Free Agency : Christmas in July for Hockey

With free agency day looming, already there has been some crazy activity. Ovi is signed, Fleury got traded and tons of speculation surrounding lots of players.  Still some significant players available. The Bruins still need left D, a goalie, a centerman, and more depth. They have about 17.5 million left after just signing Reilly for a decent cap hit of around 3 million for 3 years. He was a solid addition overall on D . Still would like to see them add more grit both in the forward core and D . Plus the goalie situation. We must find a solid goalie to support which young goalie gets the backup or 1B spot. Plus if Tuukka wants to come back after his surgery, it complicates things a bit as well, so Sweeney needs to be wise in what he does. Be interesting as usual to see the surprises and maybe a few more shocks after the dust settles. Let the games begin

Hall Staying Put for 4 Years

 

The Bruins and Taylor Hall have agreed to a 4 year deal with a cap hit of 6 million per year with a no-movement clause. This is a great signing for the Bruins because Hall is still in his prime and gives them another dynamic winger. Plus for Hall, it offers him stability and a chance to really build his presence as an elite winger again. Now we just need a center to anchor this line and I suspect Krejci will be announced fairly soon. They had really started to build chemistry along with Craig Smith . So the Bruins top 2 lines if this happens, will be damn good going into next season. 

Expansion Draft : A Bruin Will Be "Kracking" Off

 

Although the official picks will not be for another few hours, leaks have been happening for most of the day. As it sits right now, it seems Jeremy Lauzon will be the pick going to Seattle. Losing Lauzon will sting mainly because the Bruns are weak on the left side of the defense. Leaving a hole for Sweeny that will need to be addressed before the season. 

Lauzon didn't have a smooth year last year mainly due to injury and he struggled to get back up to speed and made some real mistakes in the playoffs. However, he is young and learning. He has good size at 6' 2"  205 lbs, is physical, and has decent skating ability. He was used in penalty-killing situations and did alright. At only 24, he has plenty of potential to grow and become a decent shutdown,physical defender that could play in the 2nd pairing as a 4 on the depth chart. 

So with him likely gone, Sweeney will have to look outside to fill that left side before the season begins with a free agent of signing. There are options but it comes down to can you get what you need for a fair price. Time will tell. 

Expansion Draft ,Who Do The Bruins Protect

With it being an expansion draft year , the Bruins need to submit a protected list . I predict it's going to be pretty predictable . So here is my list with the Bruins protecting 7 forwards ,3 defense and 1 goalie. The 7 forwards are Bergeron, Marchand,Pasta,Smith,DeBrusk, Frederic and Coyle. The 3 defense McAvoy ,Carlo and Grezlyk . Last the goalie will be Vlader. Leaving Lauzon,Clifton and Zaboril exposed on the D and notably Nick Richie upfront. I suspect we will lose a defenseman but much depends who is made available by other teams before one can speculate who Seattle will take. Be fun to look at the list and then see who Seattle take.

No Longer Miller Time in Boston

Sadly as was announced earlier today in Miller's official Instagram account, he has made the decision to retire. He played his whole career in Boston , coming in on a try out. Undrafted but with a competitive fire that fueled his desire to play ,he finally cracked the line up in the 2013/14 campaign. He played hard-nosed minutes , with a physical edge that was a throw back to the big bad Bruins. He was a full out warrior on the ice and would protect his teammates with the fist if needed. Man could he throw them .But he was also very solid in the D core . A better skater as time went on and provided reliable penalty kill minutes.But throughout his career , injuries plagued him. After suffering a weird broken knee cap , there was doubt he could make it back .But he showed perseverance, character and guts to comeback last year and played very well until a high dirty hit in the playoffs against the Caps put him out . From all accounts he is well respected and loved by his teammates . His toughness and play will be missed but his health and family must come first. So all the best Kevan , your a Bruin to the core .

Kevan Miller's Retirement Statement

Bruin News : Kevan Miller Retires and Brandon Carlo Signs 6 Year Extension For 4.1 Million

Just a brief note. Took a break from blogging for a bit but now that the season is over and the Lightning won ( Haha Hab fans) time to start up again.

Quick notes for today.Kevan Miller sadly announced his retirement from playing for the Bruins. Injuries took their toll . Also, it was just announced, Brandon Carlo has signed a 6-year extension for a cap hit of 4.1 million. 

 I'll be writing about both players and what my thoughts are concerning this breaking news a bit later. With the expansion draft coming, free agency, and much to do over the next month for the Bruins management team, this will be fun to watch and how it will impact the Bruins season next year.