Could Jay Woodcroft be the Next Head Coach of the Bruins? | Poke the Bear

Could Jay Woodcroft be the Next Head Coach of the Bruins? | Poke the Bear

[Music] and welcome into Poke the Bear episode 329 presented by CLMS Media. Make sure you go subscribe to the Bruins Ringside YouTube channel for all your Bruins content needs. There’s Connor, we got you know Poke the Bear, Bruins Beat Pucks with Hags. Six times throughout the week, not each of course, six total podcasts throughout the week, interviews and insight. Uh there will be live streams throughout uh the offseason at different uh inflection points, different big things happening. Um and make sure to put on notifications and if you listen just like if you like us just via audio and you don’t want to see us, okay, that’s fine. I won’t take too much offense. Uh make sure to subscribe to us over on Apple Podcast or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. I’m Evan Marinowski. That is Connor Ryan. Connor, what is up? Evan, doing well. How you doing? Doing great. doing great. It’s uh it’s a weird time, you know, not a lot uh Bruins wise, not much going on. We’re just going to sit here and maybe we’ll review movies this episode. Maybe we’ll do that. That’s Let’s start with uh let’s start with Oceans 11. I myself find it to be Well, I guess everyone see you guys. We’ll see you next time. Um there’s, you know, it’s funny because like NHL playoffs are going on. Um, we’ll get to that in a little bit because there are some implications for the Bruins. Um, but the head coaching search seems to be something that’s been in the news quite a bit. Um, Rick Tocket was someone the Bruins were linked to. I will say though, Connor, it’s interesting that you haven’t heard much about the Bruins with any coaches. Talk’s really the only one. Jay Woodcraftoft’s name has popped up in recent days, but nothing concrete, nothing set. It makes me think, Connor, I think it’s cuz their next head coach is coaching in the playoffs right now. Yeah, you know, we we’ve heard a few things, right? We’ve heard them being linked to Rick Tocket who goes to Philly. Um, again, I I like Rick Tocket. I think especially if you’re talking about like the the retread kind of older coaches, I think he’s probably has the highest ceiling there. But also, I’m glad the Bruins aren’t the team to give him one of the richest contracts in NHL history for a head coach, right? Like, you know, uh I don’t know how much he’s going to be the guy that completely turns things around for a team like the Bruins. Um Frank Saravali Daily Face Off mentioned on Wednesday morning that uh he views Woodcraftoft as a leading candidate as someone to keep tabs on uh with the Bruins. So that is an interesting little nugget there. And I think we’ll probably talk a little bit more about Woodcraftoft today because we haven’t done too much on him so far as we go through the rest of our coaching candidates. But um no, the fact that you really haven’t heard like a lot of major rumblings I guess in terms of who the Bruins are prioritizing, who they like, what they’re, you know, assessing this off seasonason. Yeah, maybe does you know give credence to what you said, Evan, where you know they’re still, you know, looking through seeing who’s out there and maybe more importantly waiting things out to see if maybe in a couple of um couple of weeks if you know someone like Mitch Love who his season with the Capitals could be over pretty early. pretty soon or if we’re waiting a little bit longer if it’s a guy like Donskov like you know usually the coaching carousel there’s a lot of different guys out there and usually it moves pretty quick once it’s kind of the first domino falls which you kind of saw with Mike Sullivan going to New York but it does seem like the Bruins are kind of being patient which again remains to be seen who they target who they end up hiring who takes the job but at least it does seem like they are taking their time assessing all their options and maybe again waiting things out for a guy that um you know is still pretty tied up right now which I think is encouraging at least like they’re not rushing into these things uh where again who they hire is going to set the tone not just for this season right but also I think it maps out or gives you a little bit of a uh reading the tea leaves right of what this team what this ownership is envisioning moving forward if it’s a younger guy maybe it’s hey we’re going to grow with this team maybe be a little bit more patient and see where that takes us hopefully to get a higher ceiling down the road So, we will see. So, the waiting game continues. Yeah, Woodcoft’s interesting because he’s been linked to the Bruins recently and I keep going back to like he’s a free agent. If they wanted Woodcraftoft that bad, they’d have him by now or they would, you know, would be hearing a lot more about it. Um, and they still could. I mean again like I think they are dead set on um you know I think Misha Donskoff Mitch Love um you know both those guys are still in the the thick of the playoffs so maybe they want to wait for that. I mean I would also say like there are other teams who need head coaches. The Penguins uh the Kraken who you infamously love. Uh Chicago still needs a head coach. Like there are other jobs out there. Makes me wonder are they doing the same things? Are they waiting for Misha Donskoff to become available or Mitch Love or or or other um assistants that are still coaching? Um Woodcraft’s interesting though. Woodcraftoft um I’ll go through his resume. Video coach of the Detroit Red Wings for three years from ‘ 05 to08. Assistant coach of the San Jose Sharks from ’08 to 2015. Uh he was the assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers from 2015 to 2018. He was the head coach of the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL from 18 to 22 and then he was promoted to head coach of the Edmonton Oilers mid 21-22 was the head coach there in 22 23 and then was let go shortly into 23-24 which was last year when they started off I think they were like 3 and 9 and they end up 39 and one yeah they end up going to the uh the Stanley Cup final. Um, I think this is an interesting thing because Woodcraft is young, 48 from Toronto. Uh, his only head coaching opportunity in the NHL was that Edmonton job. And it’s interesting because I think we view a lot of it’s sort of like how we view draft picks. Um, before they play or before you actually make the pick, they’re very, you know, they’re not goddy, but like they’re they’re they’re more enticing. Once you see them and once you see them play, it’s like ah, their values been tanked a little bit. And and Woodcraftoft’s coached in the NHL, which is something that Misha Donskoff can’t say, Mitch Love can’t say, Marco Sturm can’t say, but I look at those other guys a little more favorably cuz because I guess maybe the the the the thing is fresh. Um whereas with with um with Woodcraft, you have sort of a resume in the NHL to go off of and it wasn’t that long ago. Um what do you think about Woodcraft? Yeah, he’s kind of an he’s definitely intriguing, right? And I almost maybe put him higher than like the other guys who have previously held a job. Like I wouldn’t call him like a retread, right? You know, like he’s had what one full season technically, right? Um as a head coach and they what got 109 points. I wonder if like the the lack of enthusiasm uh with a guy like Woodcraft who again you look at the the results, right? like as you said, he’s worked in video uh before with Detroit, so he’s kind of has that same background of pre-scout, scouting, uh those kind of things. Kind of what Donskov had like in terms of his early like his road to being an NHL uh coach was kind of the similar trajectory. Um you know, is was part of some really really good San Jose teams for a long time. like when you see that he worked with a shot cuz I feel like your first instinct is like uh but then you realize like oh they were a wagon from 08 to to 15. Um so part of a successful franchise there um obviously stuck around for quite a bit. Um you know the Oilers weren’t all that great for a large stretch when he first got there but had experience as a head coach in the AHL. uh had some really successful teams down there and then yeah like his first year as an interim helps lead them to the Stanley the Western Conference Finals lose to a wagon of an avalanche team. What are you going to do there? Then first, you know, only full year gets again 50 wins, 109 points, loses in the second round to uh the team that wins the cup again in Vegas and then just can’t get out of a rut to start the year, right? Um and get and gets fired. So, like I feel like he’s still a guy who has a a pretty high stock. He hasn’t coached since then, but I read something that he was talking on Daily Face Off saying that he pretty much has spent the whole year traveling like learning from other uh hockey coaches crossworld. He’s like Batman when he joins the League of Shadows. He’s just he’s at like a monastery somewhere just like trying to learn the breakout. Like ninja’s just beating the out of him as he’s as he’s trying to as he’s trying to solve they’re trying to solve Gebouche’s neutral zone trap as he’s like some guys are just punching him in the chest with a samurai sword. Yeah, exactly. So I’m very curious if he gets hide by the rooms. I want to hear actually where he was. He’s probably just in like Prague just chilling like that’s probably what it actually was. But I just imagine him just like training with Liam Niss on like a frozen lake somewhere. But yes. Um but no like he’s lights the whole place. didn’t didn’t like the whole he does. He’s kind of a dick. They train him and he blows everything up. They were kind of being jerks, too. But again, we said this wasn’t going to be a movie podcast, but uh no, like I like Woodcraftoft. Uh you know, I I think as you said, there’s probably more appeal with the the prospects, right, where you don’t know what exactly you have. But I think Woodcraftoft, like what he’s shown so far is a younger coach who’s got good results. I wonder if it has to do with the fact that you’re like the coach of the Oilers. And I feel like everyone, you know, it’s same with like uh Nblock right now with the Oilers where like the results have been great. How much of it is also like you got two of the three best players in the world and and that’s not to say that like I think like that is the only reason why you’re good, right? Like I think Joe Tori was a great manager though he had wagon uh Yankees scheme from like you know A-Rod you know like is like Scotty Bowman a bad coach because he’s had like unreal team. Is Phil Jackson a bad coach? Because he had Michael Jordan and then Kobe and Shaq. So Phil Jackson, Joe Tory. Yes, exactly. Woodcraft. Exactly. That that that is pretty much how we’re we’re going through things now. Don’t clip this, Evan. But not by the way, not Todd Woodcraft, Jay Wood. There’s a big difference. But I do wonder if that also plays into it as like it’s one thing to do it and have those really good results with those kinds of players. what happens when it’s Elias Lindtom and Casey Middlestad are your one two down the middle and not McDavid and Dryidle. And it’s not to say that I think that Woodcraft that immediately gets exposed like a guy who’s was a you know rising through