EXPECTATIONS for Next Season’s Bruins | Pucks with Haggs

EXPECTATIONS for Next Season’s Bruins | Pucks with Haggs

Welcome to the Pucks with Hags podcast, a proud member of the CLNS media network. Make sure to hit subscribe on the to the Bruins Ringside YouTube channel and turn on notifications for when a new video drops on the channel. This show is also brought to you by Prize Picks, the largest daily fantasy sports platform in North America. Download the Prize Pix app today and use the code CLNS and get $50 instantly when you play five bucks. That’s code CLNS on prize picks to get $50 instantly when you play $5. You don’t even need to win to receive the $50 bonus. It’s guaranteed. Prize picks run your game. All right. Uh, welcome in to the Pucks with Hags podcast. As always, thank you very much for listening. Uh, this is 210th episode of the Pucks with Hags podcast. We always thank you for your questions, your interest, uh, listening, interacting, uh, everything up and down the board. So, keep it going. Uh, keep giving us uh, ratings and comments on the podcast. We appreciate that, too. Uh, I’m your host, Joe Hagger. You can find my work at joehagerty.substack.com. Subscribe and get yourself a premium membership. You got all my Bruins and NHL writing sent straight directly to your inbox. I also write columns three times a week for the Boston Sports Journal. So, check out bostonportsjournal.com. Get yourself a subscription there as well. Today with me, longtime friend and colleague, James Murphy. Jimmy Murphy, tell everybody where they can find your work, my friend, because I know you’re doing the writing and the podcast. I am so still doing the podcast with Pier Magcguire, uh, called the Eye Test, and we’re on YouTube live 4 to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except right now during the summer, we are just on every Wednesday, once a week, same time slot. And then also check me over at RG Media, uh, where you can find me writing. Usually, like Joe, about three times a week. So, uh, go check that out as well. Yeah, make sure to check out RG Media. Good stuff over there. And uh Murf, I can understand the one time a week for the podcast because we are in the July 15th to August 15th uh dead zone where everybody has uh escaped to their cottages somewhere in Canada and are nowhere to be found as far as anything getting done in the hockey world. Basically, nothing happens uh between Jan July 15th and August 15th when captain’s practices start like kicking up and maybe like some guys that are out there that haven’t been signed start uh signing. But uh what are you doing with your free time right now? Uh anything good? Still writing, looking for stories, but you’re right, it’s tough to, you know, talk to people because everybody’s sort of shut it down for a bit here. But, you know, I I have a couple stories coming up soon. But I mean, other than that, just uh trying to catch up on rest and uh hanging with my daughter and and enjoying the weather if it you know, it’s supposed to get pretty hot this weekend, but we’ve had some good weather this week though, man. I’m not complaining. Good. Excellent. Tell Matty I said hello. Uh always just turned 14, man. It’s crazy, dude. We’re getting old there. There is no denying it. Yeah, you gotta get your uh your your Finn needs to uh get over and meet her and uh become her bodyguard, I think. Yeah, he is getting to that age. Tell him I pay well. Rough around the edges hockey players can make good bodyguards. There’s no question about it. Um all right. Uh so let’s dig into it. Um really pretty wide open, Murf. uh as far as topics, as far as what we can talk about, um you know, we we talked a little bit about the schedule uh the last episode and we answered a few questions, but I’m just curious where big picture with the Bruins, what’s your biggest sort of instinct feeling as to how next season is going to play out? Um and what you what you think a fair expectation is for this team. Um, and almost even if you feel like uh do you feel like a lot of the criticism that’s been uh thrown at this roster and and thrown at the moves, the free agency moves is warranted? Um, do you think people are just sort of like, you know, hammering this team based on last year’s result and sort of, you know, piling on right now and that maybe it’s been a little over the top and people are almost underrating um what this team is capable of uh going into next season uh based on on some of the things that they did. I’m just curious where you’re at just vibe-wise with this team and what you think you’re going to see next year. So, I I can I can understand what you’re saying in terms of underrated. I I do think that this team will be if they can stay healthy, and that’s that’s the big if, will be uh, you know, I I look at them sort of where I looked at them before last season. I think they’re going to be in the mix. I don’t think they’re a strong contender for the cup, but I don’t think the playoffs is out of the question. Um, but I think the what what’s getting them all this hate right now and and all the criticism is they just don’t know when to not overpromise. And I I I think that’s the problem. If you go back to their end of the season press conference, Joe, and you were there and you know Cam Neely adamantly saying we’re not just trying to make the playoffs and I’m paraphrasing