The rebuild doesn’t have to be nuclear. They are already rebuilding on the fly. The defense is young. Swayman is a work in progress. Why wouldn’t you prefer to rebuild while staying competitive?

The front office is constantly making moves to try and find additional scoring. The overall depth of the team is solid. They have new players on all lines and the opening schedule didn’t do them any favors as far as building cohesion. It takes time to find out who plays best with who.
- Mahewman

Oh I'm 100% on the non-nuclear option. However I think I may go a little further than most. Have to go far enough for a new identity. The rebuild I am thinking of involves selecting a new core and slowly evaluating trade value for everyone who is not a part of that core. The reason I say this is that since 2013 (the bruins last cup final appearance) this front office has found ways to "stay competitive" with a mixed variety of success. Sure, we make the playoffs and that can be fun to watch, I wont discount that. The last few years, it has become apparent that the team relies too much on about 4-5 players and the supporting roles do not do enough to push us over the edge. Can we compete, sure, but to a lesser degree against top teams than we used to be able to.

I am on the rebuild train, but only after they select a new front office with a new vision. I am not convinced that this front office can get it done. They might get us to the playoffs, although that is debatable this year. But I have serious doubts about management's ability to ice a championship team.

New core could look something like this:

Pasta, marchy, (maybe Lysell?) McAvoy (I would add Carlo here unless there is an uber offer for him) and Swayman. Build around that and find out the value for everyone else.

Sweeney should probably be fired for signing so many dumb free agents. Ullmark, Forbort, Haula, good grief.
- Tachmo

New GM, President (owership would be nice too but wishful thinking) and Coach. Wholesale the entire (frank)ing thing upstairs.

Then work on your roster

Depends on the nature of the rebuild. It's hard to ignore this groups mismanagement when it's so glaring. If you're talking a Patriots circa 1993 new beginning or Red Sox 2001 then yes I'm going to be the happiest son of a female dog this side of the nut house. If it is a Jacobs owned and Neely run rebuild...well we're already here. It would massively more positive if Neely and the whole group were replaced with competent folks.

Competent as in:

Smart draft choices
Taking the talent not reaching for Senyshyn or Frederic
Have a back up plan in case your move (see all in for Hanafin) fails
Sign smart contracts like some of the extensions to Pasta & McAvoy. Not Belesky, Backes, Haula, Ullmark etc.
Make shrewd trades and avoid deals like 1st rounders for Kase

As for the record. They're out of the playoff at American Thanksgiving. Certainly not impossible but they're a 1st round bounce at best. More mediocrity, huge ticket prices, brutal concession prices. I want better if I'm giving them my time and my hard earned money. If you consider that negative, then fine. We do not agree. End of story.
- glove_was_stuck

I will agree that the Jacobs suck and I think they could do better than Neely. Concessions are brutal but the jacobs aren’t going anywhere unfortunately. We have season tickets and the fact prices went up after covid is a bit ridiculous. That’s a whole other story.

They are out of the playoffs because they have played far fewer games than everyone else..

I guess I don’t get the point on dwelling on Sweeney’s first day on the job when they have made the Stanley Cup since then. It happened and they (frank)ed up 6 years ago. I would hope that was a learning experience. They also hit on Mcavoy and Carlo. I guess Lingren and Lauzon probably count as hits. Now we have to hope he hit on Lysell/Beecher. The nhl draft is an overall crap shoot.

The whole negative poop storm after a loss just bugs me. Not really you particularly. I enjoy sports arguments as much as the next guy.

I will agree that the Jacobs suck and I think they could do better than Neely. Concessions are brutal but the jacobs aren’t going anywhere unfortunately. We have season tickets and the fact prices went up after covid is a bit ridiculous. That’s a whole other story.

They are out of the playoffs because they have played far fewer games than everyone else..

I guess I don’t get the point on dwelling on Sweeney’s first day on the job when they have made the Stanley Cup since then. It happened and they (frank)ed up 6 years ago. I would hope that was a learning experience. They also hit on Mcavoy and Carlo. I guess Lingren and Lauzon probably count as hits. Now we have to hope he hit on Lysell/Beecher. The nhl draft is an overall crap shoot.

