What to do about RW
Posted 12:14 PM ET | Comments 2
The Bruins enter the offseason with a few question marks, those questions mainly being what to do about the RW position. Nathan Horton sent shockwaves through the HUb when he announced he was moving on from Boston in order to pursue a quieter lifestyle. Along with Horton, the Bruins decided to walk away from Jaromir Jagr another key contributor on the right side. With the departure of both Boston's Top 6 right wingers, General Manager Peter Chiarelli has some tinkering to do. With the salary cap dropping and Tuukka Rask on the verge of signing a monster contract, the Bruins will have to be crafty in who they sign, and the contracts handed out.
The lose of Horton will be a tough role to fill, but if anyone can slide into that top RW slot it is 21 year old Tyler Seguin. Coming off a disappointing shortened season, Seguin was called out by Bruins management. This offseason will be important for Seguin to show the Bruins he can be the star they envisioned him being when he was selected 2nd overall in 2010. Assuming Seguin can bounce back and find his game again, the Bruins will be looking to add 1 or 2 free agent wingers. Below are three players who I think the Bruins should target when free agency officially opens tomorrow at noon.
Peter Mueller- Mueller is a player who when healthy can contribute to any offense, he has the speed and vision needed to be an effective playmaker. He can play in the Top 6 but could also slot in nicely on the 3rd line alongside Peverley and Kelly. Having battle a number of concussions, Mueller is a risky pick, but if he stays healthy can help bolster an offense in need of scoring help. Last season Mueller tallied 8-9-17 in 43 games with the Florida Panthers. My offer to Mueller would be 2 years at $2M a year.
Daniel Alfredsson- Although I do not think Alfredsson will leave Ottawa, he would be an ideal player for the Bruins to add to their club. He has ties to the Bruins organization having played with both Chara and Kelly in Ottawa, and Peter Chiarelli was once the Assistant GM in Ottawa. He may be 40, but he can still compete at a high level. Alfredsson would come in and help immediately both on and off the ice. Alfredsson would be a perfect compliment to Patrice Bergeron. It appears Alfredsson is only looking for a 1 year deal and the Bruins should be willing to pay to acquire his services. I would offer Alfredsson 1 year $5M.
Jarome Iginla- After stiffing the Bruins at the trade deadline to play with Penguins, Iginla is not a popular name in the Hub. Taking the deadline decision out of the equation, Jarome can still play. He would help alleviate the pain of losing Horton. Jarome can come in and play Bruins style hockey. He can hit, score, and fight which are all staples of Bruins hockey. By signing Iginla that allows the Bruins to slot Tyler Seguin back with buddies Bergeron and Marchand who have excellent chemistry. Playing alongside David Krejci and Milan Lucic, I believe Jarome could score 30 goals. I would offer Jarome a 3 year deal at $4M a year.
The lose of Horton will be a tough role to fill, but if anyone can slide into that top RW slot it is 21 year old Tyler Seguin. Coming off a disappointing shortened season, Seguin was called out by Bruins management. This offseason will be important for Seguin to show the Bruins he can be the star they envisioned him being when he was selected 2nd overall in 2010. Assuming Seguin can bounce back and find his game again, the Bruins will be looking to add 1 or 2 free agent wingers. Below are three players who I think the Bruins should target when free agency officially opens tomorrow at noon.
Peter Mueller- Mueller is a player who when healthy can contribute to any offense, he has the speed and vision needed to be an effective playmaker. He can play in the Top 6 but could also slot in nicely on the 3rd line alongside Peverley and Kelly. Having battle a number of concussions, Mueller is a risky pick, but if he stays healthy can help bolster an offense in need of scoring help. Last season Mueller tallied 8-9-17 in 43 games with the Florida Panthers. My offer to Mueller would be 2 years at $2M a year.
Daniel Alfredsson- Although I do not think Alfredsson will leave Ottawa, he would be an ideal player for the Bruins to add to their club. He has ties to the Bruins organization having played with both Chara and Kelly in Ottawa, and Peter Chiarelli was once the Assistant GM in Ottawa. He may be 40, but he can still compete at a high level. Alfredsson would come in and help immediately both on and off the ice. Alfredsson would be a perfect compliment to Patrice Bergeron. It appears Alfredsson is only looking for a 1 year deal and the Bruins should be willing to pay to acquire his services. I would offer Alfredsson 1 year $5M.
Jarome Iginla- After stiffing the Bruins at the trade deadline to play with Penguins, Iginla is not a popular name in the Hub. Taking the deadline decision out of the equation, Jarome can still play. He would help alleviate the pain of losing Horton. Jarome can come in and play Bruins style hockey. He can hit, score, and fight which are all staples of Bruins hockey. By signing Iginla that allows the Bruins to slot Tyler Seguin back with buddies Bergeron and Marchand who have excellent chemistry. Playing alongside David Krejci and Milan Lucic, I believe Jarome could score 30 goals. I would offer Jarome a 3 year deal at $4M a year.
Alfie, then Iggy then maybe jagr or Ryder even... Mueller could be a cheap option as well.
I agree on your order, I think Ryder is a legit candidate because he knows the Bruins system and has played with Eriksson in Dallas. I like Mueller, he has a lot of upside if he can stay healthy and would come relatively cheap. Should be interesting to see how Chiarelli handles free agency.