On this episode of Bruins Beat, Evan Marinofsky is joined by Mark Divver to discuss the Bruins' 2-0 win over the Senators, if and when the Bruins will play their prospects more, and the growing rumors around the Bruins trading for JT Miller. All that, and much more!
00:00 - Intro
02:42 - Bruins beat Senators 2-0
07:00 - “Play the kids”
16:44 - Prizepicks
18:15 - Pastrnak & Geekie are red hot
22:00 - Bruins’ trade pieces
27:27 - Gametime
28:45 - JT Miller rumors
37:43 - Evan’s trade proposal
💰 Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
🎫 Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NHL tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!
00:00 - Intro
02:42 - Bruins beat Senators 2-0
07:00 - “Play the kids”
16:44 - Prizepicks
18:15 - Pastrnak & Geekie are red hot
22:00 - Bruins’ trade pieces
27:27 - Gametime
28:45 - JT Miller rumors
37:43 - Evan’s trade proposal
💰 Prize Picks - https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/CLNS
Download the app today and use Code CLNS when you sign up & Get $50 instantly when you play $5!
🎫 Gametime - https://gametime.co
Take the guesswork out of buying NHL tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Terms apply. What time is it? Gametime!
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SportsTranscript
00:00Bruin's Beat is brought to you by PrizePix and the GameTime app.
00:07And welcome into the Bruin's Beat presented by PrizePix.
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00:21Terms apply.
00:22I'm Evan Maranofsky.
00:23That is Mark Diver.
00:24Dibs, what is up?
00:27Nothing much, Evan.
00:28Just getting ready here for another big weekend of hockey watching.
00:35Some live, some not live.
00:38But looking forward to it.
00:39How about you?
00:40I'm good.
00:41It's funny.
00:42You and I have similar weekends a lot of times.
00:44Although this time of year, you're heavy college.
00:45I'm more prep.
00:47But the last bunch of weekends, I've been at games pretty consistently, and I'll be
00:51there again on Sunday for the Ed Burns Coffee Pot, the Ed Burns Public Schools and the MIAA.
00:57But there's not a ton of amazing matchups Friday night or Saturday night.
01:02So I think I'm going to take both days off from the rinks, which is weird for January.
01:06I don't usually do that.
01:07But I'm like, you know, like Nobles Andover, I was like, I might go to that, but I don't
01:12think I am.
01:13Who knows?
01:14Saturday, I might be like, I'm bored.
01:15I'll go.
01:16But as of now, no.
01:18So I'll be chilling this weekend, which is nice.
01:20Just relaxing.
01:21Yeah, for sure.
01:22So it's freezing.
01:24You look comfy, though.
01:25You're always in that amazing chair.
01:27I wish they should that chair, whoever the maker is should sponsor our podcast because
01:31you look comfortable as hell in that thing.
01:34Is that a lazy boy?
01:35It is.
01:36Yes.
01:37Yes.
01:38And, you know, I do a lot of sleeping in this chair.
01:42Yes.
01:45So yeah, it's very comfortable.
01:47I you know, I went out to the rink this morning and you know, yeah, it's cold.
01:51It's cold out there.
01:53But now I'm back and I don't think I'm going out again until tomorrow morning.
01:56So you'd be in that chair for 24 straight hours.
01:59That's right.
02:00That's perfect.
02:01My Nana had a lazy boy.
02:02I remember this was like when I was little and she got one and it was the it was leather.
02:06It wasn't like that.
02:07But it was the most comfortable thing.
02:09It was so comfortable.
02:10My dad went out and got his own because he was like, I love this so much.
02:13Nice.
02:14I need one.
02:15He still has it.
02:16And we have the other one, too.
02:17And oh, my God, it's it's been we've probably had that thing almost 20 years.
02:21And that thing is so damn comfortable.
02:24I want one for my house, but I don't know if that'd be the smartest investment at this
02:28age.
02:29But boy, is it?
02:31They're so comfy.
02:32So I don't know.
02:33I don't blame you at all.
02:35I imagine that's where you watched the Ottawa game on Thursday night.
02:41Bruins win to nothing over the Senators rebound after a putrid game in New Jersey on Wednesday
02:47night, which we can talk a little bit about.
02:49I got to give the Bruins credit.
02:52I got to give him credit where it's due.
02:53I've been very critical of them over the last couple of weeks.
02:54I still am urging them to take the retool path.
02:58But they looked much better against Ottawa compete wise.
03:01And Sacco mentioned this after the game compete.
03:03And I think that's sort of their that's how they're going to win games to nothing.
03:08Three one low scoring good defensively.
03:11To me, that's the recipe.
03:13Yeah, I mean.
03:17So they they really they dug in.
03:20They they did take some penalties, you know, which they didn't they didn't get burned on
03:27too much.
03:28But, you know, it's a mystery why or how they can the train can go off the tracks the night
03:35before the way it did and the way it has, you know, for weeks now.
03:41And then you come back last night and and you're you're dialed in and, you know, you
03:46play hard and, you know, you're you're really, you know, recorder, a must win, obviously.
03:53And and now you're back.
03:55You're not a wildcard team.
03:56Now you're back in the in third place.
03:59And, you know, it's just a completely different perspective on.
04:03And are they for one and one in their last six at home or something like that?
04:08I think there are they for one and one in general?
04:12Because, yeah, I think they are.
04:13I think that's what it is.
04:15The gloom and doom, you know, lately or every time they have a game like, say, Saturday,
04:22you know, the gloom and doom and the people weeping and gnashing their teeth is like the
04:28world's going to end. And it's, you know, if you step back a little bit, it's really not
04:34that bad. Maybe it is compared to what we expected or what we're used to.
04:39But, you know, they I guess this is how it's going to be from now until until the end, until
04:46forever. They for one and one in their last six.
04:50I said this to Connor earlier in the week, like similar sentiment of and I agree.
04:55I don't think this team is going deep.
