and 25 seconds left, whatever it is. Like like they got their teeth now synced into all the all all the talking points. Much like Tuka, you know, much like Timmy until Timmy won it all in 2011. Like once they get a taste of what they’re going to cling on, like what they’re going to hang on to, they’re going to hang on to it until proven otherwise. It’s just it’s just how it is here. And so I I I think when you throw a contract dispute in there, like like people are people are not exactly, you know, giving him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to like his struggles or his whatever. And so like I think the positivity, I like it. I understand it. I get the mentality of it all. But fans are, like I’ve said, fans are going to roll their eyes until until he’s out there posting a 920. It’s just it is what it is. I was going to say as much as uh you can find the positive out of stuff. Yeah, you’re right that and again I think it’s just an emotional response for fans who are invested in this product. But Brun’s got James Hagens and how much did we talk about 2015 during that entire draft weekend, right? They get the positive. They’re like, but right, imagine if they got Travis Knee. We’re not even talking about Barzal anymore. We’re talking about just like a strong middle six player out of that draft. Like to your point, even if like he he has his bounceback year that is going to look back at, well, he played better last year, maybe we should have Brad, you know, you can do that what about which again will drive you’ll drive you crazy, but like you’re right that Bruins fans do have that ammo. And I think also some of it is just, you know, the the scrutiny that comes with being the number one goalie in Boston. I feel like now, like, again, we are well aware of the uh the commentary on like Atuka Rasque, who was a great goalie here for a while. I feel like now Bruins fans are like, “Oh man, I love that guy. I wish he was back here.” When it’s like back when he was actually playing, you had people who were losing their minds. Tuk would get like shelled occasionally and would just be like, “Yeah, I suck. I’ll next one.” That was kind of his approach, right? It wasn’t like the over, you know, the overwhelming positivity. Yeah, I suck, but what are you gonna do? Whereas like that was his like very nonchalant way of just moving forward. Like, you know, happens. It was more or less his approach. And for I feel you probably have some Bruins fans like, “Oh, he doesn’t care.” It’s like, “No, he cares.” just like it’s just everyone is kind of different of how they go about their things. So you got two very different not extremes but two different approaches there between Swayman and Ras. But when you do have those you know missteps which happen in pro sports no one is perfect especially in the game of hockey like you do have that ammunition now where the scrutiny is going to be there and even if like let’s say the Bruins open the year and they win four out of their first five and got a 93 percentage out of the gate looking pretty sharp early. I don’t I I don’t know if that’s changing the sentiment. Like you’re still going to have now that little subsection of Bruins fans who are going to look back at the the contract dispute and that’s going to be skewing their thing. And maybe that’s just part of the business, right? And it’s we’ve seen it before with countless other players in this market. Yeah. And and I I think that there’s always like the there’s always the mentality that people will will dislike, right? So there’s no perfect science of doing of of analyzing your team, analyzing your play, whatever you want to call it. Like people think that you know Makoy doesn’t do this right or Pos doesn’t do that right. So like you could have 110 points or in the case of Postnock and people will still not love everything you do. It’s just how it is. So Persman like we’ve talked about it like if he gives you a 910 915 like you’re happy, right? And the team will be a much better team next year. And so I I I like where his mindset is right now. Um I think I think it was kind of predictable that he was going to come in and say what he said the other day. uh we kind of even joked about it, you know, off the record, not on a podcast, but like like it makes sense, right? Like the the the position he’s coming in into, but I just like that he’s there, you know? I like that he’s he’s on the ice. He’s he’s doing the captain’s practices. He’s he’s he’s he was out there for the team USA. Like, this is not a delayed start to the year for him, right? Like, he is here. He’s present. And so, there’s no excuses for him to have a bad start now. you know, there is no there’s no excuses for him to be trying to find his game in in in January or February. Like, no, like you’ve had a full off season. You should be ready to go and let’s see it now. Like, this is, you know, I I think that, you know, I I was very, and you were the same way I feel, but like giving him the grace of that first year of being a full-time starter. Okay, now there’s no excuse anymore. Like, now you should know what it was like. And you know, you’ve said it, you being Jeremy Swayman, like you’ve said it that it was a learning experience and you had to go through it. All right, now you’ve been through it. So now let’s take flight here. Now let’s see what you have here because if not, that’s a different conversation. That is a very ugly road to have to potentially go down with a goalie like this. Yeah, absolutely. So we’ll see how it all plays out once training camp gets underway. 