here. We’re trying to make a run in the play. We’re trying to go deep into the playoffs and and play well into the spring. It’s like there’s no need to say that. Don’t like if you want to tell your players that and you want to speak within the confines of the dressing room that way and and you know the the practice facility then that’s fine and I I get that because you don’t ever want to say to your your team like we don’t believe you can go further than the first round. That’s fine. But you know the realistic point of view is that’s where they are right now. They’re kind of in the middle. And so when you go out of your way to promise that to the fans after the season you just had and then you make signings that go more with a mid team so to speak, that’s where I think they went wrong. I I think it’s like they set themself up back in June or No, it was April because the season ended so early. Yeah. Uh back in April. I I I think that’s why now when they go out and they sign a lot of bottom six forwards and role players. Um, and you know, I I think we can all agree, and I’m not I’m not saying he this is no reflection on the player. I think he’s going to be a valuable player to the Bruins, but we can all say that when when push comes to shove, maybe they had to overpay for Jano. Yeah. And I heard that’s because there were a lot of teams in on him and so they want hit him. But, you know, I I just think like that you combine what they they promised and then sort of overplaying a role player. I I get where the fans are coming from. I also though could see the Bruins saying like, “Hey, look, we filled a lot of holes. We added a lot of depth. We added an element that we tried to add last year, but didn’t really come to fruition because the size and the grit that we added didn’t have a lot of speed to go with it.” Y So, that’s where I think that’s where I’m at with this team. I I think they’re still mid. I I don’t feel like they went way up or way down, but it does help that they could have a healthy Jeremy Swayman, a healthy Charlie Makavoy, and a healthy campus land. Yeah. I I Yes. I I think I think what you’re saying and I understand this is that it’s better to underpromise and overd deliver. Um especially where they are right now and I agree with that. Like I I but I also think they feel like they have to say, you know, we’re we want to win a cup no matter where they are, no matter what they do. And that’s like the ro answer. like that’s the default where if you don’t say that like you’re you know you’re not you’re not trying hard. Is that them thinking that? I think that I don’t think the fans think that way. I think the fans are good fans and understand the game of hockey, Joe. And I think they they’d appreciate more honesty and reality from management. That’s all. Yeah. No, that’s fair. Uh that’s definitely fair. Um, but I also think like and and you know people get all over the Tanner Jano thing saying it’s an overpayment, but like how much is that really going to be when the cap is going over 100 million next year? You know what I mean? Like the cap is going way up over the next couple years. His contract’s going to be like a speck of dust and like by the time but it’s over. Yes. Yeah. The term was over, Don. And Yeah. And he is is he probably gonna be slowed down and like in uh relatively tough shape in like year four and year five of that deal probably. Um but is he still going to be able to go out there and slug it out with like another team’s tough guy and try to protect like the skill guys and you know at least take a shift on a fourth line? Uh yeah. I think he’s still going to be able to bring those elements. So and and the way I look at it is this. They had that money and that kind of a term earmarked for somebody and it should have been for Trent Frederick and it was in initially supposed to be for Trent Frederick but they didn’t want to give it to him because they didn’t feel like he plays that role enough he plays it consistently enough even wants to play that role like I he just doesn’t want to be that guy consistently you know the guy that’s policing the other team the guy that is you know fighting when he has to fight the guy that frankly will go toe-to-toe with the other team’s heavyweights and win and is like going to do it, you know, regardless of the situation. I I feel like with Frederick, he would do it sometimes, but I think it was always him sort of like doing something that he felt like wasn’t his role or shouldn’t have been his role or wasn’t something he completely wanted to do. He felt like more of a skill guy um that had a skill background or wanted to be a skill guy and had visions of him being a top six guy that doesn’t gonna have to do that anymore. and he was kind of doing that to have his roster sp You know what I mean? That’s what it felt like to me. Yeah. Whereas poor guy that Jano wasn’t drafted. Jano had to scrap his way through the minors to get to where he is. I think he played in the coast for a little bit. Like Jano really and he like it was an overage guy in junior. I think he played until he was like 20 in junior. Like he’s a guy that has had to fight tooth and nail for everything that he’s had. So he knows what his role is. He understands what he has to do and he’s going to do it. and like he is going to do it while like he’s fought the toughest guys around. Like look at