Should Bruins Bring in Jack Roslovic? | Pucks with Haggs

Should Bruins Bring in Jack Roslovic? | Pucks with Haggs

Welcome to the Pucks with Hags podcast, a proud member of the CLNS media network. Make sure to hit subscribe 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 Pix, 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 Pick 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. Uh for everybody out there, welcome into the Pucks with Hags podcast. I believe this is the 217th episode of the podcast. That is a that is a big number and getting bigger every single week. Uh I’m your host Joe Hagerty. You can find my work at joehagerty.substack.com. Subscribe and get yourself a premium membership. Get all of my Bruins NHL writing sent straight directly to your inbox. I also write columns weekly for the Boston Sports Journal and I do a weekly Q&A with the subscribers there. So, make sure you subscribe uh to the Boston Sports Journal uh at bostonportsjournal.com. Some great stuff from all kinds of different writers on all the major sports in Boston there. Uh with me today, longtime friend and colleague Connor Ryan. Now, Connor, I always am never sure about this. Should I say Boston.com’s Connor Ryan? Should I say the Boston Globes Connor Ryan? Should I say like just all-around awesome dude Connor Ryan? like how should I with you? Uh, thanks Joe. I would prefer all-around awesome dude because there’s times I don’t even know what exactly the the actual outlet is. So I I would probably lean more to Boston.com and then I I chip in when needed. I’m a good bench player with the Globe, I think, is probably the best way to put it. So we’ll go with Boston.comallaround awesome dude, I think. There you go. I like that. And it’s always good to be a good utility player. Uh, you know, chip when when you’re needed. Uh, that that helps in in any situation in life. Uh so Connor Ryan, thank you very much for joining us. Uh good show today. We’re going to answer some fan questions. We’ve got a couple of topics uh to uh tackle. And first of all, I guess right off the bat, uh we talked about I talked about this a little bit with Mick earlier in the week, but just wanted to get your thoughts on uh Milan Luchich getting uh that camp invite with the St. Louis Blues. And you know, I I think the general consensus among all of us is it’s awesome to see that I think his family life and his off ice life has has uh sort of stabilized and and you know, there’s been some self-improvement with him there and things in his personal life seem way better than they were a few years ago when things ended very uh tumultuously and badly with the Bruins. And on top of that, at 37 years old, he’s getting a chance uh to get back into the NHL and at least maybe write his own ending to his NHL career rather than what was what had happened to him in Boston at the very end there. Yeah, I I think you look at obviously how everything ended uh with the Bruins and it it’s something where you looked at the way that season was going and I know he only played four games, but it sure felt like that was uh the way that was set up with Luchich where excuse me the the way the Bruins were envisioning it, right? Like this was a guy that wasn’t I think going to be just the almost kind of like what they’ve talked about with Tanner Jano is now of like ah just the that added enforcer. like this is a guy that came into camp uh in a lot of shape, you know, was really looked like he was motivated to be back in Boston, played well, had what, two assists in his four games and felt like he plays however long he wanted to play here, whether that’s for a year, two years, and then he’s kind of just around the team and and part of like the organization kind of felt like and obviously um you know, he has himself to to blame in terms of just how it ended and all that. It’s very unfortunate, but um for him to get another chance like especially with a team like the Blues which you know they’ve been known for giving second chances for you know you look at like Jim Montgomery right giving him a chance as an assistant coach and where that led to and now he’s their head coach. So, uh, not surprising to see the Blues give him that opportunity. And it’s a guy that especially even at 37, like I don’t know, people thought that maybe he was over the hill over the last couple years and he looked great in that, you know, short sample size with the Bruins two years ago. So, bit of a challenge, right, two years away from hockey to see what he has left in the tank. But there’s I think what we’ve seen from Luch over the years, I wouldn’t really doubt that he still has more to give in that role, especially if it’s just, you know, win a few puck battles, you know, do some damage on the for check for a Blues team that they are prioritizing that, especially further down in their lineup. Yeah. And stand up for your teammates and, you know, uh intimidate the other team when it need be. Like I definitely even though he’s 37, I definitely could see him given his particular niche and the role that he could play still being effective and being able to do that as long as he can keep pace with what everything else that’s going on um at the NHL uh level that it’s getting faster and faster all the time. But I think, you know, I think he could be uh potentially win a job there. Some people aren’t giving him much of a chance, but I I definitely think he could just given he brings something to the table that there is not a lot of in the NHL anymore. And a lot of teams are looking for that, that toughness, that intimidation, that size, that ability to be heavy on the for check, all that stuff. So, it’ll be really interesting to see uh how that goes there and and how things develop. But best of luck to him. Uh always a pleasure to cover when uh he was in