the ranks um you know has a good track record kind of wherever he’s gone has a year to kind of study and you know learn from his mistakes and what he can do better. And again, it’s not like this is a guy who’s like 60. Like, I think he’s still a young coach that has a lot of upside. So, I know it’s immediately like once those reports started uh coming out on Tuesday and Wednesday, people were like, “H, no, absolutely not.” It’s like, “No, no.” Like, is he the top of my list? Like, I still am probably intrigued by the the prospects, I would probably say. But like if Woodcraftoft is the guy that when compared to those younger unproven coaches makes the most compelling argument, I’m also not necessarily going to begrudge them for going in that option as opposed to a Lavlet or a Galant or something like that. Yeah, I wouldn’t I would absolutely not put Jay Woodcraftoft in the Lavlet Galant to reel camp. I mean that that’s just not I mean Woodcraft is borderline a prospect. It’s sort of like Matt Potra coming up uh for a little bit, you know, and then then going back down. I mean, he’s still technically a prospect. Um, the Bruins are hoping the Bruins are hoping that Woodcraft is like Gustaf Horses, like doesn’t get qualified and then becomes like a beast somewhere else. Yes. Um, I’d be okay with it. I’d be fine with it. I It’s not a flashy name. It’s not a name I’m like overly excited about. Um, I would prefer that over Lavlet or a Tortoella. Um, I still put Donskoff ahead of him. I probably put Marco Sturm as well. Um, Mitch Love is intriguing. I, you know, it’s harder to say with that. There was another one. Was it Todd Nelson? Todd Nelson. Yeah, the Hershey head coach. I like him. Hershey’s been really good the last bunch of years. So, like I I put Woodcraftoft, you know, I’d be okay with it. It wouldn’t be my favorite. It wouldn’t be my first choice. And I don’t think it’s the Bruins first choice either. I keep going back to like they could if they really wanted Woodcraftoft right now, they could just get him because he’s a free agent. And I assume he’s probably talking to different teams, but like you know, there hasn’t been a ton of like outside of Tocket and Sullivan, there hasn’t been a ton of like head coaching news of late, at least hasn’t felt like. Well, there’s Joe Quel Quenville um as well, but I don’t Woodcraftoft. I’m you know, he’s in the probably in my like top five, but he’s like five. um to not like dying for him. But if that’s the guy, as you said, if that’s the compelling argument, okay, I would still rather go in the Donskoff direction. I would still rather go in the Marco Sturm direction. Um Sturm’s interesting. Um I I wonder with Sturm, like Zanoara has his spot in the organization, and those two played together, and I assume they liked each other quite a bit. Um, I wonder how much of a voice Charara gets on the next head coach and if Sturm kind of, you know, if that plays a part in it where he’s like, “No, I played with him. I really like him. I trust him.” Like, I wonder how much voice Char gets because we still don’t really know exactly what Char does, but he is around. And I just wonder if if he has any impact on that. Yeah. I mean, there is th those ties there. And it’s the same thing. I feel like a lot of the the the coaching candidates they can look at there are ties whoever you want to look at it like I’m sure tara you know has those connections with someone like Sterm who again has a really good track record kind of wherever he’s gone as well so you factor that in but it’s the same thing with uh Donskov right where it’s almost like you put the the pieces together as you said of like why if the Bruins really really like Woodcraft and say he’s already interviewed and they like what they have why haven’t they pounced on it when there’s a lot of other themes that are probably interested in him as well. You do wonder if it is you’re just waiting things out for a guy like Donco. And again, I feel like we always mention him a lot because I think we both really like the potential. We really like the track record. We like the experience he’s had in other areas of of hockey in terms of, you know, pre-scouting, developing, uh those kinds of things. Um but also like Don Sweeney added him to Team Canada’s staff in four nations. like there’s a evident link there as to why that he’s pretty fond of the of the the coach in terms of what he could be and also he was in the mix a couple years ago when they were eventually hired Jim Montgomery. So they clearly like him. They clearly know about him. There’s like clear connections there and I think you make the same argument with the Galaxy Sturm who also like is free to sign now if they wanted to as well. So, you does make you wonder if I think they like, you know, people like Sterm, they like uh Woodcraftoft, but you do wonder if it’s like, all right, like no, we’ll get back to you and they’re waiting for you to shoot a drop to see if Donskov or Love or someone like that how valuable they are um as candidates. Would they accept the job? Are they ready for it? And I think once they get that answer, that’s when they then move and decide on who amongst this pool of candidates is who they go and target um to be their next head coach. Yeah. And I think the other thing like going back to Woodcraftoft um there is the element and we said this when Joe Sacko got promoted where like you know oh he’s been head coach Ford and he wasn’t successful so that means he’s going to be terrible the rest of you know being as being a head coach. It’s not true. You learn a lot. Um and you know Jay Woodcraftoft ever since he got let go by the Oilers early in 2023 um has as you said been uh kind of