BEST FITS Available For The Boston Bruins In NHL Free Agency!

BEST FITS Available For The Boston Bruins In NHL Free Agency!

not your homework good morning welcome into Boston has entered the chat it’s Tuesday July 1st live inside the Salem 5 studios time out drop my marker you guys will understand why george Bi Casey Hudson i’m going to do the rest of the standing up forget it why not have my chair in the back i feel like getting the energy in on this morning feels better to stand up we got a packed show for you guys we got the whiteboards out that’s why I needed the marker we’re going to be talking plenty around the NHL in free agency as well go into a little GM mode here who are the top guys who want to see the beast sign who are some value picks they can make doing that and more and then we’ll get into plenty more ahead of the show hey make sure if you want to leave a voicemail 6177900928 tweet at us using the hashtag Nessen chat and email us the [email protected] all right K so we know the big signing the reported signing because nothing’s official yet free agency starts today at noon in the NHL morgan Geeki 6 years 33 million big payday for him line made for David Posternok but the Bruins certainly with cap space have to go out and get more yeah
so let’s start with who’s the big name you want to see them sign and bring in in free agency
okie dokie
so this one I got
I’m going to piss off Bruins fans bright and early all right we’ll see what that is wonder what sweater he used to wear this past season one two three besser I’m going Ellers so we’re both going wingers here
right so we’re still on the same theme oh sorry let me make sure that you guys can see like almost the why the why here it’s moola baby we got to be smart about the money i know some people think that Baser is going to come in at this like outrageous price i think he can be talked down just a smidge there was so much conversation around the culture of the locker room for Vancouver if he feels like he’s going to get a fresh start he’s also going to join a bunch of Minnesota boys i mean I know Minnesota and Massachusetts when it comes to the hockey life it’s a battle but there’s so many Minnesota guys on this roster and prospect pool wise I just feel like there’s ties there there’s connection there’s relationship and anyone who’s looking for a fresh start to make an impact that price can be right it can come down a little bit more than the biggest name circulating and uh get a couple more years out of him
look I like the best play outside scoring which you need very badly can be a depth piece too if he doesn’t slot in on the first line can drop to the second i look at Nikolai Ellers and this is a guy that has been a top free agent left shot right wing so can slot into that second line just below David Pashnok perfectly which they’ve needed going back to last season if they bought in at the deadline this was a guy they should have traded for and swung on as well would add a depth behind a David Marshon so on and so forth but he’s been durable not as of late but still you see 69 or more games played six of his last 10 seasons and then also 21 or more goals every year from his second year on outside of the COVID season and he’s a big addition on the power play six goals 16 assists last season just 29 years old so you’re giving somebody somebody that
provides outside scoring which they need slots him perfectly as a left shot where they need helps in the special teams and is young and in his prime adding depth i’m all in on Nikolai Ellers
i’ll say that some of the versatile centers can do center as well as left wing so that’s also why I was kind of pivoting around with the idea of left wing versus right wing but where I would add a little bit of cell to the Besser conversation is also the fact of him being a guy who can eat up some opportunity in the slot we’ve saw so many great slot passes i mean Pastor N’s one of the best slot passers in the NHL somebody has to be able to polish that off especially if we need to see some scoring distribution and maybe a little breakup for benefit between him and Morgan Geeki so we’ll see who that ends up being
look if they get a wing that’s what’s needed yeah and you mentioned on David Pashnock we understand what the line can be of a Morgan Geeky a Pavle Zaka and David Poshnock geeky playing off of Pasta getting 33 goals and it was the one year they played together that’s what got him this contract that’s what gave the Bruins promise that they believe in him at this point
so if you have your first line solidified in the NHL now it’s all about top nines right at least you got to get your next three skaters you have to have your top six solidified in some fashion a Besser and Ellers can help do that so now let’s go a little bit of like the value signing maybe that could be someone that’s a third line wing you can shock me and go with the blue line on this one
we need right-handed def right right shot defenseman for crying out loud but
who would you go with for a value signing oh my my handwriting
i will say guys I had a weird premonition that Nick Pervix ends up in a Bruins sweater don’t hate me for that it was just like a dream
no it’s not a dream epiphany
it’s just like
palm reading it’s just like his name started really picking up on Twitter and I’m like dang you’re talking about a RHD right defenseman young
all right where’d you go
mia Aani
mia with the caps little M say that correctly
he fit in perfect with the North End get plenty of good food there
oh yeah
who’d you go with jonathan Duan baby Jonathan him too boston ASAP please
why why singing for uh Druan to get to Boston
why am I going back to my high school cheerleading days uh I was that girl 30 years old 6’2 203 pounds sitting around $2.5 million oh a power play guy by the way oh 37 points through 43 games oh somebody who has speed that he can bring to the lineup i just think that he could be a breath of fresh air and you can kind of plug and play him anywhere in a number of ways but you’re adding to the left wing side of things and something else and I’m sure considering that we talked about getting more pucks on net for this team he’s not a high shot volume guy but the accuracy is there so it it he makes every shot matter and I love the idea of that because you can plug him in and he can elevate wherever you need him to be throw him on the third line for crying out loud he can be a driver he’s going to get in the zone he’s going to start opening things up and you can just see the way the ABS fans rallied behind him when they found out that he was going to be healthy again to play they were losing their minds because they knew what Druan could bring to the ice each and every time i think for $2.5 million you’re looking at age you’re looking at value you’re looking at skill they can slot right in for the bees i agree with the value on that one i think it brings more value than a guy like Amani Aani who’s coming off a great season but that’s also ballooned by his numbers on being on the Capitals who are the best regular season team in the NHL that alone is going to get him paid but he’s about to be 29 and he can play on the third line which is perfect for this Bruins team nba 30 40 point guy per year it’s a 14% shooting percentage again he had that with the caps so that’s going to give him a lot more opportunities and a lot more advantage but that type of efficiency for a third line winger I would take 10 times out of 10 it has to come at the right spot so and the right price at that too so here’s the one where I’m going to cheat a little bit i know the camera’s on me i’m also going to go with a Michael Granland and this is a guy now he’s 33 years old so the first two that I pitched were under 30 and Granland’s certainly a vet this would be his 15th since 2022 but coming off a 22 goal 44 assist season a guy that has been around the block but has that scoring efficiency and explosion can play wing or center when this is a roster where where does Elas Lindholm slot in pavo Zaka Casey Middlestat are they down the middle are they on the outside what does Marco Stern picture for them michael Granland with his game end to end is a dirty goal scorer too can play in the slot can play right around the crease as well to score goals and can be that vet leader i really like Granland as a fit for the Bruins