Boston. Always enjoyed being around him. I’ve gotten to know his family a little bit. They’re all his kids are super cute. Um you know, great people. So, I’m glad that everything is going well for them, too. And I’m happy for them. And I’m happy that things are in a better place now than they were a few years ago. So, um, good luck to Luch in St. Louis. And great point about Jim Montgomery, too. Uh, really kudos to him for giving being part of a team there that’s going to give Luchich a second chance that he really, uh, deserves, you know, given what he did in the league. And, you know, everybody deserves a second chance in life. And Milan is getting it now in hockey. And that’s good to see. All right. Um, speaking of Luchich though and um him being uh a camp invite in St. Louis, there were a few of those that happened this week. Um, Brendan Smith got a camp invite. Uh, Victor Olivesson, I think, ended up signing a contract. Uh, I think it was maybe initially a camp invite, but he actually signed a deal. Um, so some of those names that were unsigned, uh, have gotten camp invites, but there’s a couple of big names that are still out there, um, that don’t have a camp invite, don’t have a contract. Matt Grizzlick is definitely one of them. Uh, and if you want to, you know, give your thoughts on that, go for it. But I also wanted to mention Jack Rosovich. Yeah. who’s still out there, hasn’t been signed, is a center, 28 years old, had 22 goals for the Hurricanes last year, has had a couple of 20 goal seasons in the NHL, is pretty much good every year for double digit goals, and has topped 40 points a few times. Probably not your ideal second line center, but a pretty good third line center um that you could look at. And I, you know, you wonder, is this somebody that, you know, eventually could get a camp invite? Would the Bruins be interested in a guy like that? And he seems like the kind of fit that you throw him into the mix and see what happens with all the other players there. But then on the other end of it, it seems like they want, you know, Elias Lindholm, Casey Middlestad, maybe Pavl Zaka, maybe one of the young guys on the third line, Fraser Minton and Matt Potra. seems like there’s a lot of different directions that they could go where maybe bringing him into the mix uh would muddy the waters a little bit. I don’t know. Um your thoughts just on the Bruins bringing a camp invite and and maybe Grizz and Rosovich in particular. Yeah, I think it’s definitely intriguing. I I think that if the Bruins were maybe in a different spot of where the state of their franchise was, well, let’s say maybe they were more well along and you’re just looking for that added missing piece or a guy that you’re missing, you know, let’s say one spot on the third line that Rosovich could could work or maybe you don’t have like a seventh D or a six defenseman, right? And you want to give a guy like Matt Grizzik a try. And listen, love the BEu guys. Love Macick. Love his family. They’re great guys. But I I feel like when you look at where the Bruins are this year where it feels like either so much is up in the year or I think maybe the expectation that’s maybe a little bit more of a bridge year or a year where you’re trying to reestablish some things kind of to see what you have with a roster that has kind of a backlog right of middle six forwards that they got a lot of options. You don’t really know one who’s going to fit where or maybe more importantly who’s going to be part of the long-term equation here. And you know looking at a guy like Rosik like could he help you? He could, right? There’s a lot I think to like about what he could bring, even if it’s an extra 15 goals and the Bruins as they’re currently constituted, could use the extra scoring punch. But I think when you just have so many guys on this roster already that you don’t really know where they fit right now, I’d rather you go through this year figuring out what you have in the younger guys like a Lysel, a Patra, a Minton, whether a guy like Blue Mel or Steves can fit into a role, whether Casey Middlead is actually a guy that could be a middle six contributor for this team. I’d rather you figure that out than further add more. It’s almost like adding more pieces to a jigsaw puzzle as opposed to just figuring out what you have and solving the puzzle in front of you right now. If the Bruins were in a different spot, I’ i’d change that approach, right? If they were maybe more along in their rebuild, reto whatever it is. But for right now, I think I want to see just what they have currently on their roster. Yeah, I think that’s fair. And that’s a good point about where they are sort of factoring into it for sure. Um, and and just adding somebody that’s not necessarily a difference maker and similar to what you already have, uh, and not, you know, a clear upgrade. And I Carale is another guy I didn’t mention as a potential like third line guy. Um, you know, that’s going to probably bounce between the third and the fourth line. And Castellic, too. like there’s a lot of guys that could potentially end up getting some reps at third line center and and adding another one to that mix maybe isn’t uh you know the best fit or the best uh use of a roster spot in training camp. Um that’s that all that stuff is going to be interesting. Yeah, the Grizz one. I’m not I I don’t for me I don’t even think it makes sense for Grizz to come here because there’s six guaranteed guys that have NHL contracts that are pretty much locked to be the top six and he’d basically be coming here to be a seventh defenseman unless there’s an injury and I’m not sure that’s what he’s looking for especially after coming off you know career high he had a pretty good year did yeah it feels like he’d rather fit with like a team there will be some team that needs an