Ty Anderson: Boston Bruins Year in Review: Chris Kelly

chris kelly is a good guy. I met him in Ottawa and talking to him was like talking to a neighbour.... so down to earth and easy to talk with. You can tell he isn't an attention seeker..........vermette on the other hand lol

chris kelly is a good guy. I met him in Ottawa and talking to him was like talking to a neighbour.... so down to earth and easy to talk with. You can tell he isn't an attention seeker..........vermette on the other hand lol
- AlfieisKing

Kelly's a great dude, no doubt. One of my favorite interviews. Honest, thoughtful answers. And he has a really great dry sense of humor. Kills me.

"If" Bergy, Krejci, Spooner and Kelly are the centers 1-4 that is a very good depth.

Now we just need to figure out who our wingers are going to be? (The problem we have had for the last few years now.)

We need to upgrade at least one of the top six wingers. Ericksson and Marchand are far and away our best two, although Pasta could be considered a top six, a season playing wing on the third with spoons is probably the smartest move for his growth.

Ugh.......I hope we make moves AND that they are smart moves. It's like we are at a crossroad and if we choose the easy worn path, next season is going to suck balls more than Dorito Dink.

Kelly's a great dude, no doubt. One of my favorite interviews. Honest, thoughtful answers. And he has a really great dry sense of humor. Kills me.
- tyanderson

Are they waiting to interview Gorton, because they are truly interested?

Or is Sweeney inevitable?

Kelly is a Bruin through and through. Paid too much but a great 4c with pk time. He can also move up if there is an injury. I don't think they move him unless it's a package deal, and unless the return is increased speed I don't think they should. Strong d and strong face off prowess is needed in Claude system. If Claude is gone I think Kelly is gone.

Whether Chris Kelly is a good guy or not. Kelly is paid 3M a year.Okposo, Kadri, Grabner and Legwand are all being paid 3M. An effective 4th player would be Brian Boyle at 2M a year. PC overpaid. I do not like the Krejic contract at 7.2M. Here is a list of 6M centers; Duchene, Couture, Johanson, Taveres. Here are 5M; Carter, Seguin (5.7) Backes (4.7) there are many centers that have similar production that are making a lot less. Bergy is the exception to the rule, Bergy rocks!!!

Food for thought.

Whether Chris Kelly is a good guy or not. Kelly is paid 3M a year.Okposo, Kadri, Grabner and Legwand are all being paid 3M. An effective 4th player would be Brian Boyle at 2M a year. PC overpaid. I do not like the Krejic contract at 7.2M. Here is a list of 6M centers; Duchene, Couture, Johanson, Taveres. Here are 5M; Carter, Seguin (5.7) Backes (4.7) there are many centers that have similar production that are making a lot less. Bergy is the exception to the rule, Bergy rocks!!!

Food for thought.
- mcgrcm

it's important to remember when those contracts were signed and at what point in that players careers they were signed. Otherwise it's comparing apples and oranges.

Every single guy you listed were signed as RFAs. Krejci was signed approaching UFA and thus the Bruins don't have the luxury of arbitration hearings and hold outs. He'd just move on. You really think Tavares and Seguin aren't gonna make a mint when their sweetheart deals are up in a few years? See how much the Blues pay to extend Backes, I believe he's up next summer you'll probably see an extension before training camp.

By the way, Krejci is a legit top line nhl center who led the Stanley Cup playoffs in scoring twice in a three year span. Had the Bruins won the cup in 2013 he probably could have won the Conn Smythe. His injury this year may have hurt him a bit but the notion that a team wouldn't pay the money he's getting for his services is complete nonsense. I'd take Krejci over for example Paul Stastny any day look at that contract! 7-8 is what you pay for a top six free agent center. PC did not overpay in the least bit. Krejci probably left money on the table to stay.

Whether Chris Kelly is a good guy or not. Kelly is paid 3M a year.Okposo, Kadri, Grabner and Legwand are all being paid 3M. An effective 4th player would be Brian Boyle at 2M a year. PC overpaid. I do not like the Krejic contract at 7.2M. Here is a list of 6M centers; Duchene, Couture, Johanson, Taveres. Here are 5M; Carter, Seguin (5.7) Backes (4.7) there are many centers that have similar production that are making a lot less. Bergy is the exception to the rule, Bergy rocks!!!

Food for thought.
- mcgrcm

Joel Ward, Viktor Stalberg, Boyd Gordon, and Tomas Kopecky also make 3M. You can always pick and choose $3M guys to frame your argument one way or the other. If Kelly's overpaid, it's by like half a million, if that. He was signed as a third-line player that logs significant PK time and is the club's second FO ace behind Bergeron.

Krejci 7.25
Bergy 6.5
Spooner 2.25 (guessing, but in comparison to Smith)
Kelly 3
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$19 mill for our centers and they are (based on odds) a solid group

Lucic 6
Ericksson 4.25
Marchand 4.5
Smith 3.5
Connolly 2.25 (guess)
Pasta 1
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That's $21 millions for a questionable top NINE of wingers. Salaries are spread too wildly throughout the lineup.

Of that grouping Smith was benched for inconsistency and played on the third and fourth line often. He looked his best with Bergy, but a one legged ostrich with a stick for a beak would be better than Smith.

Ericksson and Lucic.......one of those two will likely be playing on the third line with spooner. Add Connolly to that group, a WAY underachieving first round pick that the Bs fans hope will "magically" play to his potential after Tampa gave up on him.

Ericksson along with Marchand are our most consistent wingers and even with that said are not anywhere near consistent enough, but they will still likely score around 25 goals each in this system.

I can't stand Lucic so, trade him, keep him and sign him to another pathetic $6.5 plus mil for 4 yr contract OR keep him and let him walk at the end of next year for NOTHING. At this point I'm done arguing with how overrated he is.
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Point is simple.
Our center position is stacked!

Our wing positions up and down our top NINE are inconsistent and too often pathetic. If we are going to play the "IF" game with Lucic, Smith, Connolly and I would even add Pasta (way too much riding on this kid to fix the top six winger and he is only 19) we are screwed, again, next year.

it's important to remember when those contracts were signed and at what point in that players careers they were signed. Otherwise it's comparing apples and oranges.

Every single guy you listed were signed as RFAs. Krejci was signed approaching UFA and thus the Bruins don't have the luxury of arbitration hearings and hold outs. He'd just move on. You really think Tavares and Seguin aren't gonna make a mint when their sweetheart deals are up in a few years? See how much the Blues pay to extend Backes, I believe he's up next summer you'll probably see an extension before training camp.

By the way, Krejci is a legit top line nhl center who led the Stanley Cup playoffs in scoring twice in a three year span. Had the Bruins won the cup in 2013 he probably could have won the Conn Smythe. His injury this year may have hurt him a bit but the notion that a team wouldn't pay the money he's getting for his services is complete nonsense. I'd take Krejci over for example Paul Stastny any day look at that contract! 7-8 is what you pay for a top six free agent center. PC did not overpay in the least bit. Krejci probably left money on the table to stay.
- PoketheBear

No he didn't.

I have zero issues with Kelly's performance just his contract. It sucks. One of the many reasons Chiarelli deserved to be let go.