Sorry for the absence of posts this past week. I have been working on this one for some time. Before we get started I just want to congratulate the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings for a great Stanley Cup final. I did pick Detroit but I picked them in seven instead of six. Ah well. Well here is the list of 50 things that Bruins’ followers maybe looking forward to this off-season. There is no real order; I just listed them as I thought of them. Enjoy!

Chiarelli’s direction as a GM

Is he Theo Epstein? A GM that takes pride in his farm system that thrives on development of his own but still has the resources to make a big signing or deal. Or is he a Danny Ainge? Stock pile of young talent to trade away for high impact players. Or maybe he is a Scott Pioli? Build with the draft and sign veteran free agents to fill a role. That answer is incomplete. In Peter Chiarelli’s two years as Boston’s GM he has looked a little like all three. He has had the big Lugo/Drew type contracts to Savard and Chara and blended them with the youth in the system. He pulled off an Ainge-type deal when he dealt prospect Peter Kulas to Minnesota for an all star goalie in Manny Fernandez. Chiarelli has also drafted like Pioli, getting good value from middle round draftees and has filled in the depth with veteran role players like Aaron Ward and Glen Metropolit. Chiarelli has created a good mix of youth and experience. My bet, when all said and done, Chiarelli just may resemble Theo Epstein. He has already shown reluctance to trade away his prospects. He bowed out of a deal for Marian Hossa at the trade deadline much like the way Theo wasn’t willing to part with Jon Lester or Jacoby Ellsbury for Johan Santana.

July 1st, first day of free agency

Last summer, on July 1, just hours into free agency, two of the biggest free agent names were already heading to new homes. Chris Drury and Scot Gomez both had signed with the New York Rangers on that first day. Will we see those kinds of headlines on day one of free agency? More importantly will Boston be a player this off-season?

Hossa Sweepstakes

The much sought after free agent to be will be the talk of the off-season. Where will he go? That remains to be seen. The Bruins have express interest in Marian Hossa, just how much is the question. An interesting story line to keep an eye on is how much Bruins’ defensemen Zdeno Chara will try to lure Hossa if indeed Boston wants him. The two Slovakians are very close friends.

NHL Draft

Clearly not as hyped as an NBA or an NFL draft but the importance of the NHL draft is at an all time high for NHL teams. With the new salary cap system, many teams are now force to build through drafts. The Bruins have had recent success in drafting and have stock piled their system with young talent at all positions. Currently the B’s hold the 16th pick of the 2008 draft. Any NHL GM will tell you that always pick the best available athlete rather than specific needs. Jordan Eberle and Evgeny Grachev may be the best on the board when the B’s pick but if the Bruins look to fill their dire need of a puck moving point man, they might just take Jake Gardiner or Michael Del Zotto; both have tremendous up side. It will be interesting to see who they pick but just like any draft that all depends on how the teams prior to Boston pick.

Elisha Cuthbert’s next boyfriend

Let’s just say that the actress (pictured above) from the Girl Next Door has a thing for hockey players. Already having relationships with Rangers’ agitator Sean Avery and Canadiens’ defensemen Mike Komisarek, Cuthbert is now dating Flames’ hard hitting defenseman Dion Phanuef. With Hollywood relationships lasting just about as long as Paris Hilton’s sobriety, this soon to be free agent could be dating one the Bruins by summer’s end. I’m sure Bruins fans would openly welcome the thought of her walking around the Garden.

Muzz rumors

It’s appearing that Glen Murray’s days in a Bruin’s sweater are numbered. A consumentt professional and a great mentor to the young players, Murray is just not fitting in to the Bruins’ future plans. Murray seemed extremely old this past season and at times out of place in Claude Julien’s system. He had a hard time finding the back of the net and with a heavy contract, Boston needed him to score, especially in the playoffs. Murray is set to make another 4.15 million again this year. What exactly will Chiarelli do? That I’m not sure of but it seems like the Bruin’s are trying to free up some cap space and Murray’s contract may be sacrificed. It will probably be in the form of either a buyout or demotion to Providence. The B’s can shrink his cap hit from $4.15 million to $1.38 if they choose the buyout route and zero if they choose demotion.

