Looking back and ahead: David Krejci

I can’t say I agreed with locking him up for $5.25 mil over the next 3 years.  He is not a top line talent no matter how you slice it.  He is terrible on the PP and he the worst part about his inconsistency is that he has the potential to be better, as he showed last year in the playoffs. 

To me…..his game seems more suited to European play where there is more space on the ice and time to make a play. He comes over the opponents blue line a lot, looking for play to develop. Not always a bad thing but in playoff hockey there is much less time to create!

Tell you…I can’t stand Krejici, he’s a dog.  No consistency with this guy…EVER.  Not worth $5 mill a year, horrible horrible contract.  Would not shed any tears if he’s the first piece that goes. 

He had more turnovers in the neutral zone than anyone. Europeons are overrated.

Estimated Cap 64,300,000.00
Bruins Cap Hit: 59,027,976
Estimated Cap Space: 5,272,024
Marc Savard, cap hit: 4,007,143
Estimated Potential Cap if Savard is on LTIR: 9,279,167

UFA’s
Forwards:
Brian Rolston (Last Year cap hit): 5,062,500 – Let Rolston walk, Horton fills his spot on the roster, no cap increase
Chris Kelly – 2,125,000 – Offer Kelly 3,125,000 for 4 seasons, he signs, Bruins have 4,272,024 left in cap
Greg Campbell – 1,100,000 – Say he resigns for 1,500,000 / 3 years, Bruins have 3,872,024 left in cap
Danielle Paille – 1,075,000 – Resigned for for same 1,500,000 / 3 years, Bruins have  3,472,024 left in cap

Defense: 
Joe Corvo – 2,250,000 -Let him walk, Doug Hamilton will replace him, not sure Hamilton’s cap hit but Krug’s is on the cap at 1,704,167, so assuming Krug is not on the roster and Hamilton is that will be a wash salary cap wise.  
Greg Zanon – 1,933,000 – Not worth that cap hit for a sixth d man at best, let him walk
Mike, Mottau – 800,000 – If you can sign him for 1,000,000 / 2-3 years go for it, 7th dman, adds depth, Bruins would still have 3,272,024 left in cap room

Goalies: 
Marty Turco – 600,000 – See ya, Bruins cap increases to 3,872,024

RFA’s
Benoit Pouliot – 1,100,00 – Defensive liability, big but not physical, takes bad penalties, let him walk, Jordan Caron takes his spot in the Lineup (already on the cap, no change)
Tuuka Rask – 1,250,000 – He will be up for a big raise, but last year’s injury, his RFA status and still having Thomas gives Bruins leverage. I think he signs for 3,500,000 / 3 years roughly leaving the Bruins with around 1,622,024 in cap room (Savard still on roster). With the below team:

LW Milan Lucic                  C David Krecji              RW Nathan Horton
LW Brad Marchand          C Patrice Bergeron      RW Tyler Seguin
LW Jordan Caron             C Chris Kelly                 RW Rich Peverley
LW Danielle Paille           C Greg Campbell         RW Shawn Thornton
Extra Forward: Marc Savard (can be put on LTIR at any time)

D Z Chara        D Seidenburg
D Boychuk       D Ference
D Mcquaid       D Hamilton
Extra D: Mike Mottau

G Tim Thomas
G Tuuka Rask
G Anton Khudobin

Winnipeg finished 26th in the NHL in Goals Against Per Game, so goaltending is something they could use. They have a huge amount of cap space. Could Bruins trade Tim Thomas and David Krecji for LW Evander Kane? Kane is a RFA and should resign for somewhere around 5,250,000 per season, same as David Krecji’s contract. So Bruins will then have -5,000,000 for removing Thomas’s contract as part of the deal. WPG has more than enough cap room to add Thomas. Bruins just keep Khudobin as Rask’s backup. Bruins now have 6,622024 in cap room, with Savard’s 4 million still available. This deal helps both teams, giving WPG a player that is equivalent in terms of offense to Kane in Krecji plus a starting goalie and the Bruins get the power winger they need to dominate again. 

