0:00
and our special guest today is Mark dver
0:04
from New England Hockey Journal also
0:06
does some stuff for ell.com and he's
0:09
he's really knowledge about the
0:11
prospects that's what we want to talk
0:12
about today Mark thanks for joining
0:14
us and um glad to you in the in the
0:18
thing about I guess I'm just going to
0:20
start right out what are your thoughts
0:23
because we have our own thoughts what
0:24
are your thoughts on the general young
0:30
um when it comes to the Bruins
0:34
organization well they uh you know
0:37
they've traded a lot of picks in in
0:39
recent years trying to uh you know
0:42
maximize their uh their postseason runs
0:46
uh so I mean it's no secret they don't
0:50
have a lot of prospects uh they haven't
0:56
uh they they've given up given up picks
0:59
and trades and uh you know the guys that
1:03
they have drafted you know are not
1:05
necessarily High round or the kids in
1:07
Providence not necessarily High round
1:10
picks so you know they're not exactly
1:14
banging on the door to uh to get
1:16
promoted to the NHL a couple of them are
1:19
but uh you know the prospect pool is uh
1:23
is shallow I don't think that's any any
1:25
uh surprise to anybody uh that follows
1:28
the Bruins no it is isn't a surprise and
1:31
we've we've uh We've hammered them a
1:33
little bit uh for that um but in in your
1:37
opinion some of the guys that are in
1:39
Providence specifically uh Georgie marov
1:43
lysel how how do you think they've been
1:46
playing this year and do they deserve a
1:48
chance to show what they can do at in
1:50
Boston at this point in
1:52
time uh well I think they both will get
1:56
a chance uh whether they deserve it or
1:59
not uh at some point between now and the
2:05
uh I think the Bruins need to find out
2:08
or get a better look or a better gauge
2:10
on what these guys might be able to
2:12
bring uh down the road whether that's
2:16
this year next year whenever uh so um
2:21
I'm surprised and you know I I'm I'm not
2:23
the only one I'm surprised that meroff
2:25
hasn't gotten a shot uh here especially
2:28
since the power he's so good on the
2:30
power play and the Bruins have been so
2:33
Boston has been so bad on the power play
2:36
it's kind of a head scratcher as to why
2:38
he hasn't uh he hasn't gotten an
2:41
opportunity more than the what was it
2:44
three games that he got earlier this
2:45
year before but not you know not much of
2:48
a not much of a look but
2:52
uh I think he'll he'll get a look at
2:55
some point because uh you know he's he's
2:58
uh he had has earned it
3:01
um I think lel's a a little bit
3:04
different I'm not sure he's earned it uh
3:07
but I think he will get a shot he's the
3:10
first he's a first round pick he's
3:12
someone that uh you know they need to
3:15
know whether whether he's going whether
3:18
he's going to be able to get up and uh
3:20
and make it up top uh you know was his
3:24
play in Providence it's just you
3:28
know I I said this the other day that
3:30
the mistakes he make he's making the
3:33
same mistakes over and over again which
3:36
is discouraging in in that it's his
3:39
third year as a pro and some of these
3:42
mistakes are the same things he was
3:43
making in same turnovers and you know
3:47
trying to do too much by himself you
3:50
know these are things that were evident
3:52
in year one and now we're in year three
3:55
and they're still uh cropping up at
3:58
times there are times when he plays well
4:00
when he's uh you know plays more of a
4:03
team game uh doesn't uh you know doesn't
4:07
try to do too much um you know the Zone
4:10
entries where he tries to beat four guys
4:13
I mean it's just you're not going to do
4:15
it I don't know if he was able to do
4:17
that in junior hockey I I really don't
4:19
but I I know you can't do it in the
4:21
American League and uh he keeps trying
4:24
to do it so there's kind of a disconnect
4:27
there it feels like between you know
4:29
what the coaching staff is uh telling
4:32
him that he needs to do and and what he
4:34
actually does uh so but having said that
4:38
I think they will take a look at him
4:42
because they need to know you know is
4:45
this a guy we uh we still have hopes for
4:48
or or should we uh should we give up on
4:51
that I think at this point yeah they
4:52
still have hopes for him so I think
4:54
we'll see him between now and uh and
4:57
April now cam NE about how you have to
5:00
outscore your mistakes uh which I
5:03
thought was an interesting comment
5:04
because there's a lot of veterans on the
5:05
team right now who aren't outscoring
5:08
their mistakes um and and that's that's
5:11
something I think as a young player if
5:13
I'm a young player and I hear that quote
5:16
I think well gez you know Georgia merulo
5:18
last year you get like six minutes uh
5:21
and make a mistake and be and sit for
5:23
you know the half the second and all the
