It's not every day that we get the special privilege of communicating with individuals we've grown up idolizing. While all of us have our own dreams and goals, some of them loftier than others, I always wanted to be a writer. One of the people I always drew great inspiration from was John Buccigross. I admired his originality, his witty sense of humor and, as I told him in my introductory email, the profound ability he possesses to write in "his own voice".
John, who originally joined ESPN in October of 1996, has been a must read for many a hockey fan since he began writing for the network's website back in 2001. I was lucky enough to not only contact him about doing a Q&A with me, but humbled when I discovered how eager he was to fulfill my request.
I asked him a variety of questions, many about the Boston Bruins, a team he has openly shown a strong passion for over the years. He also weighed in on Ilya Kovalchuk, his favorites for the Hart Trophy, the playoff race in the East and more.
Without further ado, here's our chat:
JC: In order to properly assess the 2009-10 edition of the Black and Gold, I figured it'd be best to start with the offseason that preceded it. Over the past calendar year, the Bruins have made a number of key decisions in regard to how they planned on assembling their team. While a number of respectable role players have moved on, the B's have kept majority of their core together by re-signing David Krejci, Marc Savard, Milan Lucic and Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas (among others).
The most notable name to not be brought back was, of course, Phil Kessel, as the organization believed his goal-scoring presence could be adequately supplanted by young forwards taking the next step in their development (Krejci, Blake Wheeler) and previously injured players returning to form (Patrice Bergeron, Marco Sturm).
What did you make of Boston's plan leading up to the start of the season, and how do you feel about it now in retrospect?
BUCCIGROSS: I wrote the following in my Bruins capsule for my Eastern Conference preview:
Anyone who thinks the Bruins are better without Kessel is nuts. N-V-T-S nuts.
For some Bruins fans, the Kessel trade leaves a bad taste in their mouths. They are not used to Stanley Cups. Anyone 37 years old or younger has not been alive for one. But they are used to not having star players. Ray Bourque and Cam Neely couldn't do it by themselves. Can they match the talent of the Penguins, Capitals and Flyers? Not when Kessel is wearing a Maple Leafs jersey.
You need stars to win Stanley Cups and, since the lockout, you need goal scorers. I’ve had a back and forth exchange with my readers over Phil Kessel. My points have been: Trading Phil Kessel and then Chuck Kobasew for no immediate return greatly weakened the Bruins for this year. Now this could all work out in the future with the additional draft picks but for this year they were bad moves. Add the injuries and its not surprising the Bruins are where they are. The Tim Thomas contract appears to be a bad signing that will be a drag on the Bruins cap. I would try to trade him right now and give Tuuka Rask the job. It’s startling what a mess the Bruins are right now.
JC: Head Coach Claude Julien earned high marks in his first two seasons with the B's. The former bench boss of the Canadiens and Devils captured the Jack Adams Award last season, honored as the best coach in the National Hockey League for the 2008-09 season. Things haven't gone nearly as well as they did last year for Julien and company, and many fans believe he deserves to shoulder some of the blame for the current disappointing campaign. Boston's offense has been absolutely anemic, and their once flawless system has been repeatedly exploited after the Hurricanes' aggressive forecheck in the playoffs showed other teams the blueprint for stifling the B's.
What is your take on Claude's performance in 2009-10, and how much of the Bruins' struggles can be attributed to his decisions?
BUCCIGROSS: Close to zero. The Bruins have no elite goal scorers. Marc Savard is their best offensive player and he’s been hurt. Zdeno Chara is playing hurt. The defense has been a mess and Dennis Wideman now has the hockey acumen of a giraffe. I always though David Krejci, while very good, was miscast as a possible elite player. Same with Milan Lucic. I think Bruins fans see him and think Cam Neely. He’s nowhere near Cam Neely. Lucic will be good, but he won’t be an elite player. Claude Julien is a good coach. He just has a roster with a low margin for error. If they all play at a high level the Bruins are competitive. But, they are miles away from the Penguins, Flyers and Capitals.
JC: While the Bruins have visibly been hammered by injuries, losing key cogs like Savard, Lucic, Mark Stuart and an array of others for lengthy periods at a time, Peter Chiarelli has sat tight. Outside of picking up Miroslav Satan off the street in early January, the B's GM has continued to wait for an opportunity to evaluate what a healthy lineup is capable of. He has essentially stared at what is now a nine-game losing streak and hardly batted an eye.
What's your take on Chiarelli's tenure thus far in the Hub of Hockey, and how do you feel about his "stand pat" approach while he watches his team freefall down the standings?
BUCCIGROSS: Well, I think it might be the right move to make. The Bruins might be better off sacrificing this year and next, capitalizing on their multiple draft picks and cap room after next season to retool. That’s amazing to say after last spring.
JC: You've been around not only some of the greatest players in the game's history during your days as a writer, but you've also seen first-hand what kind of impact the gritty veterans with a wealth of experience can make both on and off the ice. The B's, despite an influx of youth in recent years, have plenty of players that fit that description, even ones with resumes worthy enough of Hall of Fame consideration someday. Up until their past few games, the Bruins were plagued by inconsistency in the effort department. They often appeared disinterested, unfocused and void of energy or any sense of urgency.
Who do you perceive to be the biggest leaders in the B's locker room, and how much of the onus falls on them to make sure that every one of their teammates is constantly giving it their all?
