The PuckUps Podcast with Brian DeFelice, Ep. 39: Who has played their LAST GAME as a Boston Bruin?

Brian speculates which players may have already played their LAST game as a Boston Bruin. 

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Transcript

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You're listening to the Puckups Podcast. It's time to hit the ice with Brian D Felice. Welcome into episode 39 of the Puckups Podcast. I am Brian D. Felice and thank you all for joining me. Who has played their last game as a Boston Bruin? We'll try to predict that throughout the course of this episode. But first things first, if you haven't done so already, please go ahead and subscribe to the Puck Ups on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else that you get your podcast. And to get in touch with me or be a part of the show, you can email me at info at the puckups.com. You can tweet at me on X at Brian Dflees underscore. You can tweet at the show at the puck ups or leave a comment on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, anywhere the show has a social media account and post content. Who has played their last game as a Boston Bruin? Last episode I had teased. We would do this exercise today. So here we are. And bookmark this episode. Go ahead and do so. So that when none of these predictions turn out to be true, you can laugh at me and poke me in the chest and call me a dum-dum. But for right now, we're gonna try to circle some names that realistically there's a slight too great chance that maybe they've played their last game as a Boston Bruin. Now, there's a lot of players on the Bruins roster where I think there's no world where they've played their last game as a Boston Bruin. So their names won't even be mentioned here. Okay. I have three categories. Unlikely that they've played their last game as a Boston Bruin. Maybe they've played their last game as a Boston Bruin, or likely that they've played their last game as a Boston Bruin. Now, I'm not saying that all of these names get moved, right? That's clearly not what I'm talking about here. Every single name that's mentioned, they they're in their own silo. And also, a lot of the names that I have mentioned here, regardless of their category, their future with the Boston Bruins in this exercise, in many cases, is contingent on the future of some other players for the Boston Bruins that are also listed in this exercise. So it's difficult to read the butterfly or domino effect. But for example, if player X is on this list in one of the categories and he re-signs with the Bruins, then player Y, maybe they're more expendable, right? So it kind of depends on what happens. Nonetheless, let's get right into it. Category one, unlikely that they've played their last game as a Boston Bruin. We'll go ahead here and start off with James Hagins, the Boston Bruins' top prospect. Now, the only reason he's mentioned in this category rather than not rather than not being mentioned at all is because I can't say with a hundred percent certainty that the Bruins won't try to have some sort of blockbuster trade this offseason to bring in a big name like a Robert Thomas or a Brady Kachuk or a Jason Robertson. I don't think those players are even available. I don't think they're getting moved. Maybe Robertson, maybe, but I think Kachuk is staying where he is. I think Robert Thomas is staying where he is. I don't think that this scenario that I'm painting will happen. But if the Bruins were interested in that route and it were an option for the Bruins, who do you think teams would be circling among Boston Bruins assets as the centerpiece in a trade like that? It would be James Higgins. Now, I'm not saying I would do it, I'm not even saying the Boston Bruins would do it. However, Higgins is your most coveted asset in terms of prospects and younger players. If there were some sort of blockbuster trade, it's hard to envision a scenario where he is at least not coveted by the other team as part of the return. So I think it's highly unlikely that James Higgins has played his last game as a Boston Bruin. But I can't say with a thousand percent certainty that he hasn't, because if there were some sort of massive blockbuster trade with the Bruins, I have to imagine that there's a decent chance, depending on the player that they're trading for, like Robert Thomas. Robert uh James Higgins could be part of that package going to St. Louis. So I don't want that to happen. I don't think that will happen, but that's why James Higgins is even listed at all in this exercise, but he's listed in the unlikely category, and I think it's highly unlikely, highly unlikely. Okay, next on this list, I have Pavel Zaka. Pavel Zaka is a fixture in Boston's top six. He's their most reliable two-way center iceman right now, and he's on a very, very team-friendly contract with one year remaining and a cap hit of 4.75 million. He has an eight-team, no trade list. So for the reasons I mentioned off the top, the Boston Bruins will very much value Pavel Zaka going forward. He has one year left on his deal. There's no reason to trade him, or there's certainly no rush, uh, in