i love him i love him i was so excited when he went to Dallas i wish that he could find like more of a long-term home can’t disagree with anything you said there i just for me it’s like pick up a center you drafted 105 centers we’ve got so much going on with the centers what’s the What do we want from play winner that’s true it was part of your pitch uh I’m going to go a little off the beaten path here jack Rosik is someone that I’m going to look at you mentioned 22 goals is somebody who had 22 goals with the Carolina Hurricanes some parts of his statistics not flattering but we have basically heard a theme from players around the league where the Carolina Hurricanes offense is not an easy offense to slot in at and when you started to see him kind of being healthy scratched from the lineup um I just felt like clearly not much of a fit there but I look back to what he did with the New York Rangers a team that’s been trying to kind of reidentify themselves for the past two three years and the most attractive thing about his game is just the quick touch on the puck you’re talking about somebody that really surprised the number of goalies the minute the pass comes to him he’s not thinking he’s not hesitating he is making sure that that puck is being sent to the net and the angles in which he’s scoring on so you want a little bit of creativity you want somebody who’s going to be unpredictable that has that touch on the puck and again value going to come in hot for a guy like this and I’d have a chip on my shoulder coming from Carolina where I was kind of underestimated where my numbers kind of got less sexy but I know I have so much potential and upside the Bruins can be a refresh start for Ross Levik
hey it’s a big spot because this is a team where we know who the vets are we know the guys on the long-term extensions but beyond that the entire lineup is all up for contention every single spot you have your Poshox your Zakas your Lind Holmes when you’re thinking about your forwards obviously have Zidorov Makavoy now Larai and the Hampus Lindholm as well but everything’s up for grabs and you certainly can get a lot of ice time a lot of playing time organi in that conversation too but a lot of goals scored a lot of opportunities and that’s what Boston has again in a reset year where they got younger they want to get back to contention they have to go after a Besser and Ellers if they’re serious about all the talk is we’re not waiting we’re getting right back to the playoffs you have to go out and get that big money free agent we’ll see when everything starts at noon because NHL free agency does not start till noon we’ve heard the trickle out of the contracts like a Brad Marshon signing long-term with the Panthers we talk about that later on in the show but it also is we haven’t heard too much noise made around the league as well this is a team nonetheless that has to go all in because if they want to match what they’re saying they have to go out and get that big money free agent and free agency starting at noon you guys can leave us a voicemail 617-7900928 let us know who do you want them to sign when they make signings who do you like that they signed what do you want them to add as well because this is a team you keep bringing up the right shot defenseman too because they do have to get better on the blue line they have the names right lori Zadorov Lindhol Makavoy but they need to show they can play together and that’s what’s big for a team that also lost to Brandon Carlo at the deadline
depth and the depth you know we saw depth be tested a number of times throughout the season for a number of great teams that had so much to offer but god forbid one of these players needs to go down for a stretch or can’t be in the lineup you’ve got to be able to rely on someone that can shut down in your Dzone or contribute to the scoreboard so uh I think there’s pretty decent options because at the end of the day you got a new head coach and he’s really good at spotting potential we went into depth with that with Nate Thompson on the hockey hub previously so for somebody who can bring the best out of players it doesn’t always have to be the biggest name in the mix and he can probably find guys that can slot into this it’s the buyin it’s the identity and it’s what this locker room feels like and molds into that’ll kind of show us what kind of success this team can have uh a surprise name that I’ll throw into the mix it’s not a surprise i’ve seen fans tweet about it but Will if there’s a chance to grab him i’m hearing that there’s like some offer sheet potential battles and showdowns going into the mix and maybe that’s an approach that the bees can get it’s going to be slightly costly but not as much as analers or Besser but then you’re still looking at somebody who’s 23 years old can be the driver anywhere that you put him i mean I’d like to say he brought the kid line back to life in New York before they dismembered those guys but still you saw him on the first line second line third line fourth line some all over the place and he’s somebody who you would want to invest in 23 years old playmaker brings so much to the ice so if they were to go in a different direction that’s somebody who make the offer sheet work
another guy I can see a sneaky name out there Demetri Orlov was with the team for a quick stint they acquired him at the trade deadline when they had the record setting year is a tough player plays end to end really fast has a sick shot too that could be another depth piece that adds to what the team we saw lacking last season they need to get better in the power play they need to get better down the middle they need to have depth scoring and they need to get deeper on the blue line it’s a lot of places for them to need to get better but they have the cap space and they also the guys that they acquired at the deadline maybe see a Max Warner take a big step forward he’s heralded by a lot that’s an NHL defenseman physically he’s ready he’ll get to that point he’s not yet 22 years old but if that’s someone that is starting to make that leap that could be the depth piece on the blue line and maybe they use the money elsewhere where they do the spending and free agency says a lot of what they see with the Providence piece what they see with their development system but also what they see of guys that could be fully healthy like an Elias Lindholm who’s battling a back injury all of this past season