Zach Parise is a UFA and made 6 Million last season. Bruins could offer him roughly 6.6 million/ per season, before having to put Savard on LTIR. Bruins would have a fighting chance of getting Parise and should try because with those moves the forward lines could look as below and be completely unstoppable. If Bruins could pull of an offseason like this they would be easily the best team in the nhl and be the favorites to win the cup again. 

Lucic              Parise          Horton
Kane              Bergeron     Seguin
Marchand     Kelly             Peverley 
Caron           Campbell      Thornton
Bench: Danielle Paille 

Same D as above

G Tuuka Rask
G Anton Khudobin

Cap space: Close to none, or close to 4 million if Savard is on LTIR

What do you think? 

Makes sense…….I was thinking some type of Lucic/Kessler swap. Production numbers may look the same but I just like the way Kessler “competes”. Maybe try and swing a deal for Nash….Lucic, Caron and a 1st rnd pick?  Toronto could be a destination for Thomas but I can’t say that I’m totally sold on Rask yet.

Honestly, Lucic is not on the trading block for the Bruins. Despite not having great success in the postseason this year, Lucic is one of the most unique talents in the NHL in my opinion. Lucic can be one of the most dominating forces on the ice, being extremely physical and has some goal scoring ability. With Lucic and Chara on the ice at the same time the Bruins have two of the most intimidating players in the world on the ice. Lucic is and has been one of the reasons we have started calling this the Big Bad Bruins again.   

I would trade for Kessler he is a good player, but Vancouver does not need goaltending and moving Thomas’s contract will be the key as you saw how the cap brokedown. Plus Parise is similar to Kessler, and is a UFA, so the Bruins could get a similar player to Kessler without giving up anything. Plus Evander Kane, played with Lucic in the minors, knocked Matt Cooke out with one punch, and is a true power forward with goal scoring ability. Kane is a perfect fit in Boston, and the trade fits as WPG needs goaltending and if you give them Krecji and Thomas (plus maybe a 1st or 2nd round draft pick) that should be more than enough to get Evander Kane in return. Kane’s contract and age, and offensive production are all similar to Krecji, in fact Krecji and a draft pick for Kane is a pretty fair deal honestly, never mind including Thomas. Lucic has played his best hockey when paired up with Nathan Horton on a line and vice versa. Bruins cannot move Horton, so keeping Lucic to pair up with Horton would be ideal. 

Krecji, is a great player. However, teams have realized he can be taken off his game with physical play. I think his value is the highest it will ever be, he is under contract and has good trade value. He can be replaced by Parise (who fits the Bruins better in style of play) in free agency as long as the Bruins can get Parise. 

If they can land Parise then that will cure a lot of ills for sure. I agree with your assessment of Lucic but you left a major peice out of your evaluation. Its the “when” he plays that physical, moving his feet style of hockey, he is a force……his game (not talking production) is terribly inconsistent. I would go so far as to say the same about Horton (concussions aside)….but your right, he is not going anywhere with his current situation what it is.
Evander Kane…..love him, go get him now…..you don’t have to sell me on him. I just think that it would be a very difficult “get” …… he is their cornerstone player and young to boot.

No chance Cheveldayoff lets Kane go. He wants to be there and the team wants him back. No chance, we’d have to give up a 1st, 2nd and a 3rd if we offer sheeted him, which brings out the wrath of every other single team in the league against you.

Fair enough. I just really like they way Kane plays. I doubt WPG would be fielding offers for him as you said, and going the offer sheet route is not going to happen, as that killed Toronto for years. 

Just financially it makes sense for the Bruins and talent wise. I don’t know enough about WPG to be sure that deal would work for them. From my point of view the trade would help both teams, but my point of view is as a Bruins fan, so naturally i’m biased.