his YouTube clips, you know what I mean? He is legit tough. Um and I think they needed a guy like that in addition to Zidorov that was going to put the fear in other teams, you know, is going to play that physical style, is going to set a tone. And and I thought it was really interesting too, Murf, that Sween’s talked a lot about protecting Hagens when he comes into the league and how much of a consideration that was for Jano and him being signed. And I, you know, I know that like a lot of people poo poo that and think it doesn’t exist or think that’s overrated, that sort of um quality or that dynamic in a hockey team. But I still think it exists. I still think if you have a guy like Jano, people are going to think twice about taking liberties, especially if he goes out there and he hammers the other team’s best player or he hammers the guy that went out and took a liberty with Posternneck or Hagens or whoever. Uh I just think I I I think there’s value to a guy like that where I’m okay with a little bit of an overpayment even if he never scores 20 goals again like he did his first year in Nashville. But uh you know I also think like I think this is going to be an entertaining team. I think with Ismont, I think with Jano, I think with Zidorov, I think with some of the other players that they have, uh, and some of the young players that are coming up, I actually think this is going to be kind of a fun, sneaky, fun team to watch because they’re going to play hard and be in people’s faces a lot more than they’ve been the last couple years and certainly more than they were last year. I could not watch Murf and I don’t know if anybody could, another season of them punting in games on the road and losing by like eight goals, you know what I mean? like too many times they just gave up last year in games and like just got massacred especially on the road where that’s just you can’t have that you know they and I was glad that they made a big response to clear out whatever was going on there at least try to and bring in competitiveness again. Yeah, I I mean I think all that’s valid. I think the one thing I’ll say is you bring up Pagans there and I guess we could get into that later, but I just hope he doesn’t mean this year in terms of protecting him. I think he he needs to go back to BC for one more year. But like with I I agree with you and I have no problem with them bringing in that. The the one thing like going back to what I’m saying is I I I value what he can bring. You know, that is my problem is it it just all of a sudden brings me back, Joe, to when you and I first started covering this team and there was a player by the name of Marty Le Point signed out of Detroit for much more than maybe he was really worth in terms of skill set. Yep. Um and it was, you know, we come to found out there’s a lot of stories that Jeremy Jacobs had got into a spat with the late Mike Illich and it was out of spite. He was going to pay Le Point whatever he could. It didn’t matter. he was going to outbid everyone just to get him to spite Illich and and so it was almost like Le Point came in here with that anchor on him of that contract and he became public enemy number one when really he was doing everything he was capable of doing. He he became a valuable player. Let’s let’s call Spade a spade here. He’s a huge part of Patrice Berseron. put him up, you know, he was his he was his billet family and he was great for him and he also was a big part of that 04 team that got upset by the Halves in the first round. So, he brought a lot of value. He’s he’s the type of guy you want in the playoffs and I think that’s that’s what Jano is. I’m just worried that uh you know when people don’t see him putting up 25 a year or 20 a year even they’re going to start to just poo poo on him and start see this is why you shouldn’t. And I hope that doesn’t happen because I do think I’m like you. I do think he has a a really important role on this team. Yeah. I think there’s a large faction of the fan base though, traditional Bruins fan base that appreciates a guy like him and will like him and he will be liked because of the role he’s as long as he plays hard and he’s physical and throws the body around, which he’s always done. Yeah, of course. I mean that that’s that’s of course that’s a huge consideration and and the fact that he’s in his late 20s. It becomes more of a consideration given the physical style that he plays. There’s no no doubt about that. Um but I think you also had to bring in a guy like him too and Isamont because there’s a lot of questions about Castellic, right? and how healthy he’s going to be able to stay playing the way he was playing and trying to play that way after having concussion issues last year and you know whether that is going to change the way he goes about what he does. I know he said it’s not going to but you you wonder if you can continue to play that style if like those kind of issues start coming into play and and and just not wanting Zidorov in the box all the time because he’s the one that’s out here there trying to police that. I wanted to say that before too. I mean, he he’s got to get more discipline and he’s, you know, I think if he goes out there with the mindset of being what they want him to be as opposed to trying to be, you know, Bobby or on some plays like you’re not that Z. Like, just do your job. Get out