yeah now if we’re looking for like a little bit of drama and I go into like delusional world something that would be a really fun conversation this is all hypothetical going for an Alex Lafrenir from the LA Kings bringing him back he played for Harvard bring him back to Boston spend the money on him he’s a restricted free agent so you’d have to do a little bit more Olympics there to make that make sense but he’s not that expensive yet and I feel like just to see his growth of game with the LA Kings the clutch moments that he had with the Kings this past season i’m like bring again if you’re getting younger you want to get young you want to have accountable skills but you want to be able to see a big picture and bright future with anyone that you bring into the mix
that would be a good ad in a way of having him return to Boston and that’s someone that’s been a contributor since he got called up and was playing significant time with the Kings as well and Kings system you’re talking about Marco Sturrum connecting the dots again in one way or another i don’t know
that no that’s a good call because that’s also something if you want to teach your system and Marco Sturm is introducing a new system he talks about playing speed with speed and freely and end to end on the ice you need players that are familiar with that because we’ll see what he does defensively what he does with his offense and same thing too this guy is very successful with his power play he’s brought in the assistant coaches that have had good power plays as well like with the Dallas Stars okay so how do you bring that in you have to bring the players that can contribute in that spot they need a quarterback on the power play they need to get better all over this is where the free agency will get fun for the Bruins they have cap space and when it hits at noon we’ll see who could be the big signing that they bring in
yeah if I’m wearing the GM hat I’m connecting the dots as best as possible i’m making a sweet deal for Alex from the Kings and anybody else i think the system changes we’ve talked a bunch between us and a few other guys about the hybrid potential moving forward but it’s frenzy day it’s a holiday as I mentioned and regardless of what goes down I’m excited for what the future holds
there’s Christmas there’s a birthday there’s free agency we’re hopefully seeing plenty of this spending the money that’s what Bruins fans want to see we’ll take a quick break here on Boston has entered the chat when we’re back we’ll get into what the Celtics are doing doesn’t sound like they’ll be spending any at all we’ll take a quick break on Boston’s chat we’ll be right back after this but make sure as always to get the latest up to date live Boston sports headlines tune in to the chat every day 8 to 9:00 a.m on Nessen 9 to 10:00 a.m on Nessa Nation that’s Boston has entered the chat every weekday right here on Nessen and wherever you get your podcast as well welcome back to Boston has entered the chat got my chair back we’re settled in we’re good george Bi Casey Hudson we’ll now get into a little bit NBA free agency and Celtics free agency first off so we’ve seen the Celtics shed $250 million in salaries and tax penalties we’ve seen Drew Holiday Chris Porzingis on the out we now see Luke Cornet signing with the Spurs guys they brought in anthony Simons a George Niang Luca Garza yeah the Celtics got Luca a different Luca than fans would like to see
not the Luca
not the Luca a Luca exactly but we also see the frustration coming from Celtics fans all across Twitter as they see the ramifications of being a Second Apron team this one is from BGB celtics fans expecting something big and free agency to save us nothing is going to save us guys we don’t have money we don’t have assets this is why most smart fans are saying move Jaylen Brown do y’all understand the predicament now we have two max contracts they have assets but yes they don’t have the money from Celtics lead this is going to be a rough off season huh rough for sure i agree with that one all right so we’re keeping the whiteboards case i want to share what are the emotions we’re going to see from Celtics fans what do you think you’re feeling if you’re a Celtics fan
i went wordy i made it so obvious i was a gal i’m going angry face what is your stop the bleeding
stop the bleeding or spend what we don’t have
yes and that is the predicament that they’re in yeah
when people talk about predicament
i love your emoji skills though
thank you this took us about seven hours to put together a lot of art lessons I got from my seven-year-old niece helping me out to put that
this is a team that is dealing with the reality of going all in for a championship but it was also the timing if they did what they did
that’s how I feel
they asleep
they’re just like meh
okay and see I’m more of the anger you are the one that’s like
just at that point of
just toned out like they are just like so displaced by the frustrations
they went all in where they had to give out two super maxes his second Jaylen Brown got that all NBA he was getting super Max there’s no if ends or buts about it
but then trading for Drew Holiday and Christopheringis extending a Drew Holiday the money he was getting if they did everything they did and the timeline matched up with the maturity of their players let’s go three years ago they would have gotten multiple rings but they did it right before this new CBA came in to the fold and that’s what it is but they went all in and at least they won the damn thing because you could either be the Celtics right now or you could be the Phoenix Suns and you’d much rather be the Boston Celtics to have a ring to show for it unlike Phoenix who came up short in the finals by all means but a team that now is dealing with ramifications of floating too close to the sun paying way too much having bad assets like being stuck with the Bradley Beal you might have to give Deon Booker upwards of 70 plus million a year where the Celtics fans stand you may be frustrated you may be upset you may be bored because they’re not signing anybody signed for a 2-year $5 half million contract but at least you have a ring a celebration a parade a championship run to look back on
yeah it’s like this fine line between appreciation and acceptance like at least you’re not far removed from winning a championship but you’ve got to ask yourself the big question as a Celtics fan right now if you make too much splash if you try to kind of bankrupt yourself to make something make sense for the upcoming season you’re kind of pushing away the hope of a Jason Tatum you still have a Jason Tatum and a Jaylen Brown on your roster we’re just potentially pushing success another two years down the stretch here so some of this plug-and-play movement some of this stuff that’s coming in at very low value it could be packaged down the line this is an opportunity for players to come in not fill the void but make a case for themselves up the ante on their value so that they can become more valuable for the Celtics to move on from in February or next year or the year after then you get a healthy Jason Tatum then you have Jaylen Brown we see more leadership out of him this upcoming season and then you see what pieces you actually need to make the return to a championship because the roster is not far off is it daunting yes but it’s not far off so you don’t want to do all of this crippling financial gymnastics for something where you still have so much talent on your roster it’s just not available to you at this moment