04:57I think this team should retool and we can get into that.
04:59But they've had some doozies for sure.
05:03I'm the first one to say it, but they are for one and one their last six.
05:08It doesn't feel like that.
05:09It doesn't. I think part of that is because they got outplayed so heavily against Florida by
05:13Florida and Tampa, and then they almost lost to San Jose.
05:16And I think that's what has people so nervous.
05:18And I was the same way.
05:19I thought, you know, you stole one against Florida.
05:22You stole one against Tampa.
05:23San Jose, you know, can happen.
05:26Will Smith, nice goal for him.
05:27I was happy about that.
05:29I looked at the standings this morning and like, you know, they're five points behind
05:33Florida, five points after all this awful games and all kinds of underachieving players.
05:42They're only five points behind Florida.
05:45That's wild.
05:46That's amazing.
05:47That's amazing.
05:48That's one of my big takeaways from this year so far.
05:50And it's been disappointing for sure.
05:53But relatively speaking, compared to everybody else, they're in a playoff spot right now.
05:59And they've been around a place for the whole year.
06:00And they have not been great.
06:02They haven't.
06:03I mean, every metric is bad.
06:05And they're not Nashville or Chicago.
06:09And like, they're down.
06:10Yeah.
06:11Oh, Buffalo.
06:12No, it's yeah.
06:14Where James Higgins can get stuck up in Buffalo.
06:16Oh my God.
06:18Ooh.
06:19Ooh.
06:20But that's my thing.
06:21It's like, and I still think they should retool.
06:24I'm not like changing my stance.
06:26I'm not saying they should go for first or anything like that, but I don't think it's as
06:30horrible as people make it out to be.
06:32Now, I get why people were pissed after Wednesday's game against New Jersey, where
06:39defensively in that second period was like, holy crap, like, what on earth is this?
06:44And I think people are also mad because I think a lot of people, and I say this because
06:48my friends are like this, they've bought into the Bruins need to retool, but the Bruins
06:54are not going to retool unless they absolutely need to.
06:56So I think there are people, there are fans who are mad when they win.
07:00Because they want them to lose.
07:01So it becomes more obvious for a retool.
07:04And some of those people are play the kids, the play the kids contingent, call them all
07:11up from Providence and play them well before you, you know, some of these people need to
07:16take a look at what's going on in Providence and what some of the players they have.
07:20And you don't want to see them in the NHL.
07:23They're not NHL players.
07:25So that idea is, uh, is crazy.
07:29You know, just play the kids, play the kids.
07:31What about Murkuloff?
07:32Murkuloff to me seems like an exception, given that he has produced as much as he has in
07:36Providence.
07:37He should be up there.
07:39I don't, I don't get that.
07:41And I've talked to him a couple of times this week.
07:44You know, he's, he's a, really a likable kid and, uh, you know, he's just kind of
07:50keeping his, keeping his nose to the grindstone, you know, and just working and, you
07:57know, uh, it's like, you know, Ryan Mouchenel actually, I think it was this morning said
08:04about Murk that he works hard and he's, he loves the game and he puts the work in.
08:16And that regardless of whether he's up, he's down, he's, he's back, he's forth.
08:22He's, he's with the program.
08:24He's working at it regardless.
08:27Of where he's at right now, you know, in Providence, uh, you know, kind of
08:32wondering like everyone is what's going to happen.
08:35You know, he's an RFA at the end of the year.
08:38I mean, they've invested a lot of time in this kid and that's the biggest thing.
08:45Why wouldn't you give him a shot?
08:48And I think he, I think he'll get a shot before the end of the year.
08:51I just don't know what's taken so long.
08:53You know, you got a power play.
08:56I guess it's been a little bit better lately.
08:58They've got a goal once in a while, more than before, but here's a guy that's,
09:06you know, tremendous on the power play.
09:09I don't, I don't get it.
09:11I don't, uh, I don't know what they're afraid of with him, you know?
09:16Yeah.
09:17I mean, and that's the thing.
09:18Like I, I don't know what the holdup is and you know, better than I do.
09:23You watched them a lot more than, than I do, but I, I see some of the highlights
09:28on Twitter, I see his stats and I'm like that, that's where I, it doesn't fully
09:32make sense to me because Lysel, like I do want to see Lysel get some sort of shot
09:37at the NHL level just to get it, just to know what you have.
09:42Merkulov to me though, seems like, hey, here's a guy with some skill.
09:45Here's a guy who has an offensive ceiling, who's been producing at the
09:48NHL level, seems to be doing all the right stuff and he's not getting a look.
09:52And that's why I keep saying to people, like, if you're going to, if you're
09:55going to retool, you don't need to necessarily, like if you're going to
09:58trade Trent Frederick, you can do it for solely draft picks and or prospects.
10:02Cause I think you can move Merck up and have him be that third line
10:05center, um, and be okay.
10:08And you can tread water with that.
10:10I think.
10:11Well, I, I agree.
10:13I agree.
10:13And I, you know, we can come back to Lysel in a minute, but I think you
10:18will see him by the end of the year.
10:20He, he, there's no reason for him not to get a look, you know, for, uh, I
10:25don't know how many games it would be.
10:27I, and I can't stand Lysel or Merkulov.
10:29Lysel.
10:32Uh, back to Merkulov though, there's just no reason for him to still be down
10:37here and, uh, and doing his thing and not getting a look up there, you know?
10:42So Max Jones goes up.
10:45I mean, what are we doing here?
10:47Yeah, I get it.
10:48Max Jones is a fourth liner.
10:49Merck's not, but I don't know.
10:52I think, uh, you got, uh, what's his name up there?
10:58Uh,
11:00Oh, Wallstrom.
11:01What, what the hell is he bringing?
11:03I don't know.
11:05Oh, you don't want to put him on waivers.
11:07What are you kidding me?
11:08I mean, a lot of scoring chances, just not a lot of goals.