The whole negative poop storm after a loss just bugs me. Not really you particularly. I enjoy sports arguments as much as the next guy.
- Mahewman

I would hope Sweeney would learn too. For me it's a mixture of a couple things with him. What he looks for, and his inability to move the ball forward with his moves. I think the sample size is big enough. 2015 was bad, but the collective body of work since then hasn't convinced me unfortunately.

I'll credit him for his good stuff. McAvoy, Carlo, maybe lysell in time. Other than that, he is a C- GM at best. Bruins can do better.

I will agree that the Jacobs suck and I think they could do better than Neely. Concessions are brutal but the jacobs aren’t going anywhere unfortunately. We have season tickets and the fact prices went up after covid is a bit ridiculous. That’s a whole other story.

They are out of the playoffs because they have played far fewer games than everyone else..

I guess I don’t get the point on dwelling on Sweeney’s first day on the job when they have made the Stanley Cup since then. It happened and they (frank)ed up 6 years ago. I would hope that was a learning experience. They also hit on Mcavoy and Carlo. I guess Lingren and Lauzon probably count as hits. Now we have to hope he hit on Lysell/Beecher. The nhl draft is an overall crap shoot.

The whole negative poop storm after a loss just bugs me. Not really you particularly. I enjoy sports arguments as much as the next guy.
- Mahewman

They could easily miss the playoffs because they can't score 5 on 5. Not even against Detroit. Relying only on the PP is a recipe for disaster - especially in the Playoffs where anything goes.

They could easily miss the playoffs because they can't score 5 on 5. Not even against Detroit. Relying only on the PP is a recipe for disaster - especially in the Playoffs where anything goes.


- Nasty_Duck

He spent a ton of money on free agents and they're still a 1 line team, they still have an incomplete second line. It's more than Sweeney's fist day. For every move he gets right, he gets three wrong.

I will agree that the Jacobs suck and I think they could do better than Neely. Concessions are brutal but the jacobs aren’t going anywhere unfortunately. We have season tickets and the fact prices went up after covid is a bit ridiculous. That’s a whole other story.

They are out of the playoffs because they have played far fewer games than everyone else..

I guess I don’t get the point on dwelling on Sweeney’s first day on the job when they have made the Stanley Cup since then. It happened and they (frank)ed up 6 years ago. I would hope that was a learning experience. They also hit on Mcavoy and Carlo. I guess Lingren and Lauzon probably count as hits. Now we have to hope he hit on Lysell/Beecher. The nhl draft is an overall crap shoot.

The whole negative poop storm after a loss just bugs me. Not really you particularly. I enjoy sports arguments as much as the next guy.
- Mahewman

Do you honestly believe they can beat Toronto, Tampa or Florida in a series right now? I don't.

Also I gave plenty more examples than his 2015 debacle. You have to build through the draft. With a hard cap, and the salaries of top end talent skyrocketing, calling the draft a crap shoot is the way of mediocre teams. I don't see Gorton, Yzerman, Brisbois, Sakic, Lamoriello to name a few treating it that way. Cassidy isn't Bellichick. He can't coach up a bunch of plugs. Right now, he can't get these guys to stop making these cutesy fruity extra passes in the offensive zone.

He spent a ton of money on free agents and they're still a 1 line team, they still have an incomplete second line. It's more than Sweeney's fist day. For every move he gets right, he gets three wrong.
- glove_was_stuck

This

Edit: He has made some bad plays. 2015 and a few other trades were so horrible that I forget at one time Sweeney thought Zac Rinaldo was worth a 3rd round pick.

Do you honestly believe they can beat Toronto, Tampa or Florida in a series right now? I don't.

Also I gave plenty more examples than his 2015 debacle. You have to build through the draft. With a hard cap, and the salaries of top end talent skyrocketing, calling the draft a crap shoot is the way of mediocre teams. I don't see Gorton, Yzerman, Brisbois, Sakic, Lamoriello to name a few treating it that way. Cassidy isn't Bellichick. He can't coach up a bunch of plugs. Right now, he can't get these guys to stop making these cutesy fruity extra passes in the offensive zone.
- glove_was_stuck

And its not to say that those GM's you listed are perfect, but when they see the folly in the depth they added, they assess and adjust. Their teams move forward. Sweeney doesnt do that, he tries more of the same with different names.