when Jason Tatum’s back 100% from Torch Achilles and you have Jaylen Brown in your lineup as well that is two top 20 players two elite wings that can shoot ball handle and defend end to end every GM in the NBA wants one of them and they have both so that’s what you build around then you have a Derek White who’s a top 30 top 40 player in the league and is a point guard that affects every facet of the game off and on ball defense ball handling shooting playmaking as well payton Pritchard still under contract for a few years sam Hower still under contract for a few years we see if he sticks like there are the building blocks there and then on top of that the deals they’ve made of bringing in a George Nang or an Anthony Simons there’s no 100% they’re making the Celtics roster come opening night in the NBA or being past a trade deadline the goal for them is to get below the second apron and stay below it at the end of the upcoming season so they have up until midFebruary to level this all out but they have the building blocks and then they could go out and add so a Luke Cornet goes to the Spurs which is hard for a lot of Celtics fans to be at peace with but that’s a guy four years 41 million played his way out of staying with the Celtics a year after he took a hometown discount to hopefully win another ring and that’s a guy that worked his way from a G-League player to a contributor on a championship team to a legend and beloved by all Celtics fans in Boston to getting 10 plus million a year he never in a million years should have gotten that type of payday and he put himself in another championship situation being a backup center to Victor WMyama like credit to Luke Cornet and everything he did to get to that point we hear the whispers of Al Horford being favored to land with the Golden State Warriors where he fits that system are shooting big that can screen really well this is now the reset mode what I love about the Celtics is they’re doing it now they could have lingered they could have kept going let’s go all in and be a contender but they picked the reset now and the rebuild now instead of two three years from now where all the penalties are much worse like I don’t need to get into detail but the longer you stay in that repeater tax not just the more money you’re spending the more it affects your first round picks your assets your draft picks all your development pieces as well the Celtics picked a path what I hate about the NBA and this now free agency goes from fans being just fans waiting for the big signings we all have to become lawyers and accountants and litigators figuring out the new CBA what the penalties are what has happens with the second apron we have to become mathematicians from MIT figuring out the tax penalties
and it also took a lot of air out of free agency the biggest signing is a Jiren Jackson Jr extension to stay with Memphis but once the dust settles and it’ll take a couple seasons for the Celtics they will be back to contending it’s just Brad Stevens is hitting reset now and figuring it out now instead of a couple years from now
yeah I feel like I have to take my prep notes to MIT and get them to like approve and confirm everything and every thought process that’s taking place to make this make sense but uh I think you kind of say something that’s most important here choosing to do the reset now doesn’t that kind of speak volumes to the support and let’s just say I don’t know the support and the hope in like the return of Jason Tatum like you hit reset now knowing that your key player is out of the lineup versus trying to do a reset down the stretch knowing what he brings to the table knowing what you believe in in this roster so far like does that does that make sense am I making sense of that
yeah yeah yeah it’s it’s with with a Jason Tatum it’s that you just go all in of like you know what he’ll return to be and especially keep the key pieces right it’s being that patient waiting for him to get back you know yeah and it’s also being patient with the Joe Mazula to teach these guys his system it’s being patient again is a Jordan Walsh close to contributing eventually has to become an NBA player he’s a first-round pick freak athlete been learning the system in Maine and has been on the Celtics bench in the playoff runs he eventually has to play NBA minutes it’s with the pieces they already have the pieces coming up and again with this roster it’s also the support of the front office that yes they’re not doing much now but neither have we seen the Golden State Warriors for the New York Knicks outside of Jordan Clarkson signing which is a big ad another score that piece for them they haven’t done much either the teams that are contenders
there’s some big big trades we see who Cleveland’s acquired we’ve seen who the Hawks have acquired too they’re going acquisition after acquisition after acquisition to rebuild around Trey Young but still with it all this is a team that is sitting and I think there’ll be a move to a move and Anthony Simons that’s an easy contract to move Drew Hollidays was difficult but they found a team dumb enough in the Trailblazers to take on that deal sure it’s for long-term plan and development we’ll see but that’s a lot of money simon’s at 26 years old 26 million expiring deal there’s a team out there with a really skilled score that wants him that would be a contract instead of getting under by 5 million you could go from 26 to maybe 15 or 10 million and then it gets you under even more
by signing Luca Garza two years 5 and a half million they’re just 2 million under the second apron there’s so many moving parts yeah it’s it’s move before the move before the move to set up a move roster we’re looking at where Joe Missoula is going to be have like dictating something as fresh of a start for the Celtics am I correct on that yeah it’s when I mean when he came in his first year it was before they got the Drew Holidays and the Christophs Rosing like that’s Malcolm Brogden’s first and only season with the Celtics and it’s him getting thrusted into that spot right before the season begins second year they go and win the ring but that’s also Marcus Smart Mark Malcolm Brogden becoming Drew Holidayiday Christophs Porzingis now this year this is when it becomes real and for him as a head coach this is when he has to rebuild himself in a way can’t go out and just chuck up threes and be one of the highest volume shooting teams threes are worth more than two sure you have your analytics and what you want to play but this is where you have to be serious about rebuilding and making it count as well so this is a massive season for Joe Missoula yeah because he has to develop he has to teach his system and he has to keep everything on track for when Jason Tatum eventually returns
yeah and I asked that for a reason because maybe that changes the approach of what this team is looking for and how they’re looking to revamp everything because when it’s the coach’s first time having full dictation over what this roster is going to look like moving forward we don’t know what speaks to him per se you mentioned the threes and the high volume and yes that is part of the identity we have seen so consistently but we seen some things that have to change we saw things that were tested in the postseason so it’s going to be interesting to see how they move i said stop the bleeding but there are guys that could potentially fit the bill it’s going to cost money that we have to figure out how the Celtics can attain to even bringing in the other pieces but who’s a name that you would throw on the board to bring
Okay bring the white board back out
yeah bringing the white board back i thought that we were going to fix the center situation so this is also where I’ve got question marks i’m going to go quick right here movagner it’s an N and then an E and an R at the end and it just looks like Mo
i can bring clarity to that my spelling center Mo Vagner