going around and yeah being Bruce Wayne. Uh so like you know you can learn a lot from that and you can learn a lot from your first stop and and your first experience and I think most people learn from their first job. So like there is that element too with Woodcraft where I don’t want to make it seem like oh my god don’t don’t even hire this guy. It’s just I do think there are more intriguing candidates out there and I think the Bruins are aiming towards those guys because again if they wanted Woodcraftoft I think they probably already have him. Um, before we get into stuff uh coming from the NHL playoffs, Connor, I want to remind everybody to go subscribe to Bruins Ringside on YouTube. There will be podcasts throughout the off season um all the time. Poke the Bear, Bruins Beat, Pucks with Hags, uh live streams, turn on notifications to make sure that you uh know when a video is dropped or when we’re actually going live and you can join in and chat with us and see what we’re saying. Um and then again, if you don’t love the looks of us, you can just listen via audio. can just listen via audio. Correct. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, the whole nine yards. Make sure to subscribe over there uh to get everything uh delivered straight to your phone in the morning. Um playoff wise, Panthers are one game away from moving to the conference final for the third straight year, which like again I go back to something I tweeted last week when Marian was giving Nok like the game puck. I was like, man, like I just woke up. Like I, you know, went to bed on April 29th, 2023. I just woke up. What happened? What What’s this? Um, remarkable. I still can’t believe that the P I mean, I can believe it given the success and the roster they have. But I just think if someone went back and told us in 2023 that this is what would happen, we’d be like, yeah, all right. Like, calm down there, buddy. Like, what are you smoking? Um, a whole bunch of former Bruins on that team, though. You got Boquist scoring a goal, AJ Greer scoring a goal. Greer. Yeah, it’s a heck of a team. Um, so there’s there’s good and bad in this. U, the good is that you are close to a 2027 first round pick, which would be very nice because of the Marshian trade. I think it’s it is 2027, right? Or it can it can move to it’s 2027, but I believe it can move to 2028, but I keep on forgetting what the actual detail is that would that would change it. But I I do believe the most likely scenario is it’s 2027. Okay. So, but and Martian has to play like half their over half their games and they have to make it to the conference final, which they’re one game away from and Marshian’s played in every single game. Looks like unless they make the conference finals and then like Martian like has goes fishing and like a hook gets him in the foot or something and he can’t play then like he’s going they’re they’ll get the first pick like they will get first first round pick not the first overall pick unless unless the Panthers really suck in a couple of years. So they’re picking Carter Meer in 2027 first overall. Um but so that’s the good. The not so great but not as bad is Mitch Mner um has that turnover on Wednesday night which doesn’t look all that great. And so now you have people being like, “Oh, Mitch Mner sucks. Blah blah blah. Leafs are blowing it again. Up two nothing in the series now down 3-2.” Um does this series concern you at all about Marner in terms of wanting to sign him or are you unwavered? I’m unwavered. I know that’s not gonna be I’ve seen a lot I’ve seen a lot of I’ve got a lot of uh I I had someone tweet at me and it was like tagged both you and you and me in a tweeter like it’s these two idiots leading the crusade and I was like correct damn right it is us idiots. You’re you’re 100% correct. Uh I mean listen has it been the best playoffs uh for Mner? No. Um but I mean he what he also what gave them the lead in game two? Gave them the lead in game three and then they blew it. Um, you know, it was the same it was the same game where uh Ranton and had his second hattick. And again, like you look at Ranton and compared to Marner, right? And Ranton is just is I think showing proof of when you add elite talent, how much that can elevate your entire team during the playoffs. And then you compare it with I think I saw it was a tweet of like Ronin has more goals through what six, seven, eight game eight games with um Dallas than Marner has had playoff goals in his entire six-year new contract with Toronto. It’s not great, right? Um I still think that he’s been able to generate offense. He’s still like a guy that if you’re the Bruins and you’re so, you know, bar of talent. I still think that’s a guy you need like you you just need a superstar level player that um can keep you in the fight, can elevate the rest of your linemates. And again, like is he going to be the de facto guy? Um you know, I think for what the Bruins need it, it’s just someone that can drive play on his own line. If you have David Pollson and I can monitor on separate lines, you have two functioning top six lines just there. We’re not even looking at who they add the rest of the way. Um, and so, uh, has he been like a elite player performer? No, I I’m not going to say that of like, well, if you look at the underlying numbers, they’re not great for a guy that good. Same with a guy like Matthews. Does that mean like I wouldn’t want Austin Matthews? No. I would rather I would want the 60goal silky, you know, uh, potential centerman like Austin Matthews who’s available. I just think if if you’re a team like the Bruins and a guy like Minor is available, you have to make every effort to add a player like that