Early Takeaways From Training Camp | Poke the Bear
Conor Ryan of Boston.com and Evan Marinofsky of New England Hockey Journal discuss their early takeaways from the first two days of Bruins Training Camp.
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0:00 - Reacting to Brad Marchand being named captain
10:00 - Marchand leading by example
13:00 - What’s the early identity?
18:00 - A potential fourth line
21:00 - The future of Danton Heinen
25:00 - Early return from Matthew Poitras
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21+ and present in MA. Hope is here. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. GamblingHelpLineMa.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234.
This episode of Poke the Bear is brought to you by Fanduel Sportsbook, the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNS Media Network. Visit FanDuel.com/BOSTON and start earning BONUS BETS with America’s #1 Sportsbook!
21+ and present in MA. First online real money wager only. $10 Deposit req. Refund issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at fanduel.com/sportsbook. Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234
0:00 - Reacting to Brad Marchand being named captain
10:00 - Marchand leading by example
13:00 - What’s the early identity?
18:00 - A potential fourth line
21:00 - The future of Danton Heinen
25:00 - Early return from Matthew Poitras
Fanduel Sportsbook is the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNS Media Network. NEW customers can bet $5 and get $200 in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED. Now is the best time to join FanDuel! The app is easy to use and you can be on everything from spreads to player props and more! So, visit FanDuel.com/BOSTON and kick off the NFL season with an offer you won’t wanna miss.
21+ and present in MA. Hope is here. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. GamblingHelpLineMa.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234.
Transcript
00:00 - "Poke the Bear" is brought to you by FanDuel,
00:02 the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNS Media Network.
00:05 - And welcome into "Poke the Bear" episode 165.
00:10 That's Connor Ryan, I'm Evan Marinovsky.
00:12 Connor, what is up?
00:15 - Evan, I'm doing well.
00:17 How are you doing?
00:17 - Doing great, doing great.
00:19 We got to have some fun together
00:20 at Bruins Training Camp here on Friday
00:24 after we're recording after.
00:26 And it was great to be back.
00:28 So fun to be back.
00:29 It's, the Bruins gave us pizza, which is, you know,
00:33 what more can you ask?
00:34 Once pizza comes out of the equation, I'll go anywhere.
00:36 So, good to have you.
00:38 - Tie hat is Hawaiian pizza.
00:39 Everyone was all set.
00:40 Everyone had what they needed.
00:42 - That's exactly it.
00:42 Everybody had what they needed.
00:44 It is funny that they always give them
00:45 the trademark Hawaiian pizza.
00:47 I am a fan of Hawaiian pizza.
00:48 I've always really liked it.
00:50 - Like, if you had me like rank it,
00:52 it wouldn't be like top three or four,
00:54 but like the hatred towards it, I don't understand.
00:58 Like everything I like, like individually, I like.
01:00 So if it's on the pizza,
01:02 the concoction doesn't all of a sudden not work, right?
01:05 Like, I don't get the pure hate that it gets.
01:10 It's a little overreaction.
01:11 - I don't, I've never understood it either.
01:13 I mean, I think the pineapple makes it kind of burst.
01:15 Like there's a lot of flavor in it
01:16 or, you know, the bacon's really good, ham.
01:19 Like, I just think it's, it works.
01:21 I remember growing up,
01:23 we used to get Hawaiian pizza from Domino's
01:25 and it was very good.
01:26 Domino's pizza actually did a pretty good job on that.
01:28 - So, and also don't besmirch Domino's.
01:31 - No, you will catch, you will not catch me
01:33 slandering Domino's.
01:35 - I think anyone can attest that it saved many,
01:37 many nights in college.
01:39 - Oh yes, yes, yes.
01:41 It definitely, it definitely has.
01:43 - You had Antonio's, but I understand.
01:46 I know there's room for multiple pizza spots, so.
01:48 - Well, Antonio's is an open,
01:50 Antonio's doesn't deliver and it's not open after like two.
01:52 So Domino's is really the only thing we had going.
01:55 - You had T Anthony's.
01:56 So like, Antonio's and T Anthony's
01:59 is the real college pizza rivalry.
02:01 'Cause it's, it's, they're pretty damn close.
02:03 - I mean, does, does Antonio's today like yell at you
02:07 when you like take people?
02:07 - I don't know, sometimes, sometimes they'll yell at you.
02:10 But T Anthony's is a little tougher.
02:11 T Anthony's is a little, a little more sandpaper.
02:14 - As it should be.