5:25
third and I would think to myself like
5:27
wait a minute like I make one mistake
5:30
and I get I get the plug pulled on me
5:33
and you know these other guys are are
5:35
making mistakes all over the ice and and
5:37
that doesn't happen now I know that that
5:39
veterans get obviously a lot of leeway
5:41
but in this case it must be very
5:43
frustrating for a young player to have
5:46
that the management have that kind of
5:48
mindset when they they almost expect the
5:50
young players to play Perfect
5:52
hockey yeah it probably is discouraging
5:56
uh but until you give them a chance to
6:00
make those mistakes well you know what
6:04
uh you know what are we doing here why
6:06
why are they not if if you call a guy up
6:08
and he makes turns the puck over three
6:10
or four times and you know just doesn't
6:14
uh doesn't look good then okay that's
6:16
one thing but to uh you know kind of uh
6:23
know you know you can't make mistakes
6:26
well that's that's uh that doesn't seem
6:30
like uh it seems backwards it seems
6:33
backwards yeah we've been we've been
6:35
saying that quite a bit uh that I think
6:38
they do kind of handle the development
6:40
of the young guys backwards it's like
6:42
the the veterans have all the all the
6:44
leeway even though they're making
6:46
mistakes and and the rookies you know
6:48
make one mistake and they get benched
6:50
for it it really should probably be
6:53
closer to the other way around whereas
6:55
you know the rookies need to grow and
6:57
learn and how can they learn if every
7:00
time they make a mistake they're getting
7:02
benched um well it's those those two
7:05
guys and uh you know Matt Patra does not
7:08
play a mistake-free game uh he turns the
7:11
puck over uh you know like uh like young
7:15
players do and uh once in a
7:18
while you know not so much I don't think
7:20
since he since he rejoined the team
7:23
but you know he's not a they don't
7:25
staple him to the bench when he makes a
7:27
couple of mistakes they they put him
7:29
back out there and try and you know try
7:31
and work your way out of that so
7:34
uh I don't know it's a it's a it's a
7:37
heads scratcher why uh why Merk hasn't
7:40
uh hasn't gotten a shot and and you know
7:48
uh the fact that you know they could
7:50
have taken a look at him more than they
7:53
have they they gave him that one game uh
7:57
even in that game he turned the puck
8:00
in the neutral zone and sat out a couple
8:03
of shifts after that I mean they they uh
8:06
they were right on that you know they
8:08
jumped right on that turnover uh and you
8:11
know I wouldn't say I I think his uh he
8:16
was okay in that game I I think you know
8:19
he he helped uh you know his play led to
8:22
a goal I think on his first shift and
8:24
that's great but you know overall in the
8:27
in the game he you know he wasn't uh
8:30
you know he didn't make a a case for uh
8:33
that he had to be in the lineup the next
8:35
uh the next night and they sent him back
8:38
so but like I said I think I think we'll
8:41
see him at at some point between now and
8:46
season you know Mark celik was signed
8:49
three-year deal by the Bruins which I
8:51
thought I didn't love just because I
8:53
don't love the term on a fourth liner
8:55
but what does that say about some of the
8:58
guys like Riley Durant and Trevor
8:59
countar and John foni guys who are
9:02
probably projected as bottom six or
9:05
fourth line players and does that say
9:08
that they aren't real keen on them are
9:09
they going to be AHL lifers or how how
9:12
do you think their development's coming
9:14
on well what I think that's saying is
9:16
that those guys are not even close to
9:19
being NHL ready they are miles from
9:21
being ready right you know
9:25
cleik he is what he is uh a fourth liner
9:29
he he's he's a he's an NHL player at
9:32
this point those three guys you
9:34
mentioned they're not they may get there
9:36
at some point but they're not there now
9:42
I and C cellic does things that those
9:45
guys don't do you know the fighting and
9:47
the physical play you know faroni Duran
9:51
and uh and countar that's not who they
9:55
uh they're not going to fight you know
9:58
some of the heavy was that cellic is
10:00
taken on so they uh they're kind of in a
10:03
different Niche I would say than uh than
10:05
cellic but they have a ways to go and
10:10
know a ways to go to to even be
10:13
considered for a callup I think and they
10:16
may I I wouldn't count on all of them
10:19
ever getting a call up you know one or
10:21
two of them might but all three I
10:23
wouldn't uh I wouldn't go that far at
10:26
point so uh turning attention now to the
10:30
defense a little bit uh you know the
10:32
Bruins have been banged up a little bit
10:34
with uh Charlie McAvoy out and hampus
10:37
lindome out and and now Brion kylo has
10:39
the illness um and Michael Callahan's
10:42
