On this episode of Bruins Beat, Evan Marinofsky is joined by Pete Blackburn of the What Chaos! Podcast to discuss the current state of the Boston Bruins. Following the B's coaching change, can the team salvage their season? Will they still make the playoffs? All that, and much more!
Topics:
- Reacting to a wild week
- Jim Montgomery wasn’t a great postseason coach
- A nice first win for Joe Sacco against Utah
- Can the Bruins save their season?
- A 50/50 split in net?
00:00 - Intro
02:00 - Montgomery Fired Discussion
04:00 - Coaching Performance Analysis
06:15 - Panthers' playoff fight
08:44 - Bruins' recent win
10:56 - Upcoming schedule analysis
14:56 - Team leadership issues
20:26 - Team needs retool
24:20 - Trade deadline decisions
30:09 - Supporting cast issues
*************************************************
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Topics:
- Reacting to a wild week
- Jim Montgomery wasn’t a great postseason coach
- A nice first win for Joe Sacco against Utah
- Can the Bruins save their season?
- A 50/50 split in net?
00:00 - Intro
02:00 - Montgomery Fired Discussion
04:00 - Coaching Performance Analysis
06:15 - Panthers' playoff fight
08:44 - Bruins' recent win
10:56 - Upcoming schedule analysis
14:56 - Team leadership issues
20:26 - Team needs retool
24:20 - Trade deadline decisions
30:09 - Supporting cast issues
*************************************************
💰 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
00:00Bruins Beat is brought to you by PrizePix and the Game Time app.
00:07And welcome into the Bruins Beat presented by PrizePix. Go use that promo code CLNS to get $50 back when you play just $5 and are presented by Game Time.
00:18Go use that promo code CLNS to get $20 off that first purchase. Terms apply. I am Evan Maronofsky. That is Pete Blackburn. Pete, what is up?
00:27It's been a busy week, my friend. It's been a busy week.
00:30Boy has it. It has been a wild week. And I think it's one of those things where it's not surprising. We knew that this was going to happen.
00:38It was kind of a matter of when. You had that video that you put out. I think it was Saturday's game after they blew it to the Blues.
00:46And you had that ready to go. But again, I was saying to Hags, Ty, and Connor, after Thursday night's game, it's a bad sign when four times in a month's span you are talking about firing the coach.
01:02You're like, oh, it's going to happen this night. Oh, it's going to happen this time. And so it just felt like a matter of time that Montgomery was gone.
01:08Yeah. And the video that I put out after the Blues game was actually recorded during the first Blues game earlier that week after the second period.
01:14During the second intermission, I recorded that video. I was like, I think they got to fire Jim Montgomery.
01:19And then they came back and they rallied in the third period, won that game. So I kept it in the drafts.
01:24And just knowing the way that the season has gone and the problems that have been consistently popping up over and over again.
01:32I was like, ah, this will probably come out of the drafts at some point. So I'll just stash it there.
01:36I'll get some use out of this. I think it was telling after those back-to-back shutouts they had against Philly and Seattle earlier this month.
01:44Where it was like, oh, they have some momentum. They're playing good hockey. And then immediately it's just trounced.
01:50And that was sort of the whole thing for the first month through the first 20 games, one step forward and three steps back.
01:58And yeah, I mean, it was no surprise on Tuesday when they decided to let him go, especially after that Columbus game.
02:05And I think, you know, just sort of curious what your thoughts are. I mean, I've already kind of discussed this with our listeners about sort of Montgomery getting fired.
02:12But what was sort of your reaction to it?
02:15Like not surprised at all. I mean, you obviously look at the grander record for Jim Montgomery and it's very good.
02:22And I think I saw a lot of people looking at it from the outside of this market who maybe haven't been fully plugged into this team.
02:29And you see that record over three years and you say, what the hell? This guy clearly wasn't the problem.
02:34Like the front office gave him a bad, bad list of ingredients. What is he supposed to do with it?
02:40And while, yeah, I think that that's probably true to an extent, the drop off that you've seen on a game to game basis, just like it's inexcusable.
02:52And there was nothing there to really build on. You said one step forward, three steps back.