Do you honestly believe they can beat Toronto, Tampa or Florida in a series right now? I don't.

Also I gave plenty more examples than his 2015 debacle. You have to build through the draft. With a hard cap, and the salaries of top end talent skyrocketing, calling the draft a crap shoot is the way of mediocre teams. I don't see Gorton, Yzerman, Brisbois, Sakic, Lamoriello to name a few treating it that way. Cassidy isn't Bellichick. He can't coach up a bunch of plugs. Right now, he can't get these guys to stop making these cutesy fruity extra passes in the offensive zone.
- glove_was_stuck

Using Gorton since it is the first name you listed. Look at the list of poop the Rangers drafted since 2015. His best draft pick since 2015 is Filip Chytil. Filip. Chytil.

I will agree that the Jacobs suck and I think they could do better than Neely. Concessions are brutal but the jacobs aren’t going anywhere unfortunately. We have season tickets and the fact prices went up after covid is a bit ridiculous. That’s a whole other story.

They are out of the playoffs because they have played far fewer games than everyone else..

I guess I don’t get the point on dwelling on Sweeney’s first day on the job when they have made the Stanley Cup since then. It happened and they (frank)ed up 6 years ago. I would hope that was a learning experience. They also hit on Mcavoy and Carlo. I guess Lingren and Lauzon probably count as hits. Now we have to hope he hit on Lysell/Beecher. The nhl draft is an overall crap shoot.

The whole negative poop storm after a loss just bugs me. Not really you particularly. I enjoy sports arguments as much as the next guy.
- Mahewman

I’m with you. I believe the “let’s blow it up” is a bit premature. I am pretty sure it was a couple years ago and it was time to strip it down and then they went to the cup Finals.

I am not feeling great about the spot Sweeney has put this team in a cap crunch. He spent money like a drunken sailor this off-season and I’m not convinced he spent it wisely on what this team needs to get over the top. Dropping money on your bottom 6 is probably something you should fill within your organization.

Maybe a trade can shake things up. Now would be the time for one of their classic 10 game winning streaks.

Do you honestly believe they can beat Toronto, Tampa or Florida in a series right now? I don't.

Also I gave plenty more examples than his 2015 debacle. You have to build through the draft. With a hard cap, and the salaries of top end talent skyrocketing, calling the draft a crap shoot is the way of mediocre teams. I don't see Gorton, Yzerman, Brisbois, Sakic, Lamoriello to name a few treating it that way. Cassidy isn't Bellichick. He can't coach up a bunch of plugs. Right now, he can't get these guys to stop making these cutesy fruity extra passes in the offensive zone.
- glove_was_stuck

I would not be confident in a 7 game series against Toronto. But this is the same Leafs team that was burning jerseys and throwing them on the ice with the poor start. I don’t think they are world beaters.
Bruins need a substantial winning streak to get things on track. They have been known to do that. We’ll see...

I’m with you. I believe the “let’s blow it up” is a bit premature. I am pretty sure it was a couple years ago and it was time to strip it down and then they went to the cup Finals.

I am not feeling great about the spot Sweeney has put this team in a cap crunch. He spent money like a drunken sailor this off-season and I’m not convinced he spent it wisely on what this team needs to get over the top. Dropping money on your bottom 6 is probably something you should fill within your organization.

Maybe a trade can shake things up. Now would be the time for one of their classic 10 game winning streaks.
- Tachmo

This is exactly what I'm afraid of. For every one move Sweeney does that is halfway decent, three more crap ones follow it. Guess it depends on which slice of the pie the spinner falls on.

My whole point is that this isnt a cup team. And Ill gladly eat my words should I not be correct in this assessment, but I have seen too much of the same over the last few years. Sweeney is a broken record at this point, as is the rest of the front office. Get rid of all that, then decide on the roster. (and I understand the Jacobs family will just be wishful thinking)

Using Gorton since it is the first name you listed. Look at the list of poop the Rangers drafted since 2015. His best draft pick since 2015 is Filip Chytil. Filip. Chytil.
- Mahewman

You got fair points man. Not gonna take that away. But watching their play, watching the moves the front office makes. Keeping an eye on it over the long term not just 1 season, I have a hard time believing that this team is the one that wins the cup. I just dont see it. If the window hasn't already completely shut, we are 1 serious Line 1 injury away from it being shut.

