We’re on the doc as believing the cap-crunched Bruins should protect every Linus Ullmark and restricted free agent Jeremy Swayman in practically any circumstance.
Virtually.
As we wade into the too-long summer time season months for the B’s, there’s one idea that we uncover intriguing. Thoughts you, we’re merely spit-balling proper right here. But it surely could be attention-grabbing if the Seattle Kraken would entertain transport their 2022 first-round draft determine, Shane Wright, out east for one among many two Bruin goalies. The guess proper right here is the one which the Kraken would even take into consideration shopping for and promoting Wright for might be the 24-year-old Swayman versus Ullmark, who’ll flip 30 on July 31.
It might probably be a franchise-changing maintain a sturdy threat of being a win-win switch.
The Kraken signed Philipp Grubauer to a six-year maintain a $5.9 million cap hit sooner than its inaugural season two summers prior to now. He had a nice little run inside the Kraken’s playoff debut, nevertheless he’s been merely OK in another case. In 39 video video games this season, the now-31-year-old had a .895 save share and a pair of.85 GAA. The Kraken’s completely different goalie, Martin Jones, is an unrestricted free agent. It might probably be a great spot for Swayman, who may share the net with the older veteran with an eye fixed mounted in direction of taking over the No. 1 gig, identical to the tactic he’s inside the midst of proper right here.
In the meantime, Wright may very properly be the that No. 1 coronary heart that the B’s have been trying to develop. Lengthy thought-about the best determine in last yr’s draft, Wright surprisingly fell to the fourth slot, the place the Kraken scooped him up.
Although the Kraken nonetheless seem like extreme on him, Wright had one factor of a misplaced enchancment yr, bouncing from Seattle, the World Junior championships, Coachella Valley (AHL) and finally once more to juniors and the Windsor Spitfires. He carried out a grand full of 36 league video video games.
Whereas no slam dunk to excel on the NHL, Wright’s recreation does have the an identical two-way DNA upon which the B’s id has been constructed with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Wright’s entry-level contract would moreover help the B’s navigate the wage cap the next couple of years.
And wouldn’t Wright be merely the youthful man to help revive the at current dormant Bruins-Canadiens rivalry? When the Habs shocked plenty of folks – Wright included – by taking Juraj Slafkovsky with the No. 1 determine, Wright gave the Habs’ desk an outstanding, prolonged stare-down from the stage after he was finally picked by the Kraken.
Sure, Wright might be someone we’d take into consideration shifting Swayman for. It may be additional of of enterprise on B’s GM Don Sweeney’s side, simply because Swayman has additional of an NHL resume. And the feeling proper right here is that we haven’t seen the simplest he has to produce. However given the B’s cap state of affairs and the paucity of draft picks the next couple of years, Sweeney might should roll these dice.
Rod’s odd take
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour has been broadly mocked for his post-game suggestions, seemingly denying the obvious, that his workforce purchased swept by future’s darlings, the Florida Panthers.
“We didn’t lose 4 video games,” Brind’Amour knowledgeable reporters in Dawn. “We obtained beat however we have been proper there and this might have gone the opposite means. It might have been 4 video games the opposite means.”
It may need, nevertheless it absolutely wasn’t. And that’s because of the Panthers, as they’ve completed for a month and half now, purchased the huge goal after they needed it and their opponent didn’t.
But after 4 one-goal losses, Brind’Amour’s frustration was understandable. Although a well-known ref-baiter, Brind’Amour had every motive to be infuriated after the initials missed a clear high-sticking penalty late in Sport 3, which could have given the Canes an opportunity for a 6-on-4 with the goalie pulled and a few minute left on the clock.
However in the long term, his precise anger should have been directed in direction of his private administration and possession. Earlier than the commerce deadline, the Canes misplaced the sniper they thought was going to get them over the hump, Max Pacioretty, to a torn Achilles tendon.
As an alternative of using Pacioretty’s $7 million in cap space to get a forward who’d confirmed he may fill the net, the Canes settled for Jesse Puljujarvi, who had no goals and one assist in seven playoff video video games. He was in street clothes for the whole Florida sequence. The dearth of Pacioretty was compounded when, after the commerce deadline, the Canes misplaced their best offensive weapon, Andrei Svechnikov, to a season-ending injury. Within the prime, the Canes merely didn’t have ample firepower. They larger get some or this promising run they’re on will most likely be over sooner than they perceive it.
Captain crunched
Captains wouldn’t have to speak to the media after every recreation, nevertheless they do when their teams attain positive pressure elements in a advertising and marketing marketing campaign. Dallas Stars’ captain Jamie Benn flunked that Management 101 examination last week.
Not solely did his workforce lose Sport 3 in direction of the Vegas Golden Knights to fall proper right into a 3-0 hole, Benn was primarily answerable for the loss when, merely 1:53 into the game, he regarded down at a inclined Mark Stone and decided it was an outstanding time to ram his stick into the side of Stone’s neck. He was rightly given a five-minute important and recreation misconduct. He then took a go on explaining himself to the Stars’ fan-base by means of reporters after the game.
However when he did converse the next day, Benn solely made points worse when, requested what he’d do otherwise, he talked about he “clearly would have favored to not fall on him and, I suppose, not use my stick as a touchdown level.”
Whether or not or not that argument was used with the Division of Participant Security, the league rightly – if surprisingly, considering the harm Benn had already completed to his workforce – obtained right here down with a two-game suspension.
As for speaking/not speaking with the media, not every participant is cosy with that course of and that’s large. Benn has always appeared to fall into this class. However organizations ought to take into consideration that after they resolve to put a “C” on a participant’s chest. It’s a part of the job.
Doubtful about Dubas
That deposed Maple Leafs’ GM Kyle Dubas left an entire lot of loyalists behind inside the entrance office speaks extraordinarily of him. And now we now have little doubt that given a second probability at a GM job – he’s reportedly interviewed for the open Penguins’ perform (B’s assistant GM and capologist Evan Gold has moreover reportedly interviewed as properly) – he may succeed the place he didn’t in Toronto.
However you do should question how he constructed these Leaf teams. He had virtually half his wage cap tied up in three forwards – Auston Matthews ($11.6 million), John Tavares ($11 million) and Mitch Marner ($10.9 million – and one defenseman – Morgan Reilly ($7.5 million). Eternally in need of a goaltending enhance, he made the uncertain selection of choosing up most of the oft-injured Matt Murray’s ($4.687 million) contract and obtained unproven Ilya Samsonov. By the point they’d been knocked out of the playoffs by Florida, every had been spectators whereas 24-year-old Joseph Woll, a veteran of 11 NHL video video games, was between the pipes.
Originally posted 2023-05-28 04:58:02.