11:12No.
11:12And not one still.
11:13Right.
11:14I think he's.
11:16Yeah.
11:16And just not a lot of, like, I don't know.
11:20You look at like the game Vinnie Letary had last night, a lot of productive
11:25plays, a lot of good plays.
11:28Okay.
11:29Wallstrom never makes good.
11:31There's, there's no productive plays or not many.
11:35I mean, you know, whether the puck goes in for Letary or not,
11:38he's contributing something.
11:39I was going to say, and Brick pointed that out last night.
11:41Brick, that was just, that was brilliant.
11:44That little, uh, you know, summing up that Brick gave there,
11:50he takes the right angles.
11:52Okay.
11:53He takes the right angles to get there on time.
11:56He makes the little plays the, he gets the puck out.
11:59He makes smart plays.
12:01He puts the puck in the right place.
12:03Those are the things that Lyselle hasn't got, hasn't caught on with yet.
12:09And that's why Vinnie's up there.
12:10Wallstrom.
12:11Oh, Lys.
12:11Oh, okay.
12:12Lys, you're talking about Lyselle.
12:14Uh, I'm jumping around here, but no, I just want to make sure.
12:18Vinnie's dependable.
12:20You know, he's going to get the puck out.
12:22He's going to get the puck in.
12:24He's going to go to the blue paint.
12:27You know, he's not the biggest guy, but he gets in there and his goals have
12:31been from that area and his chances, you know, so that's why he's, uh, he's up
12:37there right now and, uh, and playing pretty well and Lyselle's still in
12:40Providence and, you know, I think Merck, you know, he won't, he won't always
12:47take the right angle to get to the puck, but, uh, I think he's improved
12:50tremendously on some of the other little things that, that he does do.
12:54So, you know, I don't know.
12:57I don't know why he isn't up there, but I expect he will be at some point
13:01because, uh, you do have to find out, you know, what you have.
13:08Uh, and this goes for Lyselle too.
13:10Like you said, you got to put him in there.
13:13He may fall on his face or maybe he'll, you'll, you'll see, okay, this guy's
13:19worth, you know, whatever, hanging on to him, uh, you know, giving him more of a
13:25chance, but until you see those guys in a NHL environment, uh, you don't really
13:32know, and you know, one thing I don't agree with is people who say, oh, give
13:38them a 10 game trial, put them in there for 10 games and see, no, no, it's, it's,
13:43this is the NHL you're going game to game, unless you're David Pasternak.
13:47That's true.
13:48Game to game.
13:49You don't get 10 games.
13:51It's up to you.
13:51It's up to the player to string some good games together.
13:55Maybe they won't all be good games, but you know, if you can have, uh, I don't
13:59know, four positive games out of six, well then, okay, you deserve, you deserve
14:05some more chances to, uh, to prove that you can do it.
14:08So I don't, I don't, yeah, I'd imagine if they do do a full retool, which again,
14:12we'll, I'll believe that when I see it, I do, you probably would see it.
14:17I don't think they would come out and say like, oh, Lysol's coming up for 10 games,
14:21but I do think that they might have a longer leash if they were to really do a
14:26retool where it's like, all right, Frederick's gone, Peake's gone, Coyle's
14:31potentially gone.
14:32Like I think then it's like, all right, well, who else?
14:35Well, or unless, you know, unless he came up and after two games, they were like,
14:38holy, holy crap, you know, we can't put them in, we can't put them in again, you
14:45know, and that goes for anyone, not just him.
14:48You know, it's, you know, it's not a, it's like they say, it's not a, it's not a
14:53development league.
14:54It's a production league.
14:55It's a winning league.
14:56So, you know, you gotta, you gotta bring something, you know, which, which I think
15:00is what like Latiri is doing right now.
15:03You do, you have to.
15:04Uh, and Latiri has two goals in five games, by the way.
15:07He's a good, like he's contributed.
15:09I mean that you can't ask for more than that.
15:11Um, it'll be interesting to see if he continues to stick, um, seems to be
15:14working, have him in the top six.
15:16Like, interesting.
15:18Yeah.
15:19He went back in the LAUCO trade, didn't he?
15:21He did.
15:22Yes.
15:23Yes.
15:24That's right.
15:24And, uh, what's his name?
15:26That's it.
15:27Quinnipiac.
15:27The Elliot, Elliott Grenwald.
15:30Elliott Grenwald.
15:30Yes.
15:31So cover New England hockey journal over the summer.
15:33Thank God the Bruins made that trade.
15:36And he, uh, I don't know.
15:38I like him.
15:38I think he's a good, he's a good prospect.
15:41Oh, I completely agree.
15:42I think he's having a good, solid freshman year.
15:45Uh, you know, Rand Pecknold, I went and saw them play, I don't know, a while ago.
15:51And Rand Pecknold said he, he, he's got everything.
15:55He just needs reps, reps at the college level.
15:58That's all he needs.
15:59So, you know, I think, uh, that pick is looking like a, like a pretty good one.
16:05I look at Grenwald as a relatively projectable player to that pro level.
16:12Like that's going to be a good, stable NHL defenseman.
16:15Decent skater.
16:16He's thick, you know, he's, he's like six, I don't know, six, two, two, 10, you
16:21know, as a 19 year old, he's, there's a, there's a lot there to work with, you
16:26know?
16:27Yeah.
16:27Oh God.
16:28Yeah.
16:29Um, I want to get into some stuff with the guys on the current roster, cause
16:33there are two guys who are playing really well right now.
16:35And then we'll get into some negative stuff too.
16:36I know people want to get, they want to rant.
16:38They want to hear us, you know, rant and rave about stuff.
16:40So we'll get into that.
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17:37Uh, Bruins wise, we're about to talk about this anyway, but Pasternak is going.
17:42Pasternak is hot.
17:43Goals, points.
17:45It's an easy one to pick.
17:46And Morgan Geeky, who we'll also get to in a second, also hot.