Prospects

The Bruins rank in the top ten in any ranking of prospects in the NHL. The have high-end talent and depth in all positions. Part of the reason why we shouldn’t expect major off-season signings is because the Bruins system is so deep. I don’t think Chiarelli wants to tie up major money in a couple of players. Last season Boston prospects flourished when we saw David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Vladimir Sobotka, and other young players playing important minutes for the B’s. The Bruins have a knack for drafting talent in the mid to late rounds. There is a lot to be excited about in the Bruins system, let’s just hope they actually hold on to the good ones.

Top 20 Bruins prospects

1. Tuukka Rask	11. Tommy Cross
2. Vladimir Sobotka	12. Kevin Reagan
3. Matt Lashoff	13. Mikko Lehtonen
4. Zach Hamill	14. TJ Trevelyan
5. Carl Soderberg	15. Andrew Bodnarchuk
6. Adam McQuaid	16. Brock Bradford
7. Matt Hunwick	17. Nate Thompson
8. Brad Marchand	18. Jordan Knackstedt
9. Martins Karsums	19. Denis Reul
10.Yuri Alexandrov	20. Radim Ostrcil

Recent prospect graduates
Mark Stuart, Petteri Nokelainen, David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Phil Kessel

Manny being who?

Acquired to be the B’s number one backstopper, his year was shorten by injury. It’s going to interesting to see what the Bruins will do with their goaltending situation. Manny could be the odd man out if Boston can find a new home for him. Fernandez is a legit number one with serious knee problems. I would love to see the Bruins hold on to him and see him returned to his old form. However, his better days just may be behind him with the multiple knee problems he has suffered. With an expensive tag, 4.75 million per year, the Bruins may look to see if there are any takers for Manny’s services or hold onto him for his final year of his contract.

Jacobs selling the team

One can only hope. Although for the first time in years the Bruins’ team owner seems to have the right personnel in the front office.

Cold Rinks on summer days

The headline says it all. Unless you’re on the beach, pool, at a barbeque, or own a convertible, summers are just full of sun burns and unwanted perspiration. Much like the icy locomotive on the Coors Light commercials, hockey rinks provide me that same cool sensation. Bring on the beer leagues and Zambonis!

New Hockey Commercial

I love watching hockey commercials. Advertisers love to celebrate and display the passion of hockey fans and its players. They combine that passion with the comical side of our sport. The result is some hilarious TV commercials. Here is one of my favorites from last year. I can’t wait for the new ones to come out.

Marc Savard’s next equipment change.

As the story line of the TV show Lost changes from each episode so does Marc Savard’s attire. It seemed from game to game Savard had on different equipment. One day he is all Nike Bauer then the next day he is wearing CCM. I think I may have seen him in Easton, Mission and RBK at one point. Savard has turned into the poster boy for vendor’s new equipment and a great marketing tool. So before I buy my next pair of skates I’ll take a look at what Savard is wearing to get a feel of what’s the latest and greatest.

Possibly hearing a Claude Julien interview

Love to hear this guy talk. I don’t know if it’s his French Canadian accent or his brutal honesty but listening to the B’s coach is enjoyable. The guy can completely make absolute no sense at all and I would agree with him. Whether he actually makes a point or not; he always has to right answers….. I think.

A Northern team wins the Cup

Thank goodness another southern franchise didn’t win the cup. Call me northern bias but southern hockey fans truly do not appreciate the sport of hockey and the history of the Stanley Cup. After seeing Anaheim, Carolina, and Tampa Bay win the last three Stanley Cups, I was glad to see Detroit win. Ice melts in the south and I highly doubt that the majority of southern hockey fans have ever played pond hockey: thats where the real joy of the game is played. It’s good seeing the NHL expand to vacation destinations but I still rather see the Stanley Cup winning team drink beer from the Cup rather than margaritas.

Marian Gaborik

There have been circulating rumors that the Wild are willing to trade their Slovakian super star and it may involve a draft day deal. There has also been speculation that the Wild are in talks with a team from the Northeast division in regards to Gaborik. This is a developing situation that is something that Bruins fans should keep their eye on. Gaborik is one of the most exciting and electric players in the NHL and will improve any team he joins. Let’s just hope its Boston and not Montreal or Buffalo. Heck, I even settle for him staying in the Western Conference if it meant that a divisional rival won’t end up with him and his instant goals.

