In this episode of Pucks with Haggs, Joe Haggerty is joined by Steve Conroy from the Boston Herald and Kevin Paul DuPont of the Boston Globe. These seasoned Bruins Beat experts delve into whether Matt Poitras, Mason Lohrei, and Johnny Beecher will secure spots on the Bruins' NHL roster.
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SportsTranscript
00:00 I think, Steve, you were saying that Razor was making the Berge comparison.
00:05 I'll go farther back, just because I'm the old bastard here.
00:10 He reminds me of Barry Peterson.
00:14 I knew you were going to say that. He does a little bit.
00:18 Same, yeah. I mean, they should only be so lucky.
00:20 Barry, in his first three years, averaged over 100 points.
00:25 Just find him a Rick Middleton to play with.
00:28 Or 1980 Stiles defense, too.
00:33 Puck not being contested every foot of the ice.
00:37 Goalies that don't all look like Michelin men and have normal pads.
00:41 Pucks with Hags is brought to you by FanDuel, the exclusive wedgering partner of the CLNS media network.
00:47 Welcome to another edition of the Pucks with Hags podcast.
00:51 I believe this is the 31st episode of the Pucks with Hags podcast.
00:54 As always, I'm your host, Joe Hagerty. You can check out my work at joehagerty.substack.com.
01:00 Join up with a premium membership. You get all of my articles sent right into your inbox.
01:04 Today we've got the Boston Herald's Steve Conroy and the Boston Globe's Kevin Paul Dupont.
01:09 A couple of long-time beat writers with me that go way, way back to the beginning of Patrice Bergeron's career with the Bruins.
01:15 And before that, before we get to them, though, just real quickly, I want to thank our sponsors, FanDuel Sportsbook, as always.
01:22 $200 in bonus bets guaranteed when you place a $5 bet. Go to fanduel.com/boston.
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01:49 Now, Steve Conroy, Kevin Paul Dupont, thank you for coming on the show.
01:53 Just your thoughts about what we've seen now to this point in training camp now that the preseason schedule is over.
02:03 Well, I'm going to go first. Sure, go for it.
02:06 Yeah, standard protocol. Jump in.
02:10 Up until last night, I was getting pretty concerned.
02:13 Okay, that's enough.
02:17 They hadn't shown much, you know, getting badly outshot in every game.
02:22 They were outshot last night, too.
02:24 But, you know, they were outshot 7-0-1 in the first period, but I didn't think that was really indicative of the play.
02:30 I thought they were created more last night.
02:33 We got our first look at that coil line with Marshan in Dubrask.
02:38 I thought it was pretty good. I think there's something there.
02:42 And, of course, the Patras kid is the story of training camp.
02:49 He's even getting comparisons.
02:52 I saw Andrew Ray Krupp compared in some ways to Patrice Bergeron last night.
02:57 And that's kind of quite a comparison.
03:03 But I can see it as well.
03:06 And one thing, Patrice was a year younger than Archer, but on the other hand, Patrice didn't have to play center when he came up.
03:14 He started on the wing, third line wing.
03:17 So he was able to be just kind of groomed for that position in his first couple of years with the Bruins.
03:26 But this kid's going to have quite a bit on his plate.
03:31 Yeah, Patrice Bergeron, the year he played in the NHL from beginning to end, was the youngest player in the NHL.
03:37 And there is like something to be said about that being above and beyond as far as an accomplishment goes.
03:42 But the circumstances, you're absolutely right about, you know, just continuing to play well and continuing to surprise people and then just lasting longer and longer until he makes it to the very end is very similar to what Bergeron and his voyage was in training camp.
03:57 I was encouraged to, as you mentioned, that that top line, but also Charlie Coyle in the bumper and scoring a goal, them getting the power play goal.
04:05 I liked what I saw out of the Bruins power play, getting some production.
04:09 They still look sloppy at times and a little disorganized.
04:13 And I'm still not sold on Charlie McAvoy as a point guy on a top power play unit, even after all these years.
04:19 But at least they got some production, which is a good place to start.
04:22 And they just got some practice with a few reps on that top power play unit.
04:25 Doops, your thoughts on the preseason as a whole now that we've seen all the games?
04:30 Yeah, I like all your points.
04:33 You know, preseason or camp, the 10 or 12 or 14 days that we watch it, you only do get sort of these little flair looks at guys.
04:43 There's no there's really no at the end of it saying, well, here's the comprehensive picture, especially now.
04:50 I mean, in years past, because of Crutchie and Bergeron, the established order, we really knew what the template was.
04:57 And it was just kind of how, you know, how are they are they coming back from surgeries or are they going to be completely healthy?
05:04 But we knew. So there's there's that sort of aspect of wonderment to this camp that I've that I've really enjoyed.
05:10 And it's amplified greatly by by Poitras, who now I'm using Montgomery's pronunciation.