17:51So he's another one.
17:52If you see a Morgan Geeky more than 0.5 goals in a game, I say you take it.
17:57So download the app and use code CLNS to get $50 instantly after you
18:02play your first $5 lineup.
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18:14Um, as I said, right there, Pasternak, red hot, Morgan Geeky, also red hot.
18:21Um, Pasternak's playmaking ability, I still think is so underrated.
18:25I don't know if it's underrated locally.
18:27I think people understand that.
18:28But nationally, like he's known as a goal scorer, but some of these passes,
18:32like that one to Geeky, uh, on Thursday was awesome.
18:37And then the one on Wednesday got completely overlooked.
18:39Cause they stunk the rest of that team's site, the rest of the game, but
18:42like what a freaking pass, my God, we don't, we don't appreciate it enough.
18:48No, you're right.
18:49You're right.
18:49He's, uh, you know, the big shot and, uh, you know, coming down the
18:54wing and picking the top corner.
18:57That that's amazing stuff.
18:58So the playmaking does get overshadowed.
19:01There's no question about it.
19:02Uh, is he shooting more now?
19:05I mean, he was, I felt like the first few months of the season, he was
19:11deferring way too often trying to make that, you know, highlight real play,
19:17you know, of which he has succeeded the last little while, but, uh, you know,
19:23more, it feels like he's shooting a little bit more now, uh, and I don't
19:29know, does that cause the D to, uh, they have to respect that a little bit more
19:33that he's going to shoot it.
19:34He's not going to pass it.
19:36I don't know.
19:36But yeah, he's been, uh, you know, where would they be without him?
19:41He just looks better too.
19:43That's the other thing.
19:43Like, I think he's just more confident with the puck.
19:46Uh, that was one thing, as you said, the first couple of months where it's
19:49like, Oh my God, like just hesitant.
19:52His body language wasn't great.
19:54Uh, you know, but it's much better now.
19:57I wonder if it's cause he's been with geeky and Zaka for as long as he has,
20:00where they've created that chemistry.
20:02That line is really their only line producing consistent offense.
20:06Um, I think I would, I would be interested.
20:08I think that has a part to do with it as well.
20:10They've also moved him around on the power play.
20:12He's not just sitting in the one-timer spot anymore.
20:15They, they have them up at the point.
20:17They have a moving more, um, which again, I think is the right thing.
20:21And we've been saying for months now, like, don't, you can move him.
20:23He doesn't have to be in the one-timer spot.
20:25Um, he can be effective in other places.
20:28Geeky though, I think is the surprise.
20:30He was, he was a great Swiss army knife last year was productive.
20:35Um, big jump over what he brought to Seattle the year before.
20:39Um, and it was sort of like, you know, after it's funny after last year,
20:41everybody was like, all right, you know, geeky was the number one
20:43center in that Florida series.
20:45It's like, okay, nice thing, but you need to go out and actually
20:47get a number one center.
20:48They did.
20:50That guy hasn't worked out as much as they would have hoped.
20:53Yeah.
20:53And geeky has, I mean, he's not playing center, but he's on the top line again.
20:57And I believe, I believe, let me check.
21:01Uh, he is tied with Elias Lindholm in points and has more goals.
21:05And I find that irony fascinating, but I do think it's huge.
21:09Again, geeky, 13 goals, 24 points.
21:11And the majority of that has come over the last two months.
21:14Um, I think he's turned himself into someone who, you know, can probably
21:20best suited for the third line, but still is earning the respect
21:23to be a guy in the top six.
21:26Yeah.
21:27Uh, I wonder though, about his value in trade, uh, you know, he's a big, strong
21:35guy, um, would he be, would he be more valuable to some other, you know, a
21:43team that was maybe really, really set to make a deep playoff run?
21:47Would he be more valuable to them?
21:51You know, then, then he might be to the Bruins next year and the year after,
21:54however long, you know, they signed him for, uh, you know, the way he's playing
21:59right now, it seems to me they, they might be able to get, you know, something
22:02real for him, you know, and because I, you know, is he going to be around
22:08when the Bruins are good again?
22:10I don't know.
22:11So this is the thing, and this is my thing.
22:14Cause I, I've thought about this a lot and I agree with you.
22:17I think he could get you something where like, he's a bit, as you said, big guy
22:21can produce can fit anywhere in a lineup can play it on the middle, can play the
22:24wing, um, the kind of guy you want on your side in the playoffs, his style, his
22:28style and his, his build is perfect for the playoffs.
22:31Perfect.
22:32Yeah.
22:32Crushed Shabbat last night, even though Shabbat was like going down
22:35already, but he crushed him.
22:36He did.
22:37But so I, this is my thing, right?
22:39And this is where I hesitate with a trade is where I hesitate.
22:42Cause I agree with you.
22:42I want them to retool.
22:43I want them to get pieces back, but you do need bodies in the lineup.
22:47And after posture knock, you don't have much in terms of wing depth.
22:51You don't, um, Marsh Marsh hands getting older.
22:55Um, we'll see what happens with that.
22:58Um, and then outside of that, they never replaced to brusque.
23:01They never signed any scoring winger in the off season.
23:04Um, you've got coil playing the wing at times now that, that AFP analytics
23:12came out with their projections and they had geeky at four years, times 3.25
23:16million, and I believe he's a pending RFA, not a UFA and I agree.
23:22I, I would be very intrigued to see what he could get.
23:24And if someone offers you a haul for Morgan geeky, I think you take it.
23:27Yeah.
23:28But I do think there's also an argument to, Hey, he is working.
23:31He works with your best players.
23:33I don't know if you're gonna be able to get a, you know, a better upgraded
23:37wing in here, um, in the off season.
23:39And you don't have much else in terms of high scoring wings.
23:43I wonder if they just hold on to him and sign him and trade other guys instead.
23:48Yeah.