Joe Thornton still hasn’t won a Cup

If we can take at least a little from the idiotic deal that sent our franchise player to San Jose for three average players and a bag of pucks, it’s the fact the San Jose still hasn’t won the Cup with Jumbo Joe Thornton. In fact Thornton is still living up to his reputation as a regular season stud and a playoff dud. Maybe O’Connell knew what he was doing after all? O wait. The only player left from the deal is Marco Sturm. So nope, still the most brain dead move in Boston sports history.

Replays of Cam Neely’s excitement

You’ve got to love a team president who literally threw our GM into the wall in excitement after a Bruins’ playoff win. It was the high five heard around the world. At least we know if Chiarelli makes a Thornton-esk deal, Neely would do more than throw him into a wall.

Hockey on ESPN

It’s almost comical the way ESPN values the NHL. After the NHL and ESPN couldn’t reach an agreement on a TV deal years ago, ESPN has almost buried hockey’s popularity. During the course of the year you hardly had any hockey highlights on Sports Center and if there was any, it followed a Bobcats Grizzlies highlight at the tail end of the show. Having Barry Melrose and Don Cherry covering the playoffs was a great move. Don (Grapes) Cherry is a hockey icon and helped boosted the playoff ratings to the highest that it has been in years. I just hope people paid less attention to Barry’s mullet and Cherry’s suits and more attention to their expert analysis. ESPN has some great hockey minds including John Buccigross and EJ Hradek; I just wish they would be given more air time. These two are great for the sport and I enjoy reading their material. Maybe ESPN and Commisioner Gary Bettman will reconsile and get a new TV deal. Then we will get to see alot more of these guys and this great sport.

The absence of Jack Edwards on TV.

Bruins fans get a break from Edward’s vigorously long epilogs of meaningless babble. Let’s pray the NESN doesn’t pick him up to do any Red Sox games. Imagine what kind of useless over dramatized speeches he’ll get to spit out in a seemingly endless baseball game. Say what you want about Tommy Heinsohn being a homer, but the fans love him for that. Edwards seemed more excited on Alexei Kovalev’s OT game against the B’s that I thought I was listening to a Montreal broadcast, except not in French. In all seriousness he didn’t do a bad job, he just was talking to the wrong audience. We are hockey fans and don’t need long explanations about what’s happening when we can see it on TV. Using big words like “serpentines through the defense” only confuses us. So less made up terms like, “half wall” and “kick plate” and more traditional hockey talk like, boards and glass.

New NHL Salary cap

The NHLPA "estimates that the cap will be approximately $56.3M" next season, a $6M increase from this year. Will the Bruins take advantage of the increase? Here is how the Bruins salary situation draws out. Bruins

Hoping Tim Thomas changes his mask

Tim Thomas may have the ugliest mask in the history of the NHL. Gerry Cheevers mask is more stylist and protective than Timmy T’s. I can’t even explain what it is that he wears. It may be a cross between a Chris Osgood lid and a Martin Broduer mask. After it fell apart late in the Montreal series, it might be time to retire it and come back with something easier on the eyes. Sorry Timmy but someone had to say it.

Dropping the dead weight- Zhamnov and Chistov

These two Russians were making a pretty penny at the expense of the Bruins last season. Both of whom did not skate a single shift for the B’s in the 07-08 season. Zhamnov, who was the Bruins’ backup after Boston lost out on Peter Forsberg, was making 4.1 million per year when he sign with the B’s in 2005. Zhamnov only played in 24 games with the Bruins before announcing his retirement on September 13, 2006. Chistov who has a less expensive tag of 800,000 elected to jump ship and play in Russia last season. The Bruins will finally get their salaries off the books after both become free agents on July 1st.

Bergeron’s health

After missing the majority of the season, Patrice Bergeron will be coming back in full health. Concussions are a scary injury and I was glad to see Boston hold him out of the playoffs. Now Bergy has the rest of the summer to get the cob webs out and be ready to be a key contributor for the B’s next season.