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Download the Prize Fix app today and use code CLNS to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That’s code CLNS on the Prize Fix app to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Prize Pix, it’s good to be right. Shout out once again to our friends over at Prize Pix. Uh Ty, in terms of other key players that spoke to the media, um I thought one interesting quote was from Charlie Magavoy. As expected uh with captain’s practice, a lot of the questions posed to him, we’re looking at the leadership group, what this team does moving forward. Obviously, I think it’s to be assumed that the the two key pieces there in that hierarchy are going to be Charlie Makavoy and David Posach. I think Makovy had a few interesting quotes about how you know for close to two decades now they’ve had that hierarchy of the the Charro legacy the Berseron group you know like the even Marshian who is obviously directly from that that that leadership hierarchy there and Makavey said that you know as much as they can rely on that and these are two players that play with Charara with Bersron um they have to kind of change things up a little bit right like they can’t just go back to the status quo and especially with so many younger players players coming into the lineup, they have to adjust to the times more or less is what Makavoy said. So I have a few quotes here from him. Uh one is maybe in sort of the rinse repeat of what’s been for a long time. We have to try and build it back up. Completely different group and it’s different individuals. So it’s going to look different, but it’s mostly just a great opportunity really more than anything to have that thrust upon us and to be responsible for it. And later on when asked about, you know, the younger players that are ideally going to be in this lineup either this year or in the coming years, uh, he mentioned that he’s had the conversations with the other leadership group, guys like Posanok, and said, quote, I think we did kind of take a step back and take an acknowledgement that it is a new day and age. We’re trying to usher in a new group of guys that are from a different generation. Reality is it’s a little bit different times. Maybe some of the things that when we were molded by the group in front of us, it’s not necessarily how we can maybe reach the younger guys the best. So, we’re taking that into account. Again, what that what that entails in terms of how they approach things, we will see. We’ll see what they end up uh adjusting in terms of how they are, you know, bringing in this new group of players. But at least I think it is somewhat refreshing that for now going to the captain’s practice, it seems like there is more of a self-awareness. they do have to maybe change some things to to, you know, be not more welcoming, but I think maybe giving some of the younger players more leeway to see what they can do to stick at the NHL level. Yeah. It’s sort of like what we’ve talked about in the past, too, where it’s like you can’t think that every player is going to be a a perfect polished product by the time they come up. Like, you have to bring them along. You have to help them out. And so I think that for some of the players like they’re realizing that they’re going to have to, you know, whether they’re ready or not, they’re going to have to be Berseron bringing a young linemate along or or or Charara being the perfect partner for anybody on the roster. And so I think that like they’re going to have to do that. They’re going to have to find different ways to connect with younger players. You know, it’s not always going to be, you know, I think I think about it like this, right? Like if Sturm is black and white, you got to have a good cop in there as well, right? Like if he’s the bad cop, what are you guys doing? Uh sorry, the cats are just like fighting next to me. Um if if Sturr is the black and white bad cop, you know, sometimes you need a good cop. Can that be one of your veteran players? Like I think that’s kind of where where that is and where like guys like Makavoy have to bring players along here and, you know, help them get going and help them become NHL players. And I think like if you do that, like you’re feeling better about your team, right? you’re feeling better about the ability to bring in a younger player and have them be a contributor because this team this team needs that, you know, I think more than anything else like this team needs younger players that can come in and and contribute, you know, and they they need to be welcomed and they need to be like empowered, you know. I I think that’s the biggest thing that I’m learning about younger athletes now in today’s game across sports is that like they need to feel like they’re a part of it, right? like they can’t just be made to feel like they that they’re just here and and they got to bend to what your will is. Like no, they they want to know what you want to do and they want to feel valued and you got to do that. You know, it’s it’s it’s really interesting. I think the mentality of like pro athletes and how you know people say, “Oh, you got to coddle them.” No, I I don’t think you got to coddle them, but they got to understand why why they’re here and what what you want them to do and they got to buy into that message. And if they do, you’re going to get the best out of them. Like no doubt about it. Yeah. And I I think like there is that that shift in terms of how you are handling the players. And to your point, I’m sure you mentioned like your very valid stance right there. People are are going to say like, “Oh, you are just coddling these players.” Like no, like you are adjusting to what works. Like you don’t want to be a team that is archaic in terms of how you handle younger players because what does that lead to? A lot of frustrated players that feel like they don’t have a shot. And hasn’t that kind of been the case here for the last couple years of younger players who maybe have had the the skill set that you know could validate them being in the NHL? Hasn’t worked out. Yes, some of it falls on the player. I’m not making those excuses. But when you also are, you know, let’s say a player like Fabian Lel and you keep on getting it drilled into you that you have to be like this this