23:48Well, that's certainly a legitimate point of view that, uh, you know, if you trade
23:56him, I don't know, you want to make the playoffs clearly, you know,
24:03and if, if you subtract him and say, you get picks in return, well, that doesn't
24:09help you in trying to make the playoffs.
24:10That's for sure.
24:11So, uh, you know, that's something that they'd have to weigh before, uh,
24:18before they went ahead and did that.
24:20Um, so
24:21well, that's the tough, that's the tough part, because if you trade Trent Frederick,
24:26right, and you get draft picks for him, as I said earlier, you can replace him in
24:30house.
24:30You can have Merkel off, come in.
24:32You can, you can have other guys slot in there and you can be okay.
24:35Um, you know, if you trade Andrew peak, I still think it's the same thing where
24:40you have guys like Michael Callahan who can fill in.
24:42Is it, is it ideal?
24:44No, but you can still tread water in the East.
24:46Isn't that great anyway?
24:48So everyone's kind of in the same area where like, I could picture the Bruins
24:50doing a retool and still being in the playoff picture and it coming down to the
24:55last couple of days and all that stuff.
24:57But you trade geeky and you're trading a guy that's working great on your top
25:03line.
25:03And that's where I think you have a tougher time because who fills in there?
25:06Do you move Marsh end up and just have kind of a super line?
25:10Um, if Martian's still here, um, that's a whole nother discussion.
25:15Um, but I, I, I think if, if you trade geeky, cause I think, you know, again,
25:21like I, we talk about the Tanner Janot trade from a couple years ago or a year
25:25ago when we talk about Frederick, I think you could talk about that with Kiki where
25:30it's like, I think you could get a similar return.
25:31The guy's producing great.
25:33Yeah.
25:34Got the style.
25:35Like to me, like if I'm at, if I'm an opposing GM or if I'm a GM that's in the
25:40hunt and I need a depth scoring forward, wouldn't you want geeky over Frederick?
25:50Uh, I don't know.
25:52Just based off production.
25:54Yeah.
25:54Production wise.
25:55Yeah.
25:55Production wise.
25:56I know Frederick brings it a different way.
25:58Physicality and stuff.
25:59I get that.
26:00Well, yeah, sometimes he does, uh, you know, I don't know.
26:06Yeah.
26:06Freddie hasn't been a, he's not a gold producer.
26:08He's not a point producer.
26:09That's not how, that's not who he is, but, uh, he does bring other things.
26:14So yeah, I, I, uh, you probably could get by better without in the short term for
26:20say for the rest of the season without Freddie, then without geeky.
26:25Yeah.
26:25And again, but again, like, as I said, if someone offers you a lot from Morgan
26:29geeky, you know, if it's a third round pick, don't do it, but if it's, you know,
26:33something legitimate and you get, you know, a couple picks or a first rounder
26:37or something, yeah, I would a hundred percent do that.
26:40And I know there are people who are going to say Morgan geeky.
26:42How could he be worth a first round pick?
26:45I say this every episode, people forget how insane these deals get around the
26:49trade and how desperate teams are.
26:51Right.
26:51So, right.
26:53I think that's, that's where I'm at with that.
26:55But, um, cause I, I see people now more people are turning for geeky online
26:59where it's like, oh, he's producing a lot and he's finishing plays and, you
27:03know, and I think that's a, it's good.
27:04And, and Zaka's works well with those guys.
27:07Um, I don't know.
27:08A lot of people have sort of punted on the season, but you do have to have guys
27:12who produce even after the trade deadline.
27:15So yeah.
27:17Yep.
27:18Fun stuff.
27:18Um, I want to get to trades.
27:20This is a big one that the Bruins are in on allegedly.
27:25Uh, but first our friends over at game time, game time has a new feature
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28:00Uh, and this time of year, Mark, I say this every episode, but I believe it.
28:05Dog days.
28:06You want to make these times fun.
28:07It's January.
28:08It's February.
28:09Go to the game, go have fun, have a drink, get some food, enjoy it.
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28:37What time is it?
28:39It's game time.
28:40It is in fact game time.
28:43I believe it is game time.
28:45Um, is it game time for JT Miller to the Bruins?
28:48That's the real question.
28:49Uh, Frank Sarah Valley came out on Thursday and said the Bruins are a dark
28:53horse to try and go get a JT Miller, which again, talk about a team that
28:58should have a freaking reality show.
29:00They said they were the hottest thing going last spring and within
29:04a year they are falling apart.
29:07Yeah.
29:08Yeah.
29:08You kind of, I got nothing against Rick Toccat.
29:12I loved him when he played for the Bruins, but you know, the way it's
29:16falling apart so fast, you just wonder like, how, how did, how did this happen?
29:21Like how they, they, they talk the talk, you know, in the off season,
29:27lat the end of last season.
29:29And then in the summer they talk the talk, but man, they're not walking
29:33the walk at all this season.
29:34They're they're a disaster.
29:36And then, I mean, by the time I got around to turning on their game last
29:41against both the Oilers, they were already down by four.
29:45It's like, what the hell?
29:47Yeah.
29:48Also Rick Toccat won the Jack Adams, uh, seven months ago.
29:52And that's why he's a good coach again.
29:56I, I was, uh, I, I saw, uh, Ron Ralston, who's we both know.
30:01Well, great guy.
30:02Um, I was, I was with him at Belmont Hill on, um, on Wednesday night and
30:09he was in the NHL for a bit.
30:10He was with Buffalo for a little bit.
30:12And he's, you know, jumped around with the national program and
30:14different, different college programs.
30:15And he's got a really nice job at Providence as the associate head coach.
30:19And a lot of people might say, well, why doesn't he go for an NHL job?
30:23Why, why doesn't he go?
30:24Or why doesn't Nate Lehman go for Nate?
30:26Why doesn't Jay Pandolfo go for an NHL job?
30:29You know why?
30:30Because they have very, very, very good jobs with that are stable.
