If you’re new to the series, check out parts one and two.
Look at the 2015 free agent list, anyone out there tickle your fancy?
Bree: Ooh, I love Free Agency. It’s my very own Christmas in July in which someone gets pretty presents and some others get coal. Coal they actually pay real money for. It’s madness and I love it.
I’d like one of the following if possible please:
Johnny Oduya: I know he’s oldballs, but I rather like the guy and think that he could be decent for the upcoming season at least.
Michael Frolik: Frolik is one of my favorite Jets and if they aren’t going to re-sign him I’d love to see him on the Bruins. I’d actually love for the Bruins to steal him from the Jets, if I’m being honest here. He’s not a superstar by any means, but he’d be able to fill in some of those 3rd line shifts. Plus, he is quite beauteous in the facebits and is probably an Actual Disney Prince.
Cody Franson: Just yes. I’d like one of those, thanks. I think he could be decent as a Bruin and he would help fill that Boychuk shaped gap to some extent which is nice.
Barrett Jackman: His face is THE BEST when he’s perturbed, but that’s more for my entertainment than anything. I would honestly be such a shitty GM/President, I can’t even lie and pretend I’d be good at it you guys. For real. Straight up. I’d suck. My team would be full of everyone else’s rejects, probably.
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Marshall: If the Bruins go through with the moves I suggest, the two big holes become Left Wing and Defense. One of those should be addressed in a potential return for Lucic, possibly a bottom pairing defenseman. There are a few options in Providence for bottom six wingers, and the Free Agent list is thinner than Greg Campbell’s bone density. However, should the Bruins look for a Left Wing, I would like to see them make a play for Anaheim’s Matt Beleskey.
Playing mostly with Ryan Kesler this year, Beleskey put up 22 goals, while being a driver of possession. His advanced metrics have improved every year, and he’s only 26. He could be an affordable dark horse in a top heavy free agent class.
On the blueline, however, things are noticeably more prosperous. There are quite a few names the Bruins should consider. My list: Cody Franson, Johnny Oduya, Andrej Sekera, and Jeff Petry. Any one of them would bolster a Bruins back end in need of serious help. If they want to generate more offense from the back, Franson is their man. Conversely, if it’s more shutdown D they want, Oduya, while 33, is still a viable option. Swedes age differently than the rest of us. (See: Lidstrom, Nicklas)
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Chip: Johnny Boychuk. Oh, wait…scratch that. But since his departure, this team has had a serious hole in their second pairing. While Dennis Seidenberg will likely improve next year due to the nature of knee injuries/recovery time, a more reliable 3 or 4 defenseman is in order. And given the abundance of puck movers (Hamilton, Krug, Bartkowski, Warsofsky, etc) on the depth chart, I’m interested in a guy like Barret Jackman from St. Louis. Yes, he’s old, but he would bring a physical element currently lacking on Boston’s roster. On top of that, signing him wouldn’t set the team back too much financially, either. On a similar note, I’ll include a guy like Francois Beauchemin of Anaheim. Either would solidify Boston’s defense for only a moderate dollar amount and allow further development time for the prospects.
Depth forwards…a guy like David Booth would be a good fit on the fourth line. He hit the 20 goal mark as recently as 2010-2011. And while his scoring days are behind him, he blends the size valued in this town with an intriguing mix of speed. He could be a fantastic depth pickup.
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Jon: Trying to decide between what I’d want and what the Bruins can actually afford. What the Bruins need most are defense and a scoring right winger but the right wing free agent market is more desolate than an Arizona Coyotes home game.
My pipe dream is seeing Martin St. Louis in a Bruins jersey. The thought of Krejci dishing off to St. Louis on the power play makes my pants wetter than a basement in New Orleans. Drew Stafford is another RW I wouldn’t mind the B’s taking a look at. Don’t think he’s going to put up 30 goals but he was solid on a terrible Buffalo team and showed more signs of life in Winnipeg. On Krejci or Bergeron’s wing he could be a lil bit of magic.
Depending on the price (obviously) I wouldn’t mind the Bruins taking a run at Paul Martin. He’s solid defensively and is actually pretty good with the puck on his stick. Much like the RW free agent list the D-man free agent list isn’t exactly full of gems so the Bruins might have to look internally and maybe give some more of the kids a real shot.
Already looking for fans still stuck in 2011 to yell at us and say the Bruins should get Ryder and Peverley back.
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Pez: This crop of free agents may be the shittiest crop of free agents we’ve seen in a long, long time. With that said, the Bruins still have issues in both right wing and defense. If we’re looking for a potentially cheap option at right wing, I would look to Drew Stafford. If you look at Stafford’s numbers, they aren’t off the charts amazing – but he also spent 536 games as a Buffalo Sabre. He’s the kind of player you could have Bergeron carry if Reilly Smith decides to become Casper the Over-paid Ghost, but I get worried we’re going into “Crosby/Malkin can turn anyone into a 30 goal scorer” territory with that sentence.
Steve Downie is a guy you could sign if you were looking to get tougher. He lead the NHL in penalty minutes this year but he also had his highest goal scoring total since 2009-2010. He’s also Mr. Lonely.
Defensively I think Boston should look at Johnny Oduya and/or Cody Franson. I think both of them would have a good spot on this team, especially if you can shuck the corpse of Dennis Seidenberg. Cody Franson’s on-ice corsi differential was the best of his career this year and he;s only 27.
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You have the 14th pick in the 2015 NHL entry draft. Do you keep it? Trade it?
Bree: Keep it. I wouldn’t bother trying to package it in a trade or anything like that. Unless the trade somehow involved someone like Evgeni Malkin or Jonathan Toews which is not happening ever. Better off keeping the pick and seeing what you can get with it rather than trading it for some half wasted promise of a better future like what will be available for trades over the summer.
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Marshall: Beyond McDavid and Eichel, this draft class is noted to be especially deep. Keep the pick. Maybe the new GM can figure out how to draft.
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Chip: The only way that I’m moving from this pick is if I’m packaging it to trade up. Historically, teams have been able to unearth some good talent in the middle part of the first round, and this draft is deeper than most. And, unlike last year when Boston had a greater need to add speed and skill in the first round, they can take more of a best player available approach this year. With the Lucic situation up in the air, they could go the route of a big, scoring wing. Or they could look towards Z’s departure and go defense (*cough* Zach Werenski *cough*).
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Jon: Unless they can trade it in a package for a player that makes an immediate impact to the team, I say keep it. B’s need some more offensive depth in their pipeline.
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Pez: Unless it is packaged in a blockbuster for someone like Malkin (who I fucking love to pieces), I’d keep it and draft Nick Merkley from the WHL. Unfortauntely it continues the trend of Boston loving their centers but I don’t think there’s a defensive player who will be available around then. I think Werenski will be taken by San Jose. Jeremy Roy is a defenseman from the Q who is projected to go in that area, but looking at his scouting report just screams “TOREY KRUG CLONE” and Boston has enough from those.
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