Tuukka be or not Tuukka be

That is the question. Well enough with the Shakespeare innuendos. The question is should the Bruins start to give Tuukka Rask major minutes at the NHL level. Boston’s number one prospect and one of the top prospects in all the NHL, Rask is waiting in the wings for his chance at stardom. Do the Bruins give him his chance this season? They have to at some point; he is too good not too. Rask believes he’s ready and has had enough minor league seasoning. A good measuring stick would be to look at Montreal’s move last season. Carey Price came up as a 20 year goaltender and lead Montreal to the best record in the Eastern Conference. Will Tuukka have the same success? That remains to be scene and unless Boston lets him play we may not know for another year. Both Fernandez and Thomas have one more year of their contracts, so barring any injuries or transactions, Rask will be looking at another year in Providence.

Training camp surprises

Last season it was Milan Lucic. Phil Kessel a year before that. To go back even further Patrice Bergeron did it in his first camp in 2003. Sub 20 year olds making an impact on the Bruin’s roster out of training camp. It seems almost every season the Bruins like a kid so much they elect to hold onto him rather than send him back to juniors or to the minor league. So who will it be this year? My candidates that are already in the Bruins’ system are Zach Hamill or Brad Marchand.

Kessel’s growth

Call it a man crush if you will but I love watching Phil Kessel. Now with one full year under his belt after a cancer shorten rookie campaign, Kessel may just have a break out year. Playing exceptionally well after the benching in the playoffs then continuing his strong play in the IIHF World Championships for team USA, Kessel is finally starting to play a more complete game. Let just hope that the organization hasn’t given up on his development and deal him away.

Other pieces getting healthy

Bergeron is not the only one that will use the summer for much needed recovery time. Boston was one of the teams hit the hardest by the injury bug. As an amazing season as the Bruins had it could have been much better if some of the Bruins players were at full health for the playoffs. I know injuries are part of the game and there will be plenty of them next season but lets hope that they are not quite as severe. Chara will be bouncing back from off season surgery. Kobasew broke his leg in the last month of the regular season will give Boston another scoring option. Andrew Alberts will get regular minutes after a slew of injuries last year. Manny Fernandez could bounce back after missing most of season with knee troubles. Dennis Wideman avoided surgery and looks to rest up his groin for the upcoming season. When healthy the Bruins could be one of the deeper teams in the league. A year full of injuries and promotions will do that to a franchise.

D-moves

One clear move for Boston is to get a puck moving defenseman. The Bruins sorely needed this type of player last season. Will Boston get this player through free agency in the likes of a Brian Campbell or a John Michael Liles or will they address this need by promoting prospects like Matt Lashoff or Matt Hunwick? Its unlikely for the B’s to sign Campbell who will be demanding about 6-8 million per season and depending on how much they spend on a scorer, Liles may be out of reach for them as well. Another name to keep an eye on is former UMass Lowell great and Columbus Blue Jacket defenseman Ron Hainsley. He just may fit the bill. Another option is Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators, who will be taking a pay cut from his 6.5 million to sign on somewhere else.

Signing our own players

Already having inked Chuck Kobasew and Aaron Ward to new deals, the B’s still have some more players to make decision’s on. It appears that Dennis Wideman, Pettri Nokelainen and Mark Stuart will get new deals it’s just a matter of when and how much. Glen Metropolit’s situation is an area to watch. It doesn’t look like the Bruin’s will talk to him until after they make a dip into free agency. Nothing new for Metropolit. He signed a one year deal with the B’s after pre-season ended last season.

Canadiens fans won’t bother us for at least a couple more months

Unless you are vacationing on the beaches of Maine, you may not have to deal with obnoxious Montreal fans. Any time Montreal came to the Hub, the streets were loaded with Habs fans with sweaters, towels, and oh lay chants. We get a nice long break from the chants and arrogant attitudes. Besides, those damn Yankee fans will be running around the streets of Boston to pre occupy our time.

New ticket prices

No matter what this will be a subject for debate.

Drinking age at the Garden

Still 25 for out of staters? Didn’t know the Bruins and beer only appealed to people from the Bay State? Good thing I’m from Mass. Great call Garden. Just may sure you out of staters remember to bring a passport.