offensive minded you know secondary power play kind of guy and in a third pairing role. Like those things always open up for other teams. So I think for him it’s rather wait it out and find that spot because as you said here I mean you’re already competing with Jordan Harris right for the seventh D spot. So I get the local ties all that stuff but it does feel like he’d have a better opportunity somewhere else. I I’ve asked a few I’ve asked a few people this Connor what what do you what like going into camp and and knowing what you know now and sort of where we are. you know, captain’s practices are going to be starting soon and all that stuff, but so this is a very precursory sort of look before anything uh really gets going. What are you looking at or what do you think the best line combos would be or what would you do if you were Marco Sturm u starting camp and the things that you wanted to look at as far as like forwards together? Uh defenseman pairs, I think defenseman pairs are pretty obvious. Um yeah, Zador Ra and Yokaharu, Lind Holm and Makavoy and um and Peak and uh are probably going to be a lot more interesting. Yeah, I think obviously first line I think for right now at least you got to keep Lind Post and Geeki together. I think you saw what they did at the end of last year. if it gets Elias Lindhomem going especially and even if he’s more of maybe a passenger on that line uh you’re getting better value if he actually clicks with Posnock which was not the case. Yep. And then it’s kind of especially that middle six right it does feel like it’s all kind of up in the air in terms of what they’re prioritizing. Uh, I think in terms of the the player that I would want to keep tabs on is probably Middlestat because I just don’t really know what to expect with that type of guy. And he’s a guy that if the Bruins exceed expectations, uh, he’s going to have to play a big role in it because, you know, you didn’t see all that much last year. Now, was it because his most, you know, used linemates were Cole Keepy and Vinnie Lati? No disrespect to them, but like there’s only so much you can get out of that group. But I also don’t think he necessarily wowed me with how he played either, right? So I think kind of figuring out who he best fits with, you know, is it a shot first guy like Arvdson? Do you give him a younger player that could have an opportunity like a Blue Mel or a Steves? I think it’s more like the the player and trying to figure out where that guy best fits because I think you could roll through. It’s like a Rubik’s cube. Tons of different lineup combinations in that middle six of who fits where. But I think Middle Sad in particular is a guy that figuring out where he best fits and whether you can get more out of him than initially expected because he just feels like a guy that it’s so tough to get a read on what type of player he is. And I don’t think that’s really just conducive to Boston. That’s kind of been his MO or his career so far is you’re kind of expecting more and you don’t really know what to what you have in a player like that. Yeah, a couple teams have moved on from him. Uh that’s always a bit of a red flag. a team that’s contending like the avalanche moving on from him also a little bit of a red flag. Um, so it’s feels like there’s been a few different places where he didn’t realize his potential and you know it’s it’s going to be an uphill battle or you can’t give a player like that the benefit of the doubt that he’s going to figure it out with Boston. But clearly they’ve seen something in him and there’s no doubt he’s got real offensive skill and skating ability um that he shows in flashes playmaking for sure. Um he looks good on the power play at times. like there’s things about him you can definitely see where talent evaluators say I I you know there’s there’s more to this guy and there’s more to get out of him. Um and maybe the Bruins will be the place. Uh you know you always wonder if a guy like that things are going to always are going to finally come together for him at some point given the talent involved. But like I I I I he certainly didn’t show much with the Bruins, you know, uh after he came on board and what he did. And you’re right, he wasn’t in the best positions always uh to show what he could do or to like really flash. Uh but then again, like you know, he he really didn’t do much to deserve those opportunities with, you know, what he’d done uh consistently either. And he just sort of seemed to get caught up in the muck just like everybody else. So, you know, clean start, full training camp, building chemistry with the hish whoever he’s going to play with. They’re gonna I I think they’re definitely to your point going to put him in positions to at least see what he can do and get the best out of him. Um but it’s my my expectations for him are not super high, you know, just based on what I’ve seen in the past. But he’s definitely an X-factor kind of player that the Bruins would need a lot from offensively if they’re going to um you know, compete and and score enough goals uh this year. All right. Um let’s get to one fan question now. Um, this is from N. Rogers 68509. The way I look at things is that I don’t think the team will take as many nights off compared to last year’s squad. So, losses won’t be for lack of effort and I can live with that. Um, I think that’s a fair sentiment and I think that’s like what we’re looking at. And I think because they’re not going to take nights off, I think they’re going to win more games that got away from them last year and they’re going to surprise people in some uh respects. I think um when you’ve got guys like Isamont Jano uh that you’re adding to the mix that are going to play hard every night. Carelli is a guy like that, too. He always plays hard and gives a full effort. And the