there. You have value to this team. You don’t need to make some fancy play through the neutral zone that always goes back the other way and ends up in the net. It just that’s what drove me nuts, too. Not just his dumb penalties, the turnovers and and just the blind passes and and this this idea that he is, you know, like like I said, an next an unbelievable offensive defense. I mean, he has skill, don’t get me wrong. Great job. He definitely does, but stop trying to be so fancy out there. Just keep it simple and, you know, save the offense when you’re out there on the on the second power play unit and and go from there. Yeah. the amount of time like the one thing I will say I like Zidorov uh as a player I think he and I think in the playoffs like you mentioned uh Jano like a guy like Zidorov I think becomes an even bigger factor in the playoffs too and and you’re going to see even more of an impact you would have in playoff series uh when they get there and and I think that’s got to be factored in but like the one thing about Zidorov is I was surprised at the level of skill in and his skating I thought both were very good when he came here but I was also surprised surprised by how far away from the net he is a lot of the times in the D zone. The puck sense is shaky. That’s the only you know like and I I don’t know they got to work with him I guess in practice and just be like hey man this isn’t where you should pinch. Well it’s just Yeah. And it’s just like you know I envisioned him as a Zado Charara type like he was going to play the exact same way and he definitely does not. He plays different than Charara did and he almost plays how lucky we were. Well it almost he almost plays like Charara did that. Remember that first year when he signed from Ottawa and he was trying to do way too much. under Dave Lewis. Yeah. And but he was trying to do way too much to justify the contract because they weren’t a very good team. Like all that stuff. Exactly. And and it didn’t work out well for him. Like he was much better when he kept it simple and played to his strengths. And occasionally like showed the skill and everything else that he can do. Yeah. Um but not didn’t try to do it too much. But it’ll be interesting to see what level um Zidorov gets to as far as like uh what we saw last year. If there’s uh you know another level he can get to or a simplification of the game that would help him out more like coaches coming in if that’s going to change the way he plays at all. All that stuff’s going to be really interesting. Um your confidence level in Jeremy Swayman going into next year. Um, just knowing him as a person, knowing him as a competitor, but knowing that, you know, last year was a was a tough look like there, you know, the the training camp hold out affected him tremendously. There’s no question about it. I also think, you know, he’s a guy that I think, looking back on it now, probably needs to be pushed by somebody else uh in a goalending tandem and needs a situation where like it’s a competit it’s a good naturatured competitive pushing back and forth between him and the other goalie and that he might not be one of those guys that just you you can throw out there 60 65 times uh a year and expect like really good results. He’s still that’s something that’s still unproven that he’s going to be able to do that and and I do think you’re going to see more corposal this year. Um especially if he plays well early and maybe that lights a little bit more of a fire under Swayman. But I also think we’re going to see a much better Jeremy Swayman. Regular training camp, regular offseason, all the contract drama behind him. Motivated now to to prove that last year was an outlier aberration. um and that he’s got and that he can get back to the level that he was at a couple years ago like and they’re going to frankly need him. Murf, this this Bruins team is going to be built around defense and goalending and uh hopefully uh uh for their sake a power play that can, you know, do some damage and, you know, they’ll be decent five on five, but they’re not going to be outscoring teams. They’re going to be winning based on uh Jeremy Swayman being brilliant and the defense being really good in front of them. Yeah. Look, I think I don’t know. I mean, you you’ve been around him more than me last year, but I think when it comes down to it, if you if you sat had a private beer with Jeremy Sway and and said, “Were you humbled last year?” I I think he’d admit it. I really do. I mean, he seems like a smart guy. He seems like he’s he’s a type of guy that’s willing to learn from his mistakes. And I think he he has to know that, you know, like you said it right off the bat, that hold out, that was it. you knew right away it was all downhill from there and and it it went as predicted. And why do you think Murf why do you think Marian was so pissed about that last year and vocal about it uh early on because he knew that was going to submarine the whole season and a lot of veteran people knew that that was coming that he was too young as a goalie to know what he needed to get ready for the season and he was not going to be able to like perform after holding out for all of training camp. Too young, too relatively inexperienced. didn’t wasn’t going to be able to get himself ready by skating at BEu with like random college players or whatever he was