05:19 So I'll never get it right. And, you know, just just having a kid and having that, you know, that's that's kind of what we live for here is the new season and new talents.
05:32 I like Laura just as much because, you know, he's got the reach, he's got stride and he's got what, frankly, Charlie doesn't, which is shot ready attitude.
05:43 And not only shot ready, but and maybe it's maybe it's hubris, maybe it's just stupidity or naivete, if you will.
05:54 But he's he has it and he's using it, not in large number.
05:59 But you can see when it's coming to me, he wants to he wants to let it rip.
06:03 So I like that. And also in that vein, I brought this up last night in one of the interviews with actually Charlie Coyle.
06:12 So often we see kids come up and they're deferential to their to the elder statesman, if you will.
06:19 They have those talents. They don't use them, use them, right. Use them. And that's that's really that's that's fun.
06:25 So there's it's an interesting camp. I, you know, I I'm going to come.
06:30 I suppose this is another chapter of this podcast. But how do I feel about them as a team?
06:36 And frankly, I feel this is ridiculous in hindsight, but I feel like I did just one year ago is they'll be in that eight nine mix for the wildcard,
06:46 which is exactly what I was saying a year ago and they blew the thing apart. So shows you what my optimism and we will get back to this a little later on.
06:55 Great segue there, Dupes, to sneak previewed a little later on the show.
06:58 My channel. Yes, yes. That's off to you, my friend.
07:04 I, I am a little more optimistic now about this team after watching Patra and Lowry and the way they performed in this camp for sure.
07:11 And even, you know, to a lesser degree, we're going to go down the list with a bunch of these guys to Johnny Beecher, too.
07:15 I thought I'd had a very strong camp and has looked good and looks like he could be a very viable fourth line center candidate for this team.
07:23 But to your point about Lowry, he even looks a little more polished just offensively than Charlie McAvoy as far as,
07:31 you know, running a high point on a power play, even just, you know, having the puck and handling it and passing it both ways, being ready to shoot, sort of being, you know, a triple quadruple threat,
07:40 whatever you want to call it with the puck when he has it in those positions.
07:43 I felt like watching the power play almost the puck moved and functioned better as a power play when he was out there running the point best of all those defensemen
07:52 when they were out there. So that's going to be really interesting to watch.
07:56 There's definitely some things he has to work on. And I think he's going to do he's the one I think that is definitely going to go to Providence for a month or two and finish out all that stuff before, you know, they potentially bring him back.
08:07 I think that makes the most sense, given all the defensemen that they have under NHL contracts.
08:12 But let's go right to the players and we'll go one by one. We've talked about Patra a little bit.
08:18 Three goals, five points and five preseason games. Darren Peng, I thought, said it best last night on the TNT broadcast.
08:25 After he scored the goal, he basically said it looks like he belongs here. And, you know, that was an NHL player saying, a former NHL player saying this kid looks like he belongs with the best, you know, fits, should be there.
08:37 And by all rights, I feel the same exact way. It would be a disservice, I think, to the team and to him if he at least doesn't get the nine games that he's afforded going into the regular season.
08:47 And then they can make that decision when the 10th game comes up, if he's a permanent member or going back to the OHL.
08:52 But, Doops, your thoughts on his chances of making the team? Do you think he's already stamped? That's it, done deal? Do you think there's still more consideration there?
09:01 This is Patra now, yes? Yes. Yeah. Yeah, I think, you know, I was asking Montgomery Postgame about it, and it's really impossible to deny him a chance now for at least the nine games, right?
09:15 Yep. This whole discussion would be framed differently, guys, if it weren't for the salary cap and the guys under contract and the 23-man max on the limit.
09:25 Because, you know, you could make a case for them keeping 25, 26, 27, and you can't.
09:32 So I think there are other shoes to fall here in the next 48, 72 hours that is going to define this for us.
09:39 I think you're going to see guys on waivers, whether they get picked up, whether that's Greer, whether that's Zabor, Zabor would get picked up for sure.
09:48 So I think that's a safeguard there for him. But yes, I think, you know, absolutely.
09:55 And I think, Steve, you were saying that Razor was making the Berge comparison.
10:01 Yeah, I'll go farther back just because I'm the old bastard here.
10:06 He reminds me of Barry Peterson. I knew you were going to say that.
10:12 He does a little bit.
10:14 Same. Yeah. I mean, they should only be so lucky. Barry in his first three years averaged over 100 points.
10:21 Just find him a Rick Middleton to play with.
10:25 Or 1980 Stiles defense, too. Right?
10:30 Yeah, right.
10:31 The puck not being contested every foot of the ice.
10:34 Goalies that don't all look like Michelin men and have normal pads.
10:38 Right. So, and again, he is because he's the eye candy and he's getting the points and he is he plays at least so far cerebral.
