Challenge #31 - Future Boston Bruins - Discussion Thread

[rancer890]

EDIT: @rancer890 - I like your first 5 picks.

Thanks, rocker. I'm very pleased with these picks myself! They don't have that perfect template, but looking at the stats and attributes over their careers so far, I think they can contribute to the Bruins eventually.

And we have a huge, huge trade to announce, I'm still shocked...

July 7, 2026:

To Carolina: 26 y/o RD/LD Henri Riekkinen - a tiny guy, but this 26 year old was a solid contributor for us over the years. He played a lot bigger than his size, we're already thin on defense, and it sucks losing him...but I can't say no to the guy I'm going to get...

To Boston: 29 y/o LW Anton Karlsson - Yes, the same Anton Karlsson who scored 45 goals and 76 assists (that's 111 points) in only 68 games last season. This guy finished 3rd in league scoring last season. This guy hits anything that moves. The only thing he can't do is win faceoffs. And yes, I have both Jake Virtanen and Anton Karlsson who play LW, but who cares. Anytime you acquire a guy who's not even 30 and approaching 1000 points for his career, you do it.

I guess this year's strategy is: A good defense is the best offense.

And in other news, we have already signed Jake Virtanen to a contract extension until June 2029, worth $3 million a season.

As for our free agent signing, we have signed 28 y/o LD Jonas Kaikkonen to a 2 year contract with a $3 million cap hit. It was a thin defenseman market, and my first choice was UFA Matthew Spencer, but he signed with the Leafs for 2 years and a $1.28 million cap hit despite me offering the full $3 million for him. Either way, this signing gives us a solid core of 7 defensemen, and this allows our top prospects Kaufman, MacKinnon, and Prikryl to take their time and develop down in Providence.

[rocker87]

My first trade in challenge(s):

To Lightning:
Bryden Woodcroft

To Bruins:
Oskar Lindblom

Big, two-way, physical, scorer, phenomenal skating, he is perfect addition to my team. Even I thought to bring defender as number one priority, I think this is a must have player. 29 years, 3 year contract, of course, huge one, with 8.232M cap, but still, I'm still under floor. I got depth for defense and young talents, defense won't be a problem I think.

In first game - 1G, 2 A. Nice.

Now I can make player for pick deal and have perfect situation when I give two players I don't count on for great player and solid pick.

[Loner]

Finished 8th in the first season with fast elimination in 4 games in the playoffs. The board is very angry. Overall this is a very bad season, many injuries and line juggling. Owens(21-49-70, 7.84), Jacobson(31-29-60, 7.89) and Aberg(26-43-69, 7.34) are my best scorer. The UFA signing was Samuel Bennett. Surprisingly Beausoleil with a 7.38 rating and 26 points wins the Calder over the Chara regen.

Season 2 was going correct. A lot of 2 games in 2 night. Samuel Bennett is the new captain of the Boston Bruins and Bernier is barely making any stops but after totally changing tactics I begin to win a lot. In February Bernier got injured for 6 weeks. I think that I've got only 1 points in 18 games in this period, going from third to ninth before the playoff. He is performing very well. Hopefully 6 wins in a row at the end of the seasons allowed me to finish 7th. I'm now entering the playoff with a hungry team.

Lines at the end of season 2
Bennett-Owens-Skoda
Jacobson-Schenn-Aberg
Khomutov-Noble-Fahas
Rychel-Skudra-Dicks

Denisov-Prikryl
Severson-Riekkinen
Carrier-Gormley

I traded Vandersteen for Roman Denisov. This big and strong left defenseman was really needed, increasing my defensive depth a lot. I've now 7 defensemen with a rating of 7.2 and higher. Denisov leading the team with a 8.24 rating and 15 points in 29 games since the trade. Carrier(14-28-42, 7.52) had a very good season. Prikryl is a surprise, Seversen and Riekkinen are doing their job. Carrier and Riekkinen are sheltered. Beausoleil is now 6/7 in my depth ranking and Berthet is not playing much and I hate him. Gormley is only there for his veteran presence.