doing instead of like trying to get ready for the season. And and you know, it was it was clear to most people I think um that know that have been around the block a bunch of times that like that hold out was going to like be a real problem for the whole year. True. And I and I agree with everything and I think he’s part to blame. But I think that that the biggest blame needs to go to Don Sweeney and his agent Lewis Gross who if we look back in history had a pretty long contract dispute that ended up in the Bruins losing Tory Krug. And you know that like this guy has a track record of taking it to the limit. He did. He has the longest hold out in the history of the NHL since the salary cap came in with William Knander back in I believe it was uh 2018. This is his this is his mo and you know hindsight’s 2020 but Don Sweeney should have known this because he’s already experienced it. And I feel like because of that and I’m going to bring in another factor here. He should have never traded Hampus Lynholm before this thing was done. And I I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but when you’re deal you’re dealing with that agent, that specific guy, you got to know he’s going to hang that over you. And you got to know that they’re going to use that as leverage. And and they did. And and it hurt everybody. Swayman got hurt out of it and the team got hurt. But it’s in the past. And I think knowing Swayman, he’ll only use this as motivation. I’m just as long as he’s healthy and like you said, they monitor his games more and they bring that down a bit, I think he’s going to bounce back and have a real good year. Yeah. it it one thing that’s been amazing to me Murf uh actually let’s you know what let’s get into uh talking about the sponsors real quick and then we will get into that portion of it. Um first of all let’s talk about prize pics. Prize pics is the largest daily fantasy sports platform in North America. The easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports. 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And for those of you listening to this episode of the Pucks with Hacks podcast, we ask you to subscribe to the podcast, like and leave a review. And for those watching the show on CLNS and enjoying all this hockey talk, go ahead and hit that like button and subscribe to the Bruins Rinkside YouTube channel where you can find our show and a lot of other great Bruins content with fellow Bruins talkers like Connor Ryan and Evan Marinowski. Also, please make sure to turn on your notifications so you know the instant the very instant a new Pucks with Hags podcast video drops on the interwebs. All right, let’s get back into it. Murf. Um the the one interesting thing about the goalie thing and I wrote about this last week is like you know there was a lot of uh ground swell I would say in the last 7 to 14 days about the Bruins chasing after some of these unsigned restricted free agents trying to clear cap space like you know a lastditch effort to bring in some young top six talent to a team that’s maybe shy at least one top six forward right now and you would have to trade players in order to make cap space uh have that happen. They have like $2 million in cap space right now. So, there was a lot of talk about like and I got this from a lot of questions in my Q&As’s at Boston Sports Journal about salary cap dumping Junis Corposalo or Casey Middlestat, like on a on a scale of 1 to 10, one being like completely batshit crazy and 10 being very realistic, something that could happen, like where would you rate either scenario? because I I I don’t see how either one of those would be remotely possible uh in in terms of people wanting to take on those players in terms of like not having to send like a first round pick along with that player for the other team to take the contract. Uh and in terms of like these other these RFAS that are out there like wanting to sign an offer sheet with the Bruins right now. I just don’t see the the realistic scenario where you would be able to trade uh you if you wanted to trade a player to get cap space. You’d have to trade like an Andrew Peak or somebody that actually like would be Zaka maybe. Yeah. Or be a useful player on this team. You know, you’re not going to be able to get anybody to trade Junis Corposalo after he had an 893 save percentage last year as as uh Swayman’s backup coming off a season where he had an 890 save percentage in Ottawa. And everybody was saying he was the worst statistical goalie in the NHL uh in 55 games for the Senators. And Middle was like really not good after he came here at the deadline. Has been traded twice now. This is his third team in I think two years. Like nobody’s taking either one of those players right now. The Bruins have to see it through this year, see how they play, and they would have to perform well, I think, in order to get to a place where they could be traded. Yeah, look, I I wrote about this a couple times with Copracell Joe, and I mean, I I’ve been told that he was definitely discussed, but more heading into the trade deadline and then again heading into the draft. He was discussed, but more so discussed as the Bruins shopping him and not other teams inquiring. Right. Of course, the Bruins would like to get rid of that salary right now and and free up that cap space there. And that’s why they signed DPRO, just