02:15 You hit on a swivel.
02:16 You got, you got 400 people behind you in a long line, so.
02:20 - No, I agree.
02:21 T Anthony's, you know, if I had to pick T Anthony's,
02:24 it's hard to pick against T Anthony's.
02:26 Love T Anthony's.
02:27 But anyways, I know we're getting everybody hungry.
02:30 I think people like when we talk food at first,
02:32 'cause maybe it gets people riled up with hunger
02:35 instead of us, you know,
02:36 talking about other non-related Bruins things.
02:38 - But actually it would be funny if people were like,
02:41 oh, thank Christ.
02:42 After like months of them talking about the weather
02:44 or the calendar or the different months of the year,
02:46 we finally have training camp.
02:48 The entire episode, I was just ranking pizza spots
02:50 in the comments of the messages.
02:52 - That's what it should be.
02:53 We'll do an episode like that at some point.
02:55 We'll do like a YouTube extra on that.
02:57 - Yes.
02:58 - Anyways, the big news of this week,
03:00 no surprise, Brad Marshan named captain.
03:03 I thought they actually,
03:04 the social media team did a really good job releasing it.
03:07 They did it, you know, it was, it was well done.
03:09 I thought they might go back to the well of Sweeney,
03:11 you know, jokingly handing him the jersey and being like,
03:13 nah, you have it this time for real.
03:15 But well-deserved.
03:18 I don't think there's anything, I mean, just, you know,
03:20 that's the guy.
03:21 I don't think there was any question that it, you know,
03:23 should have or could have been him.
03:25 - Yeah, no, again, it's not to say there isn't other guys
03:30 who can step up in a leadership role.
03:31 I think the Bruins for as much talk or concern there is
03:34 about what this team looks like without guys
03:38 who've been here forever and Bergeron,
03:39 Crecce, all those guys.
03:41 They do have a good core behind Marshan,
03:43 with guys like McAvoy, Pastranac,
03:45 Harlow, you know, you name it,
03:48 but they will have their time.
03:49 Like this team will eventually be theirs.
03:51 I think when you just look at what Marshan brings,
03:54 you know, the ability of having another link to that,
03:57 you know, 2011 team,
03:59 but a guy that has been there through thick and thin,
04:01 through the Char years, the Bergeron years,
04:04 learned from guys like Mark Recchi,
04:06 a guy that leads by example, you know,
04:09 he's definitely no, I think captain's the same,
04:12 you know, how Char ran things is different,
04:15 how Bergeron ran things, and, you know,
04:16 Marshan's probably cut from a different cloth
04:18 than both those guys.
04:19 But I think when you look at, for Marshan,
04:21 I think that, you know,
04:22 when you view how valid a guy is as a captain
04:26 or what they did to prove it,
04:27 I think it all comes down to how sincere they are
04:30 in terms of what their responsibilities are.
04:32 And I think that's something that Marshan, you know,
04:34 for all the antics, whatever you want to say
04:37 about his game over the years,
04:38 I think something he really does take to heart
04:40 is the responsibility and what is asked to be a captain.
04:45 I think it's something that he mentioned, you know,
04:47 you learn it obviously from guys like Recchi and Char,
04:49 but I think when Bergeron became captain
04:52 and Marshan's more or less been his understudy
04:54 for years now, I think that's something
04:56 that is not lost on Marshan in terms of how much it matters
04:59 to, you know, lead by example, be vocal, set the tone,
05:03 both, you know, in the room, on the ice, obviously,
05:06 and also for as much as, you know,
05:08 people are worried about, all right, you know,
05:10 Marshan has how many years left?
05:13 Is it better to give it to a guy who maybe is here
05:15 for three, four, five years as opposed to a McAvoy?
05:18 But I think one thing that stuck out with Marshan
05:20 in his opening press conference
05:23 was how important it is to build towards the future.
05:26 That's something that is not lost,
05:28 even as this team is going into this transition
05:31 where you have a new set of players
05:33 stepping into the lineup.
05:34 I think it's, you know, he's very cognizant
05:37 of what he needs to do in terms of the culture
05:40 set down by guys like Char and Bergeron,
05:42 carry it on, you know, make it his own, obviously,
05:45 you know, no players the same in that respect,
05:47 but carrying it forward that in 20, 30 years,
05:51 guys who have never played with a Bergeron
05:52 or something, they still take to heart,
05:54 I think some of those same core principles.