because it’s just what has hampered this team for years now. Not even looking at this year where this team was just the lineup was so barren, you didn’t have a lot of elite talent, but even in years past where they’ve gotten to the playoffs, like what has usually been their Achilles heel has been like just the lack of that next star player, that next, you know, offensive boost that puts you over the top. And I think a guy like Marner, if you sign him as the cap jumps up, even if it is a hefty uh paycheck, he’s going to be a guy that is going to anchor your first line, second line, wherever he is for the length of that contract. And then once you add in whoever you have with the number seven pick, whoever else you add in the years ahead, I think that’s a guy that if you are trying to build a sustainable contention window, a guy like him fits into that equation. So, it’s not perfect, which again, um, there’s very few times in which a bonafide franchise superstar is even available in Fregency, but I think if you are the Bruins and you’re that short on talent, I still think you throw the bag at a guy like Mitch Marner. He is a bonafide franchise superstar. I think that’s the thing is like I mean again and like I will go to some underlying numbers to support my argument. I mean again, he’s the top five on five goals against per 60 player in the last five postseasons. So, he’s great defensively. I know we had the I know everybody sees the the the spinama turnover on Wednesday night. That doesn’t show the whole picture. Brad Marshian’s alo the most popular guy in Florida right now and people don’t want to look at 2019 game seven. So everyone up in in hockey. Yes. Everybody messes up. It happens. Every this that’s why every that’s why people like David Postrock turns the puck over too much and it’s like well yeah because he has the puck the most amount of the time. That happens. The more you have the puck on your stick the more likely you are to turn the puck over. Yeah. watch Nikita Cucharov in uh games two through whatever it was five against Florida. You don’t want Nikita Cucharov. Yeah. You want you don’t want Yeah, exactly. Um Martin is also third in playoff assist this year and he has 61 points in 68 total playoff games. I’m not saying that he has been a world beater in the playoffs. He’s a setup man. I still take him. I still take him. And a lot of it doesn’t have to do with the playoffs. I mean, obviously you want playoff success. Um, I think he balances your scoring a little bit more being on the second line. Um, you probably put them on the same power play him and Posternok. You find a way to make that work, but like it’s pretty damn good. That’s pretty damn good. Like you you balance it out. So that helps with the playoffs. But the biggest thing is the next two to three years. I keep saying you just you you need to be playoff contenders. Like that that you don’t want to waste David Postnox’s prime. Be in the hunt for the playoffs. Being around it. if you’re the third team in the Atlantic, if you’re a wildcard team, and you’re letting those prospects develop, you’re making your picks. So, when Jake O’Brien, who I think they’re most likely to draft at seven, um, comes up in two to three years, he gets to play with Postnak or Mner, and maybe it’s Dean Lerno, maybe it’s a different center that they draft comes up. Will Zeers has played a lot of center, I’m just, you know, naming prospects. Comes up and gets to play with Mitch Martner. Like I think that’s a really good thing and that helps the next generation of players and sure, you know, is he a is he incredible in the playoffs? No, he hasn’t been. Uh, and he’s historically lost in the playoffs. Those Leafs teams have been losers. Um, but I take him. I take him for all the reasons I just listed. I think he can help you in the playoffs. I I know it’s not right to be like, “Well, I don’t need him to win a cup in two to three years in the first couple years of his contract. would be nice, but that’s not the main point. And I know people say, “Well, that’s not the main point. Then I don’t want him.” And it’s like, but you’re not a true cup contender right now. He gets you to be a playoff contender. You’re in it. You’re a part of it. You know, you’re competitive the whole year. You should be a tough out in the playoffs. Um, but, you know, a Stanley Cup contender, you’re going to need some some higherend talent down the middle, and that’s why you’re drafting those guys. So, again, to me, I go with Mner. I still have him as my top priority this off season. Um, and I I I haven’t I don’t think much is going to waver me from that. If anything, if the playoffs if he stinks, you know, if there’s the narrative that he’s signing for 12.5 million for cheaper, I’m fine with that. Are you kidding me? Okay, great. Suck. I know what he’s like. So, yeah. And I I And look, I I understand people are, you know, oh, it’s never going to happen. And we’re not saying that it’s we’re not like we are hearing that Mitch Varnner, the Bruins are gonna, you know, definitely sign Mitch Mner. No, that’s not it at all. It’s saying he’s a fit. They should 100% be making a compelling pitch to get Mitch Barner. No doubt. No doubt. And it would help if he was on the left side. Be nicer if nicer if he was a leftwing, but he’s not. He’s rightwing. So, you make do with that. Um, we’ll talk more about him throughout the playoffs. We got a ways to go. We do have a ways to go. I don’t want to waste all the ammo on that. Offer sheets. Um, Elliot Freriedman put out a story. It was more just kind of a graph of how offer sheets are going to work this off seasonason. I did like how the St. Louis Blues replied to that tweet cuz they