in case they can. That’s why they didn’t let him go to market. And they know what they have. And that kid could, by the way, like I know, you know, Don Sween I I’ve done the fair share whipping. I know he’s like the the guy to crap all over right now, but when all is said and done, that might be one of the sneakiest trades we ever see. Yeah. And he traded him for uh for Stenica. And I think this kid’s going to be a good goalie. Whether it’s here or not, we’ll see. Um, but you know, going back to Corposal, you’re right. You nailed it. You’re going to have to give up a draft pick just to get somebody to take that on. Even with the retained salary that Ottawa did when they originally got him, you still need to sweeten it up a bit there uh to make it happen. And, you know, kind of good segue to that that you brought up Middlestaff because I think that was the same exact thing that happened there with Colorado and the Bruins. I think they wanted Zeers. And the thing was, okay, well then you’re taking this guy on to sweeten the pot. I’m sorry, you’re just going to have to right now. And and that’s why I think Middlestad as a Boston Bruin. I don’t think it was necessarily that the Bruins like, “Oh my god, we have to have him.” Do they think that maybe they can work with him and finally get this kid to reach his potential? Sure. And that chance is still there. But y I’m with you. He’s not tradable right now. And neither is Corposal. So, you know, for fans out there who keep throwing their names out there and act like it’s just going to be some simple phone call that Don Sweeney can make, that’s not how the real world works. That’s not how it works right now. Even with a rising cap, you’re going to have to give to get. And I suggested Zacher a few minutes ago there. He might not even be enough to get the type of top six RFA talent that they’re looking for. I think it’s going to cost a lot more than that. Yeah, most definitely. Um, realistically, I I think they’re kind of locked in with what they have right now. You know, I I think Don training camp, Joe, like just not just them, but the league as a whole. Yeah. You look back to last year, I think it was August 20th when uh St. Louis did the offer sheet thing with with the Oilers there. Yeah. And struck gold there. And then we saw a few deals after that. I feel like the market will open up in late August into September. But the Bruins specifically, you know, maybe you’re right, maybe it doesn’t matter. They’re just already set and they’ll see where they are maybe at Thanksgiving or right into the winter, you know. Yeah. I I think that makes sense at this point given their cap situation and given what they would have to do to get cap flexibility. Like is there another player they could bring in on a try out or a player they could sign for like a shortterm deal to bring in? Yeah, of course. If there’s somebody out unsigned out there that they found uh interesting or intriguing, they could definitely do that. I just don’t see anything significant happening um between now and the start of training camp and the start of the season to at least see what they have and see what they can get out of some of these players. And that’s Don Sweeny’s MO kind of is he want you know for the most part wants to get the job uh the work out of the way um July 1 and then they will go into camp see what they have and they’ll go to the start of the season to see what they have and then if they have needs they will address them you know whether it’s Thanksgiving whether it’s a trade deadline whatever um it will be done like when it needs to be done but I think there’s also Murf this year sort of that interesting thing with with Hagens too and we can talk about him now where I I obviously don’t think he’s going to be there at the start of the year. He’s going back to BC and they want him to dominate and he should dominate and that’s like what the the first order of business for him is to go to Boston College and be the guy on that team and be the the player that everything is filtering through and he’s scoring more and you know he’s he’s the best player on the ice most nights. But then I’m interested to see if that happens and if he’s as good as everybody expects him to be. You know, does he become an option late in the year because he certainly if he dominates at BC, he would be gone after this year. He, you know, everything that he said was wanting to be in the NHL as soon as possible. And I’m sure, you know, if he had his wish, he’d be in the with the Bruins to start the year. And I think that the smart play is him not to do that and go back to college for a year. But I wonder if he becomes something they can look at as an option once the college hockey season is over and if that plays into the mix as well. For sure. And you know, not not to be Sally Down for Boston College fans out there, they’re not as good as they were last year. But then again, that’s why I think Hagens, they’re going to depend on Hagens a lot and he’ll have a way more playing time and a lot you’ll be the guy like you said. But I I think that’s definitely a possibility because I don’t see, you know, BC making a deep run into the uh the national tournament there. So, you know, who knows? Maybe he comes up in late March or right around April Fool’s Day there and he’s he comes into that lineup and starts to get a little