05:56 So I think for as much as Marshan,
05:58 especially maybe outside of Boston,
06:00 as viewed as this WWE character or what have you,
06:04 I think when it comes to some of those things,
06:07 it's something I think he feels
06:08 the burden of responsibility, welcomes it,
06:11 and really kind of takes it to heart,
06:12 which I think is exactly, I think, what you're looking for.
06:15 - Yeah, and even you saw him in that opening press conference
06:18 kind of describing what it meant to be captain.
06:20 And, you know, when they took him out to dinner
06:22 and he was kind of, he was very anxious thinking like,
06:25 oh, maybe they're letting me down easy, maybe, you know,
06:27 'cause, and it kind of hits at the whole point of like,
06:29 and you said it, there are other guys who on this team
06:32 who are future captains, they're deserving,
06:34 McAvoy and Postnack are the assistants,
06:35 like they could have been captains,
06:38 but it would have been really weird
06:39 if they didn't give it to Brad Marshan.
06:40 Like it would have been a weird thing
06:43 not to give it to him.
06:44 And it wouldn't have made sense not to give it to him.
06:48 So it clearly meant a lot.
06:50 I think he's gonna do a great job.
06:52 I think he's earned it.
06:53 I think he's got to the point of earning it.
06:55 And I mean, it's, you know, again,
06:57 I think it's the right move.
06:58 It's the right move.
06:59 And it gives guys like McAvoy and Postnack
07:02 a little more time to get more comfortable
07:04 in their leadership roles and abilities.
07:07 And whenever Marshan's time ends here,
07:09 whether it's two years, three years, four years,
07:12 10 years from now, whenever it is, whenever it is,
07:16 maybe Marshan will start the TB12 method.
07:18 They'll be more ready to be captain
07:21 than I think they were now.
07:22 So again, lots of future leaders in that room,
07:25 lots of leaders in that room in general,
07:27 but Marshan clearly the guy who earned the captaincy.
07:32 That's for sure.
07:34 So Marshan is captain.
07:35 He's still himself.
07:36 I mean, he's still, you know,
07:37 winking in videos and same guy.
07:40 And Neil even said,
07:41 we don't need you to change the way you play.
07:44 I mean, I was not there at training camp
07:46 on Thursday for day one.
07:47 I was there obviously Friday for day two,
07:51 but leading by example, high compete in these drills.
07:56 I mean, just, there was a funny play or not a funny play,
07:58 but there was a play,
08:00 it was a two on one in front of the net.
08:02 And Lysel like kind of tried to dangle around Marshan
08:05 and Marshan just chopped his stick,
08:07 hand on the shoulder, pushed him right down.
08:10 And I'm like, all right, well, you know,
08:11 he's come to play and he finishes every check.
08:13 And I think that that's sort of a way
08:15 that his leadership is gonna sort of emanate.
08:17 - Yeah, no, absolutely.
08:18 I think it has to be leading by example, setting the tone.
08:21 And again, Marshan's a guy that I think helps
08:24 in terms of having maybe younger guys cut into the lineup
08:27 because he's kind of traveled that road,
08:30 but you know, wasn't this first round pick guy
08:32 that got drafted and you knew
08:33 he was gonna be a top six player,
08:35 kind of cut his teeth down in the AHL,
08:38 started here as a fourth line guy
08:40 and fought his way up off of kind of hard work,
08:43 determination, having a chip on your shoulder.
08:45 And I think he still carries that to this day
08:47 in terms of how he operates, how, you know,
08:50 even if he's not the most skilled player
08:52 or whatever you wanna say about him,
08:53 he rarely lets other guys outwork him.
08:55 And I think that's something that, you know,
08:57 leading by example is such an important part
08:59 of what it takes to be a captain.
09:02 And he's done that year after year after year, right?
09:05 I mean, you look at how often is it you see the Bruins,
09:07 you look behind the B and it's Dev Camp
09:10 and these, you know, younger players are stepping
09:13 into Warrior for the first time and Marchand's working out.
09:16 He's the one who's giving them a speech going into it.
09:18 I think even Dubrovsk last week,
09:21 more or less mentioned Marchand,
09:22 I think a week after the season ended,
09:24 was already back on the ice.
09:25 So, I mean, that's, I don't know,
09:27 I think knows, you know, the amount of work he puts
09:29 and how seriously he takes it.
09:31 That's kind of not lost on him.
09:33 I can only imagine he's going to magnify
09:36 and continue now that he's captain.