great two-way player. If you make one up back to Providence with you or you see, you know, those sort of situations there, it’s like if you’re in a player that has a unique skill set or one strength to the game, I think instead of like almost having a high standard where you have to pass and clear all these hurdles before you get there, like I feel like you’re seeing a lot of other teams play to that player strengths, bring them in, have them focus in on that, and then you round up your game at the NHL level once you get more confidence, right? Like how many other teams have you seen whether it’s like and it’s not just like these teams like San Jose, right, that can afford to give all these younger players these minutes. Like look at Tampa Bay that has an established core, but every year it feels like there’s three or four middle six, bottom six kind of players that come out of nowhere that become great players, right? How many times have you seen them bring in a player that is already a pretty solid NHL talent and they morph into a legitimate top six weapon, right? Like look at like Carolina, the guys they bring in. Like I I think when you have these players and that’s kind of what Carolina does in the draft, right? They always seem to target these like highly skilled guys or guys that are, you know, graded out highly in one area of the game but have more to work on. They bring them in like keep on doing what you’re doing and then we can start molding you into what you want to be. And I feel like the Bruins have that almost inverse thing for it. So if you’re like let’s say a guy like Lysel and then also you go into training camp last year and you know Brad Marshian has asked you know what what could Lysel do in your line? He’s like, “Well, he’s got a lot of work to do. I don’t want this guy on my line if he’s if he’s not like a well-rounded player.” It’s like, well, that’s not great, right? Like, so I I do think there has to be I don’t think it’s coddling. It’s just what is the norm now, right? It’s like it, you know, you knock sports franchises when they don’t invest in like analytics or all this stuff because it makes you archaic and you’re behind the times. I think you have to have that same approach with how you handle younger players. And yeah, it’s different from how it was back in the day. How guys were handled and treated in the 2000s, 2010s were probably foreign to guys in the 70s where you were smoking cigarettes in between intermission, right? But that’s how the game changes. So I do think the Bruins have to kind of change their approach a little bit, especially it leads to more younger players feeling confident when they get up to the NHL level. Yeah, completely. And you know, like you’re never going to get your your true ceiling out of out of your younger players if you’re not allowing them to grow on the job, right? And we’ve been doing podcasts about this all summer, it feels like, but that’s how you end up wasting time. It’s how you end up wasting time with like, you know, oh, you don’t want Lysel there. All right. So, you’re going to give Justin Brazo a pending UFA who you traded for peanuts. You know, basically, you’re going to give him 40 games there and then you’re a 20 and 20 team. All right. Well, that didn’t advance anybody really. Um, you know, and so they got to break out of that cycle, you know, and I think I’m hopeful that they will. Um, going to Marco Sturm, from Joe Sacko, and from Jim Montgomery, but, you know, you can’t you you can’t keep giving these guys five minutes a night on the fourth line and tell them you’re developing them. You just can’t do it. And I think they realize that. I hope they realize that. and now it’s about those players going out and, you know, being undeniable and and forcing their way into the lineup. So, it goes two ways. I think it definitely does. Like, I you don’t want players just simply inheriting positions, but right, you you hope they’re put in spots to succeed, you know, like like I I I legitimately felt that sure, Lysel didn’t have a great opening preseason game, but he was good after that. He was good. He did enough to earn an extended look, and he didn’t get one until December, and he didn’t get a real one until the deadline. So you you know like you you hope that guys like that what in this year it could be Potra, it could be Minton, whoever it is, like you just hope that they are given a legit fair chance to make this team and make an impact. Yep. Absolutely. So we’ll see what kind of plays out, especially once we get to rookie camp and more importantly training camp and how much leeway some of these younger guys get. Uh we’re going to talk a little bit more about the younger players on this team, especially the rookie camp right around the corner. Before we do that, take another quick break here from our friends over at Game Time. Rejoice, Boston sports fans. Fall is finally here and you know what that means? Time to break out the flannel. You get your pumpkin coffee. You watch Casper the friendly ghost. All that fall stuff. It’s great. But most importantly, it’s football season and the Patriots are back in Foxboro. And over in Boston, it’s looking like the Socks are going to be playing into October. 