filled in pretty admirably and and ostly
10:45
was kind of a NHL AHL guy um but there's
10:50
a couple of guys in Providence that
10:52
we're interested in Frederick brune is
10:54
one and Jackson Edward is the other do
10:57
how has their development come along and
11:00
do you see those guys potentially
11:02
getting a shot at the NHL next
11:06
season I I think it would be a stretch
11:08
to expect that next season I don't think
11:10
either one of them is is far enough
11:12
along for that to happen uh brune has
11:16
taken a step this season he he's
11:19
improved quite a bit uh a year ago uh at
11:26
was just starting to gain action he had
11:30
a slow start as 20-year-old kids do in
11:33
the American Hockey League it's it's a
11:35
tough leag MH they're playing against
11:37
men they're not playing against
11:39
teenagers anymore and and it's tough but
11:42
he uh he's taken a step this season he's
11:46
he's been uh you know I feel like there
11:50
was somewhat of a Mis Mis
11:54
uh misperception about what he is coming
11:57
out of Junior Hockey where he put up a
11:59
lot of numbers he's not an offensive
12:02
defenseman he's not a shutdown
12:04
defenseman he's a two-way guy somewhere
12:07
in the middle you know having a good
12:09
year in Providence you know as uh as a
12:13
two-way player um but he's not a I don't
12:17
see him ever playing on the power play
12:19
or anything like that uh he can play on
12:22
the on the penalty kill but he's uh you
12:26
strides Jackson Edwards just getting
12:29
started just taking baby steps uh you
12:33
know I didn't watch him a lot in the
12:35
only time I saw him in London was in the
12:39
Cup but apparently there's this idea out
12:43
there among the the fan base I think
12:45
people who watch the OHL that he's a
12:49
guy uh boy I'm sure not seeing that uh
12:53
you know he's he's playing against men
12:57
and uh you know he's not scaring
13:00
anybody nobody now down the road can can
13:05
he develop into you know kind of a you
13:08
know a physical uh you know guy crease
13:11
clearing guy although you you you don't
13:14
see crease clearing guys anymore no I
13:16
can't really get away with that now get
13:17
penalties right unless I guess you could
13:25
yeah you know Jackson's got a ways to go
13:29
you know I think he's you know he's not
13:31
in the lineup every every night it's
13:34
like every other game he
13:36
plays but they're bringing him along and
13:39
uh you know I think they think he will
13:42
play at the NHL level you know but it's
13:47
going to be he's going to have to put in
13:48
some time you know you look at Michael
13:51
Callahan I mean you look at that game
13:59
the best defending defenseman that they
14:01
had in the lineup he def he just defends
14:05
you know you can say that he's limited
14:08
he's not you know he's not going to give
14:10
you much offense but boy he defends he
14:15
uh what's he 25 years
14:18
old you know played in college four
14:21
years in college and now I I don't know
14:23
this is his third year maybe in
14:25
Providence it takes time yeah the two
14:29
guys we we talked about previously are
14:31
both I don't know 20 21 years old
14:33
they're going to have to put in their
14:34
time too before they are really uh guys
14:37
that you know you would uh you would say
14:41
going into training camp Hey this guy
14:42
has a shot he might be able to do it
14:44
they're not there yet I don't I don't
14:49
know I don't see that being a
14:51
possibility next season uh I'd love to
14:54
be proved wrong but I just don't see it
14:56
right now yeah now Michael D Petro had a
14:59
really good year past Brandon Buffy uh
15:03
Allstar uh really coming along and got
15:05
the call up didn't get a game but he got
15:07
the call up recently now he's a group
15:09
six UFA coming up um you know what do
15:13
you think the plan is for him is he you
15:16
know could they potentially dangle Corel
15:19
at the end of the year and say you know
15:20
what we give D Petro a chance or is know
15:23
where do you see him
15:26
fitting I I would say that if they're
15:28
smart they're talking right now about an
15:31
extension for him so that he doesn't get
15:33
to group six right and
15:37
uh you know another year in Providence
15:39
next year I I wouldn't uh I
15:43
wouldn't I don't know I don't know if
15:45
Corpus Alo is tradable with his contract
15:48
um right true and he's been you know
15:51
he's been good this year but I mean you
15:54
look at what the goalie Market is and
15:57
you know I don't know
15:59
I don't know why anyone would come
16:01
calling to the Bruins to say we gota
16:05
give us corpy we got to have corpy he's
16:08
a he's a good NHL backup that's what he
16:11
is and you know overpaid in you know at
16:15
this point in Boston yeah you could say
16:17
that but he's reliable you know what
16:20
you're getting he's been good this year
16:22
