Will the Bruins Sign Blake Wheeler or Kailer Yamamoto? w/ Joe Haggerty | Poke the Bear - video Dailymotion

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Evan Marinofsky is joined by Joe Haggerty of Boston Sports Journal to discuss potential further acquisitions for the Boston Bruins. Veterans like Kailer Yamamoto and Blake Wheeler could be great options for training camp invites. They also cover the future of head coach Jim Montgomery, and how this season could be make or break for him.  0:00 - Intro 4:50 - Bruins' Young Prospects 7:52 - Importance of Camp Invites 9:53 - Potential Veteran Signings 11:58 - Training Camp Invites 14:53 - Michael Penhal's Wedding 19:30 - Life Changes After Marriage 25:00 - Montgomery's Playoff Changes 27:30 - Bruins vs. Panthers 30:04 - Montgomery Deserves Extension 32:44 - Expectations This Year 36:13 - Contract Extension Talk 39:25 - Bruins Prospect Rankings 40:58 - Bruins Drafting Respect   Prize Picks! Get in on the excitement with PrizePicks, America’s No. 1 Fantasy Sports App, where you can turn your hoops knowledge into serious cash. Download the app today and use code CLNS for a first deposit match up to $100! Pick more. Pick less. It’s that Easy! Go to https://PrizePicks.com/CLNS  Gametime! Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. Terms apply. Go to https://gametime.co !  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the #CLNS Media Network’s YouTube channel for Boston #Bruins hockey. CLNS Media is the leading online provider of audio/video coverage for the Boston sports. Get complete inside access to the Bruins at TD Garden, the game day skates at Warrior, and everywhere on the road. CLNS #NHLBruins' credentialed insiders Mike "Trags" Petraglia, Evan Marinofski, Conor Ryan, and Joe "Haggs" Haggerty. Providing instantaneous news and analysis all in real time, as well as full access to complete videos from the players, coaches, ownership and everyone else on Causeway Street.  For the CLNS award winning Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, College hoops, NBA History, go here to featured channels- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiP7KyKodc3OHuN_XhEyPPw?sub_confirmation=1

Transcript

00:00Polk the Bear is brought to you by PricePix and the GameTime app.

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00:19Terms apply.

00:20I'm Evan Maranofsky.

00:21That is Joe Haggerty.

00:22Hags, what is up?

00:23What's up, Evan?

00:24How are you doing, my friend?

00:25I am good.

00:26I am good.

00:27I'm logging in for Connor, who is still on his amazing honeymoon.

00:32Where is he, by the way?

00:33I don't know.

00:34I was trying to click the link to his location and his Instagram bio this morning.

00:39It wouldn't go.

00:40Yeah.

00:41Parts.

00:42It wouldn't pop up.

00:43And I was like, you know, I can I can just text him somewhere for Connor Ryan and his

00:46lovely bride.

00:47Yes.

00:48It's somewhere, you know, with animals.

00:51And I know we I got to say, he posted an Instagram story the day of a beach and he tagged like

00:56Nantaska Beach.

00:57And I didn't look.

00:58I was just a quick look.

00:59And I was like, oh, wow, he's already back.

01:00And I saw the tweet with the Nantaska Beach, the Nantaska Beach photo.

01:06Yeah.

01:07And I was like, oh, this is a really beautiful beach, like in wherever, you know, Tanzania

01:11or wherever the hell he is.

01:12This is not Nantaska Beach.

01:15But he's having fun.

01:16And we're here.

01:17We're here.

01:18And we're we're holding it down stateside, grinding it out.

01:22We are.

01:23Nose to the grindstone, hard at work in August.

01:27And that's why we're here.

01:28And I want it.

01:29It's there's not a lot of new Bruins news to talk about, but you did write you wrote

01:32something interesting the other day for Boston Sports Journal, basically, you know, wondering

01:37if Arthur Kaliev could be an option for the Bruins this year.

01:40Basically, a little background.

01:41Arthur Kaliev was an RFA for the Kings, has not got a contract yet, produced fairly well

01:49the last the two prior years to this past winter.

01:54This year had a really down year for the Kings, seems to be on the outs over there, 23 years

01:57old.

01:59You kind of mentioned this could maybe be an option for them as sort of like a Danton

02:03Heinen signing, where you sort of get him at his with his value at his absolute lowest.

02:10And maybe he fits in that top six.

02:12Do you think that's the route that they take or should take?

02:16I don't think they're going to take that route just because they're going to have to.

02:21Part of the reason he is going to get traded is because he's an RFA and he hasn't signed

02:24and he's gotten he's put up decent enough numbers where he is going to command, you

02:29know, two to three million dollars, I would think at the least.

02:34So like you're not put it this way, you're not going to trade.

02:36And this is the kind of what I sort of the resolution I came to and what I wrote was

02:44that you're not going to trade for somebody like that until you've signed Jeremy Swayman,

02:48until they get cost certainty with Swayman and they know how much he's going to be there.

02:52They're not going to be spending any of the rest of their cap space, which they don't

02:55have a ton anymore.

02:57After signing all those people on July 1, you know, they're not going to trade for a

03:01guy like Kaliyev and back themselves, paint themselves into a corner where now they have

03:04to start making trades if they want to sign Swayman.

03:08So it would only happen after they get a contract for Swayman.