10:49 Well, we haven't seen him consistently. And this this will be the ultimate test.
10:54 Not not that every team's got that six four horse in the middle anymore.
10:58 You know, if we go back to the Jason Arnot days or something, but will he be able to withstand real pressure of big guys night after night?
11:08 And, you know, my knee jerk reaction to that is no.
11:12 That said, we had the same concerns about Bergeron.
11:16 Steve's point starts over on the wing. So that kind of eases it here.
11:21 I the only thing I would caution here and I'll throw it back to you guys is there's there's this growing mentality that if he's here, then he's here to be the pivot for the number one or two line that I don't see.
11:34 Just again, I think that that's that's kind of leapfrogging to a place that he wouldn't be ready.
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12:23 Yeah, and I believe that that's why we saw him with Morgan Geeky and Trent Frederick last night, because that's probably what we would see to start the regular season is him on a third line.
12:33 Steve, do you think there's any downside whatsoever to at least having the nine games to look at him before you make a decision?
12:40 I feel like that's a no brainer, like they almost have to do that.
12:43 And I I'd asked Jim Montgomery about a few days ago and he just basically was very positive about that and said it just gives us an extended training camp to continue to, you know, a preseason to continue to look at him and and see if he can keep up pace for the nine games.
12:56 Yeah, at this point, it's it's a no brainer to keep him from the nine games.
13:00 I mean, you don't have to make a decision on him from the first couple of weeks of the season.
13:05 So you don't make that decision yet. But I think he's going to be here long term.
13:10 I just don't see a better a better solution there. Maybe, you know, when the live bullets start flying, it's going to change.
13:19 But I think he's even though he's small, he seems to be able to to slip off of hits and, you know, work work his way along the boards to win pucks.
13:30 I think he's going to be fine physically because he doesn't play a physical game.
13:34 You know, he can withstand his game as much like Bergeron's physical game.
13:40 You know, he, you know, is able to able to get into the boards, you know, and dig the puck out somehow, some way he does it.
13:48 So I think he'll stick. And I was glad to see him able to pretty much succeed with that line with Geeky and Frederick, because Kevin, I believe you're right that it's just too much to ask right now to put him on one of the top two lines.
14:04 It's also would be a kind of a kick in the pants for for a coil or a soccer who've been, you know, kind of waiting for this opportunity.
14:11 And he's. He'll he'll get his chance, you know, if he's going in a game, he'll get his chance to play with one of those guys.
14:23 Yeah. Like Pasta or or or Marsh and or whoever it may be.
14:29 And it sets up for if he continues to play as he's playing now and he is the guy in the regular season that he's been in the preseason and I'm talking about Patra that he eventually a few months down the road may end up with Marsh and anyway.
14:44 And you can slide coil at that point down back to where I feel like his more natural spot is, you know, maybe a third line center position and it sort of brings you back to the depth, some of the depth that you had last year.
14:57 If all those things go right. Obviously, you're going to have to see months, I think, before he's given the car keys to the black and gold sports car and, you know, allowed to be a top six center and and play with Marsh and every night, but at least gives you a skilled option to play in that top six center spot.
15:13 If you're not getting enough offense and, you know, coil or Zach, whichever one can't be more of a line driver and like people have told me that Marsh and really likes Patra and I think that's a great sign to if the captain and one of the veterans in the in the older guys respect the kid think he can play and want him on the team just as much as management, the coaches, everybody else does.
15:32 And I think that's an important aspect of it too. You know for me watching him he actually like is feels like kind of a hybrid of version and crazy to me where he definitely wins battles even though he's not the biggest guy like version doesn't he's not afraid to go into the danger areas to get the puck, but he has the IQ the playmaking, you know, some of the things the vision, some of the things that crazy has and had.
15:56 He seems to have to pull in the park back and finding a guy in the middle of the ice the trailer coming down some of those classic playmaking passing plays are just, you know, that's very crazy like to me and and if he can bring a little of those elements to the center spot like they're in way better shape in the middle of the ice at the center position that I thought they were going to be going into this year, if he can continue to maintain what he's doing the real question is, at his build at his strength level is he going to be able to you know do that for at two games but like when they played him in the
16:24 back to back with the travel and he ended up like digging deep in the third period making a play in that game that you know kind of showed me something. Yeah, yeah. And it'll help them to if, if that is in fact the line he plays with with geeky and Frederick to get you know pretty physical guys with good size.
16:42 I think, and they look pretty good last night I hadn't seen a whole lot from geeky up until last night but I thought he played very well. I thought he made a terrific play on the empty net goal. Absolutely. We haven't even talked about. We haven't talked about Frederick here I thought Frederick had a very good. Yeah, it was good.
17:00 And he integrated well with them and you know, another guy who, who technically is a center, and they haven't used them there but we used them there very sporadically, but, you know, I think that ship has sailed.