30:36Where this, the players are not making millions of dollars and you don't have
30:41the egos or at least big enough NHL egos.
30:44And that's why, again, like we say, you and I talk about this more than anything
30:47at ranks, why college coaches are smart to stay in college at that, at that level.
30:53Well, guys like Nate and, uh, you know, all the college coaches for the most part,
30:59they're running the show at their program in the, in the NHL and, and, you
31:04know, higher levels, a lot of times it's the players who are running the show.
31:09So the coach is kind of at the mercy of, uh, uh, you know, this guy's
31:15got a, he's in a bad mood today.
31:17I'm not going to get anything out of him.
31:19You know, it's, they're just at the mercy of these
31:22ridiculously overpaid players.
31:25So, I mean, I get it.
31:29Why, why, uh, the security of a college job and is, uh, is attractive as opposed
31:35to, you know, taking a pro job and, you know, maybe you get fired after
31:40two years or, you know, whatever.
31:44Um, so I, you know.
31:46Yeah.
31:47But so again, there's a lot of drama surrounding JT Miller, a couple things
31:51on the back, 31 years old, cap of $8 million.
31:55Um, there are other teams who are in on him more, but if the Bruins are a
31:59dark horse, would you trade for JT Miller?
32:04Well, I would, if, if the price was reasonable, you know, like
32:09what would you give up for him?
32:11Uh, I don't know.
32:13Would I give up, would I give up Matt Potter for him?
32:17I would in the right circumstance.
32:19I would, you know, I, I'm a, I try not to be one of these people who,
32:24uh, falls in love with, uh, with guys.
32:28Uh, and you know, that's not a knock on Potter.
32:30I think he's, uh, you know, he's doing well as time in Providence was well
32:35spent and I think he's going to be a good player, but you know, the, uh,
32:40I'm not ready to waive the waiting period for the hall of fame just yet.
32:44And if you, if you can get a established number one center,
32:48that makes sense.
32:49I think, uh, I would do that, but, uh, you know, so.
32:54I say yes to JT Miller with the caveat of, uh, you know, what are you giving up?
32:59What are you, what are you giving up?
33:01I would really rather not give up a first round pick.
33:04They've, they've done enough of that and that's why they're where they're at.
33:10So hang on to the pick, put together a package of, of players, uh, or
33:16maybe a pick down the road.
33:18Uh, you know, but, uh, you know, I say yes to JT Miller.
33:25And again, with, I guess the asterisk, why does everyone hate this guy?
33:30Everybody's like Tony D'Angelo, not really, but you know what I mean?
33:35Um, well, he wears out his welcome, you know, not once, not twice, like three
33:40times, I think we're going on four now, you know, we're getting close.
33:44We're getting this player, you know, but even him, like the body language, like
33:49when, I don't know, was it last week?
33:51Talk it, gave it to him on the bench and like, I don't know, it kind of looked
33:56like he quit for the rest of the game.
33:58And you know, that's not what you want to see.
34:01Well, I did see, there was a clip floating around Twitter.
34:04I was like, watch JT Miller, this whole shift.
34:06And he did nothing.
34:07It was like that old Pierre, Luke Dubois clip where it was like, watch him on the
34:12solo cam of him just like gliding around the ice, like me on like a Wednesday night.
34:16And my thing with JT Miller, and this is my right, like, obviously he'd be an
34:22upgrade.
34:22I have no doubt he'd be an upgrade.
34:24And I agree with you.
34:25It does come down to price.
34:27But, um, what if the Bruins are not right back in the mix of things next year?
34:37So he's 31.
34:39Yeah.
34:39Oh, he's not old, but he's older.
34:44He's past 30.
34:45Um, probably, I mean, again, I'm not an expert on JT Miller's game, but probably
34:50has three to four years left of prime hockey.
34:54Are they going to be cup contenders in three to four years and still be able to
35:00do that if they get him and sacrifice Patra and other futures?
35:06Like that's where I get worried.
35:07I'm with you.
35:08I don't want to trade the first round pick.
35:09Um, even Patra and I'm not falling in love with Patra, but it's the age with JT
35:16Miller and the direction of this team.
35:17Are the Bruins going to be cup contenders?
35:19What's the term?
35:20He has a lot of, he has a lot of term left, right?
35:23Let's look.
35:24He's seven year deal at 8 million per, uh, and he's got four more years after,
35:31no, five, five more years after this one.
35:34Yeah.
35:34See, now that's, that makes me wary.
35:37Uh, that's scary.
35:39What's he going to look like at age 35 and 36?
35:42Uh, you know, so that's obviously something they'll take into consideration.
35:48Um, and that's the thing is I don't want, I don't want to resist, uh, upgrading
35:53the team, but I also think they're headed in a certain direction with retooling
35:57and things like that, where like, if they were to go get Pedersen, that would be
36:01different.
36:01It's a 26 year old high end center.
36:04Who's going to, you know, would, would grow with the core.
36:08JT Miller's older than your core.
36:09That's where I, that's where I worry.
36:11Like if, if the Bruins were in the mix and we're a cup contending team and they
36:14were first or second in the Atlantic or something, then I'd be like, yeah, like
36:17you go for it.
36:19I don't know though.
36:20I don't know.
36:20Well, you know, a couple other things there is JT Miller at age 31.
36:25Is he a number one center on our legitimate cup contending team?
36:29Uh, I don't know.
36:31I'm going to say no.
36:32I'm going to say no on that.
36:33It it's, you're probably right.
36:35You're probably right.
36:35The locker room could use him.
36:37They could use a guy to come in and probably, you know, kick some, kick some
36:41ass.
36:41Yeah.
36:41I was going to say like, and regarding Pedersen, I mean, it seems like, and you
36:47know, I haven't having done no research on this, just completely flying by the
36:52seat of my pants.
36:52Oh brother.
36:53I'm right there with you.