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So, what are you waiting for? Take the guesswork out of buying NFL tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account, redeem code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Swipe, tap, ticket, go. Download the Game Time app today. Shout out once again to our friends over at Game Time. Uh, Ty, we’ve got rookie camp starting up next week, September 10th, I believe. Right. Uh, yes, that sounds right. So, uh, the start of official training camp. We’re going to have the coaches back out there and we’re going to see a lot of younger players that are going to hopefully make a a sustained push to get on this roster come the start of October. Uh, we got the usual suspects, the guys like Lysel, Patra, Minton. Who is one player you want to keep tabs on in rookie camp that you’re most intrigued to see what they can do in the next couple of weeks? You know, I would probably say I I would have to say one of the defenseman, whether that’s Freddy Brune, whether that is Jackson Edward. Um these are guys that you know like might have a window here to to make the roster in the not too distant future. You know, you look at where they are right now, whether it’s the uncertainty of a Hamplin home and the knee, which you hope is is good. you know, he keeps saying he’s fine, but you got to see it. Uh whether that is Andrew Peak entering a contract year, like you have some potential here for these guys to maybe grab some spots here and, you know, get a get a look at what they can do. But, you know, I I think being legit AHL rookies, right, and and advancing beyond that, like, all right, now let’s see what they have here, you know, with some more minutes, more responsibility, uh whatever the case may be for them down in Province this year. But, you know, Brunay was a guy that I thought had a good training camp a year ago. You know, you you kind of saw him and you were like, “Oh, okay. They might have something here.” He ends up getting in a game at the end of the year. But, um, you know, now now this is going to be his third AHL season, his second, you would say, as like a full-timer. Um, and so now, let’s see what he has. You know, he’s a creative player. The way he can play, the way he can move the puck, like that’s kind of where this game is going. And so, um, that’s somebody that I look at and say, you know, is there is there a role there for him, right? Like, is there is there is there opportunity there for a guy like that? Um, because as we’ve learned time and time again, man, there’s never enough defense you can have at the NHL level. Never enough quality defensive players you can have. And so, if those guys can be that, like you’re feeling better about what you have there. So, that’s that those are two guys that just come to mind right away in my opinion. How about you? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I would say also like Brunay is also the example of I think what the Bruins should be looking at in terms of how they should develop guys where I feel like he was drafted and he’s like what 6’3 has good size but was kind of known out of the draft as like an offensive-minded defenseman. That’s kind of been his MO. What happens is like, you know, they drafted him and the the scattering part of him was that he’s going to need some time to round out his defensive game and they’ve worked with him and that’s kind of what he is. Like he’s not like a offensive dynamo down in the AHL getting, you know, 50 points or something like that, but he moves the puck well, has offensive instinct and has really rounded out his overall game where instead of him being a third pair kind of, you know, offensive but Dzone liability in Providence, he’s like an all situations kind of guy. he think won like the AHL like the Providence is like top defenseman award the last two years like he’s done all the things that you want to see from a player where they they hone in on his skill set they haven’t played to his strengths and then you gradually work out the the flaws in the rest of his game. That’s kind of what he’s done so far and now he’s a guy that to your point when the injury bug does kind of bite this team he’s probably going to be one of the next guys up. So I think that’s really really encouraging to see from him. Um, I would say one guy I want to keep tabs on, big fan of Dan Lash Melis. I think he’s a guy that, you know, is he going to start the year in Boston? Is he on that same tier as the guys like the, you know, Lysels, Potras, Mintton? Probably not. But he feels like a guy that when you look at how great he was in Providence this past year and really kind of raised his stock kind of out of nowhere, right? Like was a good player at EMass and then all of a sudden was really lightening it up down um with Providence. He’s someone that I could see make a push that maybe in the middle of the year if he’s really playing well in the NHL AHL level, he can make a push. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s a guy that, you know, he’s not like an elite, doesn’t have an elite shot, doesn’t have like elite skating, but just thinks the game really well and makes plays happen with the puck kind of sick. And if you have a guy like that that has already shown that he can play well at higher competition, uh that would change the trajectory of this whole prospect pipeline if a guy like him can pop, especially within this year. So, I like his game and I want to see what he can do once we get into training camp and preseason action because I haven’t seen anything to this point since he’s turned pro that makes me think I don’t think they got something here. He keeps on kind of proving people wrong whenever he’s out there on the ice. Yeah, he got some kudos from City Crosby at the Worlds for how he played. Um, he’s going to be playing in the Olympics for Latvia. Like, like he’s got a good window here to make something happen. And uh yeah, to your point, like versatile, big body, uh knows how to move, knows how to get to good areas of the ice, like you always have a have a home for those kind of players. And I think especially this team, like like it almost wouldn’t shock me if he like made a push in training camp for for a roster spot. I’m not saying he’s going to do it, but like would it surprise you if through four games of the preseason he has two goals and two assists? because it wouldn’t for me because that’s kind of the player that he’s been, you know, pretty much every level now where you think he’s not this, but then he rises to the challenge. So, that’s an example of a player that I talk about, younger players like getting their minutes, earning