17:14 Yeah, but again, some of that and I you know no one more guilty of this than me that you get it in your head what a guy is or isn't. And then, I don't know, you know what, if we, if we done that with Brad Marsh and and said, you know, we all had them third or fourth line when he
17:34 came up and look, look what he came into coil last night gets a power play goal and started to look more comfortable in that role we've never seen him in that role. So I think, you know, it's worth giving guys some rope.
17:48 I would agree right now about Frederick but last night. He did show puck skill that I haven't seen. Yeah, Steve I think you tweeted last night that Frederick was playing like he wants to play with Patra on his line during the regular season.
18:01 I thought that was a good point and a good observation because I thought the same exact thing like he his level of play definitely went up and I think you'll, the kind of player that Patra is where he passes the puck he sets guys up to score like I think you're
18:13 going to see a lot of players they're going to want to play with him just given his style of play and the way he plays on the ice if he can continue to maintain it.
18:20 Let's move on to the next one. Mason low rye. We've talked about him a little bit as well. You know, I've been really impressed. He looks like a really solid puck moving defenseman he looks like a guy that's very comfortable running the point of the power
18:34 play I think the offensive skills are very much they're passing and shooting, you know the questions to me are more sort of defensive zone stuff and the D zone part of the defenseman position that I think he needs maybe to continue to work on for another
18:49 year or two down in Providence, even though you know I didn't see any glaring weaknesses when he was up here in the preseason games playing as well but your thoughts on low rye, and where his trajectory might be for this, at least first few months of the season
19:01 Steve.
19:04 In a perfect world. I think you would send him down to Providence for a couple of months, let him try a few things see what he can get away with see what he can't get away with.
19:13 On the other hand, they might be a better team with him in the lineup right now. Yeah, without him.
19:22 Question is where does he fit, he probably fits with with where he was last night with Carlo, who comes out. Well that's the thing I feel you're going to have to I think make a trade.
19:34 I would guess if you're going to keep them here to start the season right because yeah somebody's gonna be pissed off that they're, they're not playing or their role has been severely reduced, you know, well I'm not space wise I think you're going to have to make the move.
19:47 You may have to, you may have to but you know, putting the money aside I think my, you know, my point of view, the, the best lineup they would have was to would be to have Lindholm play with play with McAvoy, low rye, low rye with with Carlo, and I'd keep
20:06 forward and put grizzly on his right side. Yep.
20:31 I would say, you know, if you're going to keep them here to start the season or if you think, you know, for me I'd send them to province even if it would make you the better team out of the gate, I would let them play there for a month or two.
20:41 And I would just, you know, kick the can down the road a little bit of having to make that decision on your roster and who's going to play who's not because I feel like when low rise eventually a permanent member of this defenseman unit that frees
20:54 up the space to trade one of the other defenseman for some salary cap space that you desperately need and, you know, maybe some of the assets that you've traded away in recent years, get back a draft pick get back a prospect something like that, you know, whether it's
21:07 whether it's grizzly that you're trading for whoever it is, you may be able to get some value back and to your point Steve maybe get a better player in the lineup that improves your team when low right comes up permanently.
21:19 >> Yeah, I was going through the pairings there and I was agreeing with them and I was saying you know something this is this is spelling grizzly state because yeah, because of his salary because of his size.
21:31 We know Montgomery isn't big on small, you know he had that dissertation last year about, well, you can win a cup with one of these guy what one small guy back there.
21:41 So, you know, I took that as the voice of authority so yeah, although a different position. So, on a personal level I would not like to see it because I like grizzly it's Boston.
21:55 >> Yeah, but this is a team with no cap money. I think they could get a second round pick for grizzly for one of these cap bottom feeders Anaheim being one, maybe Chicago, Chicago's got a lot of dough to so teams with money.
22:15 He does have game he's a he's a good team guy all of that, whose game excites me more Laura, no question.
22:36 And I think he's a good team guy, you know, I mean, I think he's a good team guy, you know, he's a good team guy, but I think he's a good team guy, because he's a guy that's a good player.
23:01 Two blinks later and he was over there in one blink, right?
23:05 So that's really impressive to me,
23:07 that spatial awareness, get to it,
23:10 be ready for where the puck isn't in the moment.
23:13 So the other, I'm not trying to make a case here
23:18 for Grizzlik, but what I see happening here is
23:21 they don't have the cap space.
23:22 Sweeney loves to go into the season with,
23:25 you know, two or three million in his pocket
23:27 for when the trade deadline comes.
23:29 Maybe the better play on Grizzlik would be in February,
23:33 but I think for all these variables we're talking about,
23:36 you know, numbers of candidates they've got, all of that,
23:39 I think he's really vulnerable at the moment.
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25:01 Yeah, and you know, it could play out like a situation
25:06 like when Johnny Boychuck got traded.
25:09 That was right before the season started,
25:10 right towards the end of training camp.