expectations along the across the board are going to be for everybody else to do that same thing. You know, I do think this team is going to be one that the fans are at least going to be able to live with. You know, I don’t think this is a team that’s really going to bother Bruins fans. I think this is a team that they’re going to come to respect the effort that they’re giving and the fight that they’re giving every night and maybe even enjoy watching it because uh they’re going to win their share of games playing that way. And that’s really the expectation um when a player puts on the Bruins uniform that they’re doing that. And I think if they do that, I think the Bruins fans will give that team the benefit of the doubt. Yeah, I I think Bruins fans obviously uh make their opinions heard quite a bit. They’re very passionate. I think we all agree with that, Hags. But especially that leather lunged guy in the balcony that yells shoot the puck at all times. Of course. Absolutely. But I also feel like Bruins fans are uh pretty smart in terms of like knowing what the long-term plan is or you know prioritizing what they want to see on the ice. And I think it’s almost kind of like you even saw like how this team is starting this rebuild, retool, whatever you want to call it. And I think you already have Bruins fans looking up James Hagen’s highlights or Will Zeers people, you know, not a lot of other fan bases are looking at USHL highlights in the middle of March like the Bruins fans were, right? So, I think there is like some of a acceptance of what this is going to be the next couple years. And I think there’s probably a little bit of a buy in in terms of what the long-term plan is if these younger guys pan out. And I think this year if Marco Sturm can come in and kind of re-establish the culture, have this team be a hard out. And I know hard out was something that Don Sweeney mentioned. And I think maybe because Bruins have been so focused on the playoffs, you hear hard out and think like, well, this team’s like, this was what we heard last year, like this team’s not going to be a tough team to play against in the playoffs. Maybe Hard Out isn’t that. It’s like, no, we’re going to be a watchable product. Like, our guys are going to give a damn. We may not have the talent right now, but we’re building towards something. And even if we come up short, it’s going to be an entertaining game. We’re going to, you know, work hard. We’re going to land welts. we’re going to do everything to make, you know, Bruins fans worth investing in this team, even if it maybe is kind of a bridgeier or something that uh you look down the road, it’s almost like the Celtics before they got like Tatum and Brown and it was like that bridgy kind of weird team with a lot of scrappy players like Isaiah Thomas, that team was never going to win a championship. But Celtics who are at the top of the NBA now, barring this year, right? They look back at that team as like a fun little chapter, right? where they played hard, they worked hard, they they were part of a, you know, a winning kind of culture there. And I think if let’s say the Bruins, you know, where maybe I’m being optimistic, but let’s say they reestablish themselves in a couple years. Hagens is great. They got another great pick, all this kind of stuff. And you look back at the 2526 Bruins, you know, they didn’t do all that much in the standings, but they were a fun team to watch. And you saw kind of the gears turning of what, you know, a future successful team could be like this season. And I think, as you said, the the personnel you have, the way they play, I think what Microtorm is trying to get out of this team, I don’t think you’re going to see a team that even if the talent isn’t there, that they’re going to be uncompetitive. And I think that’s what you saw last year of them routinely getting blown out. I think Bruins fans, even us watching these games, we had situations where we’re like, what are we watching right now? There’s just nothing out there, nor is it anything worth watching. It was painful. I think the Bruins aren’t going to get, you know, blown out 8 to2 on the regular. uh like they were last year. No. And and the thing too about last year, Connor, and what will be different is there were games you could tell very early on, sometimes even before the game started, you’re like, they’re not winning this game. And you knew it. And you definitely could see it on the ice like, you know, there’s not going to be a third period comeback here or they’re not going to bounce back from this uh adversity that they faced during uh during the game while it was going on. And like I think that will change this year and I think that will allow them to win some games uh this coming year that they did not win last year and thereby be better. You know, I I I do think the the style of play they have, some of the players that they brought in and the the return to health of their top defenseman and Swayman playing a lot better than he did last year, which I think everybody expects. I think that’s going to turn into more wins. I this team is not going to be in the lottery again next year. I don’t think I I would be very surprised if they end up a lottery team again um based on everything sort of returning to form now if Charlie Makavoy continues to have things that are bugging him physically. Um if Hampus Lindholm isn’t fully recovered or has another setback or some kind of injury related to the kneecap if Jeremy Swamman uh just can’t get that you know feeling back that he had a couple years ago and struggles with consistency. Now you’re starting to enter a territory where okay, like some things are in play now that are going to drag them down. Um, but I think if things play out the way we expect them to and the way they probably should, I just