theory. And the Bruins may very well be planning on extending Pavel Zaka. And in fact, if I were to give you my answer on if the Bruins are planning on extending him or trading him, I think it's extending him. So that's why he's in the unlikely category, because I do think the Bruins value the player uh tremendously. And he's somebody that is very good friends with David Pasternak. He's a countryman, he plays in all situations for the Boston Bruins, and you know, he's a player that is in his prime. That said, because he has one year left on his deal and an amazing $4.75 million cap hit, and because he is a top six forward uh guy who can play center or wing in this league, there are no shortage of teams who would like to have a Pavel Zaka in their lineup with a year left on his deal at a very, very affordable cap hit and the ability to talk contract extensions with him as well. And so in return, the Bruins, I'm sure, would be looking for some really promising younger players coming back the other way. And it would be a long-term move by the Bruins, right? I'm not gonna speculate right now on this episode what that trade would look like. But the reality is Pavel Zacca, I think, is one of the Bruins' most valuable trade chips right now, based on his contract, his age, and what he brings to the table. So for all those reasons, the Bruins may very well decide to keep him for their own and extend him, and maybe he'll be a Boston Bruin for the next six, seven years. But based on the information we have right now, I have it highly unlikely as well that he has played his last game as a Boston Bruin. But because he's such a valuable trade chip, and the Bruins might try to get a little bit creative this summer and bold with some some hockey trades. Although, even if they do, I don't think it's Zocca that they would trade. I have Zocca as unlikely having played his last game as a Boston Bruin, but I can't say definitively that he that he hasn't. And then the third and final player in this category is Casey Middlestad. Again, Casey Middlestad has a year left on his deal. $5.75 million cap hit, nine team, no trade list. I think he's a less valuable trade chip than Pavel Zaka. I think he's a harder contract to move than Pavel Zaka, but he did have a good year for the Bruins last year. He converted to wing, he had a respectable season. I think he showed Marco Sturm he's capable of being a more reliable forward than maybe Sturm thought he would be, or even fans thought he would be. Casey Middlestad had a pretty admirable season. I don't see Casey Middlestad as a long-term player for this team. And I'm wondering if the Bruins might try to get something for him this summer. I'm wondering if the Bruins might try to sell high on him because I do think his trade value increased since last summer. So again, because the Bruins aren't really a team that has showed a lot of boldness in terms of hockey trades throughout the course of a summer. And I I I just I have a hard time seeing them moving Casey Middlestad this offseason because he's one of the few things that kind of went well last year for the Bruins. That second line for Boston with Zaka, Middlestad, and Arvidson was one of the more reliable and consistently used lines in all of hockey. And Middlestad was a part of that. So I especially if the Bruins bring back Victor Arvidson, which you know he's somebody that spoiler will be mentioned in this episode. I could see the Bruins wanting to keep that line together. But because I don't see Middlestad as a long-term player for the Bruins, I don't think the Bruins view him as being part of their core. Like I think they view Pasternak and McAvoy and Geeky as guys that are part of their core in their prime. And I think they view the next, the upcoming core to join them of Haggins and Minton and Who's Nadinoff and some other players that are currently drafted by the Bruins but haven't played in the NHL yet. Like I just don't think Middlestad is one of those names they're circling as, oh yeah, we're gonna have Casey on this team for the next seven years. I just don't see it. I could be wrong, but in any event, I feel like Middlet will be on the Bruins next year. I think it's unlikely he'll be traded, but it's possible. Moving along to the maybe category, players who maybe have played their last game as a Boston Bruin. And before I continue, just an FYI for everybody. The Bruins have about 15 and a half projected um million dollars in cap space to work with this offseason. Just keep that in the back of your mind. Maybe that's maybe it's closer to 16 million, or but I think on Pakpedia, I think it said 15.4 million dollars in projected cap space. So just keep that in mind as we go throughout this exercise. The maybe category. I have Victor Arvidson as somebody who maybe has played their last game as a Boston Bruin. Victor Arvidson, according to AFP Analytics, has a projected next contract because he's a UFA right now of two years with a cap hit of $4.9 million annual average value. If that is what Victor Arvidson ends up going for, then I think that Arvidsson will be back next year. I think the Bruins will re-sign him. That to