their minutes and and maybe carving out a role. Like, you just look at his body of work and you look at the kind of player he is and you’re like, “Oh, I could see I could see Marco Sturm liking what he brings to the table.” Like, couldn’t you? Yep. No, absolutely. Like I just think that like his skill set is so unique where it’s just he just makes plays happen and I think that’s something that if you’re just trying to find the guys that can fill up this lineup if you look at the Bruins especially their middle six where there’s so much up in the air and he’s just a guy that kind of fits into that same category as let’s say like a Matte Blue Mel or an Alex Steves where you open to get something from them but you don’t know yet. Well, from what we saw last year, what I mean, what did Blash Mills have in Province? Like 12 points in like eight games, something like that. Like he was a great player for them and also would have been playing further in the playoffs, but then went to Lat went to the Worlds with Latafia and to your point was a great player there. Was like what their first or second leading scoreer got the props from Sydney Crosby like wasn’t playing against you know jabronies on that tournament like you had a lot of great players on that even that Canada team that he was playing really well against. So, we’ve mentioned before of like the Bruins prospect pipeline and obviously it stops in stats with a guy like James Hagens and that’s a huge lift. But if you just get like one or two more of these guys that can pop to, you know, not not saying that you need one or two guys to become a 30 goal scorer, but a guy that looks like he can be part of this equation moving forward, it changes the whole complexion of what your future could be like, right? And if Gosh Melis looks like a player that can stick and can exceed those expectations, what we’ve already seen him do this past spring, there’s a lot to like about his game. So, I agree like I’m not going into the year putting him in my projected lineup on October 8th. But would not surprise me if we get into like, you know, the end of September and we’re like he’s making a pretty good push because what else have we seen from him except a really damn good player. Yeah, to your point, I wanted to look it up real quick. He had four goals and six four goals and six points in seven games at the Worlds for Latvia. And and I think also like, you know, Latia is not a powerhouse, right? It might remind Marco of being a young player on team Germany all those years ago, you know, and Germany was not a powerhouse back then, but Marco stuck out, right? Like does that does that help him as well, you know, in terms of breaking out? And, you know, does he does he like a player like that given what they were able to do for a country that was not considered a powerhouse? you know, I I would wonder there. Yeah. No. So, we’ll see. I think those are the two guys definitely. I think Brunez are two guys beyond the the expected guys that I think we’re going to see try to make a push. The Potras, the Mittens, all that good stuff. So, we’ll see kind of what plays out there. Uh again, before we uh wrap things up, want to once again give a shout out to the Cus Media Network. If you have time, please subscribe to our Bruins Ringside YouTube channel. You have daily content between Poke the Bear, Bruins View with Ev Marinowski, Pucks with Hags. We have you covered every step of the way. So follow along with us over at YouTube. And if you don’t like YouTube, you don’t want to see my ugly face, I get it. I understand. No problem. You can also subscribe and follow along over on Apple Podcast, Spotify, where else wherever else you get your hockey podcast. And it’s not just hockey, not just the Bruins coverage over at CNS. We also have Patriots Press Pass, Celtics All Access. The whole crew at CNS Media Network do a great job keeping you updated, informed on all things Boston sports. So please again subscribe to all of our channels over at CNS Media Network. Uh, Ty, before we let you go, where can we read your stuff? Where can we hear you on the airwaves? All that good stuff. So, you can find me at 985portsub.com. Also on the podcast there, the Sports Up Underground with myself and Matt Dolof. Um, we’ll have you throughout training camp and whatnot and the NFL season beginning uh this weekend for the Patriots as well. Uh, so you can find us there. Uh, you can find me on social media. Just type in Ty Anderson, you’ll find me. You’ll find me being an idiot, being a fool, uh, all those things. Uh, but yes, that’s where you can find me. How about yourself? Yeah, you can uh read my stuff over at boston.com. The Boston Globe will have you covered every step of the way this Bruins season starting out with training camp. And again, if you want to follow me on Twitter, X, you can connory_93. Ty, thank you once again for talking hockey with us. Uh again, want to shout out CNS Media Network. Please subscribe to our Bruins Ringside YouTube channel. This episode was also brought to you by Prize Fix, the best way to cash win cash this football season. Download the app today and use code cls. You get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Code CLNS to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Prize picks. It’s good to be right. And again, this show is brought to you by Game Time Tickets. The best place to buy NFL tickets. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code CLNS to get $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Swipe, tap, take it, go download the Game Time app today. This was episode 358 of Poke the Bear. I’m Connor Ryan. You fans have a great rest of your week. [Music]

In this episode of Poke The Bear, Conor and Ty discuss the Bruins’ shifting culture under David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman’s comments on Thursday, and the start of rookie camp. 

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