09:37 And yeah, in terms of even just setting the tone,
09:40 that's why I think one thing we've noticed
09:41 the first two days of camp,
09:44 usually this is the time where guys
09:45 are just getting their feet wet,
09:46 learning their new line mates,
09:48 kind of seeing, you know, the coaching staff
09:49 is evaluating guys early on.
09:52 Very physical so far.
09:53 You've seen a lot of guys get trucked over.
09:55 Steen, I think, took a shoulder to the face today.
09:58 I think it was last, on Thursday, McAvoy and Marchand
10:03 were in a pretty big battle on the boards
10:05 and McAvoy almost got decked to the ice by Marchand.
10:09 Again, hopefully no injuries.
10:10 That's the last thing you want to see,
10:11 but I think it sets the tone though early on
10:13 that this is a team that, you know,
10:16 I think they've embraced maybe the chip on the shoulder
10:18 of what the expectations are going to this year.
10:21 And they're setting the tone early that, you know,
10:22 we have to atone for last year,
10:24 but also we have to be a lot more physical,
10:26 a lot more punishing.
10:27 And you've seen that at least translate
10:29 over these first couple of days of camp.
10:31 - And again, it hits the thing of
10:32 they're not going to outscore you,
10:34 but they are built to be a very difficult team
10:37 to play against, whether that's, you know,
10:38 defensively, in net, or just physicality-wise,
10:43 not going to be an easy team to play against.
10:45 So early on, I mean, you know, we're two days in,
10:47 there's training camp on Saturday,
10:48 first preseason game Sunday.
10:50 What's kind of the early take on what your Montgomery
10:53 is trying to build this season?
10:55 - Yeah, I think early on, you know, again,
10:57 I don't think we should put too much stock into lines yet,
11:01 or, you know, where guys are in terms of roster bubble.
11:03 We'll wait until we actually get some preseason games,
11:05 which, thank God, are right around the corner,
11:08 literally starting on Sunday, as you said.
11:10 But I think when you look at just how this team is built,
11:12 or what kind of identity they're trying to incorporate,
11:16 as you said, obviously, a lot of it's going to come down
11:18 to defense and goaltending,
11:19 which is a good place to start from.
11:21 You know, I think if you're a team that's
11:23 in a bit of transition, or you're retooling the roster,
11:26 having your foundation be set in your D-core,
11:29 in your goaltending, is a great place to go.
11:31 It's a good way to chart, I think,
11:32 a pretty high floor of just always consistently
11:36 being in games, and they should be, right?
11:37 Like, they're still returning five of the six D that,
11:40 before the trade deadline, were what, 43 and eight,
11:43 I think is what their record was, 43, eight and two?
11:46 I believe so.
11:47 Having those guys back, Lindholm,
11:49 obviously coming off of that broken foot,
11:53 but was arguably a top three, four,
11:56 Norris contender last year.
11:58 I think one guy that's kind of,
11:59 I wouldn't say is slept on,
12:00 'cause he's one of the best defensemen in the game,
12:03 but even McAvoy, how much it helps
12:06 is having a full year removed from,
12:08 recovering from off-season surgery,
12:11 having just a clean slate over the summer,
12:14 can make a huge difference in terms of how you
12:16 go into a year, you're not feeling rushed,
12:18 you feel like your game's already at a good,
12:20 is jumping off point when camp opens.
12:22 So defense is gonna be huge, goaltending, obviously,
12:25 barring a major regression from both of those guys.
12:29 You've got one returning Vezina winner,
12:32 and you've got a damn good goalie as your number two
12:34 that could also take further strides there.
12:36 So the identity is gonna be rooted in the defense
12:38 and the goaltending, but I am curious to see
12:41 how they approach their maybe mode of attack up front.
12:45 You listen to Montgomery early on, a lot of it physical.
12:48 They wanna be more physical,
12:50 then it'll be tougher to play against.
12:51 And what does that mean?
12:52 Is this a team that, I think you look at the personnel,
12:55 whether it's obviously Lucic,
12:57 but Lauco, Beecher, Patrick Brown,
13:01 you look at Geeky, again, not a bruising guy,
13:04 but 6'3", Van Riemsdyk,
13:07 they are a lot bigger up front now.
13:09 And I think it's all gonna be maybe changing
13:11 about how they play because it's one thing
13:13 to I think be just this bruising,
13:15 methodical puck possession group,
13:18 but it seems like Montgomery wants to kind of toe
13:20 that line between, they wanna be more physical,
13:22 but also still play with pace.
13:24 So we'll see how that maps out,
13:27 but I view it as maybe being more, instead of rush-based,
13:30 it's more of generating a lot more on the forecheck.