02:57It was almost like half a step forward, three steps back. They barely had anything to, you know, to feel good about.
03:06Basically, every category in the league, they were 25th or worst.
03:11And for a team that didn't have that much turnover and the turnover that you did have, like I thought, was addressing points of weakness from from last year.
03:22Like they improved at the center position, regardless of whether you think Elias Lindholm is a number one center, like he's a top six center and he's adding to what was weak last year.
03:34Nikita Zdorov has been an adventure, but I still think that he's a good player who can help your blue line.
03:41And it's just like the writing was on the wall with how just how bad and boring, honestly, like they are boring, bad and just terrible to watch.
03:54And so there really wasn't much to suggest that Jim Montgomery should keep his job.
03:59And that's not even considering the fact that like there were cracks in the foundation to begin with because he entered the season in a walk here.
04:06Like that shows to me that there was just something there that was off that maybe their relationship was fractured a bit, regardless of of like what side you thought it was on, whether it's Jim Montgomery side or the front offices side.
04:21Something wasn't there to start this season, and it really didn't help his case the way that they started playing in the first month and change.
04:30Yeah, and I think Sweeney touched on that a lot in terms of, you know, training camp.
04:34They got off on the complete wrong foot.
04:37Obviously, Montgomery, you know, Elliott Friedman wrote that Montgomery was sort of hesitant about Boston before Boston was hesitant about him.
04:45I don't know. I mean, it's funny.
04:46You mentioned sort of the people from outside this market putting up the regular season record, and it's true.
04:51I mean, Montgomery was a very winning head coach here in the regular season.
04:55But I do think long term they had legitimate questions.
04:58Is this the long term guy?
05:00And you think about the 2020, you know, hate to beat a dead horse here, but the 2023 playoffs where, you know, you get outfoxed by Paul Maurice, you get outfoxed by Paul Maurice the next year.
05:09You're you know, you're in the same division as John Cooper.
05:12You're in the same division now as Craig Barubi.
05:14Like, these are high end head coaches who are battle tested in the playoffs and have a lot of good experience.
05:21And notoriously, like Montgomery's not a great postseason head coach.
05:26Yeah, he isn't.
05:27He just isn't.
05:28And I think I do think there were legitimate questions.
05:31So I think that in the offseason, them not being able to come to an agreement plus their reservations about him in the postseason led to him getting canned.
05:42Obviously, you know, the other part of it was the team was was was bad to the first 20 games.
05:46But I think if he had been a good playoff head coach over the last two years, the guy they're starting off bad, but you move on.
05:52Like, you know, you keep your eye coach through it.
05:56To me, it's it's the postseason stuff.
05:58And it's sort of a doubt.
06:00And is this the long term guy?
06:02Yeah, I think it was big.
06:05Yeah, I don't know how much like the that plays into it.
06:10Like whether I mean, regardless of what you got from the postseason, like you gave the Panthers a fight last year.
06:17They had gone to win the Stanley Cup.
06:20You gave the Panthers a pretty good fight.
06:22And, you know, the previous season, obviously, you chunk it and you blow it.
06:26And it's a horrible reflection on you.
06:28But like that team was still a really good team.
06:31So like in hindsight, I wasn't like so so concerned about the playoff.
06:37Like, is he great at making adjustments over the course of a seven game series?
06:41No, but I think what outweighs that is what he was able to maximize from pretty, pretty like underwhelming rosters, at least an underwhelming roster last year and was able to kind of maximize that and keep their window open.
06:57The players did him no favors to start this season.
07:00No, I agree.
07:01I agree.
07:02I definitely don't lay it all at his feet.
07:04And I think that like to a certain degree, the firing was undeserved based off of like a month and a half worth of bad hockey.
07:14But that month and a half's worth of bad hockey was so bad that you had to push some button to try to reset it because just everything was going wrong.
07:26Yes, but I also think if they believed he was the long term guy, a, they would have come to an agreement.
07:30They would have either given him an offer that he really wanted or B, they would have just written this out and said, No, this is our guy.
07:38We believe in him.
07:39And the reality was all the quotes at the beginning.
07:41There were surface level about sort of his future here going forward.
07:45I think the other thing is like, and you hit on it.