got Broberg and um uh god Holloway. Holloway who actually had a phenomenal year. Yeah, both both of them great great moves by St. Louis. Yeah, chess. And I think like Ty Anderson wrote a story on Thursday morning for 985 the sports hub kind of outlining some similar players like Matthew Nes, who we’ll talk about in a second, um is sort of the big fish to offer sheet, but there are a number of guys that are more realistic that you’re not going to have to give up, you know, a first, second, and a third for who can give you value down in the lineup. Geeky obviously was not an offer sheet, but someone like that who maybe has a little bit of untapped potential or shown you some glimmers but can maybe do some more. Um I think that’s the more realistic route to get nice you probably would have to do a first, second, and a third I think at least. Cuz again, if you go higher than that, it’s even more. What’s it two firsts or something like that? Yeah. So I mean if you’re looking at I think when people look at Matthew N. And like I really like Matthew N. Good player. Goes to the net. had almost a 30 goal season at 23 years old. Lot to like about him and what he can do moving forward. I think we all agree. I’d love him in the lineup. Oh my god. And there’s a lot there’s a lot to like about a guy who has the potential to be a 30goal regular like Morgan Geeky. No, I’m just kidding. But like again like Yes. Just like Morgan Geeky. Yes. But, uh, you know, as much as I like Matthew N, people are like, “All right, yeah, I’d give up, you know, I’d sign him to, you know, 7.5 million, which again, like when you look at his age plus the market value, okay, like that would make sense, right?” So, if you were to sign him, let’s say, 7.5 million on a long-term deal, you’d be giving up next year your first, second, and third round picks. What to give up for a guy? And again, you can make the case like, hey, if you think the Bruins are going to be back in the playoffs next year, then you give up your first, second, and third. If it adds a guy that immediately becomes an impact player right now and builds with this group moving forward. If that’s your when you want to say, then go for it. I think if you really want like Matthew Ny, you’re have to give him like over 9 million to because other than that, I think you’re just making the job easier for Toronto to set the price for him. It’s the same thing with seven and a half. We’ll match that, you know, pretty easy. Yeah. Oh, okay. Yeah. No, sure. By buyer, like that’s fine. Like, we thought you were going to be going for nine and a half. We can’t do that with Tavaris, you know, being a free agent and all these other things. But if you want to like actually put, you know, uh, Toronto in a tough spot and offer like over 9 million, uh, from if you offer a RFA between 9.3 million to 11.7 million, you have to give up two firsts, one second, and 1/3 to do it. And I think you’re gonna have to offer over nine just to make it so that Toronto can’t can’t match that, right? Like you look at Edmonton with all the money they committed, especially with like Dry Sidle’s contract coming up. They couldn’t they literally just did not have any money to retain Broberg and Holloway. Like there’s only so much you can do. If you’re the Bruins and you offer 7 and a half like and you set the parameters, not even the perimeters, you set the terms as to what the contract is, then they will they will sign him, keep their 23-year-old potential 30 goal scorer and then work around it. If it’s nine and a half, then they can’t like then it gets really tough, right? It’s like, all right, do we really want to lose our guy? But that means we’re really dismantling other parts of the lineup. We’re really moving on from not just MNER but a few other guys just to make the money work and we’re bringing a couple of league minimum guys. Do we want to risk that for a guy in NY who again is really good but you know is he also a byproduct of who he’s there’s a whole bunch of things that go into it right and I think the only reason the only way you cause those kinds of discussions and put the pressure on Toronto is you got to offer way and above what even his higher tier value would be on the market and it’s like if you are going to offer 9 million plus for the guy is a guy like N a winger uh worth two first and a second and a third, you know, that’s where you kind of run into that issue. And it’s almost like unless it is uh, you know, a young centerman who’s like ready to take a huge step forward and like is going to be a lock to be a legit like top 10 center in the league in a couple of years. I’m not sure if it’s worth giving up that much draft uh that much draft capital on top on top of a really sizable contract for a player like that. And so that’s why I wonder if instead of going after nice, do you go with more reasonable terms, right? Where it’s instead of that you’re signing like Will on the Rangers to, you know, something something where it’s, you know, 4 million and you give up just a second round pick and you put the Rangers in a tough spot and they can’t match or a guy like Veronov who again is not going to be being paid 9 million, right? So, I wonder if you have to be more selective. You know, target guys who are already legit NHL players have room to grow, but you’re also not signing a guy above what his probably projected market value is and giving up a boatload of draft picks on top of it. I I think the NY thing very much comes down to, you know, is is Matthew Ny worth a first round pick? Yes. Right. If you were going to make a first, you’re hoping that you can get Matthew N. You start to get into like, you know, the third round