Bennett too good for the money. 107 points with 54 goal and a 8.77 rating. He's playing with Owens(19-63-82-7.90) and Skoda(39-40-79, 7.94). Bad beginning and good ending for Jacobson(25-33-58-7.72) He had a hard time adjusting to the second line playing. My third line is not bad with noble or skudra taking the center, they are performing well. Fahas is also very good in his role. Not sure why Rychel is still there. Zakharov is useless. I was never able to do something with Vandersteen and wasn't a fit for my team. AHL players are bad, not much talent. I've my doubt about Liebsch.

Need to improve on the right defense and center next season. My bottom line also needs help with more defensive specialist.

Season 1 draft review after 2 years
1-Herman Dicks: He's too strong for echl, too weak for ahl and not performing very well overall. He end the season on my fourth line and had a better end of season with 8 points with a rating of 6.95 in his last 15 games.
2-Dru Williamson: Still in the OHL, developing well but not destroying the league. No elite potential and an almost surefire second liner soon.
3-Milos Prikryl: Good 3-4 defenceman with 1-2 potentiel. 30 points with 7.43 rating and playing 22 minutes a game for the bruins in his first season.
4-Hans Berggren: Elite skill level. high overall attributes with 5 green technical attributes and 2 mental. Looks like a steal. I'm signing him for next year.
4-Marty Thocker: Not improving in a poor league but still has strong nhl enforcer potential.
5-Whitney Moodie: Bad. limited potential
7-Gerard Jaensson: Maybe a bottom line defensive forward. I could have a role for him.

I think 5 will make the nhl with at least 3 with top 2 line potential. I will be patient with Dicks for now.

Season 2 draft review after 1 year
1(15)-Nevin Arctander(C) Very suspect performance for his high end talent level. Already play for 2 teams in the OHL and is now considering his options. Report still say first line potential. Improved a bit
2-Mojmir Bondra(RW/LW) This big right winger show very good progress. Elite Technical attributes and some questions mark in his mental attributes. Report say first line potential. I'll bring him to QMJHL next year. Already improved
3-Jimo McEwen(RW/LW) Not a very good third round pick. Low technical, high mental. Report still say first line potential but i doubt. He need to improved fast.
4-Felix-Antoine Manson(LR\RD): Not much progression in his technical attributes but high physical and mental attributes. Performance is also improving. 5-6 potential
5-Dan Hatcher(C): Very nice skillset. My scout really like him. First line potentiel
5-Emil Blomqvist(RD): Average for a fifth round pick but Has the skillset for a 5-6 offensive defenseman.
6-Vadim Bykov(LD): Near NHL. Overager with quite high overall attributes. Not sure if he will improve more.
7-Daniil Kartayev(RD\LD): Lidstrom choice now with limited potentiel. I will wait a bit for him.

Average draft. My first 2 picks should play in the NHL and question mark for most other. Hatcher and McEwen are intriguing and could probably find a role as a bottom line forward at least. I've got a lot of wingers but I now need to focus on defense. Not much hope outside of Prikryl in that department.

[batdad]

Your 2026-27 Boston Bruins.

Big battles in camp, Paaltama vs Pikryl and Beausoleil on D.
Up front Caillard made a big bid for the roster, as did Ellis and Harkie McLaren.
In net, Pope battled hard against Woodcroft for the backup job.


In the end here is the roster to start 2026-27

Sam Bennett-Sam Reinhart-Bryan (Sam) Owens
Troy Jacobson-Brayden Schenn-Jan Skoda
Mikhail Khomutov-Kenric Vandersteen-Pontus Aberg
Jadon Groleau-Miks Skudra-Judes Fahas
Stephane Noble

THe battle on Defense was so big, I ended up keeping 8 of them for now. Sent Rouleau down after he cleared waivers. Guy is strong on plus minus weak on everything else.