25:12 They made a move because they had too many defensemen,
25:15 not enough spots, and they recouped a couple
25:17 of second round picks when they traded him.
25:19 And I think your point about the size is bang on.
25:23 And one of the most important parts of the whole equation,
25:25 because if you look, and the Bruins know this,
25:28 the teams that they've been losing to in the playoffs
25:30 recently, across the board, their defenseman units
25:33 for the other teams are six foot two, 210 pounds.
25:36 Just everybody, they're all well over six feet.
25:39 They're all over 200 pounds.
25:40 They're all big defensemen that are pushing forwards away
25:42 from the front of the net and keeping them out.
25:45 And you don't have that when you have a Grizzlik
25:49 on your back end as much, and I'm the same as you.
25:51 I love Matt Grizzlik.
25:53 I know and appreciate and respect his whole family.
25:56 He's definitely good game.
25:57 I thought they missed him when he wasn't in the lineup
25:59 against Florida last year, his puck moving abilities
26:01 against that four check that Florida was throwing at them.
26:04 And I definitely think he's gonna be able
26:06 to help another team.
26:07 And part of the reason you trade him
26:08 is because he does have value.
26:10 He has value to other teams around the league.
26:12 There's no question about it.
26:14 I just see Lowry as an upgrade in terms of size
26:17 and maybe even skill to a degree.
26:20 Let's move on to the next one, Johnny Beecher.
26:23 I feel like if the Bruins went into the season
26:26 with Johnny Beecher centering Jacob Lauko
26:29 and Milan Lucic, I think that would be
26:31 a really effective fourth line,
26:33 and I'd be totally comfortable with that.
26:35 Just your thoughts, Dupes, on Beecher's camp
26:37 and if you think he makes the team out of camp.
26:39 - I'm less excited.
26:42 The three players we've discussed him being the third now,
26:45 I'm less excited.
26:46 You know, I know he's got the speed, he's got size,
26:50 he's got legs, all of it good.
26:53 I'd like to see more assertiveness.
26:55 You know, and I say that about a lot of guys,
26:59 but for where he is and how I would cast him forward
27:04 immediately, I'd just like to see more of that sort of jam
27:08 and nastiness, if that exists.
27:10 I don't know if it even exists anymore.
27:12 So I'm not saying he's just another guy.
27:15 He's a good prospect.
27:16 And I'm sure the three of us has kicked the stuffing
27:20 out of them here over some bad drafts and everything,
27:23 but he looks like he can be a player.
27:25 I don't know if he's gonna be a top six player.
27:28 And if you're gonna be in that bottom six or middle six,
27:33 I'd like to see more of that physical awareness attribute.
27:38 He's got the size.
27:39 I haven't seen the nature yet.
27:42 - And maybe playing with Luchich in a fourth line
27:44 kind of role brings even more of that out of him.
27:46 I know when you talked to Ryan Mugenel
27:47 and some of the Providence Bruins coaches,
27:49 they said that Beecher kind of made
27:52 that transformation last year in his pro year
27:54 from being a guy that was a first round pick
27:57 coming from a big time college program like Michigan
27:59 and sort of having the airs about him
28:01 of how he was gonna play to realizing he's probably,
28:05 similar to a guy like Brian Boyle,
28:07 he's gonna have to play a details game,
28:09 a bottom six game, play more physical,
28:11 do more of the detail oriented games,
28:13 killing penalties, winning face-offs,
28:15 all that stuff, being physical.
28:16 If he wanted to actually be an NHL player,
28:18 he wasn't gonna be a top six NHL player
28:21 that's gonna be scoring goals and getting all the glory.
28:24 Steve, do you think Beecher has a chance
28:26 to make this team out of camp?
28:29 - I think he should.
28:29 I think he's had a good camp.
28:31 If he had a little more touch around the net,
28:35 maybe he could be a top six guy,
28:38 but I just don't think he has that.
28:39 He hasn't shown that at any level.
28:43 But the speed, and I'll use a basketball term,
28:47 the length that he has with the stick
28:50 and the reach and everything,
28:51 he's perfect for a fourth line center.
28:55 He wins face-offs.
28:57 He's been better than what I expected.
29:00 I had my doubts coming into camp.
29:04 Had my doubts coming into camp,
29:06 but he's done pretty much everything
29:09 that they've asked of him.
29:11 And I think he can be pretty good at it.
29:13 And your comparison to Brian Boyle is bang on.
29:16 Brian Boyle was a first round draft pick.
29:21 He had achieved more up until now that Beecher has.
29:26 He produced more in BC.
29:28 He produced at the AHL level,
29:31 but he just wasn't that top six guy in the NHL level.
29:36 So what Beecher's gotta do, he's gotta embrace this role,
29:41 do everything that's asked of him.
29:43 And so in preseason, he's done that.