me would surprise me. I feel like Arvidson is gonna want to go and try to cash in for the last time in his career. And if he tries to break the bank and get a lot of term, I don't see the Bruins re-signing him. But if Arvidson does something similar to this projection by AFP Analytics of two years and 4.9 million when he's making 4 million right now, that's a that's a slight raise, I think. The Bruins with the cap going up and short term, it's only two years. I could see the Bruins bringing him back. I have a weird feeling though that that's not the deal he's looking for. I feel like Arvidson is looking for longer and for more money. So I have him as a maybe because I just don't know what he's gonna go for. If it's this projection, then I would probably lean towards him being on the Bruins again next year. But if he tries to get the most in the longest term, which is kind of the nature of free agency, I just don't see the Bruins bringing him back because I don't think they'll want to commit to a guy of his age for that long in that term, um, and that in that money. So right now, Victor Arvinson to me is a maybe because I just don't know what negotiations look like. But if it's gonna be a short-term deal at around 5 million or less, then I'm far more confident that the Bruins might want to resign him and that he'd want to come back to the Bruins. So we'll see. I have Victor Arvisson as a maybe. Sean Corraly. Sean Corale has one year left on his deal at 1.85 million, no trade protection. Sean Corrale had 22 points last year as a fourth line center. He's a great guy in the locker room. And I, if I had to give an answer, would say that he will be back in the Bruins next year, and I'm relatively confident in that. But I'm not I'm not positive because he did seem to lose a step last year. I wonder if his leadership in the locker room was more valued last year in a big transition year, whereas now going into next year, the Bruins have already kind of gotten a great head start on re-establishing some culture in that room and in in part due to Sean's presence. And maybe for that reason they want him again next year. But the Bruins have a lot of guys under there's only three players in the Bruins last year that currently don't have a contract with the Boston Bruins. It's Andrew Peak, Victor Arvidsson, and Jordan Harris. So part of this exercise is I'm looking at the Bruins roster, and so many guys are under contract. I keep asking myself, are they gonna move some contracts this summer? Some guys under term. And if so, who? Now, Sean's one of those candidates where you can move his contract, you could trade him for a mid-late round draft pick or something, and it's only one year left on his deal. He's not a long-term part of this team, and maybe you get something for him, and it opens up a spot for a younger player down in Providence to break into the lineup. So that's why I could see a world where he he doesn't come back, and the Bruins try to trade him because all teams love veteran leadership, and the Bruins should have some veteran leadership too, but they do have some. Like they do have Zodoroff, and you have Genot and Kastelik and uh you know Lindholm and I mean McAlvoy and Pashnak, those guys are they're not they're absolutely veterans now at this point in their career. Um, you know, so the Bruins do have some leadership, but I I'm I'm curious on Corale. Again, if I had to guess, I would say he is back, but I could see a world where they try to move his contract and free up some cap space. Henry Yoki Haryu is a maybe for me. He has two years left on his deal at $3 million per year, no trade protection. Now, I'll keep this one simple. Henry Yoki Haryu to me, if they if they really want to bring back Andrew Peak, then I think the Bruins are gonna do so, having traded Henry Yoki Haryu to open up space for Peak. I just don't see the Bruins re-signing Peak, who, and I'll get to Peak in a little bit, but Peak is projected a $4 million uh cap hit who's peaks the UFA. He's expected to get, I want to say, four years at four million or something like that. Four years at four plus million. You already have Yoki Haryu at three million for the next two years, and they're both third-pair right shot defensemen. Like it's totally redundant. There are different styles of play, but in terms of their ceiling, they're both third-pair guys. Are the Bruins really going to elect to bring back Peak for four more years when you still have Yoki Haru in the book for two? If they do, they're taking crazy pills, and which maybe they are, because you know, I wouldn't put it past them. But if they are hellbent on re-signing Andrew Peak and they value him more than Yoki Haryu, don't forget which player Marco Sturm trusted more in the regular season and down the stretch and in the playoffs. It was Andrew Peak, not Henry Yoki Haryu. So the coach likes Peak more. If the Bruins are hellbent on bringing back Andrew Peak, I think that they're gonna have to try to trade Henry Yoki Haryu uh in the process to create some space in the roster and honestly some cap space too. So I just don't know. Maybe the Bruins like Yoki Haryu more than uh it