think they’re going to be better than they were last year. I think they’re going to be significantly better. Like not Stanley Cup contending. No, definitely not. um maybe not even like playoff uh team because the the Atlantic division is so good and because the Eastern Conference is so good, but I think they’re going to be in the mix for the wild card. I I think they’re going to be a team that is going to play some meaningful games this year. Um which I think fans that that’s really I think for this team that’s probably the most that you could ask for and maybe eating into the playoffs. Certainly not doing anything um to compromise their long-term future in order to get there. Um, but if they like if if some of these core players that still are considerably talented and very good players have even reasonably good seasons and stay healthy, I think this team is going to win their share of games. Um, go ahead. No, I I think you just look up and down the roster the amount of bounceback candidates there are, whether it’s injuries or health. Like this is a team that we we all know what the flaws are, right? they still could use two or three other scoring, you know, wingers or another player like that that can help you out. But I think you look at the personnel and what Marco Sturma has said and he’s been kind of candid about the fact that like they don’t have the talent up front right now. Maybe it is down the road when younger players start showing up and they start living up to their expectations. But it’s going to be a work in progress in that regard. But they still have the personnel that they can win games 2-1 or they can win lowscoring games and are aren’t getting torched in transition. they aren’t getting, you know, smoked and, you know, start chasing the game. Yep. Uh, like you saw so many times last year. And I to your point, like even if the Bruins don’t make the playoffs, if they’re playing meaningful hockey in March and April, right, in a pretty competitive Atlantic, it’s almost like the way this se this season went this past year. Bruins fans got to the end of April and they’re like, “Thank God, it’s over.” I think for them this year, it’s like even if he had come up short, it’s kind of like when the Bruins made the playoffs uh and lost to Ottawa in that first round. And I think the sentiment was like, I can’t wait for next year. Like this team looks like they’re doing something. If you end this year, even if you come up short in the playoffs, but Hagen shows up at the end of the year, younger players step up, and it feels like you’re building something. Yep. That should be, I think, the main sentiment from Bruins fans of I can’t wait to see what’s next because it feels like the team as a whole will be back on track. Yeah. Uh, and that’s a great parallel you make with the Ottawa season because what happened at the end of that season, that was Charlie Makavoy leaving BEU and joining uh, the Bruins and then getting, you know, pushed into his debut in the playoffs because of injuries. But that, I think, was part of the general excitement of that following season was a a young differencemaking player uh, coming to the four and giving a taste of what he’s going to be able to do uh, going into that next season. And Hagens could set up in that exact same kind of situation towards the end of this year. So that will be, you know, something to watch and I think something that Bruins fans will very much get excited about and should um given the talent that he has and and given that, you know, everybody’s going to hear around here is going to get a front row seat uh to it uh with him at Boston College this year and and being the focal point of that entire team. All right, let’s take a break real quick. Um talk about our friends at Prize Picks. Prize Prize Picks is the largest daily fantasy sports platform in North America and the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports. Join over 10 million users and get started today. Instead of battling thousands of other players that could be pros or sharks, you simply pick more or less than on two to six player stat projections and you watch the winnings roll right in. It’s fun and it is super duper simple. On prize picks, you can mix and match player projections from different sports. Combine your favorite hockey players and players from baseball, basketball, football, esports, and so much more. You can now win up to 2,000 times your money on prize picks. And they also offer Venmo, Mastercard, and Apple Pay for quick and easy deposits into your account this sports season. 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. Let’s also pause and let those of you that are listening to the Pucks with Hags podcast know that we ask you to subscribe to this 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 Ringside YouTube channel. You can find our show and a lot of other great Bruins content with fellow Bruins talkers like our favorite guest right here, Connor Ryan, Evan Marinowski, and a cast of other thousands out there. You got to listen to all those other Bruins podcasts. What are the names of the other Bruins podcasts, Connor? Bruins beats one of them, right? Bruins beat Poke the Bea. We got a whole bunch. You almost lose track. We have daily content for all things Bruins. You got to love it. If you love hockey, you love the Bruins, this is the place to come to. Bruins ringside. All right. There’s also the CLNS Media Network and Celtics All Access on CLNS, the NBA History Channel, Patriots Press Pass, and Bruins Ringside YouTube channels as well. 