my spelling was there there you go a little better on that end but that’s someone that is coming off a torn ACL so maybe could get cheap
would have to use a mid-level exception on him or a trade exception again he costs too much but if you offload an Anthony Simons then you bring in a Mo Vagner and again would be a patient play can trade for him extend him could be on the cheap because he’s coming off an injury he suffered last December and when Jason Tatum’s back that’s a good center to add well Luca Garza brings he’s a screener could shoot the three but I think he’s just a G-League player at most you have Neimish Kada it also could be a guy like there’s DeAndre Aon out there i’d rather develop than have a DeAndre Aon he’d be a stop gap there also is precious aua but again stop gap center not a long-term solution at the center spot so they have all these options but it also has to make a lot of sense with how much they can afford like a Miles Turner as a fit before secondary was writing down so much Turner
that’s 30 million a year he’s going to get paid celtics cannot afford him unless there was a move of Jaylen Brown Derrick White no longer being with the team then sure you can afford a Miles Turner would be a fantastic fit for the Celtics too he’s played his way out of being there for Boston and again second apron new CVA it changed how teams are built you no longer could just add and throw money everywhere and pay the taxes it’s the repeater tax that makes it real every dollar they were over the second apron the Celtics were playing paying like seven eight times that
so really a million dollar contract would add up to being 78 million is what it would cost them and so imagine 30 million what that would do in that threshold him alone just thinking of getting rid of Drew Holiday and going 5 million change that was 41 million that they saved in tax penalties that’s what it’s become in the NBA
okay now I revisit this question because one of the fan reactions on Twitter mentioned this is why you have to move on from a Jaylen Brown would you be open to moving on from a Jaylen Brown now
it would have to be a real elite NBA talent level player a fit and it would have to be a lot of draft draft assets in return i mean it would have to be I mean Desmond Bane’s worth five first so Jaylen Brown it starts with five first round picks and you could say what you want about the value of those and it would also have to be a all-star levelable possibly all NBA levelable player and again you’re giving up an elite wing what fits your system it would have to be a wing of some sort good ball handler that can shoot and defend you h you’re not going to get an exact Jaylen Brown of return but if you get draft picks multiple firsts and a good wing in return that’s something you can do teams should try to take advantage of the Celtics being in a do or die situation but it’s tough for the Celtics as they’ve said to part with the Jaylen Brown or Derek White those are guys that they want to keep
yeah I’m sticking with patience on this one you know
so you wouldn’t trade a Jaylen Brown
no I can understand if you were trying to make a push for this season obviously that’s probably one of your best case scenarios because you have no money to work with and the roster doesn’t particularly make sense at the moment but I’m sticking with patience and let’s just let’s circle back in two years
yeah and and that’s be the real one and again we could see guys on the roster like an Anthony Simons George and Yang
come trade deadline that’s when I expected a Chris Porzingis to be moved it’s all about being under the second apron at the end of the next league year at the end of next season not before the season begins they’re already in the books they’re already over it and that’s why they have to be under the second apron for multiple seasons as well to get rid of that repeater tax again like we’re lawyer i would be an awful lawyer we’re lawyers accountants litigators once upon a time but
too much school for me i’m good on that she’s Casey Hudson i’m George Bi we’ll take another break here on Boston has entered the chat when we’re back we’ll get through what’s trending in sports and make sure as always to get the latest up-to-date Boston sports headlines boston has entered the chat every Monday through Friday 8 to 9:00 a.m on Nessen 9:00 to 10:00 a.m on Nessa Nation every weekday Boston has entered the chat [Music] welcome back to Boston has entered the chat live inside the Salem 5 studios george Bi Casey Hudson here we’ll get into what’s trending we always like to go through the topics you guys blowing up your phones your group chats your Instagram DMs with your friends all about and we start with the Florida Panthers Casey so NHL free agency will kick off at noon today the report a big deal Brad Marshon 6 years 31 a.5 million total value that’s just over 5.2 2 million a year six years that’ll take him through his age 42 to 43 season
what a win by Brad Marshon we know he wanted a long-term contract we know he wanted around 6 million a year and what the reports were coming out before the trade deadline was about it being you know 3 years 6 million 3 years 7 million in that ballpark 31 a.5 million total wins his second Stanley Cup gets paid his last big payday before he retires who knows how long credit to Marshon credit to the Panthers is also tough once again for Boston Bruins fans to see because he’ll be wearing Florida Panthers jersey for quite some time see right there Kristen Marman
no
no r responding to Savage Sports putting out the tweet of the Marshon deal another guy Bruins Capace puke simple that’s what it is they saw Brad Win a Cubby stays there this one from Meth Bear hey that’s my favorite uh Twitter handle on there swear to God it’s not my burner with the news of the Brad Marshon extension in Florida I would like to take this opportunity to officially announce my retirement from Twitter
no Meth Bear don’t go
i say stay here look it the Panthers they bring back their core they signed their big their three biggestending
core 10 apparently a core 10
right like Sam Bennett Aklad and Marshon now coming back along with the rest of the guys it’s I don’t know how the Panthers do it but they’re not going anywhere
yeah well they’re getting a good copy and paste from the Lightning I’ll tell you that but um I I’m not surprised about this i mean Sav and I talked about it on Hockey Hub yesterday like the chances of him coming back because of course there was flirtation with he’s going to entertain conversations on Tuesday from Toronto and Boston but if you just watch the footage close enough and I know that you say and do crazy things when you’re lifting the Stanley Cup and you’re celebrating in the elbow room but the context clues were all there you only had to make one big move in your career and that’s down to Florida which is like retirement central for half of America if not me and I know that the idea of going home to Canada is flattering but the taxes there for the money that he’s looking for for the age that he was at it didn’t make sense to me in terms of like you just like wanting to go out of your career and like kind of be back in Canada but his family got a taste of Florida they get to put down new roots there and I think with everything that took place and now this brotherhood that you’re seeing and that’s the biggest conversation around in the Florida Panthers locker room is what kind of family they’re like in there once that buyin happens I feel like that’s a really tough locker room to escape or mentally actually want to walk away from with or without a cup in hand so all signs were pointing to sticking to the Florida Panthers it’s just wild i wasn’t expecting six years four sure pay him even four I would have been like what but six that’s a lot