07:47Like, I know, I know they beat the Leafs last year, but they were, you know, Hampus Lindholm fluky shot away from him being the first coach in pro sports to blow two straight three one leads in consecutive years.
08:04And, and, you know, even again, like I agree with you on the Panthers last year, Panthers in 2023 was a completely, I mean, that is an all time bad thing.
08:12And it's unfortunate, you know, because it's like, you know, that stuff, that stuff happens.
08:17Obviously, the Panthers are really good team.
08:19And we kind of just didn't know it at that time.
08:21But you did have them three one and you did blow multiple leads in game six.
08:24And yes, that is the players, but you can't fire the players.
08:27And I think that also, as you said, runs on this season to the first month.
08:31Like, is it completely Jim Montgomery's fault?
08:33No, but a change had to be made.
08:35And a change was made.
08:37So now you have Joe Sacco, local guy, Medford guy.
08:40I want to talk about Thursday's game and sort of what to make of it from here.
08:46Obviously, the Bruins get that one nothing win over a really not great Utah team.
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10:18So Pete, Bruins got a 1-0 win on Thursday.
10:21Wasn't exciting.
10:22Wasn't high flying.
10:24But I got to say, it was a step in the right direction.
10:27I thought they played a good game.
10:29They played a good 60-minute effort.
10:31I know I sound like a hockey coach here, but they defended well.
10:35Corpo Salo put up a good game.
10:37Power play is still a work in progress.
10:39I know you got one power play goal, but you had a bunch.
10:42So to me, I think there's going to be a lot of – they have kind of an easy schedule coming up,
10:47or what should be an easy schedule.
10:49And I think a lot of people are going to say, oh, well, let's see what they do against the better teams.
10:53And it's like, yeah, but also like let's see if they can string some good performances and good efforts together.
10:59I don't care if it's against the Panthers, or I don't care if it's against me, you, DJ, Ty, and Connor.
11:05Like they need to string some good performances together.
11:09What did you think of Thursday?
11:10Yeah, it's a step in the right direction.
11:12It's a half a step forward.
11:14It was a pretty terrible game to watch, if we're all being honest.
11:20It's a continuation.
11:22I like defensive hockey.
11:23I like defensive hockey.
11:24Sure, but like I like defensive hockey with a little excitement mixed in.
11:29Like defensive hockey can be exciting.
11:31Utah generated almost nothing in that game.
11:34Like next to nothing.
11:36And so you're right.
11:38Like you look at the stretch coming up.
11:39You're playing a lot of, you know, mediocre to bad teams.
11:44But like if the results are there, what is there really to complain about?
11:50Like you can have your reserved expectations for when they do play good teams.
11:57But this was a team that wasn't winning the winnable games, which is a big part of the reason that Jim Montgomery was fired.
12:06Like St. Louis is a bad team, or at least like at best a mid team.
12:12And you had two adventures against them.
12:15Columbus is a team that is a little bit better this year, but you got frigging smoked by them.
12:20So, you know, if you're beating the winnable games or the winnable teams, like all the power to you,
12:28maybe it gives them some momentum heading into those tougher games.
12:33So we'll see what's in store over the next week, week and a half.
12:36Yeah, they have an interesting schedule coming up.
12:39I'm just pulling it up now.
12:41They have Detroit Saturday, Vancouver Tuesday, New York Islanders the night before Thanksgiving.
12:49So when your local bar with all the people that you haven't seen all year until the night before Thanksgiving, you can watch the Bruins.
12:57Then you have the Penguins on Black Friday.
13:00And then after that, you have Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, Philly.
13:05Then you have Winnipeg.
13:06But again, that's getting deep into December.
13:08So you have a little stretch here where you can kind of get right, but you're in amongst those teams.
13:12So it's not this isn't the last year of the year before is Bruins.
13:16This is a Bruins team that is very, very, very middle of the pack, if not below average.
13:23I will say, obviously, nice to see Lindholm get on the board.
13:26Finally, he has been.
13:27He's had a really rough start to the year.
13:31I am one of those people who they go out and get these tough guys, these big guys.
13:37And I'm like, it doesn't make that much of a difference.