taste in the NHL and then that sets him up for the next year. I I think that’s the plan. I’m with you on that, Joe. Um, the one thing I look at though, right, even with him included, is how confident are you with the Bruins up the middle going forward? Because I’m not. I I still think they need a big whether he’s a 1C or a 1B type guy. And I know those guys don’t grow in trees, but I think that needs to be the goal because I I right now I feel like they’re pretty small up the middle. Yeah, they’re small and and not I would I would say not dynamic offensively either, you know, like there’s a lot going on there where they’re going to still like I think the center situation might be a little better than it was last year. Um maybe not though. Um losing Coyle is is significant. Um for all the things that he did underated did for this team and all the sort of dirty work that he did and the role that he played and never complained about it. Um, I I do think like that’s a consideration. Um, I’m interested on a couple things, but first, like what do you Who’s your second You want me to go inside, bud? Is that No, go ahead. That’s fine. Too loud. No, it’s good. Who’s your second line? Who’s Ah, that’s a great question. I mean, you know, we mentioned Zaka there, right? Like, where are you putting Zaka? Is he a wing or is he a center? I feel like every time they try to make him a center, it hasn’t really worked as well as they would like or maybe the Devils liked and that’s why they traded him. So, I kind of got him on the wing there. But, I mean, I’m looking at this. I’m just going to pull up the depth chart right now. I’m looking I mean, I’ll tell you what I what I have right now is I have Arvdson as the left wing. I have Zaka probably in the middle and then I have like take your pick on on the right wing. I’m I’m interested in this Blue Mel kid um that they signed from the Stars organization, the Czech kid that ripped up the HL the last two years and and where he factors in and whether he could be an option there are something they’re going to give a long look to. But I feel like they’re putting a lot of chips into Arvidson regaining, you know, what he was two or three years ago when he was 20 goals, 50 points, and you know, will be a netfront guy in the power play. And like Zaka will either be a wing or a center on that line. Maybe they put Middlestat in the middle and they try to move Zach over to the other wing. I don’t know. But I think there’s some interesting combos there. I’m exactly with you on that, Joe. I I think you look at that right now, they might not have any choice but to put Zaka in the middle there just because of his size and can Middlestat handle that. I think that’s one of the biggest things about Middlestad. I think he’s this kid’s got a ton of skill, but I’m not sure he can handle the daily rigors of a top six role up the middle. And so I’m with you. I that’s exactly how I would see that lineup. I do think uh if Lynholm, Elias Lynholm, that is if he can stay healthy, I feel like he’s going to have a big year. I think he can have a m well I shouldn’t say big but a much better year than he had before. Yeah, no doubt about it. Um all right then one more thing before uh we let you go Murf. Um do you buy into the Bruins like obviously this re retooling is going to be a couple years in um you know in the doing at least two three years kind of in the mold of the Capitals sort of reshaping themselves in two or three years uh to where they were last year. free agents next year. And obviously they’re not all going to get to free agency, but Conor McDavid, Jack Eel, Capri off, I think Kale Mar’s in there, Kyle Connor, like there is and there’s more way more names. That goes way deeper than that. Yeah. Yeah. There’s there’s a there’s like 10 15 legit like stud players and there’s a bunch of centers that could be free agents. A lot of people around here will talk about Jack Eel and maybe this is the time that he comes back to the Boston Bruins. Maybe that’s part of the long range plan with the Bruins is to land that guy and him be the center that kind of answers some of the questions that you’re talking about and slots everybody else into where they need to go. And maybe that’s one of the big pieces of this puzzle, this retooling is get is landing one of those big fish players. How much do you buy into that being part of the grand sort of plan here of trying to lure one of those guys to Boston? I mean, I know Elliott Freeman already reported that that’s what he believes they’re doing, and I get it and it makes sense, but you can’t have even half of your plan, you know, depend on whether you can get a guy like Jack Eel. Like, here’s the thing. I, me personally, I think Jack Eel signed by September to an extension because I don’t see the Vegas Golden Knights going out and signing R um Mitch Marner to to let go of Jack Eel. I I just that’s their that’s their combo right there for the foreseeable future. So I think he gets locked up. So I think he’s off the market. Obviously McDavid is obviously Mar won’t won’t reach market and I think you said Kyle Connor too. I don’t see him either. But there’s still a lot of things there. But my plan also would be, you know, if things go in the tank early and you know that you’re you’re a borderline playoff team, but more a non-playoff team than borderline, you start making deals