03:11And I don't know that there's going to be enough pie left to bring in a guy like Kaliyev.

03:17He's been fine with the Kings, but his numbers have declined.

03:23He had his worst NHL season last year.

03:26And to have declining numbers after you were like a scoring dynamo in junior, and he dropped

03:34to the second round too when he was a first round talent.

03:38And I'm not sure why that was.

03:41So there's like some warning signs there of like, maybe you don't want to bring this guy

03:45into the fold too.

03:46Just like the sort of context clues when you look at him as a player.

03:50I haven't really asked a ton about him of people around the league.

03:53But I think just based on some of that stuff, you would say maybe that's not a guy you're

03:57going to cannonball into the pool to try to sign at this point, especially, I think, honestly,

04:04I think at this point, the Bruins have determined they want to look at Fabian Lysell.

04:08They want to look at potentially Merkulov, even though interestingly enough, and one

04:12of my listeners pointed this out, Merkulov, the guy, Mark Allred, I think you might know

04:17him, the black and gold, he does all that stuff.

04:21Really good guy, very knowledgeable guy.

04:23But he pointed out to me and he asked this question on the Pucks with Ags podcast that

04:29Merkulov has never played right wing at all, ever, even for a game.

04:33He's always been, you know, center or left wing.

04:35So are you going to plop him into a right wing spot at the NHL level without a trial

04:40period?

04:41And my response to that was he's going to have a trial period in training camp.

04:44If they need him at right wing and they want to get looks there, the trial period is training

04:48camp.

04:49That's the best trial period you could possibly have if you're trying somebody in a new spot.

04:53And Don Sweeney mentioned by name guys like Lysell, Merkulov, and Riley Duran were the

04:59three names he mentioned when you talked about a wing spot being open or young guys kind

05:04of pushing for NHL gigs.

05:05So I would expect all three of them to be in the mix when they're looking at people

05:09in training camp.

05:11And I think also, you know, you throw bones to Morgan Geeky, Trent Frederick, Justin Brezow,

05:17Max Jones, like guys like that, too.

05:19I think I think the Bruins want to get looks at all these people in top six roles and see

05:24if any of them can really flourish or pop in that role.

05:27But I would suspect that Lysell is the guy they really want to win the job just based

05:32on where he is as a pro, the year he had in the NHL, like he was a former first round

05:37pick.

05:38And he's been developed and invested in this guy.

05:39And it's kind of, as Bruce Cassidy used to say, the circle of life hockey and in pro

05:44hockey that when a guy like Jake DeBrusque moves on and you can't afford him anymore,

05:50it's the circle of life in the NHL is your prospect that you drafted.

05:54That's the right wing prospect comes up and takes that job or hopefully he does.

05:58And if if the Lion King circle of life continues to go for the Bruins, Lysell, I think, would

06:03be the guy that would end up, you know, taking that spot that Jake DeBrusque is vacated.

06:09But I think the Bruins want to look at their in-house options before they start chasing

06:13down guys like Kaliyev.

06:14That's why I agree.

06:15No, I agree with you.

06:16And I tell you, it's an interesting case.

06:19But you're right.

06:20I think there is.

06:21And when you have guys like Lysell, Mark Yalof, in-houses, mainly Lysell, that's who you want

06:27to see there.

06:28You don't want to you don't need to bring in another option like a Kaliyev.

06:31Now, I guess if Lysell wasn't there and Mark Yalof wasn't there and Duran and they had

06:36nobody young who could potentially play in the top six and it was just Frederick Geeky

06:41guys they currently have that are established, then, yeah, I can see why you might want to

06:46bring in a Kaliyev to, you know, a younger guy to try that out.

06:49But they don't need that.

06:50They don't have that.

06:52But an interesting thing you wrote is the more sensible solution is signing a vet, potentially

06:58like a Kyler Yamamoto or Blake Wheeler.

07:00And Wheeler was a guy that Bruins fans kind of wanted to see brought in last year, given

07:06his history.

07:07Strong was on that list, too, by the way, until he signed with the Vancouver Canucks.

07:10He was another one that was kind of in that bargain basement bin, even though not very

07:15good defensively, but a good offensive winger.

07:17So there was a there was a bunch of players.

07:19Wheeler and Yamamoto were just examples.

07:22But there's players that are in that category that would make good camp invites.

07:27So when I look at this line, when I look at the Bruins roster is currently constructed

07:31with what they have.

07:32You know, we've talked a lot about this.

07:33The bottom six seems pretty full with guys.

07:36You do have guys coming up from Providence, guys like Lacelle, Murkuloff, even Duran,

07:41who could take spots at the NHL level.

07:43Do you think the Bruins will go out and sign a vet minimum guy just to be safe?

07:49Do they need to do that?

07:50What do you think?

07:51Yeah, no, I definitely think they will.

07:52They did it last year.

07:53I think they're going to do it every year.

07:55It's good business to do it.

07:56Like, if you can get a guy on a camp invite that might be good enough to be on your roster

08:03and you're going to end up signing him for $775K when it comes down to it, because that's

08:09if a guy is a camp invite, he's a guy that didn't get a guaranteed contract anywhere.

08:13So he's basically going to be playing for the league minimum because he's at your mercy

08:17if he wants to play in the NHL.

08:19That's what happened with Danton Heinen last year.