13:34 I think you look at probably the best practice
13:36 for a lot of these teams, especially in the playoffs,
13:39 very high forechecking pressure,
13:42 their turnover rate, all those things.
13:43 So if you're able to attack with speed,
13:46 knock guys loose with the puck and do that,
13:49 that's probably a sustainable way to not only
13:51 land some well, it's against the opposition,
13:53 but consistently generate offense high danger chances
13:57 as well, which obviously is an emphasis
13:59 of what Montgomery is looking for.
14:00 So really early on, but I think that's,
14:03 if you're looking at how they wanna approach
14:04 or maybe tinker with how their offense is generated,
14:07 I could see a lot more forecheck being kind of the focus
14:10 there with kind of the added size they have.
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15:07 - It's why they lost last year.
15:09 They were out forechecked.
15:11 That was what it came down to against Florida.
15:13 And Florida sort of made it big and it's a copycat league.
15:16 So yeah, I mean, defense, goaltending, forechecking
15:20 and the size element's huge.
15:21 And it kind of hits at this.
15:23 One line that I think has drawn a lot of eyes
15:26 over the last two days is "Luchich, Beecher, and Lauko."
15:29 'Cause a lot of these lines that are put together,
15:31 you know, Lysel was with Bergeron and Marchand last year
15:34 at the beginning of camp and he's with Coyle and Marchand.
15:37 Now, it's probably not gonna be the opening first line
15:40 for the Bruins this year.
15:42 Lots of things there, but "Luchich, Beecher, and Lauko"
15:45 is an intriguing look at that kind of potential fourth line
15:49 and that, you know, Montgomery even mentioned
15:51 kind of wanting and needing a left shot center
15:55 in that bottom six.
15:56 What do you think?
15:57 - Yeah, it is really interesting.
15:59 And I think, again, it kind of goes to kind of
16:01 owing that line in terms of just what
16:03 they're looking for there.
16:04 Obviously, I don't think anyone's surprised
16:06 at Luchich slotting in there, but again,
16:08 I don't think you want a bottom six filled with kind of
16:11 maybe slower, more physically dominating guys
16:14 like Luchich.
16:15 You still need to play with pace.
16:16 And I think if you can attack with speed, you can also,
16:19 I think, change your offense on the fly
16:21 or adjust more when you have that speed.
16:23 Like, I look at, obviously, Florida four-checked
16:27 the shit out of everyone on their way to get into the
16:30 Semi-Cup Final, but I think you look at Vegas.
16:33 Vegas primarily was a rush team last year,
16:36 but in the playoffs, they had so much speed
16:39 with some of these skill guys up front
16:41 that they can all of a sudden switch into more
16:43 of a four-checking approach, force turnovers,
16:45 kind of, you know, put defenses on their heels
16:48 and capitalize in that way.
16:49 If you have speed in those critical areas,
16:51 you can do a lot with it.
16:52 And I think, you know, Luchich can bring that
16:55 physical punishment, but you look at Lauko
16:58 and what he can bring when his feet are moving.
17:00 I think he's a guy that could do a lot of damage
17:02 if you're trying to fit that, you know,
17:04 maybe not more heft, but a little bit more like physical
17:08 capabilities with speed.
17:10 Lauko makes perfect sense in that spot.
17:12 And then Bichir's kind of the wild card, right?
17:13 Like, again, we've talked about him and his skill set
17:16 and how if he just, you know, can consistently
17:20 harry out of being just a strong four-checking centerman
17:24 at the NHL level, the offense will come.
17:25 And it's not to say that all of a sudden
17:27 I'm expecting him to have a 20-goal season,
17:29 but it's almost like Lauko, right?
17:32 Like, it's not like this guy is dangling through guys
17:34 or doing anything, but he's, every time he hops
17:37 over the boards, he's moving his feet,
17:39 he's making, you know, chaos happen.
17:41 He's causing turnovers and he's parting the loose pucks.
17:45 He's, you know, getting pucks into great AI
17:46 so they get potted by a line mate.
17:48 Like, he's doing it organically in terms of how he's
17:50 generating that offense out of that fourth line role.
17:53 You look at Bichir and how well he skates,
17:55 he's already a big body at 6'3".
17:57 If he can just, you know, keep his game simplified,
18:00 the opportunity should be there with that line.
18:02 So he's a bit of a wild card Bichir in terms of maybe
18:05 fighting for that spot over a guy like Patrick Brown
18:08 or someone else.