and you start stocking up more first rounders if you can get them, even second rounders, because next year’s draft, according to a lot of scouts, is one of the deepest since 2015. That’s what I’ve been told. I don’t know the amateurs as well, so I’m just telling you what I’m told. But a lot of people are high in this draft. And that’s why I found the whole thing of why aren’t the Bruins the Bruins are stupid that they’re not offer sheeting Mason McTavish. First of all, the Ducks are going to match anything that anybody throws at him right now. They’ve got tons of cap space. They want to keep the guy. The thing is is they want a bridge and McTavish wants long term. I think they meet halfway at three to four years or something. It will happen. He’s not he’s not gonna get off her sheet. He might, but I I don’t see it happen. And the Bruins aren’t going to get him. So, let’s just throw that out the door. But that’s a good thing because really if you wanted him, you were going to have to give up a first, second, and third in next year’s draft in the current compensation for an offer sheet if you want to sign a guy for like 7.2 to 7.4 million a year. So I I didn’t it just didn’t make sense for what their their big picture to me. It doesn’t make sense right now. I think that, you know, there is some substance to that that maybe they’re looking at it like, hey, maybe we get into the playoffs just barely and we we go on a little run. Who knows? We got a team that’s built for the playoffs. You never know what can happen. But if not, we’re back in the mix to get a really solid pick and keep stocking up through the draft. Yeah. And then, like you said, and then the war chest opens up in terms of talent that’s available on the free agent market. And you know what, Joe? Usually when there’s that much talent available in the free agent market, the trade market’s going to open up, right? Teams are going to have to make moves to get their guy. So, I think next summer really, you know, if you’re looking at where this thing is going, that’s the big test. I I think that’s Don Sweeny’s final test. Uh I would say to keep his job to be honest. Yeah. I mean, that’s what it’s going to come down to is is a couple of more big moves. Whether it’s like landing a big fish in the draft that’s a game changer for you, another one to go along with Hagens or bringing in a free agent or a trade or something uh that’s going to solidify your team and bringing in that other superstar that you’re going to need uh to pair with David Postr to really get things going and specifically down the middle getting a center superstar player um that that’s really going to take care of the needs of this team and what what they have to have moving forward to in order to become a legit Stanley Cup contender because I agree with you, they are not a Stanley Cup contender right now and there are moves that have to be made and things that have to be happen before you could even consider them in that category and and saying that that’s your aspirations to the fans is not really realistic um this for this coming season. No question about it. All right, uh Murf, I’m going to let you go. What exactly is going on behind you right there? I don’t know. Some guys chopping a tree or something. Got lights flashing in the background, too. Oh, those are just They left their Fourth of July decorations up here. This is my new place. We got a nice uh above ground pool, but it’s it’s nice. We got I’m bar pool bar right now with the TV there. Joe, I’m liking life. Who’s better than Murf’s lifestyle in the summertime right now? He’s living high in the hog right now. All right. Thank you very much for Thanks very much for joining us. Uh thank you for everybody to listen. The Pucks with X podcast, a proud member of the CLNS Media Network. Make sure to hit subscribe to the Bruins Ringside channel and turn on notifications for when a new video drops on the channel. The show is also brought to you by Prize Pix, largest daily fantasy sports platform in North America. Download the Prize Pix app today and use the code CLNS and get $50 instantly when you play five bucks. That’s code CLNS on Prize Pick when you get to get $50 instantly when you play $5. You don’t even need to win to receive the $50 bonus. It’s guaranteed. Prize picks run your game. Murf, thanks for joining us. Everybody else out there, thank you and we’ll see you at the rink. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music]

Pucks with Haggs host Joe Haggerty and guest James Murphy talk about the Bruins’ offseason, expectations for next season, and whether the team realistically has a chance to hit it big in free agency next year. 

0:00 ⏰EPISODE TIMELINE⏰
3:09 Are next season’s Bruins being underrated already?
7:45 Did the Bruins overpay for Tanner Jeannot?
14:37 Where Nikita Zadorov can improve
17:11 Confidence level in Jeremy Swayman?
21:34 PrizePicks
22:28 Follow the podcast and subscribe to Bruins Rinkside on YouTube!
23:01 Should the Bruins salary dump Korpisalo or Mittelstadt to make room for an RFA?
27:47 Will the Bruins stick with what they have?
28:48 Will James Hagens become an option at the end of next season?
30:26 Confidence in Bruins options at center?
33:29 Do you think the Bruins will target a big free agent next offseason?
38:13 Thanks for watching!

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