08:21They end up getting great value.

08:22A player that had an outstanding season for them played top six.

08:26But at the end of the year was playing with Pasternak and Pawel Zaka, and they paid next

08:31to nothing for him.

08:32I think it's just good business to invite guys like that to camp, especially if you

08:36have an open spot.

08:37Last year, it was not just Danton Heinen.

08:39They had Alex Chasen, former BU player, in camp on a camp invite as well, and both of

08:44them were kind of duking it out to see if either one could win a spot.

08:48So they invited multiple guys.

08:50I would expect they're going to do the same thing this year.

08:52Why not?

08:53It's no cost to you.

08:55And basically, it's going to be attractive to a lot of NHL veterans because they're going

08:59to see that there's a top six spot up for grabs, and that's what they're looking for

09:03in these training camp invites.

09:04They want to look at a roster and say, I might be able to win that spot.

09:08That's something that could be something, if I'm good enough, where I could seize it.

09:12So I would expect at least a couple of those guys that have not gotten contracts that are

09:17viable NHL veterans, like a Kyle Yamamoto, like a Blake Wheeler, JVR.

09:24I don't think he's going to get that kind of an invite from the Bruins.

09:26Why would he come back if they didn't want him on an actual contract?

09:30That wouldn't make sense for him.

09:31But he's another player that was in that list of guys that may get a training camp invite.

09:36So it's that kind of player.

09:37It's either a young player like Yamamoto that, for whatever reason, they didn't tender, didn't

09:43qualify and want to pay the money to keep him, or an older guy that just didn't get

09:48a contract like a Wheeler or a JVR.

09:50I think those kind of guys make sense to just bring on a flyer in training camp and take

09:54a look at them and have them compete with everybody else, because best case scenario,

09:58you get an NHL player that's going to be productive and good for you for $775,000 cap it, which

10:04is exactly the kind of player you want if you're the Boston Bruins that could give you

10:07a lot of bang for the buck.

10:09And I think, you know, when we were talking earlier in the offseason, there was a lot

10:12of mention, or I think Fluto reported that the Bruins were kind of working to try to

10:16re-sign Danton Hynden.

10:17And I think the vast reaction to it was, go find the next one, you know, let him go get

10:23his money, but don't be the team that gives into that, go find the next Danton Hynden.

10:28And I think like, I don't know Yamamoto's game well, I just know he's young, I know

10:33he struggled.

10:34And there were high hopes for a guy like him up in Edmonton, I know he struggled in Seattle

10:38last year as well.

10:40And I wonder if, you know, if no one else takes a bite at that, what do you have to

10:44lose from a training camp, the trial perspective?

10:46That's why I like that.

10:48There's a fun story.

10:49Obviously, you know, used to be here, older veteran guy played in the top six for many,

10:54many years.

10:55He's that guy that's looking for a cup, still looking for a cup, you know, maybe that works,

11:02but I like that Yamamoto is a little young.

11:04I like that.

11:05You know, if they want to, if they want to give that a shot, you know, I'm okay with

11:09trying it for a camp tryout, like, yeah, well, I think we, Yamamoto, he's got a lot going

11:14for him.

11:15He's young, he's fast.

11:16He's skilled.

11:18He's a little feisty, like he's got a little bit of feistiness to his game.

11:20He's really small.

11:21Like, that's one of the problems with him is he's very, very small by NHL standards.

11:25So he's going to have to, you know, play up, play fast, play feisty, be that guy, you know,

11:32have those attributes that guys that are like 5'8", 5'7", have that are able to stay in

11:36the league and survive.

11:39And you know, I think he, in Edmonton, when he was playing with real high level talents

11:44for the team that invested a first round pick in him, he was doing pretty well.

11:50But you know, once he got to, I think, another team where there wasn't enough allegiance

11:55there and not enough invested drafts and development wise, it wasn't quite the same, same thing.

12:01But like, I think if you're gonna do a camp invite, I would, I think the best of both

12:06worlds is like, invite a guy like that, that's young, that, you know, maybe just wasn't a

12:11great fit organizationally in Seattle at his last stop.

12:16And the Bruins have done this with guys like Breazeaux, guys like Weatherspoon, like taking

12:19guys from other organizations that weren't a great fit there and found a home for them

12:23here.

12:24Maybe they can do something like that for Yamamoto.

12:26So bring a guy like that in on a training camp invite and also bring a guy like Wheeler

12:30in that's an older veteran kind of type that might have the savvy and enough left in the

12:37tank, especially to play in a plum role with Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand.

12:43I mean, what would be better than placing some established veteran in a role like that?

12:50You know, if they were up for it and they could do it, why wouldn't they want to play

12:55in that kind of role?

12:56That's exactly what those veteran guys are looking for, is being able to play in that

12:59kind of a spot where it's gonna, you know, be less wear and tear on them, be less expectation.

13:04You're talking about a guy named Blake Wheeler that was the captain of Winnipeg for a long

13:07time.

13:08Tons of pressure on him.

13:09Went to the Rangers last year, got hurt, had a decent year, came back at the very end,

13:14but like was fine.

13:16But I think still has a little bit left in the tank at this point.

13:19You can put him into a good spot where he's not having too much on his shoulders and you're

13:23not putting too many minutes and too many responsibilities on him.