BUCCIGROSS: Interesting question. Tim Thomas looks like a leader but I’ve been told he’s not well received in the Bruins locker room. That it’s all about him. Again, that is what I’ve heard from a very good source. Zdeno Chara appears to be a great leader by how hard he works off the ice and on it. Oratory skills are probably not his strength by nature and with the language barrier. Mark Recchi would be a leader but he is 85 years old and I don’t know how much younger guys can relate to him. And at this point there are lots of players going in lots of different direction with contracts and trade rumors.
JC: Returning to the topic of contracts, Tim Thomas inked a four-year, $20 million dollar extension at the tail end of the 2008-09 campaign. After capturing the Vezina Trophy last season, Thomas has followed that up with, for the most part, a mediocre season. His ability to steal games, something he did a helluva lot of in previous seasons, has all but vanished. While Tuukka Rask has emerged from the AHL ranks and performed well in his rookie season, many fear that Thomas' deal, specifically it's length, was a financial misstep.
How much do you think Thomas' struggles are a byproduct of the team's performance, and how do you see the duration of his contract playing out?
BUCCIGROSS: Well, I touched on that above. Part of it is the team and their lack of goal scoring. That puts a lot of pressure on a goalie. Perhaps the big contract has put pressure on Thomas to produce. We saw some signs in the past of Thomas’ fragile nature (going after Sean Avery, stuff like that) and maybe that and this year’s fighting the puck was a reason why he had such a long road to the NHL. But, like I said, looking at the team’s future, his cap hit, and the play of Rask, I would look to trade him before the deadline.
JC: The B's were rumored to be heavily involved in the pursuit of Ilya Kovalchuk before he was shipped to the Devils. From my perspective, Chiarelli had the choice of either holding onto his assets and praying that the Maple Leafs, who will fork over their first round pick to Boston as part of the Kessel trade, finish low enough in the standings to earn them a top three selection or, with a far less conservative approach, putting together a sufficent package to acquire Kovalchuk from Atlanta.
Did the Bruins make the right choice in banking on Toronto's failure, or should they have amped up their efforts to acquire a goal-scoring machine in Kovalchuk, who undoubtedly would have grabbed every fan's attention throughout New England?
BUCCIGROSS: Well, would Ilya Kovalchuk been the difference in the Bruins making the Stanley Cup this year? Hmmm. Maybe. If everyone was healthy, it’s not out of the question. What would they had to have given up? Well, they could have traded their first round pick but that pick may end up being a better pick than Toronto’s!
But, their pick, Blake Wheeler, and I guess Mark Stuart would have maybe gotten it done. But knowing the Bruins precarious situation and Kovalchuk’s demands, I don’t see how that would have been a positive. If that’s how Peter Chiarelli read it, I agree with that assessment. The Bruins should probably think in a two year window again.
JC: You alertedly pointed out a little while back, while discussing what kind of offer each and every team could propose to acquire the now former Thrasher, that Kovalchuk's hit total was alarmingly low this season, hinting that the superstar was treading lightly in fear of getting injured and kissing his big payday this summer goodbye.
Do you foresee that approach changing now that he's playing for a division leader with a legitimate shot at representing the East in the Stanley Cup Finals?
BUCCIGROSS: No doubt about it. He will buy in. He is going to one of the strongest organizations in sports. That being said, Jacques Lemaire has a very disciplined system and doesn’t want people running around hitting people for the most part. But, Kovalchuk will be a better player, no doubt to me. He will be a model player and then sign with the Kings in the summer.
JC: Looking at the standings in the East, it appears as though there are five teams that have really solidified a playoff spot at this point in the year: Washington, Buffalo, New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Ottawa. The Senators, currently in fifth place, have a 13-point lead on the ninth place Panthers and tenth place Rangers.
If those squads are able to hold on and remain in the top eight, what three teams do you expect to nail down the remaining spots?
BUCCIGROSS: The Flyers are a lock to me. That’s six. I would then say Montreal and the Lightning.
JC: It took him a little while, but Alex Ovechkin has once again reclaimed the top spot in both goals and points in the National Hockey League.
With 39 goals and 82 points in just 50 games, does anyone stand a chance of keeping Ovechkin from winning his third straight Hart Trophy as league MVP? What other players do you expect to get consideration as nominees?
BUCCIGROSS: It will be difficult for Ovechkin not to win the scoring title and the Hart. He has great offensive teammates and is in his prime. Crosby and Henrik Sedin are my other two Hart finalists right now.
JC: With roughly two-thirds of the 2009-10 season in the books, some of the teams expected to be at or near the top of the standings have been playing phenomenal hockey. The Capitals, first in the East, have now won 13 straight. The Sharks, leading the way in the West, have gone 7-1-2 in their last ten games. But, there are also a few red-hot teams playing well above expectations. The Senators have now won 11 straight, while the Kings have jumped up to fourth in the West with their 9-1-0 run over the last ten games.
So, when it comes time for the Conference Finals, what four teams do you expect to see fighting for a shot to win it all?
BUCCIGROSS: Well, in the east I see the Capitals being the big time favorite. Pittsburgh, now New Jersey with Kovalchuk, and the Flyers next. The Sabres are close if they can start scoring more.
In the West, the Blackhawks are the best team, maybe as big a gap as the Capitals. Then San Jose and Vancouver. Detroit could be a big time sleeper after a strange regular season.
I would say Washington-New Jersey final in the east.
Chicago-Vancouver final in the west.
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Infinite thanks to John for taking the time out of his busy schedule to take part in this chat. Hopefully it's been just as enjoyable of an experience for you all to read it as it was for me to have the opportunity to present it to you.
JC
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