I I think uh I think that trade's worked
16:24
out well for for the Bruins uh yeah DPO
16:28
you know I'm not sure he's a I think
16:31
he's he's a number kind of a classic
16:33
number three goalie in an organization
16:36
yeah so the guy you have in Providence
16:38
can he come can he come up and play some
16:39
games if needed yeah he he probably can
16:44
uh you know I I think right now it would
16:47
be a stretch to to plug him into a
16:50
backup role in the NHL and think that uh
16:53
you're all set at that position what
16:55
what do you think happens with Brandon
16:56
busy at the end of the year
17:01
think as much as I would uh like to see
17:04
him stay with the organization because I
17:07
I like him I like him very much person
17:09
personally he's a great kid uh you know
17:14
that business at the beginning of the
17:16
year with he's starting oh it looks like
17:19
he's starting the year in the NHL he won
17:21
the second you know the backup job and
17:24
then you know the rug gets pulled out
17:26
from under him not only by Swan signing
17:30
but they bring in another guy from
17:33
know another goalie so I I think
17:38
that that uh has you know cast a shadow
17:41
on his year this year he he hasn't been
17:43
the same the last couple games he's been
17:46
good you know kind of back to his old
17:49
form but I think that that business at
17:53
the start of the year really shook him
17:56
really you know sh not shattered his
18:00
confidence but shook his confidence and
18:02
it's been months now trying to trying to
18:05
rebuild that uh so I you know
18:09
frankly I I expect him to move on at the
18:12
end of the year and some you know get an
18:14
NHL contract somewhere someplace else
18:18
right May and maybe that's what he needs
18:20
at at this point uh as much as I would
18:23
like to see him stick around so to recap
18:27
there's a huge gap between the Bruins
18:29
roster in their Prospect pool so what do
18:32
you think I mean what do they do going
18:34
forward if there's really not a ton or
18:37
if at all anything in the
18:40
pipeline well they got to make smarter
18:44
decisions uh in in free agency
18:49
uh you know the zadorov and and Lindholm
18:53
let's face it those two signings to this
18:55
point have been a disaster a disaster
19:03
uh yeah I mean you're essentially paying
19:05
eight million bucks for a third line
19:07
center right now yeah so that's not
19:10
exactly what you're looking for no not
19:12
at all uh Lind you have to be smart in
19:17
uh let's face it there's a limited
19:20
amount of guys out there free agents
19:23
that you can sign and think that they're
19:26
going to be difference makers those guys
19:28
just aren't out there right right
19:32
uh so they're going to have to be
19:35
smarter they're going to have to uh you
19:37
know I think they need to rebuild the
19:40
the prospect pool and you know
19:43
by actually drafting people right
19:47
instead of trading trading picks yeah
19:53
I it's my feeling that they kind of need
19:56
to I'm not saying they need to sell at
19:59
the at the deadline and clean house and
20:02
get rid of this guy and that guy what
20:04
they need to do is make some smart
20:05
trades where if they think Trent
20:09
Frederick is not GNA sign with them then
20:11
you got to trade him and what do you get
20:14
for him I I don't know I don't know you
20:18
picks or a draft pick maybe a prospect
20:23
somebody's you know distressed
20:26
uh asset from another team that maybe a
20:29
guy who's didn't quite turn out the way
20:33
that team thought when when they drafted
20:35
him but maybe Boston thinks they can get
20:37
more out of him you know so I would
20:41
think a strategy like that where you
20:44
know stockpile some picks and make sure
20:48
make sure that you make good selections
20:56
uh the 2015 draft comes up all the time
20:59
right 10 it's 10 years ago now for God's
21:02
sake but they're they're paying the
21:05
price for that and for uh for trading
21:08
picks in the subsequent years that's why
21:11
you know that's why they're in the the
21:15
so smart smarter trades smarter signings
21:20
uh I think they should be looking two
21:22
years down the road this business about
21:25
we want to contend every year well
21:29
you know I want to win the lottery too
21:31
but it ain't happening don't we all yeah
21:36
uh you know kind of take a step back and
21:39
uh you know I don't think they have
21:42
enough good players that they can uh I
21:46
think you know Target a couple of years
21:52
maybe you know kind of rebuild the
21:54
roster with an eye toward that instead
21:56
of you know damn it we got to for the
21:58
Stanley Cup this year next year right
22:02
that's just not realistic and that's
22:03
when poor decisions come that's when
22:05
poor decisions come exactly right and
22:07
the fan base doesn't want to hear it
22:10
right you know the the fans let's face