13:26Like something like the Bruins would make a ton of sense, I think.

13:30And it seems like he wants to play in the East too, when he got to choose where he was

13:32going, he went to the New York Rangers.

13:34So maybe he wants to stick around in some kind of Eastern Conference place.

13:38Yeah, Wheeler makes sense.

13:40I like that idea.

13:41And I like Yamamoto.

13:42Again, it goes back to what you said.

13:46What is there to lose?

13:47Again, like if you're getting a guy like that on a veteran minimum deal.

13:51Low-risk high-reward is always a good way to go, Evan.

13:54That's what you gotta do.

13:55Let me say one thing before we jump back into this, Evan.

13:58Let me give a congratulations to former Boston Bruins employee Michael Penhollow.

14:06Did all the video stuff, did a ton of the TV stuff behind the scenes with them and just

14:10left the Bruins at the end of last season.

14:13I don't know if you saw this or not, but on Swayman's Instagram, there was pictures of

14:17him hugging Linus Almark and Hampus Lindholm at a wedding in Italy.

14:26And it was Michael Penhollow's wedding in Italy.

14:29It was a picture of like...

14:32I just opened Instagram to see this.

14:34Yeah, yeah, yeah.

14:35So it's a picturesque wedding in Italy.

14:37It's Michael Penhollow's Penner, as he's known around Bruin circles.

14:40It was his wedding this past weekend or this past week in Italy, and a bunch of the Bruins

14:46were there.

14:47Travis, I think, is in one of the pictures, Travis from the Bruins as well.

14:49So congratulations to Michael Penhollow for getting married.

14:54Congratulations to him and his wife.

14:56Looks like it was a fantastic wedding ceremony.

14:58Star-studded, obviously, with the two goalies hugging and with Hampus Lindholm there as

15:02well.

15:03But that's a credit to the kind of person that Penner is and the kind of employee was

15:06at the Bruins that a bunch of the players wanted to go to his wedding.

15:09I agree.

15:10Congratulations to him.

15:11Sad to see him go.

15:12Incredible video.

15:13I mean, like that Instagram is so fun to look at.

15:17Does a fantastic job with Behind the Bee and a lot of their different media that they put

15:24out.

15:25It's unfortunate to see him go, but congratulations to him.

15:28It looks like a hell of a wedding.

15:29I just went through the photos.

15:30I just went through his story.

15:33Getting married in Italy is no joke.

15:36That's like going for it right there.

15:38It's funny.

15:39I saw a TikTok recently about, I don't know if it was, it might have been Italy.

15:42It was like a wedding in Italy, and they put the price at the end of it.

15:46And it was a lot, but it wasn't like a ton.

15:49So it's like, maybe it's doable.

15:52I think destination, here's a hack.

15:58Destination weddings are the way to go.

15:59Like the price, you actually spend less to get married somewhere picturesque.

16:03Like I got married in the Bahamas.

16:04It was less than we would have paid in the US for a wedding, like significantly less.

16:09And it also was a smaller wedding too, which was always nice.

16:12Like the people, I think I mentioned this to you, the people that are there are people

16:15that really want to be there and the people you really want to be there.

16:18Like the, you know, peripheral sort of riffraff people that like, they just get invited because

16:23like you end up with a 300 person wedding.

16:27You don't do that for the destination wedding.

16:29It's a much smaller group, which I think is better.

16:33But the price part is like, you can't be denied.

16:35Like much cheaper to get married elsewhere, or at least a bit cheaper to get married elsewhere

16:42than to like get married in the US where as soon as people hear wedding, they jack up

16:46the prices on everything and you pay a ton.

16:48I agree with you.

16:49And I haven't gone through it.

16:50But like, I would much rather have a fun like destination style, beautiful place wedding

16:56like in Italy or the Bahamas or wherever with but the biggest draw is I want just the people

17:01I really, really, really like I don't, you know, there's a lot of people that I kind

17:06of like of acquaintances.

17:09I want my core.

17:10I want my group to invite them to your wedding.

17:13It's one of those things where like you all of a sudden like you're like, all right, we've

17:17got to invite if we invite this person, we got to invite this person if we do that.

17:21Like when you do the destination wedding, and all of a sudden, it's a little more expense

17:24for them people to have to come and you want to keep as far as who you're inviting, like

17:33that's the way to go.

17:34Yeah, no, it's a it's an interesting thought.

17:37I've got a little while.

17:38So at Conor's wedding, though, I who is it?

17:44I think it was Matt Porter's wife, who's really nice, really nice lady.

17:49Yep.

17:50She when my girlfriend would go to the bathroom, she was like, so you're gonna marry her?

17:53Are you gonna marry her?

17:56That was like, stop it.

17:57All right, stop.

17:58How old are you?

17:59I'm 25.

18:00Oh, dude.

18:01Yeah, you got time in you do not be in a hurry.

18:06Do not be in a hurry.

18:09I agree with you.

18:10I'd give it I would not if I were to give a recommendation to you, like, I'm going to

18:14be 50 this month.

18:17And I've been married for God, how long have I been married?

18:20I've been married for 13 years.

18:22I think now.

18:23Is that right?

18:24Wait a minute.

18:25Let me think.

18:26So for Yeah, something like that, like 14 years, I'd have to it's 1314 years now we're

18:33coming up on 15.

