Here is me being an ASS. Who was the last Bs player drafted and signed beyond his ENTRY LEVEL contract to be a standard top 6 forward or a top 4 D-man for the Boston Bruins?

Marchand drafted in the 2nd round, 71st overall, in 2006. Lucic was 50th overall the same year.

FACT

.........although I haven't looked in depth and have had a beer or two or....... But, even still, I'm pretty sure that is accurate.....

So.......we haven't drafted a BRUIN type place in almost TEN YEARS
- JIwasinskiJr

I don't think it's a secret that the Chiarelli regime sucked at drafting

This is such a common situation. A player proves he can score in the AHL. So he gets called up to the big team and is put on the 4th line playing single digit minutes. Then he gets sent back down because he 'can't score at the NHL level'.

A top six forward needs to play a top six role if you really want to see if he can do it at the NHL level.
- maaddmike

Fair enough.

He stinks at the wing, and if you're trying to win hockey games in the regular season which of Krejci or Bergeron do you drop down to put Koko in there?

That's my point..........

Even the first round.

We have not had a player drafted, developed and relevant in a DECADE. TEN FRICKEN YEARS!!!!

Um........nothing to see here..........
- JIwasinskiJr

I'd give the last few years some time. Rob O'Gara and Danton Heinen are playing NCAA and are both looking extremely promising. Zboril, Carlo and Senyshyn will probably be NHL players at some point. Then there's Koko, Subban, Arnesson etc already with Providence and Pasta, Spooner, Ferlin pretty much already are NHLers. Didn't Chiarelli fire the scouts around 2010? It takes a few years to get the wheels in motion.

I don't think it's a secret that the Chiarelli regime sucked at drafting
- Shaundre93

Wait... what??

But, the media here in Vancouver keep calling Jim Benning a draft expert. As Chiaralli's right hand man for years in Boston, he must have had a say in drafting, so you guys should be loaded with young talent. Weird.

So, Benning must be a trade expert then. Lack for 3rd and 7th. Kassian and 5th for Prust. Garrison for a 3rd.... uh oh.

Well at least he makes good value signings. Luca Spisa, 3.9 mil/year... Ryan Miller 3 years @ $6 mil.

Jesus, how did Benning get hired by any NHL team as anything more than manager of the Merchandise store?

Soderberg

You guys have been lying to me about him, so dreamy with Landeskog on his line

Soderberg

You guys have been lying to me about him, so dreamy with Landeskog on his line
- DDM-Coga

Wouldn't surprise me if he keeps improving, consistency was really his only issue. When he wasn't scoring he'd totally disappear

I'd give the last few years some time. Rob O'Gara and Danton Heinen are playing NCAA and are both looking extremely promising. Zboril, Carlo and Senyshyn will probably be NHL players at some point. Then there's Koko, Subban, Arnesson etc already with Providence and Pasta, Spooner, Ferlin pretty much already are NHLers. Didn't Chiarelli fire the scouts around 2010? It takes a few years to get the wheels in motion.
- PoketheBear

Yup, last few drafts have been much much better. It WAS a problem. It's been addressed, lets move along

Wait... what??

But, the media here in Vancouver keep calling Jim Benning a draft expert. As Chiaralli's right hand man for years in Boston, he must have had a say in drafting, so you guys should be loaded with young talent. Weird.

So, Benning must be a trade expert then. Lack for 3rd and 7th. Kassian and 5th for Prust. Garrison for a 3rd.... uh oh.

Well at least he makes good value signings. Luca Spisa, 3.9 mil/year... Ryan Miller 3 years @ $6 mil.

Jesus, how did Benning get hired by any NHL team as anything more than manager of the Merchandise store?
- Vanoxy

I've heard he was also one of the loudest voices pushing to trade Seguin so yeah... He seems pretty terrible. I'm sorry

Wouldn't surprise me if he keeps improving, consistency was really his only issue. When he wasn't scoring he'd totally disappear
- Shaundre93

For the most part it's been him, landy, and rantanen on line together at camp. At the inter squad game today, all the live updates have been talking about how dominate and bullish they have been. Big beefy line with 2 wingers who like to create havoc in the corners. Sounds almost too good to be true. Really optimistic about him now.

For the most part it's been him, landy, and rantanen on line together at camp. At the inter squad game today, all the live updates have been talking about how dominate and bullish they have been. Big beefy line with 2 wingers who like to create havoc in the corners. Sounds almost too good to be true. Really optimistic about him now.
- DDM-Coga

Soderberg will thrive with you guys. His style isn't particularly a physical one, but knowing the bruins play a bullish style, he was pretty quick to adapt to it, and did it quite well in my opinion. He seems like a fast learner, and definitely has a very good skill set to go along with his smarts. I would've liked to see the B's try to keep him around, but with how good he was, and the money he was looking for (and rightfully deserved), we couldn't afford it. Not for nothing, even when he "disappeared" he was still playing solid hockey, less the statistical aspect.