13:39I'll give them this.
13:40I do think that fight that that second one with Bortuzzo on Thursday night, I do think that sparked stuff.
13:47I think the way he plays and has played so far.
13:49I mean, he's been one of the guys that has not underachieved.
13:53I think that stuff helps.
13:55It when when you're down and out the way they are now cast, like, I think only like seven minutes time on ice, but made those count.
14:02I do wonder if they start to goon it up a little bit.
14:06Physicality wise.
14:07I mean, you had Zdorov laying a bunch of hits on Thursday.
14:10I don't think you're going to win any games like that, but I do think it gives you a little bit of momentum, right?
14:16Yeah, I mean, if anything, it just makes you harder to play against.
14:19They haven't been hard to play against for the first month and change of the season.
14:22And, you know, you you they seem lifeless.
14:27And so at least against Utah, you saw some fight.
14:30You saw a little bit of life and you came out with a win.
14:34Like you eked out a win against a pretty pretty bad team.
14:38But like you saw some signs, you saw a pulse, which is is good.
14:43And I think you can carry that forward.
14:45And like that stuff, you know, I don't necessarily always equate the fighting and the physicality to leadership.
14:52But I do think that like in that moment, in that game, there was there was like a relation to leadership with with that battling.
15:02And so this is a team that has not had a lot of clear leadership to start the season, which has been a problem to me from both the coaching standpoint.
15:12Like nobody stepped in the way of this thing really going off the rails.
15:16And outside of like Brad Marchand, who is like the real strong, clear leaders on this team?
15:22Like, you know, you can say McAvoy, you can say Pasternak.
15:26But like those are guys who typically lead by example and not so much like verbally, at least from from what I can tell.
15:35Like they're not demonstrative leaders.
15:37They're not guys who like really get in your face if if things aren't going right or really like get vocal if things aren't going right.
15:45And those guys haven't been leading by example.
15:48So like to see any sort of fight or leading by example is a step in the right direction for this team, if you ask me.
15:56100 percent. Yeah.
15:57And I think that that's an encouraging thing that needs to continue going forward.
16:01And again, they scored that power play goal.
16:03And then seconds later, Casta like beats up Arbor Pertuzzo pretty bad.
16:06So, yeah, I'm curious if that continues.
16:09I think it has to.
16:10I want to get this.
16:11Sorry.
16:12I said this last night.
16:13But like, how weird is it at this point in the season?
16:15And given where the Bruins are like Castle Lake and Corpus Allo might be two of the Bruins better and more important players at this juncture.
16:25Do I think that that stays the same?
16:27It probably shouldn't.
16:28I hope it doesn't.
16:29But Corpus Allo and Castle Lake, like the returns on them are better than what Linus Allmark is giving the Ottawa Senators at this point, which is unbelievable.
16:40Unbelievable.
16:41Yeah.
16:42I mean, I'm not surprised about Allmark in Ottawa.
16:44It takes goalies a little while to adjust, especially when you're going from a team that is much worse.
16:50Like, I'm not fully shocked that it hasn't been a home run quite yet.
16:54I think long term it'll be fine.
16:56Nori, I agree with you.
16:57But Ottawa is like one of the better defensive teams in terms of structure and like what they're allowing.
17:03They're not allowing a ton of high danger chances.
17:05They're not allowing a ton of like expected goals because of that.
17:10And like their defense has actually been there.
17:13And the goaltending has been pretty tough, which is strange.
17:19But I do have faith that Allmark will get right.
17:22And I think that Ottawa can be in a good position when he does.
17:25Yeah.
17:26I meant sort of coming into the year like they last year, their numbers were actually the Bruins were kind of near them in terms of advanced defensive statistics last year, which I don't think many people realized.
17:37But I still expected a little bit of regression.
17:39But to this extent, no, I didn't.
17:41And to have Castle Lake be as consistently a menace as he has been.
17:46And Corpus Allo has been better.
17:48I want to get into Corpus Allo.
17:49I want to get into the big question I have with this team.
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18:58What time is it?
18:59It's game time.
19:00It's right, baby.
19:01It is game time, and it is time you get a new camera.
19:04I know.
19:05I'm sorry.