18:08 But in terms of what Montgomery seems to be focusing on
18:13 in terms of speed with that physicality,
18:16 I think there's really a lot to like of what we've seen
18:18 from that potential fourth line so far.
18:20 - Yeah, that line kind of is very interesting to me
18:25 because as you said, you know,
18:26 Lucic obviously is the slowest of those three,
18:29 but I just think that the physicality he brings, you know,
18:32 if he's the first guy on the puck, you know,
18:35 on the four check, he's not fast,
18:39 but he's hard, he hits freaking hard.
18:41 And I think it kind of puts the fear in defenders
18:43 that if Lauco and Bichir can be in the right spots
18:45 to either intercept those passes
18:47 or to kind of close on the guy
18:48 that that first defender back is passing to.
18:51 I think you had something there.
18:53 I think Bichir's speed and Lauco's speed
18:55 and Lauco's ability to affect the game,
18:56 whether it be drawing penalties or things like that.
18:59 I think that's an interesting fourth line.
19:00 You know what, Connor, you know what I like about it?
19:02 There's two young guys on it.
19:03 You're getting the young guy mixed with the vet.
19:06 And I think that that is something that
19:08 is an interesting thing for this team to go.
19:10 Again, it's day two of,
19:11 well, you're listening on day three,
19:14 but we've been through two days of training camp.
19:16 Lots could change here.
19:17 I mean, also like another guy, again,
19:19 I was only there on Friday.
19:21 So I just saw it Friday,
19:22 but a guy like Danton Heinen, interesting.
19:26 Playing with the Dabrowski and Merkulov,
19:28 Montgomery said after Friday,
19:30 they were the best line there.
19:32 I thought Merkulov was a little bit behind Heinen
19:35 and Dabrowski felt that he isn't quite at the level,
19:37 which is why I think Merkulov, again,
19:39 barring he's great in preseason games,
19:41 which could be the case just off of what I saw in practice,
19:44 probably be the worst thing in the world
19:45 for him to get some more seasoning down in Providence.
19:47 We've said this a bunch and it's fine.
19:48 It's not like a slight against him.
19:50 I still think he's there yet.
19:52 But Heinen's an interesting one
19:55 'cause Heinen's a guy that,
19:57 seems like a Montgomery guy from Denver.
20:01 I had success with this franchise before,
20:03 obviously drafted here and everything like that.
20:06 That's an intriguing piece to,
20:09 again, if that's the fourth line,
20:11 let's just say, Lucic, Bichir, Lauko.
20:13 Heinen's an interesting piece there on that third line.
20:15 Again, long way to go,
20:17 but that feels like a guy who kind of could have the in.
20:20 I also noticed the Bruins just posted on Friday afternoon,
20:24 Twitter video saying like,
20:27 oh, more content from photo day.
20:31 And Heinen was in those photos.
20:33 I don't think I saw like Chayison or any of the bubble guys.
20:37 Heinen was in a shot of it.
20:39 So I'm curious, I mean, what do you feel on him?
20:42 What's your takeaways through two days on him?
20:44 - Yeah, I mean, I think when you look at that third line,
20:47 you can look at the fourth line,
20:48 main line has Lucic,
20:49 I think you kind of know what to expect.
20:51 But if that third line is someone you're grouping,
20:53 you're looking to be more of a defensive stopper.
20:56 Again, that's kind of a new role for Geeky,
20:57 but you expect just with him playing
21:00 13, 14 minutes a night,
21:03 it's pretty much four minutes more
21:04 than he was playing with Seattle.
21:05 He could really be a guy that could evolve
21:07 into a very steady three C,
21:09 but you look at Frederick and, you know,
21:11 they expect more out of him,
21:12 but he was also a sneaky,
21:13 good defensive forward last year as well.
21:17 Put a guy like Heinen who obviously knows the system,
21:19 knows Jim Montgomery.
21:20 Again, Heinen's kind of a divisive player,
21:23 but I think where his value is,
21:25 is he's a really solid two way guy, really versatile guy.
21:29 If you're trying to augment that third line
21:30 into more of a responsible kind of do it all line,
21:35 making putting a guy like Heinen in there
21:36 with Frederick or Geeky,
21:38 those make plenty of sense,
21:39 especially if you want to maybe change that fourth line
21:42 from being a group that gets a lot of D zone starts
21:45 to alignment as your spark plug line, more or less, right?
21:48 Like you get over the boards to make things happen.
21:51 - Happen.
21:52 - Not happy for, yeah.