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. Uh, and now let’s get the other side of the coin from a fan here. Uh, Evan, I mean, Connor, Evan, I’m I’m I know we’re very similar. We’re always on podcast together. I get it. Uh, their whole plan this off season is suspect. They are banking on Decor returning from injuries and better goalending. They never addressed secondary scoring. They are banking on guys to have bounceback years and geeky to keep up new pace after career year. And that is from Inc. Not fading on uh Twitter. Um, I Yeah, you can’t. This is like the pessimistic view of all this. Um, and yes, they’re counting on guys bouncing back from injuries that have been frontline players throughout their careers, but they’re also entering that sort of like mid to late 20s age where they may start to get banged up a little bit more. Um, I think the better goalending thing isn’t a big like u assumption. Um, they never address the secondary scoring. They did bring in Victor Arvson, who I think is going to be a legit secondary scoring and has scored in the league and will help their power play. Um, and they expect Morgan Geeky to keep up keep up the pace of of his career year. Well, I don’t know that he’s necessarily going to score 30 goals, but I think he’s going to particip towards him. He’s the perfect player to have as a safety valve when the defense is keying on him and guys are flying at him to get geeky the puck in a shooting position and have him have a great open chance to bury something. But I also think after scoring 30 plus goals in the league, I think Morgan Geeki has a lot of confidence in his shot as he should and I think he’s going to become more of a shoot first player uh with that confidence and he’s going to score more goals by virtue of just having done it before and having that confidence and have and knowing that he can help the team when he shoots the puck. Like I I think it’s a safe bet that uh Morgan Geeky now at this point and and I also liked it seemed to me Connor last year especially in the second half of the year he became more vocal he became more confident he became a much bigger presence I thought in that locker room and I think he sort of understood meeting the moment and that tells me too that he’s kind of ready for this like he I think is ready to shoulder more of that um responsibility both on and off the ice. I I don’t have a lot of questions about Morgan Geeki. I think he’s going to repeat and have very good seasons, even if he’s somewhere in the range of what he did last year, even a little bit less, I think that is exactly what the Bruins are looking for. Yeah, I think even to what I mentioned earlier of, you know, finding guys that are part of the equation, part of that new core, like I think you saw last year and, you know, the production obviously is the most important thing, but to your point, like this was a guy that I think was always speaking after lopsided losses, was always talking about the process, trying to find, you know, the silver linings out of a year that kind of went off the rails. And it does feel like he’s going to be part of that next kind of group of players. And yeah, like you look at the shooting percentage, all these things, you know, even if it’s due for some aggression, this is a guy that finished what, like second on like the NHL in terms of like five on five goals. Like the guy knows how to get open. He has a great shot and he’s got a guy like David Posak who’s going to draw a lot of attention to him and make it a lot easier for his linemates. So even if he’s not a 33 goal scorer, like I don’t think it’s a stretch at all to be like, “Yeah, I can pencil him in for 25 goals moving forward as a a guy that is going to be a key piece alongside David Posterno.” So I’m not too concerned about Geeky. And in terms of like the secondary scoring, right? Like I think we all know that it’s going to probably be an ongoing issue this year. And it’s something that you you have to kind of adjust and fix over the next couple years. But also, you look at who is available. Like, all right, Nikolai Eers goes to Carolina and then Brock Besser resigns with Vancouver when everyone I think was expecting him to hit the open market. Like if you’re not going to be able to bring in a guy like Besser or someone like that, and I would even feel kind of concerned about giving a guy like Besser a long-term deal at 7 million, 8 million per year, whatever it would be. Yep. Um I’d rather you wait out and try to find the guy down the road or at least give the opportunity to younger players and see what you can have as opposed to trying to cover up like a lot of holes on the roster with, you know, half measures or short shortterm contracts that don’t really move the needle, right? Like, all right, instead of like if the Bruins plan was to sign Besser, he then re-ups Vancouver and then you you you panic and then throw three or four contracts out to guys that are maybe more thirdline players. It doesn’t do you any good either. I’d rather you kind of keep that spot open, try to figure out what you have on this team right now and then if Marty Ness is free next year, you go after a guy like that because you have the option. you didn’t commit all that money as opposed to just trying to sign every third line guy out there in the market this past year where maybe it helps you right now, but if you’re trying to build a sustainable team, I don’t think that’d be the right plan either. Yeah. Uh the nature’s one I I think might be interesting. Um a a year from now. Like it’s funny how everybody gravitates towards like um Jack Eel and you know there’s some other big names that are out there um that might be potentially available as free agents and a lot of them aren’t going to get there just like they didn’t this past summer because of the elevated uh salary cap because teams you know are retaining a lot of these players and because the players frankly a lot of them want to stay you know where they are and they’re comfortable there. Um, but I think there are some guys and some names