18:35I would highly, highly recommend to you that you do not get married or have kids at least

18:41before 30, maybe even 35.

18:44But like, live your life in your 20s.

18:47Because once you have kids, once you get married, in any way, shape or form will never be about

18:54you again.

18:55Like, yeah, your time of being the center of your own universe is over as soon as you

19:00get married and start having kids.

19:02The further you get into fatherhood, you realize that like, you're, you know, you're gonna

19:07be like carrying the thing, you're gonna be like doing a ton of stuff, you're gonna get

19:12like zero credit for anything that you're doing, and it's never gonna be you.

19:16And that you're totally fine with it, because you just want to see everybody like, happy

19:20living life loving doing well, and you, the fact that everybody's happy, healthy and having

19:26a good time is like all the reward you need.

19:29But it's never ever gonna be about you again, once you get married.

19:31So like, have all your fun when you're in your 20s, and all your glory that you want

19:36to have now, because they're like, it changes once you get married, you have kids.

19:39You're telling me you don't go out every Friday, Saturday night, wake up at like 11am on Sunday

19:43morning, you don't you don't get to do that now?

19:45That's not I have permission months ahead of time just to go golfing on a Monday on

19:51a day in the summertime with my buddies, and maybe, maybe stay overnight at a hotel on

19:57Sunday night in New Hampshire before we go golfing on Monday, maybe, maybe.

20:01So yeah, maybe.

20:03And that's I'm talking about once during the summer, Evan.

20:08One time.

20:09See your buddies two or three times during the summer, maybe, maybe.

20:14That's hilarious.

20:15Yeah.

20:16Someday.

20:17Someday.

20:18That's right.

20:19That's what you have to look forward to.

20:20Somehow, for now, I'm going to enjoy being the center of my own universe center of the

20:23entire universe.

20:25Yes.

20:26Me for a little bit longer.

20:27The star of the movie, Evan Maranofsky.

20:29Yes.

20:31At some point, I'm gonna get sick of that movie, though.

20:34This is bad.

20:36Anyways, I want to talk about your Montgomery's future.

20:40Ty Anderson and I, I think it was on Polka Bear last week, kind of mentioned this at

20:44the end.

20:45And then we really got into it.

20:47I kind of just threw this in like the 41 minute mark.

20:50Just like, oh, you know, we should talk about this a little bit.

20:53Maybe save it.

20:54And he just went in on Montgomery's future and what he thought about it.

20:59I want to get to that in a second.

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22:48Now let's get back to the show.

22:52So Jim Montgomery is headed into the last year of that three-year deal he signed back

22:58in the summer of 2022.

23:01And we still don't really have word on an extension.

23:03There has not been any announcement of it.

23:05And one thing Ty and I were talking about was what would it take for him to get that

23:10extension?

23:11And you and I have kind of mentioned this before, Montgomery has had no shortage of

23:15regular season success, obviously the great year in 2022-23.

23:19Last year, overachieved in 23-24.

23:22The playoff success though has been the complete opposite, right?

23:24That first year was a complete dud, losing that 3-1 series lead to Florida in that first

23:30round and last year almost blowing it to Toronto and then put up a good fight against the Panthers,

23:35but losing in six.

23:39Does he get an extension before the season?

23:42Does it come later in the season?

23:43Because as I said to Ty, lame duck coaches, that's not something the Bruins always do

23:50and, you know, having a coach be a lame duck can be a little bit of a dangerous game.

23:57What do you see happening?

23:59Well, usually when you allow a coach to enter a lame duck season, that's usually a sign

24:08that there's going to be a change is coming.

24:11You know, that's usually a sign that like maybe they plan on at some opportune time

24:15during the year changing coaches.

24:19You know, that's what happened.

24:22I believe that's what happened to Claude, I want to say, as I think he didn't get an

24:27extension.

24:28I think he was in the last year of his contract when he ended up getting replaced with Bruce

24:32Cassidy and kind of the writing was on the wall, I think, a little bit as to what was

24:36going to happen.

24:39I'm curious, what was Ty's take on this whole thing?

24:42Because I have not talked to him about it.

24:45What did, what did he have to say?

24:46Ty's take was that basically he did, this was like last week and I was in the Cape last

24:52couple of days.

24:53So I forgot about it.

24:54But basically his take was he's, he's, you know, I don't know, basically I was saying

25:00he doesn't know if he's the right guy and he thinks the Bruins don't know if he's the

25:04right guy either, given the issues with playoff success and he wanted to see Montgomery change

25:10things more during the playoffs, become more of a shot volume team.

25:14And I mentioned this, like, you know, with the way that, with the way the higher shot

25:18volume team, because with the way it is, um, you know, he was, and they want to get away

25:24from that.

25:25Like I, I know, but you know, I don't know if this roster is skilled enough to, like,

25:29I love high danger chances more than anybody else, but I don't, you know, when I look at

25:33the line charts of this upcoming season and even look at last year, they need to get more

25:38pucks on that.

25:39I don't know if they're skilled enough to get 19 shots and score five goals.

25:41No, no, no.

25:42I, yeah.

25:43The puck possession needs to be better, not necessarily shots on net, but the puck possession

25:47definitely needs to be better.

25:50But there's also like counter arguments, like, hasn't Pasternak had his best offensive seasons

25:55of his NHL career under Jim Montgomery?