21:53 Not making things happen for the opposition, that's for sure.
21:55 But I think that's something
21:57 where you look at the third line,
21:59 if they can be more of your shutdown grouping
22:01 with maybe even how they change the coil line around,
22:05 if he's more of a two way guy up with Dabrowski and Marchand,
22:10 there's a lot you can do in terms of how you want
22:12 to change the different roles on this grouping,
22:14 including making the fourth line very happy.
22:16 - The happy and the people pleaser line.
22:17 That's the other, making people happy.
22:19 - That's what we'll call it.
22:20 That's what we'll call it.
22:20 - The people pleaser line, yes.
22:23 Which is great.
22:24 But yeah, Heinen's an interesting one.
22:26 'Cause I think that's a Montgomery guy,
22:28 clearly likes him.
22:30 Looked good on Friday.
22:31 Again, we'll see what happens.
22:32 I think the big test, obviously,
22:33 Sunday Montgomery said no more than eight veterans
22:36 are gonna be on the lineup for that Sunday game,
22:38 which makes sense.
22:39 It's gonna be kind of a development game for sure.
22:42 Which makes it more interesting.
22:43 I'm sorry, in training camp,
22:45 the Dabrowski's, the Marchand's, the Pasternak's,
22:48 the Lindholm's, McElmoy's, I don't care.
22:50 You know they're making the team.
22:51 Training camp is fun to say.
22:52 - Really? Yeah.
22:53 - Hot take, break it.
22:55 You can source me on that.
22:58 But I think it, you know,
22:59 I, and I think most people find training camp
23:02 more interesting with the Lysels of the world,
23:04 the low rise, the Heinen's,
23:07 sort of those bubble guys and those, those prospects.
23:10 So speaking of prospects,
23:11 Poitras playing on a line with David Pasternak.
23:14 Has a lot of people excited.
23:15 I know he had a good day on Thursday.
23:17 Had a solid day Friday again.
23:20 You know, I think it kind of hits it like,
23:22 he's gonna have a good training camp,
23:24 but I don't know if there's,
23:27 I don't think now's the time.
23:28 You know, I think it's good for,
23:29 that he has a really good training camp,
23:30 but now probably isn't the time so far
23:33 for him to be kind of up in Boston.
23:35 - Yeah. I think it's, you know,
23:38 Montgomery did the same thing last year,
23:40 where I think he, as you said,
23:41 Lysel had a few shifts or a few practices
23:44 with Marchand and Bergeron,
23:46 where I think it's, you know,
23:47 you have some of these maybe prospects
23:50 that have a little bit of a higher ceiling,
23:51 especially offensively.
23:52 Of course it makes sense to kind of throw them a bone,
23:55 get them, you know,
23:56 generate some momentum early on with some high end talent.
23:59 If you're a guy like Poitras, who's 19 years old,
24:03 first legitimate camp, you know, a little nervous,
24:05 good way to kind of ease that,
24:07 that those worries or get those butterflies out is,
24:10 you know, feeding a guy like Pasternak for a one time
24:12 and get your confidence going.
24:13 So it makes plenty of sense as to why guys like him
24:17 or Lysel are starting off, you know,
24:19 in these featured roles, then we'll see, right?
24:21 Like, I'm sure that Poitras is gonna get a few reps
24:24 or maybe a preseason game or two
24:26 with a more high end player and two you can generate there.
24:29 Like, again, I don't think they wanna bring up Poitras
24:32 and think he's right just 'cause they're gonna staple him
24:33 next to Pasternak for the whole year or anything like that.
24:36 But yeah, it's a good way to, so far he's looked good.
24:40 Like he's, again, gotta put on more weight.
24:43 He's what, I think 175,
24:45 but I think the same things we saw at Dev Camp
24:48 still stick out here.
24:49 Really good passer, really aware of, you know,
24:52 where to, you know, attack the puck
24:54 when it comes to winning battles along the boards.
24:57 You know, again, not the most physical guy,
24:59 but knows how to evade players,
25:02 can kind of create space for himself
25:03 off of just, you know, shielding the puck,
25:05 positioning wise, like just a really sound,
25:08 solid player for a guy his age
25:10 and that should only continue to grow.
25:12 Again, I'm not setting any high expectations.
25:14 I think for Bruinsveld, you should just be excited
25:17 that you have a potential promising prospect down the middle
25:20 that even if he goes to the OHL,
25:22 is probably gonna light it up this year
25:24 in terms of what he did last year.