pick. Fine, whatever. Okay, I’ll give up a third for Matthew guys. You get into like the second round, the other second round pick, and you get into the other first and you’re like, ah, that’s stretching it. Like those are I’m not saying that they’re going to nail all those picks, but chances are they’re going to get some a guy or two out of those picks. Now, ideally, you hope Matthew N is, you know, you’re you’re hoping you’re picking a Matthew Kn impact player with your first round pick and your second round pick, your third pick, whatever. And you’re hoping to get uh knives for that. I just I I it’s funny. So I was after we did Bruins beat uh me and Court Leand uh or earlier today actually earlier Thursday we were talking about this and he was making a case for NY getting offer sheeted and up until then I’d been like absolutely not and then he was it was kind of a compelling case and I was like that’s interesting like you know you it’s a little bit cheaper maybe frees up some money to sign someone else but the more I think about it like I just I want to make those picks. I want to make those picks. Like if I can if I can find a way to sign Mitch Mner, which is going to be hard because teams like Utah are going to fight for him. Chicago will probably be in on it. You know, there will be other teams um who want him. But if I could do that and then make my picks, a team that needs to make picks so bad, if there’s any team in the NHL that needs to make their picks, it’s them. Now N is 23. It’s not like you’re doing this for a 30-some year old. I just you’re right in that it gets into that range of two firsts, a second, and a third. And that’s a lot for a team who ranks in near the bottom or at the bottom in terms of prospect rankings. And I know you go, “Oh, it’s nice is better than having prospects.” I I don’t know if that’s fully the case. Like, you do need you do need to make your picks. You do. I also I also just think with that contract again if it’s you’re giving him 9 and a half million giving him the same contract as Charlie Makavoy he’s a 30- winger and that he’s a he’s a really good player is he like a franchise guy hell like Morgan Geeki is a 30- goal winger playing with elite talent like I don’t know like would you give Morgan Geeki who’s 26 he’s only three years older than Again I know everyone thinks Morgan Geek is like 35 he’s three years older than Matthew I would you give Morgan Geeki $8.5 million deal and give up a first, second, and third if he was an RFA. No. Nope. Nope. And it’s funny cuz again, I like I like Matthew Knives. I’m not on him. I think he’s a great player. And if the Bruins got him, he’d probably be a 30 goal guy for the next five, six, seven years. He’s really good. I just wouldn’t give him that contract on top of what the draft capital is uh on top of whatever you’re paying him. I just in terms of what the overall value is, I think I’d rather you go after Galakuli and then still have the money freed up to add other players as opposed to putting all your eggs in one basket with a winger and n again first full season was last year 80 games, 15 goals, 35 points. This year 78 games uh 29 goals, 58 points. Um that’s good. That’s good stuff. like a crazy career. But but nine and a half million is a tough sell. That’s a tough sell. And I think you need to make your picks. You need to make your picks, too. That’s the other part of this. Like you put yourself in this position. You got to make your picks. You’ve acquired picks. Like and and as I said, I’ll say it till blue in the face. Yes. You’re hoping you’re getting a Matthew N with a first, but you add in another first and a second and a third. Gets to be a lot. Gets to be a lot. I feel like I feel like if you’re like the Bruins, like you don’t want to be like Sebastian Aaho where like Montreal was trying to get back at uh at them for offer sheeting um Kakini. So remember like the next year when when Aaho is an RFA, Montreal gave him a contract that he accepted and then Carolina’s like sure you thanks for making our contract for us like yeah we will sign Aaho thank you like you don’t want to do that. So if the Bruins go to like Toronto and they’re like hey we got we got 7.7 million from Matthew N with a smiley face. Yeah, the smiley face. Like they’re going to be like okay thank you. Sure. No problem. If it’s 9 million, then it’s like Okay. Like, uh, we’ll call you right back. And then they like throw their clipboard against the wall. Like, that’s where it gets that’s where it gets tougher. I think if you are trying to really put Charon a tough spot, you have to hit that 9 million payout to really get them to sweat. Um, and I just don’t know if the Bruins going to be the team to do that. I don’t think they are either because again, like, so if they were at like 9.2, 2, you only do have to do a first, second, and third because it comes down to the 9.3, but then it hits it what you said. Are you really comfortable giving him a $9.2 million contract? That’s a lot of money. That’s a lot of money. And yes, the cap’s going up. Cap’s going up without a doubt. Um, and all likelihood, Matthew Ny is going to be a really good player in this league. Like, not saying he’s not. That’s just a lot of money to give to someone at that age with that kind of experience um and that kind of production, which has been good. but he has also only really played with elite players. So, I think that’s a really important part of it. Um, that’s I I go back to like I want to make my picks and I want my superstar player. Mitch Mner and and draft picks. That’s what I want. That’s what I want. Um, I keep going back to hell. Hell, I would do I would do Mner and Will Coulie and giving up a second one