Carrier-Severson
Kaikkonen-Spencer
Liebsch-Riekkinen
Beausoleil-Chauval

With Liebsch also capable of playing up front, leaves me with a flexible lineup.

Haas
Woodcroft

GO BRUINS. You better win, because your last season ticket number was only in the 10000 range, and the owners ARE NOT HAPPY.

[rocker87]

"6.2 The following no trade periods apply every season (starting from Season 2):

15 July - 15 October (both dates are inclusive). If a trade is not confirmed, and the traded for player is not on your roster by July 14th, the trade cannot be completed. Further, we know it takes a few days to make a trade in most cases, so there should not be any confirmed trades on October 16th in your game.

6.3 You may sign your unsigned prospects (prospects who have never previously been contracted to your challenge team) from 1 May until 1 October (inclusive)."

From the rules... what's with time from end of no trade period to draft day?

[batdad]

So yeah... Kaikkonen, he is Sami Salo. Three injuries from just before training camp to October 10th. Of the 12 games he has been a Bruin for, he has managed to only play at the most 2 in a row.

Not sure I understand Rocker? Are you wondering if you can make a deal between June 7 (when the NHL no trade period ends until draft day, usually around the 17th-20th of June)?

I believe you can, but I would ask Bruins first.

Also there are no trades allowed on Draft Day.

[Peter_Doherty]

Gerald Lynn is Ryan Miller, right? having an insane rookie season at 20 years old.

[rocker87]

So yeah... Kaikkonen, he is Sami Salo. Three injuries from just before training camp to October 10th. Of the 12 games he has been a Bruin for, he has managed to only play at the most 2 in a row.

Not sure I understand Rocker? Are you wondering if you can make a deal between June 7 (when the NHL no trade period ends until draft day, usually around the 17th-20th of June)?

I believe you can, but I would ask Bruins first.

Also there are no trades allowed on Draft Day.

Yeah, that's the perfect time to make player for pick trade.

[rancer890]

Training Camp and Pre-season done. Pretty pleased with most of the squad.

Lines:

Virtanen - Owens - Skoda
Karlsson - Schenn - Aberg
Jacobson - Pare - Vandersteen
Khomutov - Skudra - Zakharov

Carrier - Berthet
Severson/Kaikkonen - Gormley
Liebsch/Severson - MacKinnon

Bernier/Woodcroft

Spares: Beausoleil, Polyanski

Kaikkonen is currently injured, and when he's back MacKinnon will probably be sent down because we don't have a lot of defensemen in Providence...

Top Prospects:

1 - RD Eric Crowther (Harvard - ECAC)
2 - RD Milos Prikryl (Providence - AHL)
3 - C/RW Ted Schroeder (Moose Jaw - WHL)
4 - G Jimme Astrom (Providence - AHL)
5 - C/RW Hans Downing (Michigan Tech - WCHA)
6 - G Bryden Woodcroft (Boston - NHL)
7 - F Dan Hatcher (Providence College - HE)
8 - RD Andre Curtis (London - OHL)
9 - RD Zech MacKinnon (Boston - NHL)
10 - F Stefan Lindskoug (Kitchener - OHL)
11 - W Ville-Matti Lohtander (Providence - AHL)
12 - D Woody Kaufman (Providence - AHL)

Pretty excited about the season with our offensive firepower and depth. I've also found my goalie tandem post-Bernier with Woodcroft and Astrom, but given Bernier's effectiveness, he'll stay as long as he can stop pucks. Prikryl is also close to getting a spot on the Bruins, so we're going to have to move our defensemen in the future as well (only Gormley is eligible to be traded for a 2nd round pick and I might consider doing it) to promote our young guys.

[Loner]

After a surprising playoff run the Bruins has been defeated 6-1 in the last game of the 2025-2026 stanley cup final against the Canucks. The board is now extremely happy of my performance.