19:06It's okay.
19:07The camera, I don't know what's going on.
19:09It's been an issue for me for a little while on and off, so I apologize to you and all your viewers.
19:14That's fine.
19:15I want to just say that.
19:16So when YouTube caught, when people are like, what's up with Pete's camera?
19:19We covered it.
19:20It's okay.
19:21You can still hear Pete.
19:22That's been addressed.
19:23You can hear Pete loud and clear.
19:24He sounds amazing.
19:25He's a little laggy, but that's okay.
19:27We'll work through it.
19:28He's Pete Blackburn.
19:29We'll do it for him.
19:32Is the season salvageable, Pete?
19:34Yeah.
19:35I mean, I think that the Bruins can get into the playoffs.
19:38Do I think they're going to make any significant noise when they get there?
19:42If they get there, they'd have to show me a hell of a lot for me to believe in that
19:47once you head towards the postseason.
19:49But the Eastern Conference is not very good.
19:52And the Bruins, the fact that you fired the coach and you look like one of the worst teams
19:57in the league, and at the time you pulled the plug on that, you're still within sneezing
20:03distance of a playoff spot.
20:06They're still very much in contention for a wild card, but that's more reflective of
20:14how bad the rest of the conference is.
20:16I agree.
20:17It's interesting because given what they've shown us, and I've said it a number of times
20:23over the last couple of weeks, they look like a team that needs a retool.
20:26They look like a team that needs to sell off Frederick's geekies, try to get some picks,
20:30prospects, and sort of revamp things, or even like a Coyle or a Zaka.
20:35But they are not looking at it like that.
20:37They still believe that they have a legitimate shot at getting back into the thick of it.
20:41And you're right.
20:42The East, and the Atlantic especially, is not very good.
20:46And I think the other thing is, I had high expectations for this team coming in.
20:49I thought they got better on paper.
20:51They didn't replace DeBrusque, but they did get what should be a number one center.
20:55They did solidify their defense.
20:58And obviously, yeah, you lose Omar, but I did expect them to be better.
21:02And I expected some of the teams around the Atlantic to get worse.
21:06Everyone, like most of the roster is playing at their worst right now.
21:11That's not going to be the case the whole year, most likely, for at least half of them.
21:15And if half of those 11 to 12 to 13 guys that are underperforming start to get to where
21:21they should be, and a few maybe play higher than that, you should be in the thick of it.
21:26You should at least make the playoffs.
21:28And I think that's the thing.
21:29And you have the coach getting fired.
21:31This has been your wake-up call.
21:33At some point, Jeremy Swayman probably will go back to being a top 10 goalie.
21:39When that happens, I don't know.
21:40They need that to happen soon.
21:43But I do think there is...
21:45I get the pessimism about this team.
21:48I feel it too.
21:50They've shown us nothing through 20 games that would make me think this is even a playoff team,
21:54let alone a team that wins a round.
21:57But I do think there is that other side of the coin where I could see them rebounding
22:01over the next couple of months.
22:02And by the end of the year, they're in the playoff picture.
22:05Now, I think to help them do that...
22:08You mentioned Corpo Sala has been great to start this year, put in a bad position against
22:13Florida in that first game, but has done an admirable job since.
22:16Swayman obviously has not after missing training camp.
22:20I'm starting to think they should go back to the 50-50 split, at least for the next
22:23couple of weeks of splitting games with Corpo Sala and Swayman.
22:26Because Swayman's numbers when he starts consecutive games are not great.
22:31And Corpo Sala has been playing well.
22:33So I do think this is a time where maybe going back to that 50-50 split...
22:37I know you're paying Swayman a lot of money, but at least to get him acclimated again.
22:41I'm for the 50-50 split.
22:43What about you?
22:45Yeah, I'm a little torn on it.
22:48You made your points.
22:50Corpo Sala obviously is a little bit stronger than Swayman right now, but you just gave
22:55Swayman over $8 million a year to be your number one and not to be your 1A or 1B.
23:01He has to learn how to be that guy.
23:04And maybe you don't need to throw him into the fire.
23:07But at some point, he's got to learn to be that guy and he's got to figure it out.