25:27 But we'll see, like again,
25:29 if he goes into a preseason game and looks pretty solid,
25:33 but you know, still seems overmatched,
25:37 of course, like that shouldn't surprise anyone.
25:39 Check back with us on like Monday,
25:41 if all of a sudden he has four assists
25:43 on Sunday or something like that
25:45 and looks like he belongs.
25:46 Then you start having those legitimate conversations,
25:49 but I think it's good and it's fair,
25:51 especially to a player like him,
25:53 who's got a long career ahead of him to see how he does.
25:56 This is his first camp, ease him into it,
25:58 give him a few high-powered weapons early on
26:00 and see kind of what he makes of it.
26:02 - There's no rush.
26:03 There's no rush.
26:05 And I also think you don't wanna relegate him to,
26:08 not relegate, but you don't wanna put him playing
26:11 with guys who are on the third and fourth lines.
26:13 You would ideally, kind of the way they have Lysel
26:16 with these higher end players,
26:18 because he projects to be a higher end player.
26:21 There are lots of prospects like your McLaughlins,
26:24 your Beachers, you wanna throw Merkuloff in there,
26:28 Lauko, who probably will make an impact
26:32 at the NHL level in the bottom six.
26:35 That'll probably be their thing,
26:36 unless Merkuloff kind of finds his way defensively.
26:39 But again, you don't want to put Poitras down there yet.
26:43 You want him to sort of have that top six identity
26:46 because he is a top six player.
26:48 So encouraging stuff so far, it's only been two days.
26:51 It's a long way to go, long way to go,
26:54 before we get to the regular season.
26:55 But again, I think the big takeaway,
26:57 and we'll kind of discuss this probably a ton
26:59 on Bruins beat on Monday,
27:01 is that preseason game on Sunday against the Caps.
27:04 'Cause that shows everything.
27:07 And I think you'll get the most out of that.
27:09 And hopefully the happy line is just going crazy.
27:13 That's what we need.
27:15 - That's everyone just sharing the entire, I mean,
27:17 listen, I go to the regular season,
27:18 and Luchich is out there,
27:19 there's gonna be a lot of very happy people in the crowd.
27:21 - Yes, yes.
27:22 Oh my God.
27:23 - I feel like Luchich is the one guy who,
27:24 even if like, let's say, struggles early on,
27:27 what have you, people are still gonna be like,
27:29 "Yeah, it didn't look that great,
27:30 but good to have him back."
27:32 - Yeah.
27:32 - You know, that's how it's gonna be, so.
27:35 - Lunch pail Luch.
27:36 Yeah, I've said it, like I had a friend say to me,
27:39 I think I've said it on this podcast,
27:40 like, "I don't care if Luchich is the worst player
27:41 in the NHL, I'm glad he's a Bruin again."
27:44 Like, it's just nature's healing type thing.
27:47 And it felt good to even see him just out there as a Bruin.
27:49 It's like, "Oh my God."
27:50 Like, you know, just a Bruin and good for him.
27:54 Should be interesting to see how he plays out this year.
27:55 And again, if he can mentor guys like Beecher, Lauko,
27:59 some of these younger guys along the way,
28:02 I think it's a great thing all around.
28:04 But Connor, what can people look forward to from you
28:08 over at boston.com and the Boston Globe?
28:10 - Yeah, we're gonna be covered again now
28:12 out training camp, whether it's observations,
28:15 camp takeaways, roster battles, all that stuff,
28:17 obviously we'll be over at the Garden on Sunday.
28:21 We'll be back at it for that.
28:23 Looking at younger players, guys who pop in those roles,
28:26 all that stuff as we get, as we brace ourselves
28:29 for season open on October 11th.
28:31 So can't wait to get started.
28:33 And again, every day we'll have some Bruins content
28:34 out there over at boston.com.
28:36 So please read our stuff there.
28:38 And if you wanna follow me on Twitter,
28:39 you can @ConnorRyan_93.
28:42 - And that game is on Nesson Plus.
28:43 It is not on Nesson. - Yes.
28:45 - Just so people-- - Gotta get those,
28:48 gotta shoo those Red Sox out of here first.
28:50 So a little bit longer. - Yeah, yeah.
28:53 Hopefully they're out of here,
28:54 well, they will be out of here as soon as they possibly can.
28:57 They will not be playing October baseball.
28:59 But anyways, that's Connor Ryan.
29:01 I'm Evan Marinovsky, presented by FanDuel.
29:03 You poke the bear listeners.
29:04 Have a great rest of your week.
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