29:46 - Yeah, and I see the other candidate,
29:48 nobody is really, of the other fourth line center candidates
29:52 that I've watched, nobody has really jumped out at me
29:54 as seizing that job, whether it's Patrick Brown,
29:58 Mark McLaughlin had a really quiet camp.
30:00 I was kind of surprised by that.
30:01 I thought now would be his time to really step.
30:04 And I know they were playing more on the wing than center,
30:07 but if he was gonna grab an NHL spot,
30:09 I felt like this might be the year
30:11 where he was gonna have to do it.
30:12 And his camp, as compared to Beecher
30:14 and some of the other players,
30:15 just, I didn't think he stood out enough to me.
30:17 And it might be by virtue of,
30:19 I don't know if I saw anybody else that jumped out at me
30:22 as like, that's the guy that's gonna grab
30:23 the fourth line center spot.
30:25 - Yeah, I was surprised last year
30:27 when he was the one to get sent down.
30:29 - Yeah, me too. - And they kept low-co.
30:30 They kept low-co and they turned out to be right about that.
30:35 But this year I wasn't surprised when he got sent down.
30:38 And not that he had a really bad camp,
30:40 it was just, he didn't do anything.
30:44 Didn't score, didn't do much.
30:47 - And speaking of not doing anything,
30:48 and we've said a lot of nice things
30:50 about a bunch of young Bruins players
30:51 that are hopefuls for the NHL roster.
30:54 - I think I know where you're going.
30:55 - I'll get to it.
30:56 - Let's flip the coin and talk about Fabian Laissel
31:00 who has really not shown much of anything recently.
31:05 It's been a tough year for him,
31:06 whether it was the World Juniors,
31:08 where he didn't show anything for Team Sweden,
31:10 whether it was development camp
31:12 where he wasn't on the ice to start the camp.
31:14 And when he came on,
31:15 he was not anywhere close to a dominant force
31:18 that I thought he should be
31:20 going into a pretty important professional year for him.
31:22 And once again at this camp,
31:24 both the rookie camp, I guess he was okay,
31:26 but this NHL camp did not see much at all.
31:29 And really the last preseason game I watched him play in,
31:33 he wasn't even like,
31:34 looked like he was trying to make plays with the puck.
31:36 It looked like he was kind of behind the pace of play
31:38 and the speed of play,
31:39 which for a guy that is reputed to play fast,
31:42 just is a warning sign to me
31:43 that his game is not with him right now.
31:46 So thoughts from both of you guys,
31:48 Steve, start first with Fabian Laissel.
31:52 - Yeah, I think we've said this in the press box.
31:55 The most impressive he's been
31:59 was those first two preseason games
32:01 that we saw him two seasons ago.
32:04 He got his nose dirty, went to the net.
32:08 He did everything that his critics said he couldn't do,
32:13 but now he's kind of reverted
32:15 and he looks a little lost out there.
32:17 He was having a pretty good season down in Providence
32:21 when he went to the World Juniors.
32:24 And then he had started off having some bad luck
32:27 being snakebitten at the World Juniors
32:29 and then his play started to deteriorate.
32:31 And he came back from Juniors
32:34 and he never really regained his game.
32:37 And then he got hurt.
32:39 He took a really bad shot, really cheap shot,
32:42 high hit, got concussed,
32:44 and that takes a lot out of you.
32:47 So he's gotta rebuild his game.
32:50 And I don't think it's a slam dunk that he's going to.
32:53 So they've got a lot of work to do with him.
32:57 - Yeah, Dupes, your thoughts on Laissel?
32:59 - Yeah, thus far he sort of gives me the Ryan Donato
33:03 and his Bjork vibes,
33:04 that yeah, really good wheels
33:07 and pedigrees from the draft, all of that.
33:10 But I don't know, at this point,
33:12 I just wonder if it's a processing issue.
33:15 Like as we kind of critique NFL quarterbacks,
33:20 they have this skill package,
33:22 but can they think the game fast enough?
33:25 Right now, there's the question about his size
33:29 and he really does look like a junior high or middle school,
33:32 I guess we say now, middle school body and frame.
33:36 But if you're lightning fast and he is,
33:39 in spurts we see that, you have no way with that.
33:42 But at some point,
33:44 you gotta have something other than that giddy up.
33:47 And that again goes to hockey IQ processing.
33:52 And I think that those elements,
33:54 I haven't seen any really hint of that with him.
33:57 It would be tough to give up on him
34:00 because we know we can put up numbers.
34:01 We've seen that at other levels.
34:04 But right now it does not translate to the game
34:09 we watch night to night for six and seven months.
34:12 - No.
34:13 And then I think there is still some hope for him, obviously.
34:16 Like he was a very young to be in the AHL last year
34:19 and he was doing pretty well to Steve's point
34:21 until he went to World Juniors.