seems they do. Again, the coach, his usage of the player kind of speaks volumes. I don't care what Don Sweeney says in a press conference. I think Marco Sturm's usage of him tells a massive story. So, but if they think that Peak's gonna be too rich for their blood, and they have Yoki Haryu under contract for two more years, and maybe they just decide to go with Yoki Haru on a third pair and let Peak walk and try to focus on an upgrade at the second pair uh right shot right side defense. And in that world, Yoki Haryu is safe, and he has not played his final game as a Boston Bruin. So, again, it just depends on on what the Bruins' internal discussions are and which guy they value and want to bring back. So that's why Henry Yoki Haryu is a maybe. Because he's currently under contract and Andrew Peak isn't, I will say that it's more likely that Henry Yoki Haryu has not played his final game as a Boston Bruin, but that's how I feel about it right now in late May. Now, this is where it gets interesting. Mason Lorry, I have as maybe playing his last game as a Boston Bruin. He has one year left on his deal at $3.2 million of a cap hit, no trade protection. I'm gonna lump in this next player with him, and that's Matt Patra. Matty Patra is a restricted free agent this offseason, and the reason I have these two players as maybe having played their last game as a Boston Bruin is because it just feels like the Bruins are gonna be active this summer and they're gonna try to explore all avenues. To my dismay, they're probably gonna explore free agency, but I also think they're gonna explore some hockey trades. And I think that Matt Potra and Mason Laura are very uh, I would say respectable prospects that teams around the league I think are more interested in than some fans locally may give credit for. Because they might look at Matt Potter's upside and say, hey, for whatever reason, the Bruins aren't utilizing him, but we know he could help us on our team. Or they look at Mason Lorai's offensive ability and say, hey, we know he's got some defensive ability to be desired, but we think he can run our power play and be a 65-point guy for us. So you just never know what teams are thinking about your own prospects and players. But I do think that Patra and Laurae, I think they're valued. I do think they're valued around the league. I'm not saying that other teams don't think that there's work to be done with them and strides to be made, but I think teams look at those two players that as young players that hey, if Boston's not going to utilize them, we will. And if Boston wants something that we have, yeah, we'll talk business. So to me, Matt Potra and Mason Laurae, they kind of represent the return or the ask from an opposing team of the Bruins in a hockey trade that doesn't include giving up real coveted prospects like a Minton or a Hagens or a Laterno, right? I Bruins fans, and I think all sports fans, sometimes when we talk about mock trades, it sounds great in theory, and then you start to float some names out there of players you'd have to give up, and all of a sudden you're like, oh, I don't want to do that. Ah, I like him, or he could be something. And the reality is if you're gonna do hockey trades, which all teams and all sports do, um, well, you don't do hockey trades and football, but you get my point. You do football trades and football. If you're gonna make those player trades, player for player trades, you're gonna have to give to get. And sometimes that sucks. But listen, if you're Bruins fans and you don't want to give up a Hagens or a Minton or a Laterno or a Zellers in a trade, and you don't want to give Up a Zaka in a trade. Well, but you want to make trades to improve your well, then who's who's left? Right? Who's left? It's the Matt Pachas of the world, it's the Mason Lawrence of the world, it's the Fabian Lyselles of the world, another uh RFA, Fabian Lyselle. But I didn't include him in this list because to me, you have to play more than a couple of garbage games down the stretch in one season. Patra, even though he played pretty much all of last year in Providence, he obviously has played more time in Boston than many players in Providence have. So that's why he's included. So could Laura and Patra be a part of the Bruins' future? Sure. Sure, they could be. But I'm telling you that they could be pieces that the Bruins move in an effort to make some hockey trades this summer because they are valuable players that are young enough and have NHL experience and upside that teams could covet in a hockey trade. So for that reason, I have those two players as a maybe having played their last game as a Boston Bruin. Again, Matt Potter is an RFA, so you know he's under team control still in terms of being able to negotiate with them. But Mason Laura, don't forget, and I've said this before on the show, and I'll say it again just to remind people the Boston Bruins were Rasmus Anderson saying yes to an extension away from Mason Laura being a Calgary Flame three months ago. Okay. The reason that Mason Laura is still a Boston Bruin as we currently speak to each other is because Rasmus Anderson said, I don't want