[batdad]

Good run Loner...not posting screenshots though of season 1 or 2?

[rancer890]

Here we go again...

Well, good thing I still got Woodcroft and Astrom. Not the greatest idea to rely on a 22 year old and a 19 year old, but a good defense is sometimes a better offense.

[rocker87]

Finish 2nd and lost in first round against Senators in 7. Bernier sucks pretty much in first four games, then I change to Haas, but it was late to recover from 1-3.

Looks like starter goalie is priority, but I'm not sure. Defense need some upgrade, at least one good defender. Need to think about this one, because I hate to lose, especially in first rounds, after raising our game in every quarter of the season.

Waiting for Bruins to see if I can make my player for pick trade before draft. Going to see who will win this one.

[jesterx7769]

Blah I havent' even played 5 games yet thanks to being gone for 10 days for work boo! Now I am super far behind, hopefully I will make some headway this weekend

[bruins72]

"6.2 The following no trade periods apply every season (starting from Season 2):

15 July - 15 October (both dates are inclusive). If a trade is not confirmed, and the traded for player is not on your roster by July 14th, the trade cannot be completed. Further, we know it takes a few days to make a trade in most cases, so there should not be any confirmed trades on October 16th in your game.

6.3 You may sign your unsigned prospects (prospects who have never previously been contracted to your challenge team) from 1 May until 1 October (inclusive)."

From the rules... what's with time from end of no trade period to draft day?

I'm not sure what the confusion is. Did Batdad's answer clear it up?

[bruins72]

Waiting for Bruins to see if I can make my player for pick trade before draft. Going to see who will win this one.

The rules say, no trades on draft day.

[batdad]

Yeah he means between June 7th once the no trade on NHL ends after playoffs, running up to the draft. That two weeks or 10 days or whatever

[batdad]

Season 3 first 20 in the books. Doing fairly well 14-5-1. Goaltending not great, but scoring almost 5 goals per game, so who cares. Outshooting teams on average 45-21.

Sam R just went down for a week, on an 11 game point streak and averaging 2 points per game so far. 164? LOL not when he is out a week. 18 in 20 for Bennett. 50 in 50? Not likely.

PP just okay. PK not so great, but okay.

Vandersteen sucks.
Severson and Spencer together is a hell of a d-pair. 8.47 and 8.5 avg ratings. But Severson cannot handle the ice time. Gets tired easily, no matter what I do to train his stamina.

Liebsch 3-3 in his tilts, and Khomutov is 3-5. Fahas has 4 scraps, lost 2. Chauvel is 2-3 in fights, and Jacobson has 1, which he got kicked in badly.

Haas and Woodcroft are doing okay. Noone has had a BAD performance, but at the same time no one has stolen a game. Average for both is in the 7.6 range which is good enough for this team as long as it keeps scoring. However each is allowing 3.2 goals per game. and .880ish save percentages. Haas has 14 starts, Woodcroft 6. No one has been yanked from a game, no one has been a star.

Back at it, keep up the good work, and lets survive Mr. Reinhart's booboo.

[jesterx7769]

Yeah he means between June 7th once the no trade on NHL ends after playoffs, running up to the draft. That two weeks or 10 days or whatever

If you didn't make a trade during that season I see no reason why he can't make a trade. As long as its not on draft day you still can do you player and/or draft pick trade

[batdad]

Yeah, that was what I was getting at.

So in third season, have played 3 games against Leafs. So that is 16 regular season games, plus 4 playoff games vs them.

Here is my all time record against them:

1-20-2.

Here is my record so far this season:

1-0-2

So if you can do math, the first two years this was my record against them:

0-20-0

Heh.

[bruins72]

If at the end of the 2nd second season you haven't used your veteran/pick trade, you can use it, not on draft day.

[rocker87]

Ok, I get it. It's just my first challenge and I want to be sure. Thanks for your patience.