36:55I'm going to say that ever since they gave him that massive contract, he hasn't
37:00been as good, you know?
37:02So, you know, that happens sometimes, you know?
37:06So I, that, that deal has a lot of term left and a lot of money.
37:11And I mean, guy's got to be a sure thing, I think, before you commit to that.
37:17And it's hard to find a sure thing.
37:19So they saw, they signed him in March of 2024.
37:23Let's look, cause I know he had one big year, 22, 23 at 102 points.
37:29And then he had 89 last year and he's, um, he's downgraded this year.
37:3311 goals, 30 points in 41 games.
37:36I mean, obviously still a high end guy, all that stuff.
37:38But I agree with you.
37:39Like you do have to worry about handing him that big contract
37:42and him not performing.
37:43I have one like, like message board, Facebook, like comment section style
37:52trade idea for JT Miller that I would, that I would entertain.
37:56I don't think it's going to work.
37:57It probably wouldn't work, but I have an idea.
38:00Okay.
38:01Ready for it?
38:02Yup.
38:03Where were Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zdorov last year?
38:06Oh, I like it.
38:07I like where you're going here.
38:09Vancouver.
38:10They were in Vancouver.
38:11Lindholm, uh, was in talks with them about re-signing as Zdorov was there.
38:16I think he liked it.
38:18Um, they needed, they kind of want a big left shot defenseman back.
38:22Uh, Lindholm would be able to slide in as a number two or three center in Vancouver.
38:26He'd be a defensive center, a two way guy after Pedersen.
38:29So you kind of have the two headed monster there.
38:31The reason Lindholm didn't fit so well there in the spring was because he was,
38:34um, uh, a third line center, which ironically enough, he is here now too.
38:39Again.
38:40Um, if you could somehow make that work, I don't know how money wise you'd have to
38:45get guys to wave no movements and all that.
38:48I'd be for it.
38:50That's where I'm for it.
38:51I'm with you.
38:52I'm with you.
38:52And would you have to retain some money on Lindholm?
38:56Probably.
38:57You might have to.
38:58Probably.
38:58You probably would.
38:59I mean, I mean, like the, look at the first shift of last night's game or the
39:05first two shifts for Lindholm, like he had an open net on the first shift and he
39:10shanked it, then he had another great chance, like minutes later and he, he,
39:15you know, didn't put it in.
39:17It's just like, you know, this guy, it's been a disaster so far.
39:24It's tough.
39:25Cause it, and we say this all the time with free agents, you have, you know, it
39:28takes time to acclimate to a new place.
39:30I I'm with you and he's come into a weird situation in that there was a
39:33coaching change two months in.
39:35Um, the coach immediately removed him with Pasternak and you have the goalie
39:39thing going on and in training camp.
39:41And I get that, but I, to me, what has screwed this team more than anything
39:47this year, you can look at defensive metrics, you can look at goaltending
39:51metrics, what really has screwed them is he did not work as their number one
39:57as their pride and true bona fide, number one center, because we all
40:00thought we all were in the same boat.
40:02We thought he'd come in and produce more than they got out
40:05of the center spot last year.
40:06He's on pace to not do that.
40:08He's I think 24 points so far, which is mind bogglingly low.
40:14He's a guy that was a number one center and is no longer a number one center.
40:18And they, he's a number three center right now.
40:22Um, I mean, they just, it's hard.
40:28I find it hard to believe that they could be so wrong, but that's
40:31the way it looks right now.
40:32And that's the thing.
40:33And I wonder if that turns around.
40:35I wonder if a, if a fresh season next year gets him going.
40:39And I'm, again, I'm not ready to write him or Zadoroff off yet.
40:42Like, I think that's unfair to them.
40:44They're on, you know, that's their first year.
40:46And there are lots of free agents who have bad year ones who
40:48go on to have very fine careers.
40:51It's just very concerning with Lindholm where it's like, we all said, Oh, well,
40:55he might not be a number one center four years into the deal, but
40:57the first three, you're good.
40:59And that hasn't been it at all.
41:01And I think the other thing is like, you haven't gotten him to be a number one
41:04center, um, the two way game has been okay, but that's not enough to, to
41:09suffice for the money he's making.
41:11And we all thought, Oh, he'll just jump in on the bumper on the power play.
41:15And you're humming like it's the Bergeron days.
41:18And that also hasn't worked at all.
41:20So that's if, if you like, I wonder, cause again, Vancouver's going to want to compete.
41:28Vancouver is a, is in the race.
41:31I think they're, they're in the playoffs, aren't they?
41:33They must be, they have to be.
41:35They were in it last year.
41:36Um, so they're right outside the wildcard spot, but again, young core, they're
41:41going to want to compete in the future.
41:42Do they look at Zadoroff and Lindholm and say, well, that's two guys.
41:46Could that work again?
41:48They're underperforming.
41:49So I don't know how they would accept that trade, but this is like NHL 24.
41:52Maybe you can make it work.
41:54Well, if you could unload those two, uh, you know, and get a return that
42:00makes sense, then yeah, I think you, uh, you got to do it.
42:05Yeah.
42:05Well, how about us trade trade, you know, just trade, uh, mock
42:10trades and everything.
42:11This is great.
42:12People must love this.
42:13Um, what can the people look forward to from you coming up?
42:17What do you got?
42:17Anything big going on?
42:19I know you got a big John Mews story coming in the next, in our magazine.
42:23Months in the making.
42:24I know we had to rewrite that cause he retired halfway through the story.
42:29I know.
42:30Uh, yeah, I, Hey, that was fun.
42:33I enjoyed, uh, I enjoyed going up there to talk to him and, uh, he's such a
42:37universally liked and respected guy.
42:41Like all his BC boys can't say enough good things.
42:44Like they, uh, the, you mentioned his name and everybody just breaks into a big
42:50grin, like, yeah, yeah.
42:52You know, music, what a great guy.
42:54So, uh, that was fun.
42:56And that was a great story.