to go anywhere via trade mid-season without an extension in place, and nobody was was willing to trade for him without an extension in place besides the Vegas Golden Knights. Okay, so just keep that in mind when we're talking about Patra and Laura and how oh the Bruins never trade them. Oh well they tried. They they tried to trade Lorai for the upgrade, and Anderson said, I need an extension, and the Bruins said, No, we're not giving you Laurai without an extension in place. Laurae probably plus as well, obviously. So that is my maybe list. Now for the players where I think it's likely that they may have played their last game as a Boston Bruin. We'll start off with Andrew Peak. Now, Andrew Peak, again, I would have him in the maybe category because I think the Bruins like him more than Yoki Haryu. But Yoki Haryu is under contract and Peak's a UFA. So unless they can move Yoki Haryu, I just don't think that they're gonna re-sign Peak. They're gonna let him walk. But if they can move Yoki Haryu, then sure. I think they're gonna put an emphasis on re-signing Andrew Peak to be their third pair right shot defenseman for the next five, six years, whatever it is. But I don't I think they should just say good luck, Andrew, and and move on. And I think they should trade uh Yoki Haryu too. I'd like to see Frederick Brunei on your uh on your team next year in the third pair and and maybe try to find some other acquisition or trade uh on the second pair. But either way, I unless they can trade Henry Yoki Haryu, I think Andrew Peak is probably going to go somewhere else during free agency. But if Yoki Haryu is traded before free agency, then my answer on this may change. But for right now, based on what we know, Peak's not under contract right now. So he's he's projected by AFP Analytics to make uh $4.1 million per year for four years. I don't think the Bruins are giving him that unless Yoki Haryu is traded. So that's my two cents. The next player, I think it's likely he's played his last game as a Boston Bruin, Mikey AC Mont. He has one year left at $1.45 million cap hit, no trade protection. Simply put, AC Mont was the Bruins' 13th forward for much of the year. I just think that if you can move him and trade him to another team around the league who needs some fourth-line sandpaper, and even if it's for like a fifth-round draft pick or something, like whatever, it doesn't even have to be for a crazy return. But I just think that this is an easy contract to move. There's no trade protection. I think that other teams could use him. The reason it's not that the Bruins couldn't use him if they didn't have Castelick and Janot and Steves, but they have those guys, like they have guys that can play on the fourth line. So I honestly think that you know, a million and a half dollars to just sit in the press box for 80% of the season is is just stupid to me. So I think the Bruins should try to prioritize moving on for Mikey A. Cimont and getting out of the last year of his contract and setting him somewhere where maybe he can find some more ice time. And then the last player who I think it's likely that they've played they've played their last game as a Boston Bruin is Jonas Corposolo. Jonas Corposalo has two years left at a $4 million cap hit and a 10-team no trade list. He had an $894 save percentage this past season. He was fine. He was fine for a backup. But listen, Jeremy Swayman was and is a finalist for the Vesna. He's clearly your number one. You don't need to be spending $4 million for a backup goalie, especially when you have the back-to-back AHL goalie of the year in Providence and Michael D. Pietro. Now I know D Pietro's size is a question mark. He's undersized for NHL goalie standards. I don't care. Can the kid play the position? Can he give you some respectable backup goaltending for less than a million dollars? Yes and yes. Like, you know, the Bruins, say what you want about the Boston Bruins. Their problems over the years have not been establishing and identifying NHL caliber goaltending. Go on down the list. Let's go back the last you know 20 plus years or so. Let's go back to the late 90s with Byron Defoe. Let's go to Andrew Raycroft, and then you go to Timmy Thomas, you go to Tuka Rask, you go to Jeremy Swayman and Lina Solmark, backups. You've had Vladar that you know was down in Providence and he's found a home in Philadelphia. Brandon Bussey, you know, for whatever it's worth, found a home in Carolina. Like the Bruins, they've always had goaltending that could at the very least be NHL backup caliber. It's just you can find a backup goalie. And I also think that there are teams around the league that they could use some goaltending. And Jonas Corposalo is not going to win a Vesna anytime soon. Now that I said that, he'll probably win it next year for somebody else. But he's not the greatest of goalies out there, but he's an NHL established goalie. And that's the one thing about Michael D Pietro that you can't say to this point because he hasn't had the opportunity. Teams might covet DPH and try to find a way to acquire him, and in which case the Bruins would stick with Corpus Solo, and he would have