23:12And maybe over these next however many games, when they're playing tougher, easier opponents,
23:20maybe that's a good time for him to start maybe getting some confidence behind him
23:26and learning how to shoulder that workload when it's not extremely tough,
23:31or conceivably not extremely tough.
23:35But I don't know.
23:36I don't think there's a right or wrong answer.
23:39I just think that at some point, Swayman needs to learn how to play every day.
23:4560-65 games versus 40.
23:49I agree.
23:50I just don't know if the time is now.
23:52Given he missed training camp, I think this feels like preseason hockey for him,
23:57at least the way he's been playing.
23:59It's a month and a half.
24:02It's been terrible.
24:03He should be coming out of training camp at this point in time.
24:07I agree.
24:08I agree.
24:09I don't know.
24:11I'm more interested.
24:12I was thinking about it when you were talking about earlier,
24:14getting back into a playoff spot and the position that they might find themselves in.
24:19I think the most interesting thing to watch with this team and their assets
24:24is where they find themselves nearing the trade deadline.
24:27And if they're in a playoff spot, but you're in a wild card
24:30and you're still having these ups and downs and you're not looking super consistent
24:35or you're not being taken seriously as Stanley Cup contender,
24:39does this front office have the balls to sell?
24:44Or do they look at this and say,
24:49we're one or two pieces away from making some noise?
24:54I very easily could see them being in either position where they could buy or sell.
25:01Regardless of being in the same position, being on the fringe of the wild card
25:06or in a wild card spot, you could buy or sell.
25:09I have a hard time believing that this front office would sell
25:14if they're in a playoff position.
25:16Not because you shouldn't do that,
25:20but because the onus of ownership is just make the playoffs.
25:25Just make the playoffs, get that gate revenue in the postseason.
25:29And that's what keeps Cam Neely and Don Sweeney in their positions in a job.
25:34And I don't see them risking putting themselves in the line of fire
25:38by selling and maybe opening up the chance that they missed the playoffs.
25:43Even though selling could be the smarter thing for this team to do
25:48to retool and be a better team next season.
25:52I completely agree.
25:53I would be shocked if they sold while being in a playoff spot.
25:58What I go back to, though, and I think you agree with me on this,
26:02is, okay, let's say they're the first or second wild card team
26:06and they're out in round one.
26:07And they didn't trade Frederick or Geeky at the deadline
26:11and they don't bring those guys back.
26:13And it's like, you could have got picks for those guys.
26:15Or even a coil, throw a coil in there or a Zaka.
26:18If there was a team...
26:19Because I've been saying this for a week or two,
26:22people forget how crazy the trade deadline gets
26:25and how crazy the packages are and what you can get for guys.
26:28And when I say Pavel Zaka could probably get you a first round pick,
26:31people go, oh, you're insane.
26:32What are you talking about?
26:33It's like, no, man.
26:34A top six left wing or center who has produced in the past,
26:40who's not super old, who's on pretty good money,
26:42a team would give a lot for that if it meant going deeper in the playoffs.
26:48And so I'm not saying definitely do that stuff.
26:51But with guys like Frederick who does have, I think, some value
26:54and teams see some untapped potential,
26:57if you could get a Tanner Janot-like package for him around the deadline
27:02and you don't in exchange for losing in the first round,
27:05you're the Red Wings.
27:06You're the Red Wings of 10 years ago.
27:08And that's a scary proposition too,
27:10where you have a chance to sort of retool.
27:13And I agree with you.
27:15I don't see them in a position where they're second in the Atlantic
27:18and it's like, oh, they're a definite playoff team.
27:20They've got to go all in.
27:21But I also don't see them 25th in the league
27:25and it's like, all right, sell every single piece.
27:27I see them sort of in that middle ground,
27:30which a lot of people think is the worst place to be.
27:32Yeah.
27:33And Connor and I have been saying this.
27:35Yeah, and it does suck because there is that part where it's like
27:38you only have a very limited window to retool your roster before it's too late.
27:45Again, like you lose Jake DeBrusque to free agents,
27:48you get nothing in return for him.
27:49And I'm not saying you had to trade him or anything,
27:51but that is an asset that just went out the door.