of your two seconds like one of the seconds for it. I I love Will Coulie. I think Will Coulie’s at his worst is a impactful kick-ass third line player who even could be more of like a like legit middle six like could move up more like he has more to give at 23 years old. I that guy is someone that I think if you’re looking for a team that also has no money in the Rangers that should be a guy you look at because I think he’s a guy that immediately makes your lineup better further down in the third line. Someone else Ty mentioned Mason McTavish because the Ducks are in a weird spot where they have a ton of room but they got to sign a lot of guys in the next couple years because this is what happens when you rebuild and you have all these prospects come up at once. You got to pay them all. I mean look at the Sharks right like the G they get let’s say they get Misa which is what they assume they’re going to get. They’re going to have to pay Celibbrini Smith and Misa likely all within the same like two or threeyear window which that’s gonna be a lot of freaking money. I wonder about McTavish. That’s a center. Um has been a pretty good producer the last two years at least. Set career highs this past year. Um that’s going to be a little bit more than a Will Um but I do wonder if he’s someone because he do need help down the middle. I I you have Zaka, you have Middlestat, you have Lindolman. You have to wonder is McTavish an upgrade over those guys. But he is much younger. So like there is that part of it too. Yeah, he’s a solid player and a guy that again has taken steps forward. Um 22 22. Uh I think a pretty big body too. Like 61 6’2. I want to say 61 219. Yeah. Like so again I I wonder if he’s more of like a a 2C at the next level, you know, as he kind of continues to round out his game. But you could use that if all of a sudden in five years from now you still have Posternak who’s 32 and your two guys down the middle are Jake O’Brien and uh Mason McTavish. It’s a pretty good investment, right? So yeah, I think that’s even a guy that I’d be more comfortable with also giving up like draft capital for if it means he’s your second line center for the foreseeable future as opposed to someone like N. Like do I think Matthew N is a better player right now? Yeah. But I think in terms of positional need, you could see why a guy like I think McTavish would be really valued there. So I’m not saying the Bruins shouldn’t dive into the offer sheet market. I think as you saw last year with the Blues, when you can take advantage of it, you can add a really good player for what could be a good value or, you know, a really good investment in in a player. Um, but it’s about picking the right guys. And I wonder if it’s kind of the same way as like Broberg and Holloway were maybe underrated, slept on guys who are due for bigger roles. I wonder if that’s the guys you target as opposed to the guy who’s already breaking out that stock his stock could get even higher, but you’re going to be paying the price both in draft picks and money just to pluck that guy from a team that ideally wants to keep him. I think that’s the big thing is just getting in on it. It’s it’s the same thing with like the Sam Bennett thing where it’s like you don’t want to sign Sam Bennett. You want to find the next Sam Bennett. Like yes, you want to find those next guy that you look at whether it’s the underlying numbers, the early production, anything like that. You want to find that next guy that can take a step forward? Which is why like Yeah. Like Matthew N is already almost a 30 goal scorer. Could Will Coulie be a 25 goal scorer next year while also logging 300 hits like he did this past year? Like I wonder if that’s a guy you take the the chance on more where especially you don’t have to give up as much draft picks in order to bring him aboard. That’s the biggest thing. I I don’t want to give up a ton of draft picks. I’m not looking to give up a ton of draft picks. I think that’s why or that is why I’m hesitant on the Matthew Knights thing. Um Connor, what can the people look forward to from you over the globe andboston.com? Yeah, you can read all my stuff over at the globe andboston.com. Believe you covered every step of the way this Bruins offseason, whether it’s office sheets, head coaching search, trades, free agency, all that stuff. So read all my stuff over at the globe.com. If you want to follow me on Twitter, X, whatever you want to call it, you can at Connor Ryan_93. Go do all that. That’s Connor Ryan. I’m Evan Marinowski. Both bear listeners. some great rest your [Music]

On this episode of Poke The Bear, Conor Ryan and Evan Marinofsky discuss Jay Woodcroft as a head-coaching target, the state of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and whether or not Boston should offer sheet Matthew Knies. All that, and much more!

———————————————————————————————————————————
Welcome to the #CLNS Media Network’s YouTube channel for Boston #Bruins hockey. CLNS Media is the leading online provider of audio/video coverage for the Boston sports. Get complete inside access to the Bruins at TD Garden, the game day skates at Warrior, and everywhere on the road. CLNS #NHLBruins’ credentialed insiders Mike “Trags” Petraglia, Evan Marinofski, Conor Ryan, and Joe “Haggs” Haggerty. Providing instantaneous news and analysis all in real time, as well as full access to complete videos from the players, coaches, ownership and everyone else on Causeway Street.

For the CLNS award winning Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, College hoops, NBA History, go here to featured channels- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiP7KyKodc3OHuN_XhEyPPw?sub_confirmation=1