Or Lucic and Hamilton. LOL
Let me start by saying I am, as usual, going off a stream of consciousness, having just heard about the Lucic trade as I was going to write a blog about the Hamilton trade. I know nothing about the other players involved in these trades, though it appears the value the Bruins got in return was the draft picks.
So let me get this straight: Not long ago the Bruins had worked magic and become something very rare in pro sports -- a team at the top with high draft picks. They worked their magic and ended up drafting Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton (and we won't bother saying that the Seguin pick comes about by trading away another very high draft pick.)
So are we seeing a trend here? Absolutely we are. We're seeing a team that gets high draft picks and doesn't keep them. Does this mean they're missing the mark with who they draft with those picks, how those players are then developed, or both or neither (though I don't think neither is really possible.)
You bailed on the very talented enigma that is Phil Kessel, whom you drafted very high with much aplomb, getting the number 2 overall pick in return, the aforementioned Seguin, only to give up on him after two seasons. And what did you get in return there? A bag of pucks.
Interrupting myself for a second but who was the previous very high draft pick the Bruins gave up on before Kessel? One Joe Thornton. Definitely, definitely a trend, my friends.
Now you're giving up on Dougie Hamilton because why? I'm guessing because they didn't think he was worth the money he was asking and the fact that the Bruins are up against it with the cap. But all you got in return was the 14th pick...in my book that's trading down since Hamilton was a higher pick than that and you know what you've got with it. I could care less about the other late picks in that deal. Now they've traded Milan Lucic was a comparable pick and a player I don't know.
Is this a sign of a rebuild (and arguably an identity shift if you're getting rid of the one player who most plays, when he decides to, like the Bruins have always played) or does this have everything to do with money?
But more importantly is: What faith should I have that you'll, A, draft great players with those picks (since you're trading great players for them) and even if you do, will you develop and keep them?
3 comments:
I am going to give the Bruins a pass on this one. Chicarelli is the one that continued to get the Bruins up against the Cap and gave up on players too soon. So Sweeney is trying to get the Cap manageable and in order to do that, he had to get rid of a couple of players that can play. I think the Lucic trade was a good one. A Goalie, a 1st Rd draft pick, and a a defender. Lucic has not brought his "A" Game each and every night since he lost his cool vs. the Canadiens during the playoffs. I agree that the Dougie Hamilton trade doesn't look so good.
The more I read about these trades, the more I think Sweeney screwed up. The Lucic trade went down because the Bruins retained $2.7 million in salary. The return was decent, but then the Bruins had three chances to pick a really good center in Mathew Barzal and whiffed. If Barzal is as good as people say he is, Sweeney will never hear the end of it.
My gut feeling earlier this afternoon was that Sweeney tried to acquire assets to move up, possibly to the Coyotes at #3. When that didn't happen, he needed to save face and promptly fell on it.
That Senyshyn pick will be a waste. That guy has Nik Andropov written all over him.
I forget the name already and, yes, the Bruins needed D but the kid I wanted was the one drafted right in front of the Bruins, a true sniper.
At this point I'm almost tempted to say trade everyone but Bergeron, Pastrnak and maybe Rask. I know there are some kids coming but, like the Red Sox, you never know about prospects until they get to the majors. Get a shit load of picks and good young talent and start over. I know that's difficult in this city but they'll forget when it works out.
But I'm not impressed with who they ended up drafting but we'll see.
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