Can't imagine Caps selling 1.5 years of Dowd for less than pending UFA Bars Eller got last year

Big loss for the Bruins on the Ullmark deal not worth is at that point. Vanecek is overpaid we would not want him for another year at that number.

He is backup.....Sway getting that extension

Bahl helps us big at blue line and we have Holtz as an intruiging player

I think I've got some issues with that devils trade, but I'm not 100% sure.

Devils fans, what do you think of Bahl. All I really know is that he's huge, is trusted with about 16 minutes of ice time, and they usually start him in his own end. of course, tossing him on the top pair is ridiculous as the original poster suggested they do, but I'm just curious if folks think he can be a legit top four guy or if he's going to be in that 16-17 minute range.

i'm not really high on holtz. definitely worth taking a shot on, but I don't view him as a must get.

I think Vanecek is a huge negative. I think he's basically $3M+ in dead money for boston, so I would scratch him from the deal.

I get bahl and Holtz but Vanecek is getting way to much to be a backup he's a negative asset.

Defensively he's decent enough.

His passing is a big weakness on a team that fires a lot of stretch passes.

very slow shot release on a good shot (so it gets blocked a ton).

Good skater for his size.

When he's playing physical it's great but it comes and goes.

I think the bruins would do wonders with him ngl.

I'd value him around a 2nd round pick

Bahl is a solid 3rd pairing dman. Its only his second year so hes still making some mistakes n being out of position from time to time but then again no one on our team is in position.

Holtz is the one with all the potential. He can easily b a 30 goal scorer 60 pt player. I think holtz will b a solid once he gets traded . Ruff just doesn't use him at all. Holtz is stuck on the 4th line getting 6 mins a game n if he's on the ice when one of the Hughes brothers mess up then Lindy benches holtz instead of Luke or Jack.

Bahl - big body, still figuring how to dial up the nasty on demand. He has run over some guys…but there are other times, it appears he holds back. He is good defensively, especially in d-zone. Covers a lot of space, long reach. Okay on transition defense. Skates well for his size…not fast, but mobile. His biggest flaw is passing the puck, which ends up in the skates a bit too often. So d-zone exits can be rocky at times. Offensively, he has a cannon and he can usually get it on net. But is not someone you would use much in ‘need-a-goal’ situations.

Holtz is an offensive weapon, who gets very little ice time, and rarely with our top guys. He has had some struggles in transition at times (turnover in bad spot, hanging into to puck too long). But nothing really any different from any player his age. And Lindy seems to have him in his doghouse often (although Brunette loved him). His points-per-60 is among highest on team. He will provide offense.

Vanecek - if traded, his AAV probably gets cut, so I doubt he lands anywhere for at $3.4m (Devils won’t want to pay extra to move him…and our real salary crunch comes in 2025-26). He was pretty good last year…so I could see him as a decent reclamation project as backup for under $2m in off-season.

interesting - maybe a poor mans carlo to groom on the third pair. do you think (and this would have to be a total guess on your part) that he's the kind of player that can be in and out of the lineup and still develop?

there has to be a reason for that, no? He is getting north of 11 minutes TOI per game, so it's not like he's completely void of opportunity. Are his issues defensive? the bruins certainly don't have much time to let guys develop their defensive game in the top six - that's never been their style.

He looked good last year coming in and out of the lineup. He was in a nice and easy role tho playing 3rd pairing assignments alongside Severson

NJD has a lot of right wingers.

Bratt, Meier, Holtz, Toffoli, Mercer (when on the wing), Lazar (when on the wing), Bastian, are all better on the right. Toffoli specifically is holding his spot imo

Hes playing on our 4th line most nights with Lazar, Bastian, halonen, or whoever else they bring up. He's ok defensively but not great. He does play the body more than ppl think. Hed b great if he goes to a team n has consistent linemates n a coach that believes in him

but again, there has to be a reason for the low opportunity ice time. coaches don't just shoot themselves in the foot.

Lindy Ruff forgot to send out an extra attacker after pulling the goalie in our last game. He's got dementia

It seems like in the United States there's this new thing where you accuse a person of having dementia if you don't agree with their decision making process. i think that's toxic. I also think it's crazy. multi-billion dollar organizations aren't putting someone with dementia in charge.

90% of the time something like that happens, it's because a player messed up, not the coach.

Ruff just got fired btw.

huh, that's interesting timing.

6 months too late.

Our top 6 is pretty stacked with mercer toffoli Meier bratt on the wings. He does shoot himself in the foot. Hence y he just got fired. The one game he put Lazar on Hughes line n kept holtz on the 4th. Ruff was a bozo n doesn't know how to use his players. Y he never won a cup in 30 yrs of coaching