That's the Bruins. Bury talent in the minors and don't give them a chance or trade guys who you could have built around for crap players. I've NEVER seen a pro sports team shoot itself in the face the way this one has!! Absolutely remarkable!

I'd give the last few years some time. Rob O'Gara and Danton Heinen are playing NCAA and are both looking extremely promising. Zboril, Carlo and Senyshyn will probably be NHL players at some point. Then there's Koko, Subban, Arnesson etc already with Providence and Pasta, Spooner, Ferlin pretty much already are NHLers. Didn't Chiarelli fire the scouts around 2010? It takes a few years to get the wheels in motion.
- PoketheBear

Heinen might be a super stud, now that you mentioned it. Wasn't he 3rd in the ncaa last season?

Issue is there inability to develop them in the ahl through the NHL. It's been ten years.........we are due for a regular top six or top four from our drafted players. One that sticks beyond there "entry level" contract.....hasn't happened since Marchand or Lucic, drafted in 06.

Honestly if he gets traded for a bag of pucks it makes no difference to me. I can't see him getting close to Boston this year and from what I've seen rightfully so. He is likely the 6th or 7th best option on the fourth line. If he doesn't like Providence, send him on his merry way

this guy GETS it.

The Seguin drama was of his own doing.

The rest... well I'd hardly call it unique to this organization that players don't want to put in the work and don't make it because of it. Listen, Brian Burke and Bob Hartley have no problem doing it in Calgary and the players who didn't put in the work get traded. I'd hardly compare what Claude did last year to being as bad as what Burke and Hartley were saying to the papers about Sven Baertschi or the poop Burke was saying about Gaudreau. Yet the Flames are an organization that runs a tough team mantra of never given and that's all gravy in the eyes of everybody. But Claude saying Spooner needs to realize there's three zones means he can't develop young players?
What makes Claude different than Hartley or Jon Cooper saying it to the media? Maybe it's the fact that between Marchand and Spooner none of Chiarelli's draft picks were any good? Maybe that's why there's never any young talent. Should they have been more patient with Seguin? Of course they should have.

Hamilton isn't here anymore. I doubt anyone in that room cares and I've heard many scenarios come to light and not one of them involves the coach. And even if they did what's the complaint? You have to defend? He might have benched you if you serve up a large pizza like he did against the Canucks last year? He was playing first line minutes with Zdeno Chara. What more can you ask for as a young defencemen.

If Hamilton thinks Claude is a hard ass he'll be getting an earful from Hartley if he won't block shots or take the body.

Last time I checked Seguin didn't want to leave. And Claude developed and made top line quality players out of Lucic, Marchand, Bergeron, Krejci, Boychuk, and Rask.

Look at the players that have left. Wideman, Wheeler, Kessel, Hamilton. All players with craters in their defensive games. That's the pattern. Whether it's right or not . Pasta and Krug put in the work and are dedicated to becoming complete players and they will be playing top 6 and top 4 minutes. We should be paying attention to them they're here. The rest haven't. And how many cups have Thornton, Seguin and Kessel and Wheeler and the rest of them won since they left Boston?

Zero.

The mantra is about team. Not about yourself. This team thrived on being scrappy and intelligent and sticking together. Claude isn't perfect and last year made some real bone headed moves but I'm excited to see where this goes.
- PoketheBear

Dumbest thing the kid could do. More power to you if you want to have a conversation with Sweeney or Julien or Pandolfo, but you Do Not air crap like that in the media. Look how Sweeney responded to Hamilton - bye bye. His quote made it sound like play me or I'm going to Russia. Guess what - you just screwed the Bs by diminishing your value. If I'm Sweeney, I trade the kid and get some value in return rather than watch him jet the country and get nothing.

Kid lost some serious points with me by how he went all Me First and then pretty much laid an egg with a marginal effort in the first preseason game. Krejci and Bergy are going no where. Spooner pretty much solidified a chance at the 3C, so you are up against a guy wearing an A (Kelly) and a guy who is 6'2", weighs 215, is 27, is dynamite at face-offs and defense and has proven himself on the international stage (Kemppainen). You have to do more than just skate around the perimeter and hope for loose pucks. When you did get a break away you didn't even hit the net.

Later, skater!

I think they should try him at 3rd line centre and move Spooner to the left side (as he can probably play wing better than koko) and if he can't muster anything close to what he's doing in the AHL it'll at least showcase him a bit to package in a trade for top line winger or potential top 4 dman.