34:23 And between coming back from a bad World Juniors experience
34:26 and the concussion he got,
34:28 it was kind of a double whammy with him where,
34:30 he clearly wasn't the same after that
34:33 for the rest of the season.
34:34 And it affected him into the summer, obviously,
34:36 because the Bruins said he wasn't,
34:38 starting off full board development camp
34:40 because they were sort of bringing him along slowly
34:43 coming back from that concussion.
34:45 So, we'll see, but I just,
34:47 it's very enlightening to me to watch other guys
34:51 like Lowry and Potter really flash
34:54 and show what we're not seeing in Lysel.
34:58 The confidence with the puck,
34:59 the processing, the game to your point,
35:01 Dupes, the skill level,
35:03 all those things that they have that,
35:05 Lysel just was not able to show in this training camp.
35:08 You hope he's able to regain his game
35:11 and find his game down in Providence
35:13 starting the year there.
35:14 And he sort of takes the experience in the right way.
35:17 Just overall, in general,
35:20 expectations, thoughts for the Bruins this season.
35:24 The regular season is gonna start next week,
35:26 should be really fun.
35:27 Conor Bedard covering in Boston,
35:29 that'll be a nationally televised game.
35:31 It should be good hockey theater,
35:33 a great way to start the season
35:34 and a great way to kick off all the centennial stuff
35:37 that the Boston Bruins are gonna be doing.
35:39 I feel like the bones of this team,
35:43 it's still a playoff team.
35:45 The defense all coming back,
35:46 the goaltending coming back,
35:49 they still have elite scores
35:50 and offensive players on the wing
35:52 and David Pasternak, Brad Marshy and guys like that.
35:54 So, I feel like there's enough here for them
35:56 to at the very least be a wildcard team.
35:59 But I think we're also seeing
36:01 some teams in the Atlantic division,
36:02 the typical teams that you kick around
36:06 at the bottom of the division,
36:07 Detroit, Buffalo, Ottawa,
36:09 those kinds of teams are starting to get better
36:11 and are starting to claw towards
36:12 being playoff caliber teams.
36:14 It's gonna be tougher for them.
36:16 But I still see them as a playoff team
36:18 that's not gonna be good enough
36:19 to go on a cup run this year.
36:22 Dupes, your thoughts on the Bruins overall,
36:25 where you think they're gonna fall
36:26 and their place in the Eastern Conference.
36:28 - Yeah, and I think for the current discussion,
36:30 you do have to make just what you were doing, Alex,
36:33 is what are the relative strengths and weaknesses
36:36 of some of these teams?
36:37 Right now, Tampa's gonna be without Vasilevsky
36:40 probably till at least Thanksgiving.
36:42 He's a huge part of that too.
36:43 There's a statement, your number one goaltender
36:46 is a huge part of your team.
36:47 - Yeah, your number one goalie
36:49 that plays like 60 to 65 games too,
36:51 like you ride like a horse every year.
36:53 - So, I don't think they're gonna fall off
36:55 the face of the earth, obviously,
36:57 but they're coming in with one leg in a splint, if you will.
37:01 Jersey, I think, has the potential to be a horse.
37:06 They got a lot of good young forwards.
37:09 They play a very structured, smart game.
37:11 So, they're on the up.
37:13 Ottawa's on the up.
37:14 Detroit should be better.
37:16 I don't think Detroit's gonna get there this year,
37:19 but yes, I bet-
37:20 - I think watch out for Buffalo with Devin Levi
37:23 and all the skilled players.
37:24 Look at you shaking your head, Steve.
37:26 - I'm not shaking my head.
37:28 I'm saying absolutely on Buffalo.
37:30 - Oh, all right.
37:30 I thought you were saying shaking your head.
37:31 - I'm all in on Buffalo.
37:32 I'm all in on Buffalo.
37:34 - Yeah, I think Buffalo's gonna be really,
37:36 really strong this year and much improved
37:38 with the defenseman they have, with Taige Thompson.
37:40 I think they have a legit goalie in the Northeastern kid.
37:44 I think he's the real deal.
37:45 That's a team I think you gotta watch out for
37:48 in the Atlantic division.
37:49 - And they got another kid, the Benson kid.
37:52 - Yes, yeah, the Carney kid.
37:53 - Who's popped.
37:54 - Yes, I loved hearing that story
37:56 about how he comes from a Carney family
37:58 and they traveled all around Canada.
38:01 He would go to hockey camps in all these spots
38:03 and outposts in Canada where the carnival would go to.
38:05 He would go to the hockey camp during the day
38:07 and then he would work like the corn dog stand
38:09 at the family carnival at night all over the place in Canada
38:12 like what's better than that?
38:13 That's a great story.
38:14 - Yeah, so go ahead.
38:19 - Go ahead Kevin.