25:58You know, like, I think, I think that there are definitely, you're right, the regular

26:07seasons have been outstanding.

26:09Um, the, especially last year, I thought it was his best coaching job.

26:14Like at times he had to, you know, pull the reins harder.

26:18He had to really, um, coach a little more, you know, like call out the team at times,

26:24like make some certain moves to motivate players, um, you know, call them out occasionally if

26:30they, um, had deserved it.

26:32I thought he was better in the playoffs.

26:34Like he got out of the first round this year and I thought kind of got over the hump a

26:38little bit by winning that Toronto series, um, both he and Pasternak, uh, that was big

26:43for both of them.

26:44Uh, that first round series win over Toronto.

26:48And I think you also have to temper it with that, um, they lost both years to the team

26:55from the East that made it to the Stanley Cup finals.

26:58One year they lost in the Stanley Cup final in a very entertaining, pretty good series

27:01where I think they were just too beat up in the end to actually win it.

27:05And last year they won it.

27:06Um, so like, is it a dud when you lose in seven games to a team that rolled through

27:13everybody else and got to the Eastern Conference final?

27:15It's maybe it is on some level when you're as talented as the Bruins were that roster

27:20that they had.

27:21But I think the way that Florida played after the fact and the way they've played for two

27:24years now shows you that it wasn't that much of a dud.

27:27They just lost to a better team.

27:29Um, and you mean in 2023, yeah, I, Florida rolled through everybody and got to the Stanley

27:36Cup final.

27:37I think they proved that they were the better team.

27:39Um, and that they've been the best team in the East the last two years.

27:42Like I don't think there's any question that the Panthers have been the best team in the

27:45East the last couple of years.

27:47Um, now having watched the full, like what they did in the playoffs, what they did during

27:52the regular season, the roster of players that they had, like they were the best team.

27:57I don't think it's clear.

27:58Um, and I, but I do think, I do think there's a little bit of a change with Jim Montgomery

28:06when it comes to the playoffs.

28:07I don't think he necessarily outcoaches the other teams that he's coaching against.

28:12I think he gets outmaneuvered a bit by other teams.

28:15I think there was definitely disappointment by the Bruins from the Bruins end that they

28:19weren't even able to push it to seven games this time around against Florida this year

28:24with the group that they had.

28:26Like I also think you've got to like give Montgomery some credit where he got the most

28:33he could out of a team that was strapped salary cap wise and wasn't as talented I think as

28:37they were the year before.

28:39I think he did a really good job coaching this past year and I think he was pretty good

28:43coaching in the playoffs too.

28:44You know, like I don't think, I think there's things you can look at and have problems with

28:51as far as like putting players in the lineup, taking players out.

28:56Some of the lineup choices he made during the playoffs, more so two years ago than this

29:00year.

29:01I had bigger issues with not going with Swayman earlier or at any point in that playoff series

29:07with Florida before game seven.

29:09Some of the players they were bringing in and out.

29:14Some of the stuff they did in the, I think it was the first round series I had issues

29:17with too, changing the lineup and putting certain players in and out.

29:22But like all that being said, I think he, he put it this way, Jim Montgomery should

29:31probably feel at this point, like he's done enough to get an extension, right?

29:35Like what more do I have to do?

29:37I've you know, been, I've been, I won the Jack Adams, I've like had two magnificent

29:42regular seasons.

29:43I survived the retirement of Patrice Bergeron and David Crecci with a cap strap team last

29:48year and really sort of maximized what they got.

29:51Really gave them the best battle of anybody aside from Edmonton and the playoffs this

29:55past year in that first round series.

29:59Like have I not shown enough to deserve like an extension from the Bruins going into this

30:05season?

30:06So if I were Montgomery, I wouldn't be too happy about going into the season with a lame

30:10duck.

30:11I would think situation, I would think that I've earned at least an extension of a year

30:15or two to continue to see what we can do here.

30:19And we haven't even mentioned the too many men on the ice penalties, which was like assigned

30:22to me that there was some chaos going on on the bench.

30:25And then maybe he was like overcoaching with like the lineup changes, with the matchups,

30:29with all the stuff he was trying to do in the playoffs as well.

30:32I think that speaks to him, like not having a full grasp of her and his coaching staff,

30:38not having a full grasp of what was going on and not being able to like make quick decisions

30:43or have everybody on the same page.

30:44Like that's a reflection on him, whether he wants to blame it on the players or anybody

30:47else.

30:48So maybe that's part of it, too.

30:51But like there are some things you can point out and say, hey, this could have been better.

30:54This should have been better.

30:55Like he hasn't really proven himself to be this great playoff coach like he is during

31:00the regular season.

31:01But like, I don't know, I would it's going to be an interesting situation if he goes

31:07into the year without a contract extension.

31:10And this isn't something that's done in training camp because that's going to start opening

31:14up a lot of questions, especially with a guy on the staff now in Leach, who was a candidate

31:21for the Bruins head coaching job when Jim Montgomery got hired.

31:24Like you think that adds another Jay Leach being there, that adds another dynamic as

31:28well to this whole situation.

31:30Because you do remember that Bruce Cassidy was added to the staff in Boston, Claude Julien's

31:36last year when he ended up being fired, Bruce Cassidy took over the job.