22:15
uh they're spoiled especially yeah you
22:19
know I can say this I or maybe I can't
22:22
but I'm an old guy yeah Young The Young
22:25
fans they have no idea what uh
22:29
what uh how bad it could be okay they
22:32
have no idea because because the Bruins
22:37
know so I mean the fans uh kicking and
22:41
screaming about you know being Stanley
22:44
Cup contenders that's that's just not
22:46
realistic uh no every year right it's
22:49
been pretty good the last few years and
22:51
sure now uh you know I think uh they're
22:54
gonna pay the uh pay the price here they
22:57
are paying the price sure well Mark we
23:00
appreciate the Insight in your time it's
23:02
great to have you on and uh we love
23:04
following you on on X you gave us a good
23:06
Insight well thanks I appreciate that
23:08
thanks for having me yeah absolutely uh
23:11
take care of yourself thank you thanks a
23:15
too all right that was Mark dver who
23:17
gives us some insight on the prospects
23:20
uh you know Smitty uh just to kind of
23:23
recap what uh what is your take on that
23:26
my my take is this like the prospect
23:29
pool is even you know further away from
23:34
being helpful than yes people even want
23:37
to admit you know what I'm saying like
23:38
we knew it wasn't great and everybody
23:40
else tells us it's not great yeah uh but
23:42
still there was a couple of guys in
23:44
there that we thought you know why isn't
23:46
this guy getting a chance why why isn't
23:47
this guy getting a chance yeah well it
23:50
seems as though it's rightfully so that
23:55
Mark uh he sees those guys all the time
23:58
uh and and he would know better than
24:00
anyone so if Riley Duran and the Trevor
24:03
countes and the John Farinacci you know
24:06
aren't getting you know aren't getting a
24:08
look uh he says it's because it's
24:11
deserved and and he would know he's been
24:13
around the game a ton for a long time
24:16
and and um yeah it it kind of makes it
24:22
uh Dawn on you it it there's
24:24
a realistic that it's uh you know it's
24:28
not great we didn't think it was great
24:30
but it might be worse than we thought
24:32
sure which um you know
24:34
isn't doesn't make you feel good about
24:37
the the thing no for the future
24:40
so you know it really does make you
24:44
think do the Bruins really have
24:47
to be smart here and focus on you know
24:52
the future and selling off guys that
24:55
aren't going to be part of your you know
24:57
your future you can't resign them you
25:00
have to look to get rid of those guys
25:01
and start bringing some Assets in uh to
25:04
kind of rebuild this thing stop trading
25:07
away first round picks you know for a
25:09
team that's unlikely to contend in the
25:12
next couple of years you know do you
25:14
reconsider maybe trading a guy like Brad
25:17
Martian because you know you're not
25:19
going to win a cup while he's you know
25:22
the last two three years here um you
25:26
know does that make you rethink that
25:27
thing and and try to bring some you know
25:32
new blood and and some prospects and
25:35
picks into the organization like they
25:38
have a lot of work to do they do a lot
25:40
of work to do he's right like 2015 kind
25:43
of killed them because that was three
25:45
NHL players that you missed on you know
25:47
you got one one and a fourth of NHL
25:51
players out of that and now the guy's
25:53
not on your team anymore and you signed
25:55
a guy for more money who's producing
25:57
less right and lost the other guy for no
26:00
assets and lost the other guy for no
26:02
assets so you're you're not really doing
26:05
well uh overall when it comes to
26:08
managing your assets managing the cap
26:10
you know bringing bringing in prospects
26:13
finding the right prospects picking guys
26:16
for your style of play like they're
26:18
doing it all wrong so to me that really
26:22
says that a change should be made at the
26:24
top and we've talked about before but
26:28
unless they miss the playoffs that
26:29
change isn't coming not coming so really
26:32
it's time for them to miss the playoffs
26:34
that change needs to come they need to
26:36
reset the whole thing and then like he
26:39
said maybe focus on a few years out you
26:41
start building for a few years out you
26:43
get rid of some contracts that are going
26:44
to be up in the next year or two recoup
26:47
some assets that you can maybe trade for
26:49
people or picks or however you want to
26:52
do it but come up with a plan for you
26:55
know 2026 or seven instead of you know
26:58
trying to focus on the next year because
27:01
it's just not going to happen no and you
27:03
know what Thursday night when the
27:05
winipeg just come in Kyle Conor gives
27:07
you another reminder of the 2015 NHL
27:10
draft and his 29 goals or whatever the
27:13
hell he has this year um you know one of
27:16
the really good young stars out there