not played his last game as a Boston Bruin. But the one advantage that you have with Corpusalo over D Pietro as far as trade value is you can tell other teams, listen, Jonas is who he is, you know who he is. He can give you 45-50 games, and he's a respectable, decent, okay NHL goaltender, but at least he's played games in the NHL. You can't say that about D Pietro to this point, despite his promise and potential. And I also just think, listen, at a certain point in time, what are you doing with your with your minor league team if you just aren't rewarding players for being the best player at their position for multiple years running in the minors? Like what's the point of a developmental league if you have players developing and being the top player at their position consecutive years and you just never give them a sniff? Because what? You can't have a backup goalie not be you on his corporasolo? I'm sorry. Like you can have D Pietro be the backups to Jeremy Swayman at less than a million dollars, and he'll give you somewhere near 894. I promise. Okay. So if the Bruins could find a way to move Corpusalo to somebody who's not on his 10-team no trade list, or maybe somebody that is on that list and he's willing to move or wave, then I think getting rid of Corpusalo's $4 million cap hit, I think it's necessary. He's not a long-term player for this team. Again, the Bruins goals right now should be trying to continue to find and establish some younger players that they can take some flyers on that have good skill and speed and promise. They need to keep drafting and developing. Well, I do think that their last year and a half has been pretty promising in terms of restocking their prospect pool and draft collateral. You you know, they're drafting uh, I would say high risk, high reward players lately. Dean Laterno is not a safe pick. James Hagins, he fell to them. Okay, so you could say that him falling a seven when he was projected to go top three all year. That's kind of a no-brainer. But Will Zellers, Will Zellers is, you know, they acquired a player in the Charlie Coyle deal who is undersized, but has a ton of skill and speed and and a great shot. Um, you know, Vashek Blenar is a absolutely a project they drafted on the back end last year. Will Moore at BC is a project. Uh, you know, I'm missing others, but you know, the Bruins they've showed an aptitude the last year or so of trying to identify younger players with speed and skill. Lucas Reichel's another one. It took a flyer on him, just extended them for a year to another uh show us, show us period. But the Bruins should be focusing on getting younger and developing their own homegrown talent or players that weren't drafted by the Bruins but are still under 25 years old that you know they're they're re uh reclamating. Like like Fraser Minton is a guy that was drafted by Toronto and he's part of your core going forward. So, like, not that he was a reclamation project, um, but you understand what I'm saying. So that should be their focus. And then as far as trades go, try to optimize expiring assets, try to identify which players are not part of our future, which players are not part of our core going forward. And if we can get something for them, we should do it instead of just you know messing around constantly with trying to just you know make make ends meet. Like they're just they're just trying to patch work together uh a roster in any given year to make the playoffs, and they're they're afraid to to say goodbye to assets that are on term. Get something for somebody if it's an expiring contract. I you might have the guy in a contract for another year. That's fine. Are you gonna resign him when it's over? If not, get something for him now. It's called asset management. So for me, Jonas Corpusalo is a guy that they should try to get rid of him now because you have the AHL goalie of the year in Providence in Michael Di Pietro. And if D Pietro doesn't work out, backup goaltending is not the hardest thing to find in the National Hockey League. So that's where I stand on that. And we'll we'll, you know, we'll see what happens. Again, it all depends on what where your team is in their organizational development. If the Boston Bruins were a Stanley Cup contender right now, then okay, I wouldn't be saying optimize expiring assets because you're going for it. So you need all your horses. But the Bruins are not a Stanley Cup contender right now. And I'm sorry to say, but for everybody that's out there in the media and even the Boston Bruins organization, well, you know, you have to you have to go out there and make the most of this window of Pasternak and McAvoy's prime. Yeah, I get that. I'm not saying not to try to go out there and and and optimize their prime, but I'm sorry, they've had a long time and a lot of good teams since they've been in the NHL. And this Boston Bruins team has fell on their face on nearly every occasion. Okay. The Boston Bruins went to the Cent Cup finals in 2019. They lost on home ice in Game 7. They pretty much no-showed after the first 10 minutes when things didn't go their way. But at least they got to Game 7 of the finals. It