that might be really interesting that might be available out there in a year or so. Um, just based on Connor, for me looking at the list, the sheer depth of players that are available or potentially uh UFA status next summer, they’re not all going to resign with their teams. So, there’s going to be at least a handful uh more so much more, I think, than this past summer of guys that will be available uh if the Bruins wanted to go that way to tack on another talented offensive player to what they already have. Yeah, I I think you have to be realistic with it, right, in terms of how many guys will be available. And I think especially you look at the center position, I I feel like that’s something that if you’re trying to find the other future center to pair with Hagens down the road, it’s either going to have to be draft trades, something like that as opposed to trying to just outright sign a guy. Listen, everyone loves Jack Eel. You like the ties, you like, of course, where he went to school most importantly. It’d be a great fit, but I don’t think he’s going to leave V uh not Vancouver, Vegas, right? I think he’s content with visiting his hometown in Boston the summer and then staying in a nice mansion in Henderson on a winning team for the next couple years setting up Mitch Meyer. I think he’s going to be in a pretty good spot there. So, I think if you’re the Bruins and you’re trying to find the realistic way to improve the team just through free agency next year, I think it’s you try to find some scoring talent on the wing because you could definitely use it. I think that’s probably the more realistic option even if it’s not their most pressing need like a a centerman, but it does feel like a guy like Marty Nes who has bounced around a little bit, hasn’t shown a commitment yet to staying with Colorado. Um, and is a guy that kind of fits what I think Marco Storm’s looking for in terms of like skill, one of the the best skaters in the NHL. A guy that is uh very close to David Posen. I I just feel like there is a lot of smoke there that if he does hit the open market, feels like that was one that makes a lot of sense. Almost kind of like what Lindholm was last year where the Bruins had a need for a two-way center. You saw kind of the the breadcrumbs there. Yep. I wouldn’t be surprised if N is the guy that if he is available, the Bruins view him as kind of their their white whale going into the offseason next year. Yeah. And I don’t think there’s a lot of convincing you’d have to do with the Czech guys to come play with David Crossck. you know, that that is not something that I think you really have to do a lot of arm twisting about. I think there’s a lot of motivation and a lot of those guys want to play with him and it’s a big draw for them. Uh, which is great for the Bruins. That’s a that’s an excellent um part of the sell job that they have where they don’t even have to sell it. It’s already selling itself. Uh, come play with number 88. Um, did not I don’t think I’ve talked to you since development camp. Um, you were there, right? Yep. what your thoughts on development camp guys that you really liked uh guys that you think um are on your radar screen now after watching obviously Hagens everybody likes him. Yeah. But um other guys that second tier of guys that you really liked or thought um all right I’m gonna keep an eye on this guy now after watching him that week. Yeah. Uh I think that what you saw I think as a whole is just the amount of I think skill that was added to this team or or their pipeline over the last year or so and I think that’s encouraging in terms of if you are a team that is so skilled efficient right where you just need uh some of that scoring punch I think it’s good that you’re adding guys like obviously Zeers is a guy that I think was pretty impressive but even like uh Simpson the the Minnesota kid that they just added like he’s going to be a couple years away but yep feels like that’s a guy that could be a a legitimate, you know, middle six scoring talent down the road. I was really impressed with how his approach was offensively. He wasn’t just like uh ripping shots up high or like settling for one-times was really doing a little bit of everything to generate offense, especially during the scrimmage. So, that’s a guy I really liked. Um I think the one guy that I keep on coming back to that I feel like I’ve been burned before in terms of what to expect, but I thought LNO looked good in the scrimmage in terms of like doing what he needs to do. And like I think it’s all about setting the right expectations for that kind of guy. Yeah. But I think you saw like early on in dev camp I wasn’t wowed with like it felt like he was once again like deferring to others or not really getting involved in the play. But then in the scrimmage like you saw him playing down low winning puck battles and when he has the puck on his stick for his size you can see just how dynamic he can be. Yeah. And it’s almost like I think we’ve gone past the point, right, Hags, of like, oh, this guy could be J Thompson, which people were saying after the draft. That was not fair to him, nor is it realistic. But if he’s a guy that plays to his strengths, plays to his size, especially, and he can be like a Brian Bole type guy down the road, like that’s a guy had a long NHL career and, you know, can help out a team. So, I I think for BC, like I’m not expecting him to all a sudden be a 20 goal guy on that team, but let’s say he takes a step forward and has a 15-point season and kind of rounds out his game and it feels like he’s at least on the right track as maybe a four-year guy at Chestnut Hill. I think that’d be encouraging to see because I think you look at his size and what he can provide. if he kind of puts it all together, his ceiling may not be as high as people were