42:57You did a great job on that.
42:59And I hope, uh, I, you know, this things about that story that I didn't, I mean,
43:04he played, he would, I remember vaguely remember him playing at Nobles and it
43:10was like, I didn't realize that, uh, he went straight from Nobles to BC as an
43:2118 year old played every minute of every game for BC and won the national
43:26championship like crazy.
43:28Who does that?
43:29Who does that?
43:30For those who don't know, that doesn't happen today.
43:33Nobody, no impactful college hockey player comes right out of high school
43:38hockey or prep school hockey and makes an impact.
43:41That does not happen.
43:41You're seeing that with Dean Latourno right now.
43:45Well, so I, you know, I was around the BC, uh, uh, guys last week and, uh, you
43:53know, talking not to the coaches, but other people around the program, and this
43:57isn't going to make anybody, I don't think, feel any, really any better about
44:01it, but, uh, um, I was told that he's a great teammate.
44:08He's a good kid.
44:09He's putting in the work, um, and that his skill is more evident in practice
44:16than it is in the games, uh, which, you know, it's not evident at all in the
44:21games at this point because he doesn't play a lot, but, uh, you know, he's
44:27taken a beating and the Bruins, mostly the Bruins are taking a beating.
44:30I don't think anybody's hammering the kid for it.
44:32Yeah.
44:32Don't go with the kid.
44:33Come on.
44:34Even the Bruins.
44:35I mean, you and I, and every, everyone else that watched him extensively last
44:42year knew this guy is not ready for division one college hockey.
44:46He needs to go play juniors.
44:48Well, that was the thing.
44:49And I think that's, and I, so there's two things with Latourno.
44:52Number one is what you just said.
44:54It should have been in the USHL or it should be like now in the OHL.
44:58But again, I don't see him leaving BC cause he's there.
45:01Uh, this guy that I talked to said, and made a great point.
45:07The OHL, they play 70 games.
45:09They, they don't practice.
45:10They don't do weight room.
45:12They'll tell you that they do, but really it's a pro style schedule in college.
45:18This is just what he needs right now.
45:21Four days a week in the weight room, practice, practice, practice,
45:25couple of games on the weekend.
45:26And you know, he can put in the time developing his body, developing all the
45:31other things that he needs to work on.
45:34Cause he's really thin.
45:35He's not like a thick kid.
45:37You know, he's not, he's not, he gets guys that weigh 175 pounds.
45:41Knock him off the park.
45:43We saw that at dev camp.
45:44Well, the other thing with him is it's gonna take time.
45:49I, I, I saw someone tweet out a couple of weeks ago, right after the world
45:54juniors comparing Stiga to Letourneau.
45:56Now I love Teddy Stiga.
45:58I love Teddy Stiga.
45:59You do too.
46:00Like great kid.
46:01I covered him coming up.
46:03I think he's phenomenal.
46:04They are different players.
46:06They project differently.
46:07Like the Bruins were not looking for a wing who could be a, you
46:12know, a middle six regular someday.
46:15And that's probably what Teddy Stiga will be, which is great.
46:17I'm not knocking that, but there's a chance Letourneau, a chance, maybe
46:21not a huge one, but a chance that he could be a number one center someday.
46:24And like, they took that swing.
46:26I, I'm okay with them taking that swing.
46:28It's just, it's going to take time.
46:30We're not going to know this year whether or not he's going to be NHL, you know,
46:34going to be able to play in the NHL someday, three years from now, we should
46:37know, but it won't be now.
46:38And I think that's what people are not, I get it.
46:41People want to see immediate returns, but you're not, you were never going to
46:44see immediate returns with this kid ever.
46:46Well, and you know, the, the, where he was taken and the position he was taken
46:50in the draft, you know, we don't know yet who the guys that were available at
46:56that point, who's going to make it and who isn't going to make it, you know,
46:59we don't know it's too soon.
47:01You think in five years, we're going to be like, man, they should have taken so
47:03and so that he went four picks after Letourneau.
47:06I could see it.
47:06We probably will because we probably will, because that happens every year.
47:10You know, right.
47:12You're right.
47:12You know, there's not, I can't, I don't follow it as closely anywhere, nearly
47:17as closely as a lot of people, as some people do, but, uh, I can't point to
47:22anyone and say, that's the guy they should have taken.
47:24I don't know.
47:25You know, the guy that his name escapes me now, the guy that they were going to
47:31take, I think until who took, who took him a couple spots before.
47:37Oh, yes.
47:40Like he was in the world juniors.
47:41And, you know, having watched that, I look at that and I say, I don't know,
47:46really that guy, you know, he's a prospect.
47:50Yeah.
47:50But you know, is he a slam dunk?
47:52No, no, he's not.
47:55It wasn't boy.
47:56Oh, Michael Hague.
47:57Wasn't it?
47:57Michael Hague?
47:58Oh, it wasn't Michael Hague.
47:59No, no, it was a cold boy.
48:03Cold Baldwin.
48:04Baldwin.
48:05Yeah.
48:05Yes.
48:06Yeah.
48:06That's a big, heavy, you know, Utah, big, heavy brew, you know, brewing type
48:12player, but you know, I don't know.
48:19You need some upside.
48:20You need some upside.
48:21And we both watched it.
48:22There were, there were shifts that we wouldn't notice the turnout, but there
48:24were also some shifts where it was like, damn, that kid can play a guy, a guy
48:29that size with those kinds of hands.
48:31Yeah.
48:31Yeah.
48:32Uh, so it's, uh, people don't want to wait.
48:36We don't want to wait, but we're going to have to, we're going to have to, we're
48:40going to have to, uh, Mark.
48:42As always a pleasure.
48:44I'm sure I'll see you at a rank very, very soon.
48:46Uh, and that's Bruinsbeat.
48:48I'm Evan Maranofsky, Bruinsbeat listeners.
48:49Have a great rest of your week.