Ice Girls tryouts

Events will include air gun accuracy, the tee shirt toss, ice shoveling, power skating and one more…. What is it? Umm. Oh yeah almost forgot, sex appeal.

Rob Simpson can improve his skating

The lovable funny man of NESN’s hockey coverage is not so strong on his skates. I caught an episode of NESN’s Bruins show the Buzz and saw a segment of Mr. Simpson playing in a Men’s League game. I was shocked to find out that he was not the strongest skater. Time for Mr. Simpson to work on those strides for next season.

Clean language on NESN

I doubt any vulgar language will be coming out of Jerry Remy’s or Don Orsillo’s mouth. Big whoops on the part Andy Brickley last season.

Wicked Good Sports eliminates Herald and Globe’s coverage of the Bruins

I’m tooting my own horn here. The Herald and the Globe do a great job in covering the B’s. I’m just saying come back here for another take.

No count down to training camp specials for hockey.

All summer long we will have to watch TV specials about count down to NFL training camps. All they do is give out boring information about so and so being a little over weight, or this player doesn’t want to work out because he feels he’s under paid. As if I don’t go through that scenario everyday of my life. Over weight and under paid; cry me a river, they could do reports on me. Don’t get me wrong, I love football. I just don’t need to hear about stories that are non issues all summer long in these pre training camp specials then in the training camp specials and finally in a post training camp special. Thank god the NHL doesn’t have that kind of coverage.

Chara’s triathlons

I would just like to see the size of the bike. A 15-pound, custom-made, carbon-fiber Calfee bicycle.

Stealing more Senators

Since Peter Chiarelli has taken over the GM duties here in Boston, he has plucked a player from his old stomping grounds in Ottawa every year. First it was the free agent signing of Zdeno Chara then came last summer’s deal that brought Peter Schaefer to the hub. Who will he bring here this summer? Danny Heatley? Wishful thinking but highly unlikely. Maybe Andre Mezsaros or Wade Redden more likely. Both are free agents. Redden would be a great fit.

We don’t have to rely on To Be a Bruin TV special for players

I admit that I was drawn in by this show. Partly because I had played against some of the participants in this NESN reality tryout show and partly because I thought this was where the Bruins were going to get some its players at the start of last season. Last year’s roster consisted of a bunch of "who is that”. Nobody knew who exactly was going to fill out the roster. Combine that scenario with my recent viewing of Mark Walberg in Invincible, I assume the Bruins were going in that direction.

Possible extinction of Blades

It’s tough to compete against the likes of Pat the Patriot, Wally the Green Monster, or Lucky; but Blades? Come on. We can do better than that. He is about as cheesy as the yellow third jersey of the late 90’s. He doesn’t look tough yet doesn’t look friendly. We don’t need a mascot with an identity crisis. Time for this mascot to go hibernate or, at least, get a new name and face.

Dave Lewis is not our coach

On June 29, 2006, Lewis was named head coach of the Boston Bruins, making him the 27th head coach in team history. After one season, he was fired. He subsequently signed on as an assistant coach of the Los Angeles Kings for the 07–08 season. That could have possibly been Peter Chiarelli worst and best move of his time here as GM. Hiring Lewis was a mistake. The team was soft and had no true identity. Lewis is more suited to be an assistant coach. The reason; he is without a doubt a players first coach. That’s not a complete bad thing but when it came down to execution and team accountability, Lewis seemed misplaced. So firing him after one season and bringing Claude Julien was the right move.

Wearing the Black and Gold with Pride

Last season was a great step in rejuvenating the Boston hockey fans. This time last summer there was no hope. It was hard to find any Bruins’ apparel anywhere. There just wasn’t any reason to admit that you were a Black and Gold supporter. The reality is that our other three teams have all played in a championship game in their respected leagues and the Bruins just aren’t on the same level. Call it being spoiled up here but now fans don’t care unless you are on the top of your league. So having a hockey team that was no where close to playoff contention, repelled fans. Now the fans have something to build off of last season’s success. Bruins apparel sales will increase of the start of the 08-09 season gets closer. So for the time being the laughs, pokes, and jokes any time you wear black and gold rather than green, blue, or red will drastically decrease.