[batdad]

Game 35 Reinhart down for 2 weeks
Game 35 2 minutes later Noble down for 3 weeks
Game 37 Bennett down for 2 weeks
Game 38 Jacobson down for 2 MONTHS.


Waiting on Owens in game 39, that will cripple me. Hey, I beat the Leafs in game 37. Wow beat em again in game 39

Ummm... nope it was not Owens. It was Skoda-10 days knee game 40

Believe it or not since the Reinhart and Noble injuries and all of this started I am 3-1.

[rancer890]

Now at the 20 game mark, and as I expected, we're wildly inconsistent without our starting goaltender. Good news, we're scoring 3.7 goals a game, but bad news we're allowing more than that.

Our PP is horrible, last in the league at 7.9%. Our 6th ranked PK last season is 19th this year, at 82.4%.

Goaltending is an obvious concern: they have already been pulled twice since Bernier went down, and they haven't exactly been great. Jimmie Astrom has a 4-4-2 record in 12 games, a 3.59 GAA and .877 SV%. Woodcroft has been even worse: 3-4-1 record in 9 games, 4.15 GAA, and .851SV%.

At defense, it hasn't been great. FA signing Kaikkonen leading us in average rating and has been one of our more consistent players. Also positive things to be said about Carrier, Severson and rookie MacKinnon. Berthet and Gormley have sucked this season.

Rocket Richard winner Jake Virtanen hasn't had a great season, with 'only' 8 goals, 14 assists in 20 games, -2, and a 8.35 rating. New acquisition Anton Karlsson has been slightly better, 9G, 12A in 16 games, +11, 8.69 rating, and hitting everything that moves. I think our only good line is our top one: Karlsson - Pare - Skoda. Our 2nd and 3rd lines have been underachieving, and our checking group is pretty effective. Owens has good ratings, but we always lose with him, so even if a DTD injury I called up Noble to see what he can do and he's provided a spark with 3G, 1A in only 5 games. He's making it hard to not send him back given our success in the past few games.

Bernier is out only another two months so I just want to survive till then, stay around .500 and hopefully in a playoff spot. And when he's healed, make our push.

[batdad]

60 games year 3. I think I may have my first ever 100 point guy in a challenge. Samson has 93 points in 52 games (missed 8 to injury). Even so...he has 60 assists. Wow. 60 assists in 60 games.

Bennett is 40-40-80

SO if both score at pace both will be well over 100 points.


Goalies--Basically splitting duties now. In for 2 games in a row tops, and even then have had to yank them a few times. But outscoring all my problems. And Jacobson was out for all 20 games of this section, and will be rejoining me in a week (right at the deadline)

Rhino went on a 15 game point streak, but then went 2 without scoring at all. Now back to a 3 game streak.

Vandersteen playing better in Jacobson absence as is Owens

Lineup right now

Bennett-Reinhart-Owens
Skoda-Vandersteen-Aberg
Khomutov-Schenn-Fahas(Groleau)
Liebsch(Noble)-Skudra-Groleau (Fahas)
Noble(Liebsch)

Jacosbon-inj

Severson-Spencer
Kaikkonen-Riekkinen
Carrier-Chauvel
Beausoleil

Haas (36 games 21-6-4 3.37 .877)
Woodcroft (29 games 17-10-2 2.79 .893)

You can tell where the goaltending has been leaning, but Woodcroft still not great 2 games in a row most of the time, and 3 in a row is an absolute no no.
Other thing is I have played 3 less games than almost all teams in the conference with the exception of Loafs (1 less) who are in 1st. Have 3 games in hand on Habs who are one point up on me for 4th. This has been the case every 20 game section so far. Other teams played way more than me, leaving me in 5th all the time.

Current record vs Leafs this year... Finished with them for seaon

3-2-3. I stand a chance if I can beat the others and get them in the playoffs