31:40So there is a past practice of the Bruins doing, you know, doing this with an eye towards

31:49potentially making a move during the regular season.

31:51So I think that's going to be interesting.

31:52I also think and Claude had trouble with this, too, during the year.

31:57Like if the coach knows that like his days are numbered or if like potentially there's

32:01a move coming during the season, it adds it ratchets up the stress level so high.

32:06And I think that's going to be something really difficult for Jim Montgomery to deal with

32:09if that's the case.

32:10Well, it will.

32:11And, you know, maybe he gets an extension in September and it's like, oh, well, we got

32:14his extension.

32:15But, you know, as I've said before, like, are they waiting to see what he does in the

32:20playoffs?

32:21Like, are they waiting to, you know, you're going to hand him an extension, you know,

32:25next May or June?

32:27Like, no, I think that's that's ridiculous.

32:29That's crazy to think you can do that.

32:30And I think Montgomery would be pissed off enough by then.

32:33Like, would both sides even want to go to the negotiating table?

32:35Right.

32:36That's the case.

32:37I don't think that's feasible.

32:39You know, I.

32:41They have expectations this year, they have real expectations this year, they went out,

32:45they signed Lindholm, they spent a lot of money on them, they signed Zadora, they spent

32:48a lot of money on him.

32:50They are cup contenders.

32:51We've talked about this like they, you know, does Montgomery get an extension in January

32:56when they are clearly in first place in the Atlantic or is he canned if they are, you

33:01know, third place wildcard team in January or February?

33:06And so I agree with you.

33:09I think he's I think up to this point, he's done enough to probably warrant one on paper.

33:14I disagree with you on the Panthers 2023 thing.

33:18Obviously, in hindsight, they were the better team, no doubt.

33:21But when the Bruins were up 3-1, they just could not put them away like that.

33:25You had a chance to put them away and you couldn't.

33:28And that's to me where that's a big blemish on not just Montgomery, obviously, but the

33:32whole team's record and sort of playoff success.

33:37So, you know, I think there are questions about him in the postseason, but I thought,

33:43you know, regular season wise this past year, he was terrific.

33:45I thought, you know, he did well enough against Toronto, you know, held up in game seven.

33:51Obviously, Bruins did get a little lucky that that Joseph Wall could not go in that game

33:57seven and they went up against him.

33:58So enough. But still, they won.

34:00They won the game.

34:01You need luck in playoff series.

34:03That's a part of it.

34:03You do.

34:06So I don't know.

34:06And I think this is another thing with NHL coaching that I've never been a fan of.

34:10And, you know, coaches don't last long.

34:14Teams are very quick to pull the plug.

34:16I mean, John Cooper, Mike Sullivan, those guys are, you know, the anomalies.

34:20That does not normally happen where guys stay forever in one spot.

34:25And even so, we got Mike Sullivan on the hot seat this past year and in this coming

34:29season. And, you know, sometimes I think you need a little time.

34:34You need more time. And there isn't time in professional sports.

34:36That's the thing. This isn't college where, you know, you have a new team every year.

34:40Voices, you know, guys tune voices out.

34:45But I do wonder if the Bruins say, you know what, he's given us enough success.

34:48Let's extend him and hope this gets better.

34:51Or if they just say, you know what, this isn't working.

34:54We're going to find someone who can push us over the hump in the playoffs and get this

34:57team to win. You know, and maybe Montgomery can do that this year.

35:00But you can't wait around for that extension in May or June.

35:05Like, that's just impossible. So I'm curious to see what they do.

35:08I am curious to see what they do. And if the Bruins are.

35:13I don't know. Let's say they're eight and eight to start the year.

35:18Is he out? That's what I mean.

35:21Like, that's where I'm talking about the stress level ratcheting up because of the

35:26situation. Like, if he doesn't have an extension, if they hit the skids, it's going to

35:30turn into questions about that.

35:32And once it turns into that, it's going to be really hard to not have that in the back

35:37of everybody's minds. Like, what if there's some players that don't necessarily like

35:41their role or disagree with Jim Montgomery and how he's using them?

35:44Do they all of a sudden, you know, start like saying, oh, he doesn't have an extension.

35:48Like, you know, I can just wait this out and, you know, wait for them to make a move if

35:53we're not playing well. Like, you know, especially if it's a player that's got contract

35:57certainty more than Jim Montgomery does.

36:00Like these that's why these situations turn into sort of runaway freight trains

36:05sometimes. If you leave it and you let this happen, which, you know,

36:13I'm not sure they're going to give him an extension in training camp.

36:15If they haven't done it over the summer, maybe they will.

36:19And like I said, if I were him, I'd want an extension based on what I'd been able to do

36:24the first couple of years. But I think it opens up to a lot of different scenarios

36:30happening that wouldn't be a possibility if he had a contract certainty.

36:34Like, even though the Penguins struggled last year, Mike Sullivan signed until like

36:39friggin 2030 or whatever it is.

36:41So like, you know, there wasn't really any realistic scenario where they're going to

36:47fire Mike Sullivan and pay him for the next four years not to coach.