six was a reach
the Panthers know brad Marshon knows the last two years of that contract he’s not going to be playing for the Panthers i mean this is a guy’s coming off surgery after surgery after surgery every offseason and plays as many games as he can that’s the price of playing the game especially in the style and fashion that he does but the Florida Panthers were right by this signing bring back the core culture matters there that’s locker room leadership he was a key piece on that third line and a big reason why you won that second Stanley Cup in back-to-back years they bring him back and sure by the length of the contract they’re going “Yeah it’s too much.” But you look at the AAV they’ll figure out the books on the back end and they’ll figure out that point they want to continue to contend for Stanley Cups and for Brad Marshon you say lifting up the cup he got a taste of winning once again but also of that culture in Florida what if he goes to the Leafs that’s a team that’s further away from contending than the Panthers coming back to Boston this is a team that’s in a rebuild and getting younger and it it just wouldn’t make sense of a fit where he’s traded away he comes back and be a and becomes a captain no no no they have to turn the page in Boston for Florida this is a smart deal for Brad Marshand this is an amazing deal almost 32 million 6 years final payday of his career and he gets the bag with it too
yeah and to add we’ve got the cap space increasing jumps 5% heading into this upcoming season then you got Babowski’s contract big contract falls off within the next year so it’s just like the finesse of the finances that they just did so perfectly over there so happy for Brad never thought he was coming back to be honest but um it’s going to be really weird because we didn’t have to face him the Bruins didn’t have to go against Brad uh over and over again so now to like know that you’re going to be constantly competing against captain yep yeah he wasn’t with the Panthers he wasn’t healthy yet when Florida was here right after he was traded from the Bruins to the Florida Panthers at the deadline all right sticking across the league we’re talking little Leafs mitch Marner traded from the Leafs to the Golden Knights eight years 96 million the payday for Mitch Marner obviously was a hometown kid for the Leafs yeah had a great career there look at the numbers here 741 points in in 657 games played two-time all-star fastest player in Leafs history to reach 600 points and fourth in assists in franchise history mitch Marner though his tenure in Toronto marred by the fact of never winning it never breaking through but really that’s a franchise as a whole of what the Toronto Maple Leafs are cool to see Marner go to Vegas get paid and it’s like a Jack Eelesque path go to the Vegas Knights get paid and maybe something changes out there where he wins vegas Knights again another franchise they go all in when it comes to free agency
oh my gosh absolutely and honestly happy for him because he’s somebody who I really do think needed a change of scenery nate Thompson talked about it and we’ve kind of seen how that’s been a big help for a number of players just the pressure in Toronto is one thing the minute the postseason hits it’s like we forget how skilled of a player he is and yeah you need your skilled players to show up in the postseason but they cannot do it alone they needed that extra gear i mean you saw him out more out of Matthew N for Toronto than you did for any other player and there was still plenty of key plays that Mner came up strong on so I think the fresh scenery for him and weirdly enough I feel like he kind of got pigeonholed into Vegas i feel like there was a few other conversations on the table there was that whole potential tampering situation toronto wanted key pieces back in return so with that it was just like we have to quietly move forward with this situation but Vegas is still a great landing spot i’ve always been a big fan of like the misfits there because everyone has kind of either revamped themselves or found their identity in hockey with that Golden Knights roster
i I like you bring up that pressure because in Toronto it’s a different type of microscope especially for Mitch Mner like grew up a Leafs fan we see the photos of him front porch as a kid holding a Leaf’s flag first day of school whatever the photo is and the criticism he faces at times could be fair when you do disappear in the postseason but at times also crosses the line of what was said to him and said about him too
you go to Vegas and I think it’s the same thing with Florida as well where there are the expectations and the aspirations to win a cup
vegas has a market florida has a market yeah they may not care as much and they only care when you win but that alleviates a lot of the pressure and it makes you able to focus on hockey more and I think that’s something that will be welcomed by Marner and it’s not a star and and a talented player looking for an out it’s just a fact of the matter that it’s more than what you do on the ice it’s a mental aspect of the game
and for a fan base like the Knights you said it it’s misfits it’s everyone coming in it’s like Vegas only people that live there are moving there to relocate and want to get in the heat and you like you mentioned with Florida you know evade some taxes in a way you know get get more income coming in monthto month don’t blame them
the culture is different in both of those places exactly they go in there it’s anyone from all walks of life and it is a way of an escape it’s like Florida it’s like Vegas and for them it’s a hockey escape i’m excited what he’s what he does on that ice with that team that we’ll see them reload and how they can do if they get back to the postseason as a contender i think that’s what’s big i like the fit i like Marner heading there i want to see what he accomplishes if they make a deep run and he shows up in the postseason it’s going to be looking at Toronto like what’s wrong over there that’s a big thing too
oh he will he’s gonna have that reality and it’s gonna suck but it’s gonna again different hockey culture fans love you through and through in those markets those niche markets you talk about a room that’s got that you know we are a family first kind of thing any player that you heard from from Vegas that’s the motto
if he does well and that’s Toronto Maple Leafs fans hearts being broken I’m all for that i’m all for that
they already started changing his jersey so