Learning how to spell Sobotka without straining my Nokelainen

Some new faces appear to be in for the long haul in Boston, so if I am going to write about them I might as well learn have to spell their names without looking in the Bruin’s media guide every time. Petri Nokilianen? Pettri Nokalenen? P.E.T.T.E.R.I. N.O.K.E.L.A.I.N.E.N….. My goodness, I have some studying to do.

Big Z is a better nickname than Big 3

Maybe it’s just me but Big Z rolls off my tongue better than the Big Three. Say it with me. Big Z. Also, Big Z is a more sound term. If one of the Big Three is struggling, hurt, or taking time off then their nickname is debatable. Why cant Rajon Rondo be part of the Big Three, he has had games where he has impressed me most. And why isn’t Kendrick Perkins part of the Big Three, he is taller than Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. At least Zdeno Chara’s nickname is for his stature rather than his play or reputation. The guy is a giant on skates regardless of whether he is one of the better players on a particular night.

Actually having expectations

Prior to last season the Bruins had no expectations. Picked by many to be the door mat of the NHL, Boston headed into the season only trying to be a competitive bunch and not get blown out every game. They far exceeded any and all expectations. This off-season Bruins fans have a lot more to work with. After bowing out in the seventh game against the top seeded Canadiens, the young team has a great nucleus of playoff tested players to build off of. Expectations are higher than they have been in quite some time. As this team continues to develop and possibly add some quality free agents, expectations may be a lot bigger than to just make the playoffs.

Expert’s picks

“A playoff berth maybe a stretch, but at the very least the Bruins must start earning respect from fans and the rest of the league” –The Hockey News summer 2007

I know predicting in the pre-season may be difficult to do. I too was off in some of my playoff picks. However, I take it personal when experts don’t do their homework. When you are high end hockey experts in either TV, radio, or print with an assortment of sources and information on every team, I don’t understand how you could have been so far off on these Bruins and the rest of the Eastern Conference. Of course picking them to finish out of a playoff spot wasn’t far fetched but picking them to finish in the basement? Most experts had Tampa Bay in the playoffs with Johan Holmqvist as their number one goalie to start the year. Even worse, the Montreal Canadiens, who was the top seed in the Eastern Conference were picked to finish below everyone expect the Islanders and Bruins. I expect a better showing this year from experts.

At least we are not the Maple Leafs

Toronto’s star players are in the twilight of their careers and they do not have a very good pipe line of young talent in the system. The struggle to find a new GM and coach hasn’t exactly gone swimmingly. They finally inked Ron Wilson to be behind the bench. It’s looking like a disaster in the heart of hockey. Star forward, Mats Sundin apparently isn’t pleased with the direction of the Maple Leafs and that the team hasn’t hired a permanent GM and took this long in getting a coach. There has been talk of the team potentially buying out the contracts of some veterans, including Darcy Tucker and Andrew Raycroft. Wayne Gretzky made it clear weeks ago that he was not interested in coming to Toronto. So hey, the Bruins’ situation looks mighty good compared to the blue shirts’.

Rumor central

One thing that I always look forward to in any sport’s off-season is the rumors that fly around. Who’s going where? Who wants out of there? There is a lot of down time in off seasons to create such fabricated stories. For the Bruins, many rumors will circulate around what scorer they can add to their squad if any at all. You can’t teach scoring and the Bruins have enough muckers, so finding that scoring touch will be a subject of the many rumors. Whether it comes from within or outside the organization, we will be hearing a lot of scenarios this off season. Could the B’s sign Sean Avery? Wade Redden? Brian Rolston? John Michael Liles? Erik Cole? Yeah I’m spreading rumors too.

Fantasy Hockey Prep

If your like me and enjoy playing fantasy sports. You pretend that you know how to be a GM. You build your team with big names, sleepers, and you wheel and deal players like Jerry Jones after another playoff lost. You start ranking your players and preparing for the draft as if you were Eisenhower mapping out the D-Day invasions. I have a strong feeling that this year will be mine. Officer Kevin Kelly I’m taking your crown.