You got fair points man. Not gonna take that away. But watching their play, watching the moves the front office makes. Keeping an eye on it over the long term not just 1 season, I have a hard time believing that this team is the one that wins the cup. I just dont see it. If the window hasn't already completely shut, we are 1 serious Line 1 injury away from it being shut.
- dothedougie

Oh, if Marchand goes down. We’re (frank)ed lol

You got fair points man. Not gonna take that away. But watching their play, watching the moves the front office makes. Keeping an eye on it over the long term not just 1 season, I have a hard time believing that this team is the one that wins the cup. I just dont see it. If the window hasn't already completely shut, we are 1 serious Line 1 injury away from it being shut.
- dothedougie

I do think that come game 82, this year. The Bruins will be in the conversation for having a chance. I will take a franchise that is in the mix every single year over a team that flounders in and out of the mix.

Oh, if Marchand goes down. We’re (frank)ed lol
- Mahewman

Yeah the thought scares me. Can but Bergy and Pasta in that category too even though Pasta has had a slow start.

Here's to better days no matter how the season goes boys. Cheers!

One thing I’ve yet to see mentioned in this thread is the fact the Bruins are 30th(!) in the league for 5v5 save percentage. Defense hasn’t been spectacular by any means but the goaltending has done them no favors. Getting Rask back will be huge

One thing I’ve yet to see mentioned in this thread is the fact the Bruins are 30th(!) in the league for 5v5 save percentage. Defense hasn’t been spectacular by any means but the goaltending has done them no favors. Getting Rask back will be huge
- Shaundre93

Will it help, sure. I agree with that. But does getting Rask back make the bruins a contender? I dont think it does by itself. Still a 1 line team that is going to get shut down by the leagues top teams. Bruins will be a bubble team this year or on the outside looking in.

But should be interesting to see how they work the goalie situation out. Sweeney will probably botch the situation, send Swayman down, roll Rask and Ullmark. Then, Rask will want an extension, and Sweeney will either have to trade Ullmark (good luck offloading that 5M) or more likely he will trade swayman for a decent package. Either way the optics are gonna be ugly.

One thing I’ve yet to see mentioned in this thread is the fact the Bruins are 30th(!) in the league for 5v5 save percentage. Defense hasn’t been spectacular by any means but the goaltending has done them no favors. Getting Rask back will be huge
- Shaundre93

That could be the stat of the day.
The goaltending so far hasn’t been horrible but as that stat says they aren’t getting the key saves throughout games. A goal here and a goal there is making all the differences in games. Bruins have had the luxury of Rask for a long long time. Now we are seeing life without him.

Using Gorton since it is the first name you listed. Look at the list of poop the Rangers drafted since 2015. His best draft pick since 2015 is Filip Chytil. Filip. Chytil.
- Mahewman

Gorton built 2011. It certainly wasn't Chiarelli. That whole group including Julien was literally saved by Nathan Horton. But they're no where near contention without the interim tenure of Gorton.

Watch Montreal within the next 5 years with Burgervan out and Gorton as their President. I will bet you a round a top shelf drinks Gorton >>>>>>>>> Neely.

And its not to say that those GM's you listed are perfect, but when they see the folly in the depth they added, they assess and adjust. Their teams move forward. Sweeney doesnt do that, he tries more of the same with different names.
- dothedougie

Nobody is perfect but these guys make the adjustments they need to make and don't go out sign guys like John Moore to a 5 year ticket. Also they typically draft guys over 5.9. Seemed to work out for Tampa, seems to be turning around in NY and the Island. It worked for St. Louis.

One thing I’ve yet to see mentioned in this thread is the fact the Bruins are 30th(!) in the league for 5v5 save percentage. Defense hasn’t been spectacular by any means but the goaltending has done them no favors. Getting Rask back will be huge
- Shaundre93

Ullmark has been pretty rough. His individuals numbers show he was better in the past. Makes me wonder if he is still not right. Also having this defense in front him cant be helping him get going. I don't what know you do on this one. A ton of money there tied up on the backend and nothing in the pipeline.