38:20 - No, and again, just on the Eastern review, if you will,
38:25 they're in flux like a number of them here,
38:31 but what they have more than anything
38:36 is two tremendous goaltenders.
38:39 And you can go along,
38:41 you're in the mix almost automatically with that.
38:44 It allows some of these kids we've talked about
38:46 the chance to grow because not every rush back
38:49 into the opposite end or into your end is death defying.
38:54 So they're intriguing.
38:57 In some ways more intriguing than they were last year
39:00 because going back to the thing,
39:02 we knew what they were.
39:03 We knew exactly what they were last year
39:05 and we weren't that high on them.
39:07 We don't know this year.
39:08 And it's kind of nice to have that introduced again
39:12 to be able to watch guys develop.
39:14 - Yeah, and people will ask me
39:17 how I think the Bruins are gonna be
39:18 when they bump into me or they're talking to me.
39:20 And some will say they think they're gonna be terrible
39:23 or they're gonna go off a cliff this year
39:25 and Dupes you're so right.
39:26 Like I tell them teams that have good goaltending
39:29 will never fall off the cliff and be terrible in the NHL.
39:32 It's just not gonna have the teams that are terrible
39:34 almost always universally are the teams
39:36 that have no goaltending, shaky goaltending.
39:38 But those are the teams that really turn
39:40 into really bad, terrible teams that are lottery picks.
39:43 And I just don't think the Bruins
39:44 are anywhere close to that.
39:45 Steve, your thoughts just on the Bruins
39:47 within the Eastern Conference mix in the Atlantic Division
39:50 and what you expect them to do.
39:52 - Yeah, it's interesting that one of the things
39:54 Monty said to you last night, Kevin,
39:57 their last preseason game against New Jersey last year,
40:00 they looked awful.
40:01 - They smoked.
40:02 - And yeah, yeah.
40:04 And I had forgotten about that totally
40:06 because they had already lost the Jersey in the preseason.
40:12 And I remember going into that final preseason game
40:14 thinking, okay, we better see something here tonight
40:19 or if not, it's gonna be a bad season.
40:21 And they got smoked and then they go and win 65 games.
40:24 So it's really hard to judge off the preseason
40:27 but there are some cracks here, obviously.
40:30 I think they're part of that vast reservoir of teams
40:35 that are maybe in, maybe out.
40:41 I don't wanna say mediocrity, but it's parody.
40:44 I think they get in, but this is not a team
40:50 that can afford an injury, a major injury.
40:53 So to me, everything's gotta go right.
40:58 I see Buffalo on the rise.
41:01 I still see Florida as a good team.
41:03 They have those injuries to start the season.
41:07 And I thought last year,
41:09 the injuries that the Bruins had to start the season
41:13 focused them and made them a better team because of it.
41:16 Because they knew what they were up against
41:19 right off the bat.
41:20 So I think Florida is still a good team.
41:24 Ottawa is gonna be a good team if they can stay healthy,
41:28 you know, if Josh Norris can stay healthy.
41:31 So that's three teams that they're gonna be up against.
41:35 Tampa, I mean, yeah, they're missing Vasilevsky
41:39 and that's a huge deal.
41:41 They've got Stamkos, they've got Kucherov,
41:44 they've still got some good players.
41:45 They've got Hedman, they've got Sergeyev.
41:48 They're still a good team.
41:49 They're gonna be in the mix, they're right with you.
41:53 So I think that, you know,
41:55 I think it's coming down to the last two weeks of the season
41:58 to see if they get into the playoffs, but it'll be fun.
42:01 It'll be fun to see, you know, how Lauri develops.
42:05 It'll be fun to see how Patra develops during the season
42:08 if he becomes more than what he is now,
42:10 which is, you know, probably a third line center.
42:13 So it'll be a fun season.
42:15 - Yeah, and I think, you know, at the end of the day,
42:17 I feel like this team will end up being a wild card.
42:19 I definitely think it's gonna be going
42:21 into the last few weeks of the season.
42:22 They're gonna be battling with other teams for the playoffs.
42:24 Should be fun, but it'll be interesting,
42:27 as both of you gents have said,
42:29 that just, there's a lot of unknown about this season
42:32 when for so long, we've kind of known a lot of the cards
42:35 that are gonna be dealt that we're watching
42:37 with this Bruins team when we cover it day to day.
42:39 There's a lot of different factors, different scenarios,
42:42 different combinations going on here
42:43 that it's gonna be a whole new,
42:45 a brand new ball game for us to cover.
42:47 So that's gonna be fun.
42:48 Steve, Dupes, thank you very much for coming today.
42:51 You brought up the respect level of this show
42:54 about 10 notches by both coming on today.
42:57 A long time beat writers with the Boston Bruins.
42:59 Thank you very much.
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43:28 Once again, Dupes, Steve, thank you very much for coming on.
43:31 Thank you everybody for listening.
43:33 We'll see you at the rink.
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