of course of course they did all right so let’s look to the Red Sox they open their series with the verse the Reds 13 to6 win we of course know the big first inning they have scoring seven runs in that inning and hey credit to Alex Cora it was said after the game what he does really well what the Red Sox have done well they pick up on tipped pitches it was a hyped match up garrett Crochet against Chase Burns red Sox go off in the first inning they pull through with runners in scoring position willie Oro inside the park home run and a grand slam the bats explode just their second win in the last nine games but the Red Sox get a much needed win still two games under 500 yeah I think much needed is the emphasis there but we’ve talked about it so much here it’s just like you want to get excited for these games you want to get excited for these wins but it’s lopsided you know because then the bats can go cold tomorrow and it just goes to the flip of the coin consistently with this team but I think one of the highlights for me is like some of the heat that Roman Anony’s been getting some of the heat some of these young guys have been getting i feel like they had token moments in in last night’s game there were some weird innings there in the middle that’s for sure where they started obviously let Cincinnati back into the mix and you don’t want things to get wonky once Crochet comes off the mound like this has been a big conversation around all of it but there was just so many highlight baseball moments in that game and that’s what made it so exciting to watch and that’s where you want to see them be able to freaking copy and paste this finally and pull everything good from that game into the stretch of the series and the next series to come
yeah you look at their wins and their losses in their last seven losses 2.7 runs scored per game their last two wins a 15 to1 win over the Blue Jays and 13 to6 like we saw over the Reds the bats explode at some point for this team it’s still all about finding consistency and a level and to get above 500 like they were and they went on this long downturn get back to being consistent we’ll see garrett Crochet still nine strikeouts he has four runs but was phenomenal on the bump right this was a weird just allaround baseball game but for the bats to explode to your point for Roman Anthony to step up with his bat get an RBI also go two for five at the dish it’s those little steps for the Red Sox can they do it consistent we’ll see can This is a a Cincinnati Reds team they should sweep can they keep this going can they continue to pick up and even if pitches aren’t being tipped can they score enough runs to support their starting pitching support their pitching in general and get going that way we’ll see it’s still with this team it’s don’t hold your breath and yes there’s a long way to go until we can really see like are they out of it but at the same time the clock is ticking the calendar’s about is flipping to July it is today yeah
the Red Sox have to wake up in that fashion too
my biggest question mark is can they have the run success without all of that weird messed up stuff that was going on for Cincinnati because let’s not forget I mean Cincinnati had some weird stuff going on guys couldn’t get off the ground guys missing the ball like they were all over the place in certain instances so like if they’re playing their best game how can the Red Sox match and kind of raise their game bring those runs in and then be consistent in that battle
yeah for them again it’s can you be consistent can you be good and we’ll see if the Red Sox can do that all right we’ll take another break here on Boston’s end of the chat when we’re back talking more Bee’s development camp here from seventh overall pick James Hagen here from Dean Lerna first round pick from a year ago and more coming up after the break right here on Boston has enter the chat [Music] couple flight delays and whatnot but when you have a chance to put on the brewing jersey you can’t say no it doesn’t matter what flight delay or you know how much sleep you get this is a dream come true and this is the first time you’re able to put on the jersey you know you’d have to cut off my leg to to tell me I couldn’t get on that ice so how’d it feel getting out there for the first time
it was amazing um being able to put that jersey on to be able to put on that equipment and step out on the ice and be a part of this organization it’s the coolest feeling in the world um to be able to be out there with all those coaches all the players it was it was really really cool and that’s Bruins seventh overall pick James Higgins have to cut off his legs to keep him off the ice
that’s what you want to hear
after battling through the layovers yeah and let’s hope that never has to happen i mean that’s one of his most
We need his legs
valuable assets yeah because of his vision and of course as a hockey player overall love hearing that from him he was at development camp we saw the clips it was James Hagens working out with the Wills Ellers now we see this team very young all coming together
this is a guy 37 points in 37 games for Boston College was touted as a top three pick fell to the Bruins at seven they need a center he’s a center we’ll be 19 in November the perfect match in a draft with the Bruins have to hit especially having a high draft pick i love the pick that they made and I love hearing that from James Hagens
oh my gosh I love the pick i love hearing that but what I also love is like it’s so obvious how hungry he is to make an impact for the Boston Bruins he says he’s NHL ready now obviously in my personal opinion and many others we think one more year at BC and yes you’re going to jump off the page but it’s the fact that he just has so much tenacity desire to make that next step you just know that it’s going to be hard almost impossible to make sure that this kid is silent when he hits the NHL and I don’t think he’s going to be i think he’s gonna make a lot of noise
yeah it’s a matter of and he was expected before the draft even under went underway for him to return to his second year at Boston College it’s 510 185 but making that physical leap from playing junior hockey and with the development program as well for the US going up to Hockey East which is very physical one of the hardest conferences of all of hockey we saw his game taper off in a way but this is still a guy that had 11 goals and 26 assists for a Boston College team that much of the year was number one in the country and again he didn’t turn 18 until November so just turning the page just getting of age to be playing college hockey let alone to be a college student and making an impact on the ice with first rounders with NHL players all spread throughout the entire roster that’s someone that has a fit and what it is with the Bruins and what it is with the rebuild is that it is finding a long-term solution and is doing a way of when you get hit reset on a roster not to be in the same position two or three years
but be solid be back contending and in the postseason for the next 10 to 15 years consistently and a piece like James Higgins does that his speed his hands his vision his playmaking ability it’s something they lacked it’s something they need and this is a guy that could be the center for the future so however however he gets to the NHL and however long of a timeline within reason you’ll take it as long as his development is taken care of that’s what you want