36:52Like, I think that's what the sort of trepidation is from the Bruins side, is that Don Sweeney

36:57and Cam Neely would then have to go to the Jacobs and say, you know, if they signed

37:03Montgomery to an extension, realize he wasn't the right guy and then had to fire him, they're

37:07going to have to explain to Jacobs why they're paying somebody like a million bucks a year

37:11to not do anything to sit home in Montreal or wherever he's going to be and not

37:16coach, not do anything, you know, like not not pay him to not coach anybody else and

37:20not coach the Bruins.

37:22I think I think Jeremy Jacobs really doesn't like that situation when he has to pay

37:27somebody to not perform.

37:29So I think that's something they're really looking to avoid.

37:31And that's part of the reason that they're in the situation that they're in.

37:34But, you know, I have a lot of respect for Jim Montgomery.

37:38I think he does a good job.

37:39I think he can be a little bit.

37:43A little bit too player friendly, sometimes a little too, you know, but I think he's also

37:49last year, I think he changed that a little bit.

37:50I think last year there was a little more with Patrice Bergeron gone, I think there

37:55was a little bit more of him being firm and stern in certain situations, a little bit

37:59more of him sort of calling players out or using playing time as as a motivator and him

38:06like if he didn't like something, really like calling the team out.

38:10And, you know, he bagskated them twice during the year.

38:13And we didn't see that.

38:14I don't remember ever seeing that under Bruce Cassidy and maybe once or twice under

38:19Claude Julien.

38:20But the fact that he started doing some of that stuff, I thought was very interesting

38:23too and spoke to me of a coach that was like, you know, trying to change his tone a

38:30little bit and trying to change what he was doing.

38:31And I think learned from his first year.

38:34And I think that's kind of like one of the things that we have to like and the Bruins

38:38have to take into account is that, you know, just like players, coaches are learning too.

38:43And Montgomery, like coaching in the pros and coaching at the NHL level is much

38:48different than coaching college, coaching junior, some of the other places that he had

38:52coached. So like when you put together his time and experience in Dallas being a head

38:57coach, then going to St.

38:59Louis being an assistant coach, then coming here to Boston and adjusting, like I think

39:04you've got to like allow for some of the development for him as a coach, too, and for

39:08him to sort of learn lessons from year to year.

39:10And I think he showed in year two that he learned a lot from year one and he applied

39:14it. And I think for those reasons and for like what he's done, like I wouldn't have an

39:21issue if the Bruins extended Jim Montgomery, I think he's done enough and he should feel

39:26like he's done enough to earn it at this point and to merit it.

39:30And if he doesn't get it like, you know.

39:33There's a lot of pressure on him and it creates a really like interesting situation

39:39going into the year that could go a lot of different directions.

39:42I agree. I agree.

39:44It's going to be interesting to see whatever happens with that.

39:46Hags, what can people look forward to from you over pucks with hags and B.S.

39:50J. And the Boston Sports Journal, they can look forward to.

39:54I just wrote yesterday, I think it was just a top 10 prospect ranking list.

40:00Based up to date now after development camp, you know, Fabian Lysell at the top.

40:06Mirkulov was in there.

40:07Brandon Bussey, Jelvik was very high up.

40:10I thought he was very impressive at development camp.

40:15Elliott Grunwald made the list, too.

40:17Hey, there we go.

40:19Vermont kid going to Quinnipiac.

40:21I thought he was awesome at development camp.

40:23I thought he was very good, like very solid, very skilled, good size.

40:28Like for a kid that's that young to show up like he did

40:32and flash at times like he did, I thought was very impressive.

40:37So you can go check out that list, the prospect list and in general,

40:41just that, you know, the Bruins continue to churn out NHL players

40:45and develop them from their system that they're drafting and developing.

40:49So like maybe the draft Nick prospect

40:52gurus out there at the athletic and other places should actually start

40:55putting some respect on the Bruins name more than they have,

40:58especially after last year, after Mason Lowry, Johnny Beecher.

41:03And and who was the other one?

41:05Who am I missing?

41:07Johnny Beecher, what?

41:09I know I was saying, shoot, like who?

41:11Oh, Matt Potts.

41:12Matt Potts. Yes.

41:13After the three of them graduated last year to the NHL level,

41:18I think those those kinds of people need to start

41:21viewing the Bruins in a little bit of a different light

41:23and putting a little more respect in the scouting and drafting

41:26and development of the Bruins are doing, because doing that

41:28while not having a ton of first round picks, but churning out talent like that.

41:32Like there's talent there.

41:33You know, they don't have like a superstar in their system,

41:36but they've got talented players.

41:38And I think that, you know, some of these the gurus in the draft

41:42Knicks need to like wake up and actually see what's going on out there.

41:45LA Greenwell, by the way, the latest cover New England Hockey Journal.

41:48Oh, there you go.

41:49Look at that little plug for the New England Hockey Journal, too.

41:54Of course. Yeah, he was the cover.

41:55We don't typically do a lot of Bruins, but local kid gets drafted

41:58by his favorite hometown team.

42:00So, yeah, big Bruins fan Elliot Gronewald.

42:02He was pumped.

42:03Yeah, that was a layup of a cover to do.

42:05So, yeah, it was.

42:08I have to go to people should go check that out.

42:10And that's been Poked the Bear.

42:11That's Joe Haggerty and Marinovsky.

42:13You Poked the Bear listeners have a great rest of your week.

Will the Bruins Sign Blake Wheeler or Kailer Yamamoto? w/ Joe Haggerty | Poke the Bear

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