27:55And I do think this team, when you traded Lena Solmark
27:59and the main part of it was you got a first round pick out of it.
28:02You need to start making your picks again.
28:04You need higher end prospects in your system.
28:07And if Trent Frederick helps you get that,
28:09if Charlie Coyle or Pawel Zaka helps you get that,
28:12I'd be open to it.
28:13But I agree, I don't think they actually do that at the deadline.
28:16Yeah, I mean, their cupboard is so bare right now
28:19when it comes to prospects and picks and just like future assets.
28:24And I think at some point you need to replenish.
28:27You do.
28:29And as somebody who really my worst fear is being stuck in the middle
28:36and just toiling in mediocrity without really having anything to show for it,
28:41at some point you have to, like, if you're the front office,
28:47you say this may make us worse this year and may cost us the playoffs this year.
28:52But you have to really self-evaluate and be self-aware and say,
28:57even if we do make the playoffs, we may not have a real chance at advancing.
29:05So this is for the benefit of the team right now,
29:08even if we have to kind of eat shit for like six months or eight months or whatever it is.
29:12And again, think of the amount of guys they have locked up long term.
29:15So, you know, you just went out, you got Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zdorov.
29:18You just signed Jeremy Swain into an eight-year deal.
29:20You have McAvoy, you have Pasternak, you have Hampus Lindholm.
29:24You have so many guys locked up long term.
29:27So you're not rebuilding, you're not rebuilding,
29:31but you're trying to strengthen the guys around those guys.
29:35And if you don't feel like Trent Frederick and Morgan Geeky,
29:38or as I've mentioned, Charlie Coyle or Pavel Zaka,
29:41I doubt they would deal Zaka given, you know, how close he is with Pasternak
29:45and how good those two work together.
29:47But like, you know, I love Brandon Carlo.
29:49I think he's phenomenal.
29:50But like that's been another name that's been tossed around.
29:52Like if you don't feel like you have the right supporting cast for this group,
29:57you got to make legitimate changes because there are a lot of guys that are going to be around here a while.
30:02If you are mediocre for a long time with all that money tied up,
30:06this product is going to be awful and you're not going to win a thing.
30:08So I agree with you.
30:10If they're that first, second wildcard, like fringe playoff team, I'm with you.
30:15Do what the Capitals did a couple of years ago where they traded Orloff,
30:18they traded Hathaway, get pieces in return, draft guys.
30:22And I know a lot of people say, well, the Bruins can't draft.
30:25Well, you need to let them draft.
30:27At least try.
30:28At least try.
30:29At least try.
30:30And I'll give them this.
30:31They got Lowry in the second round.
30:32They got Matt Potra in the second round.
30:33Like you can get good value guys.
30:36And you know, has Lowry been the guy that everyone's hoped he would be to start the year?
30:41No, not quite.
30:42Matt Potra's down in Providence as well.
30:43But like long-term, I think those are legitimate pieces of this team.
30:47I think Potra's, you know, potentially a top six center.
30:49I think Lowry's a top four defenseman.
30:51So like you got to give them time.
30:53But you do need to supplement that core with a good supporting cast.
30:58And right now that supporting cast ain't getting it done.
31:01So interesting stuff.
31:02I'm sure you and I will talk a lot more as the season goes along, whether it's deadline stuff or any of that.
31:08But Pete, what can people look forward to from you?
31:11We got What Chaos stuff still coming up every day, Monday through Thursday on What Chaos YouTube.
31:18It's youtube.com slash at What Chaos Show.
31:21And then it's on all the podcast platforms.
31:23We got a bunch of players lined up and great interviews.
31:27So, yeah, just check us out there.
31:30That's really my only plug.
31:32Well, it's a big show.
31:34So go do that.
31:35And that's been Bruinsbeat.
31:37That's been Pete Blackburn via a hostage cam.
31:39And I'm Evan Maronofsky.
31:41You guys can – one episode.
31:44Yeah, you guys can hang with that.
31:46But anyway, that's been Bruinsbeat.
31:48You Bruinsbeat listeners, have a great rest of your week.
31:50Thanks for having me, buddy.
31:51Sorry about the camera.