yeah I think one more season at BC will do him just fine but here’s the thing we’re overhyping the contrast of him having a quiet year we still have something else to kind of look engage him with it’s worlds it’s what he did to help USA win gold you’re talking about somebody that picked up a number of goals out there and was very impactful when you go to BC and you’re playing next to a Ryan Leonard and and a Perau like yeah you might get a little bit silent but I don’t think it’s silence i think that he had to transfer his game i think he had to be more of an assist guy versus a goal guy so somebody has that versatility to them that can be selfless in certain moments and selfish in certain moments i think that’s a key trait to kind of give a little bit more praise to when you look at what he did in the Worlds more importantly how calm and composed and skilled he is in the slot creating passing lanes i mean he was the king of picking up goals for the back door just making it look easy time after time after time and the fact that he’s totality in the low slot that’s where we saw a lot of goalies get beat in the playoffs that just wrapped up and throughout this previous season so he fits the bill of where the NHL is going the one more year will help him put on some more size and strength one would hope and I also make the argument of how the compete level is going to change we have CHL players and OHL players that are able not and but OHL falls under CHL eligible for D1 hockey this August look at how many guys in the draft declared for these different universities the compete is going to be different the competition is going to be different and now he’s going to have to be the key guy at BC he’s going to have to be the goal scorer at BC good evaluation point good competition good help with development but more importantly we know what he’s capable of because we saw what he did in worlds in comparison to when he was playing with his buddies at BC especially with the construct with that happening in hockey we’re going to see a lot of grown men playing college hockey the age
we talked about with Euro European basketball
exactly and it’s been hockey look at look at a team that won the Hockey East this year in Maine their top six their top nine 22 23 was the youngest age when you go throughout their lines and they dominated the conference in that tournament and they made a good run when they got to the national tournament as well but that’s the case for all of college hockey the age change will lead to more physical play and test better development at that level better development than being in the AHL for James Hagens up to speed better talent around him and better to get him ready for the NHL than if he goes up right away so also Sophia our Bruins reporter of course you guys know her she caught up with Andre Graasso another BC Eagle another draft pick by the Bruins at development camp here he was talking about his favorite guest speaker out of the ones that the Bruins invited to development camp with development camp uh usually the the staff and crew they have a former player or current player come and talk uh to the guys to help motivate them you don’t have to go through all of them but was there anyone that you were like whoa impressed with learning from or talking uh to any messages or anything you’ve learned over the past couple years that have like stuck with you yeah I think Charara and Bergie actually talked to us a couple de development camps ago um and just the whole message of leading together and making sure everyone’s on the same page um coming in and the new guys as well um just something that you know can resonate with me and uh you know with just being a leader and uh making sure that everyone’s included and everyone feels welcome not too bad names to drop now Andre Gassau former seventh round pick by the bees anytime Patrice Berseron Zado Char want to talk to you two guys that establish that culture of the spoke to be you know the guys like this the prospects will listen
well and then when you find out that guys like that are taking the time to go speak to these players like no wonder BC players want to stay in Boston and where that’s supposed to be on their chest and you know be the next uh era of the Boston Bruins but he’s somebody else who I’m intrigued to see like where his development goes and how he can help out the Bruins down the stretch i know noteswise from analysts and experts and anyone that’s just kind of kept a close eye on him a big circle around his name has just been keeping eye on his one-time so again where the game is going those quick releases the ability to have the one-time where they can contribute like you can see where they’re heading and it looks promising I would say
yeah for Andre Gasso that’s a guy that could take a leap not just for BC but also when it comes to for the Boston Bruins that’s something that’ be huge for them again just adding depth in certain spots hey one more Eagle to talk about here and one more with sound dean Lerno who’s a freshman for the Eagles or fourthline center shared that he was playing with a broken hand what that challenge was for him and more right here with Sophia you were playing with a broken hand for the first half of the season what was that whole experience like like that sucks that just plain out sucks uh then you had to have surgery can you just tell us about that season and and the pain and just like mentally wanting to get better quickly and you know showing what you got yeah I mean it was definitely a mental grind um not being able to really stick handle of a puck or shoot a puck um I was basically only using my bottom hand so it was it was a little tough and then um I was debating whether or not to get it done at Christmas time or wait till after the season and then we had like 4 weeks off for Christmas and I was like the window was 3 to 5 weeks for recovery so I was like I might as well get it if I have to miss a weekend I’d rather be able to play um at least some of the games fully healed um it ended up only taking two weeks to recover and then I was back back practicing and stuff so I was way quicker than
wow
my trainer thought um but it was definitely a mental grind just trying to stay through already going through a little bit of a rough patch without uh scoring and stuff and then having a broken hand as well kind of just cherry on top there so that’s Dean Lerno who will be returning to Boston College for his sophomore season i mean played in 36 games never registered a goal had just three assists and that was a topic that a lot of people honed in on of being critical of him and saying “Well this is a Bruins why do they draft him?” That’s also someone that was a year ahead of his development went to Boston College early when Will Smith goes to the league when other draft picks that the Eagles had they go Greg Brown reached out to him and said “Hey we need you here now.” But also sheds light playing through a broken hand that’s toughness by him overcoming adversity and sheds more light on why he struggled in his freshman season yeah the restrictions are obvious you got to go back to his prep school numbers and see what he can bring to the table on a healthy end i’m not going to judge this kid that harshly at this moment
yeah even without the broken hand news again was a year ahead of when he should have been in college good to hear him on the men though from that broken hand casey Hudson George Bi this is Boston’s end of the chat it’s it for us right here on Nest and you can always catch Hour two on Destination as well it’s Boston’s end of the chat every Monday through Friday catch us then we’ll see you guys next time [Music]

The Boston Bruins are gearing up for NHL Free Agency and have about $13 million in Cap Space available to spend. Who could the Bruins be targeting, and who is best suited for Marco Sturm’s Bruins? George Balekji & Kasey Hudson break down all the possibilities for the Boston Bruins this upcoming free agency period. They also dive into the real possibility of a very dry Free Agency for the Boston Celtics, as they have next to no money to spend, as well as take a look at some of the latest coming out of Bruins Development Camp.

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0:00 Intro
0:46 Boston Bruins Free Agency Wishlist
15:01 Boston Celtics Free Agency Outlook
30:01 What’s Trending!
42:04 Bruin Development Camp Check-In
51:45 Outro

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