maybe expecting, but I think there’s a potentially useful NHL player that can be found in a player like that. So, I think he’s still a guy that even if you change maybe your expectations for him, he’s a guy that can offer a lot if he does pan out. Most definitely. Uh I was only there one day. Uh but I liked what I saw of him in the day that I was there. I thought he was much more competitive in the drills and the things that he was doing and he just seemed to fit better when I was watching him with the other skaters skating around where the year before he just didn’t seem like he was on the same level as a lot of those guys and you could tell and see it and you could sense that he was going to struggle at BC and that the people that had said he’s probably not ready for this but you know he’s he’s going there because Will Smith left and went to San Jose uh you could see it, you could see what people were talking about and it was very visible and apparent and I I did not see that this time around which tells me that I think he’s going to be more of a factor at Boston College. He’s going to be a better player. Uh to your point, he’s going to make that next step. And I also think with a guy like that, like I think in some ways we’re not gonna know what his full upside and his full potential is going to be until he gets that like man strength for a guy that size. You know, like he definitely has always been able to just use that he’s bigger and stronger than everybody else to his advantage at the levels that he played at. He was not able to do that at Boston College uh last year. But I think as he picks up the pace and as he gets to the level uh the elite level that all those guys are at, I think he’s also staying there four years gonna towards the end of his Boston College career really start to get the muscle, the mass, and the strength that he’s going to have like in the prime of his athletic career and and kind of that final level of strength that he’s going to have for the body frame that he has, which is going to be able to put on weight. There’s no doubt about it. U I think then we’ll know exactly what he is. is I think the Brian Bole comparison is very interesting and apt. Um, and I I I think he could be that kind of a player, but I think he’s also going to have to get to a certain level at Boston College to even like have hopes and aspirations for that because like don’t forget Brian Bole was a def a a dominant player at Boston College and pretty much was like right off the bat when he got there, you know, he was a really good player the entire time he was at BC and he had an interesting tra trajectory where um he was put on defense for a little while by the LA Kings before he finally became kind of that, you know, bottom six center that wins faceoffs and is kind of kills penalties and, you know, does a lot of the little things that he did in addition to popping in some goals and being an effective player. Uh, and really embraced a different role than he was kind of projected to have uh when he was drafted. So, all that stuff are things that could be there for Dean Lo, but to your point, I liked what I saw and I think he’s going to have a much better year at BC and it’s going to be a treat. Like I’m sure you and I will be sitting next to each other watching some Boston College games this year. Oh yes. Um with a lot of other people on the Bruins beat because there’s going to be so many players there to watch. And congrats to Andre Gasau um who was named one of the captains uh on that team, a Bruins draft pick and a Bruins prospect as well. Um so I know it’s going to kill you to tear away pull yourself away from the BEu games and the BEu beat. Uh but you’ll probably be at a lot more Boston College games this year. car. I’m going to have to take the commuter rail all the way out there, you know, all the way out of the city limits. But yeah, I think there’ll be a lot of Bruins beat Riders. I think October 3rd, their first game against Quinnipic, so them against Chris Pelosi and Elliot Cromwell. So it all it all works together. Maybe we’ll all carpool out there. That’s how it works out. Yeah. And we’ll all hit Maryann’s afterwards, too. Yeah, of course. We’ll get the full Boston College experience. All right. Exactly. Uh Connor, thank you very much for joining us today. Everybody else out there, thank you for listening. you would listen to the Pucks with Hags podcast, a proud member of the CLNS media network. Make sure to hit subscribe 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 Pix, 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 Pix 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. Connor, thanks for joining us, my friend. Yep, thanks for having me. Yeah, it’s always great to have an all-around awesome dude on the podcast, and you fit the bill today, my friend. Uh, everybody everybody else out there, thank you for listening. See you at the ring. [Music]

Pucks with Haggs host Joe Haggerty and Boston.com’s Conor Ryan talk about the Bruins offseason and whether they should bring in an unsigned player like Jack Roslovic on a training camp invite. 

0:00 ⏰EPISODE TIMELINE⏰
2:05 Milan Lucic joins Blues on professional tryout in NHL comeback attempt
5:51 Which unsigned free agents deserve camp invites?
10:47 Which line combinations should Sturm explore during camp?
15:12 Will the Bruins play harder this season? How will fans respond?
24:15 PrizePicks
25:10 Subscribe to Bruins Rinkside!
26:11 Are Bruins expecting too much from their current roster?
31:20 Could the Bruins land a big free agent next year?
34:30 Thoughts on Bruins development camp
40:56 Thanks for watching!

💰 Prize Picks – https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!

———————————————————————————————————————————
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