took them three series wins and nearly a fourth. So that took some some some guts and some execution by them. But then they win the president's trophy in 2020, and the world kind of shuts down for COVID. I get it, but everybody was dealing with the same circumstances, and you pretty much get skated out of the arena in Toronto by the Tampa Bay Lightning in that second round. And then you you lose to Carolina in round one. Um, or no, then then then you then you you beat the Capitals, and then you lose to the New York Islanders in round two. You completely get bullied by them, you fall to Carolina the next year, then the next year you you break records in the NHL and you get bounced in the first round. So, I mean, this teams had opportunities, and you just you you need to try. I'm not saying don't optimize McAvoy and Pash next window, but do so by continuing to hit in your drafting and developing and try to find great hockey trades for younger players that have promise and potential. And that that's how I feel about it. So if the Bruins were in win now mode, then all these contracts we're talking about that have some expiring uh some expiration dates pretty soon. No, you need your horses. Don't don't don't trade Pavel Zaka for you know when he has a year left on his deal, if he can win a cup this year, but you can't. And I'm not even saying to trade Zakka right now, but he he's an enticing player because he has a lot of trade value. So, anyway, that's my list of players who I think may have played their last game as a Boston Bruin. Will I be right? Hell no, because I'm always wrong. Um, no, I'm just kidding, but we'll see how it plays out. Obviously, I think I wanted to circle names that I felt as though there was a realistic chance that they could possibly be somebody who's played their last game. Again, some more likely than others, but I'm not gonna name Charlie McAvoy or David Pasternak because the Bruins aren't trading them. I know there's fans out there that want them to get traded, and um, you know, we can have a cup of coffee and you and I can talk about it all we want and shoot the breeze over different scenarios, but the Bruins, I don't think they're doing it. Um, we could talk about Elias Lindholm. I don't think anybody's taking on that contract, right? So that's why he's not being mentioned. But I try to bring names to the table that for one reason or the other, whether they're a pending UFA, whether they're an RFA that hasn't had a ton of opportunity in Boston, it could be a trade chip, whether it's a younger player that maybe the Bruins they've seen enough of and think they can get something for them, or it's a player that has a great contract and they're a good player, but they can get a lot in a trade. Or in the case of James Higgins, your top prospects, and in the only scenario where maybe Robert Thomas is available, do the Bruins get enticed by that and move him, right? But again, these are why I try to think of names that in some world you could see their, you know, their name on the move um before Puck Drop next year. But obviously, like don't take this exercise as be saying I don't think James Hagan's gonna be on the on the Boston Bruins. I I think there's a 99.9% chance James Hagen is a is a Brewer for the next 15 years. But I'm trying to think of solutions, uh not solutions, I'm trying to think of scenarios and players that realistically could be vulnerable to a hockey trade or something like that. So that's the exercise. Let me know what you think in the comments. Who are some players that you think could have played their last game as a Boston Bruin already, and we don't even know it? And if you have some names, feel free to give them a category, kind of like I did in this exercise. I think player X has a very likely chance of never playing for the Bruins again. Or I think player Y, there's a very unlikely chance, but a slim one that they've played their last game as a Boston Bruin. So I would love to hear what you all have to say about that. Um, thought this was a fun exercise and a relevant one because there is gonna be player movement this summer. As I said, the Bruins have nearly everybody from last year under contract. And we all know that the Bruins made the playoffs, they played above their skis. We all know their advanced analytics were not great. Can a full year of James Haggins and a sophomore season for Minton, is that gonna be enough to turn the Bruins into an analytics Darling next year? I don't think so, right? So if they want to keep moving forward and they want to, even if they want to add some big names via free agency or a trade, like you have to move around some contracts and free up some money because $16 million in cap space or thereabouts, it's okay. It's not a ton to work with in free agency, so or just in general, this offseason. So I do think that there's a lot of contracts on the books for a team that uh on paper might be the sixth or seventh best team in the Atlantic division next year heading into the offseason. We'll see what the offseason brings. But in any event, thank you all very much for listening. Enjoy your week, and I'll talk to you next time.