...but defense wins championships

When you think of Bruins clubs in the past, one thing stands out: the presence of phenomenally talented, offensively minded defensemen, dominating the play on the ice.

But for every Ray Bourque, there was a Don Sweeney lined up opposite on the blue line. For every Bobby Orr, there was a Dallas Smith, there to give Bobby the freedom to be the player he was. Going into the 2008-2009 season, we have team captain Zdeno Chara, and...

Andrew Ference?

This is not a shot at Ference (though, notably, he was a team-worst minus 14 last year) , or any other Bruin defender, but rather just to point out that the One-Two defensive pairing in the NHL can shape the identity of an entire team for several seasons. And right now, the Bruins have some good defensemen - some young and improving, others older but reliable - but none that are the blue chip to partner with Chara.

Going into the free-agent season, I think the B's should be most concerned with building a One-Two pairing that will elevate the entire club, and here are the three most intriguing free agents available for this purpose:

Jason Smith: Slim, angry, tough as nails. Was the captain of the Oilers and Flyers. Was the entire Oiler defense for awhile, and gave Philadelphia stability and an intimidating presence in their own zone. Would be an excellent Bruin, a great leader in the dressing room, and a solid, consistent support for Chara - who often gets beat when he tries to do too much. Smith's 2007-2008 salary was around $1.9 million.

Michal Rozsival: Rozsival is strong, speedy and reliable, and he puts up big numbers. His 2007-2008 salary of $2.3 million may scare away the Bruins brass, but consecutive seasons with more than 30 points and huge plus / minus numbers (a whopping plus 35 in 2005-2006), Rozsival represents a rare package that is worth paying for.

Brooks Orpik: Has one of the coolest names in the NHL, which is a plus when partnered with Zdeno Chara, Orpik is just coming into his own entering his 5th NHL season. Smart and reliable, with an excellent ability to make the first pass out of the zone, Orpik is an under-recognized asset, and a good bargain at his 2007-2008 salary of $1.075 million.

Hopefully the Bruins will make the smart decision and build from the blue line out, finding a partner for Chara, the big-minutes defender that they shelled out for last season. It would be the smart move, and possibly bring the team one step closer to a championship.

the problem with glen murray

As the Bruins club moves forward (no pun) they need to address what the are going to do with Glen "Muzz" Murray.

Murray was acquired from the LA Kings in the Jason Allison trade of 2001. He went on to put up 92 points in 2002-2003, and 60 points in 2003-2004, being named to the All-Star game in both seasons. Great trade!

However, his point production has slipped precipitously since that time, declining each year as his games-lost-to-injury increase.

He was not a fast skater when the Bruins originally drafted him in 1991, and he's getting slower as I'm typing. What's that sound? It's Glen Murray grinding to a halt. He all-but disappeared in the 7 playoff games against the Habs in 2008, and I think his days as a Bruin should be disappearing as well.

He's known as a sharp-shooter - a scorer - which is a rare skill in the NHL. However, to maintain that reputation, it is important to continue scoring. Last year's statistics show that Murray was outpaced by 7 other players, including 2 defensemen, and his point totals barely edge out those of PJ Alexsson, who is known universally as a checking forward.

Murray's salary ($4.15 million) could be better spent elsewhere in the Bruins organization (possibly re-directed in part toward retaining the under-appreciated Glen Metropolit, a heart-and-soul player making $500,000 - who actually played more games and had more points than Glen Murray). For that reason, I think the Bruins organization should be looking to trade Murray to another club.

Make no mistake, Glen Murray's been a great Bruin, is a quality person, and has a skillset that deserves ice time. He should be thanked for his efforts for the B's, and given the chance to bring his skills to another club. Hopefully, another team will be looking for exactly the qualities that Murray brings, going into the 2008-2009 season.

bruins depth chart - what does the team need

In light of the upcoming free agency period (beginning July 1st), I thought it wise to post the Bruins depth chart, to show who the B's have and what holes they need to fill.

Here's an interesting interface to view the Bruins lineup on the CBS page.

After a season with several players over-achieving and the development of some younger talent, the Bruins are hoping to build on last year's successes.

Noting, of course, that for a team that missed the playoffs in two previous seasons, had their top scorer crushed by a season-ending concussion, and replaced a brand new coach after just one season behind the bench, the benchmarks for team "successes" are a little lower than most clubs.

As the Bruins head into this year's Free Agency period, there's a lot of media chatter than the team will aim to pick up Marian Hossa, the mercenary sharpshooter who went to the Finals with the Penguins in 2008.

There's also some evidence that the Bruins are part of a select few with authority to talk to Brian Campbell, the former Buffalo defender who brought his free-wheeling defensive play to San Jose last year.

And while there's no denying that the Bruins, or any team, would benefit from the impressive numbers that these players bring (seriously, click the link and check their stats), there's a price to pay for trying to land the big-ticket free agent. Often it comes at the expense of salary cap flexibility, and if the marquee player goes down with an injury, so too does a disproportionate amount of the team's success.

The question that needs asking is: are the Bruins one big free agent away from making a lot of noise in the Eastern Conference?

Should the Bruins be filling out the roster with one Restricted Free Agent giant, or should they, instead, be looking to fill holes in the club with fast, efficient talent, and build on their 2008 successes incrementally?

I'm of two minds. Last year's acquisition of Marc Savard and Zdeno Chara certainly paid dividends, and showed that management is willing to spend money. However, it was the delicate balance of players that surrounded these two that brought the team into the post-season for the first time since 2004-2005.

Team chemistry is a mix and a balance, in other words, and I'm not convinced that adding a new player at the expense of a serviceable role player already on the team, or a few moderately priced players available as free agents, is the best option.

So which way will the Bruins go?

As is always the case with the Black, White and Gold, only management knows for sure.

greetings

Hello and welcome to black white and gold, a chronicle of a Bruins fan living in the glorious city of Montreal. Being a Bruins fan is tough - just ask one - but being a fan while surrounded by Canadiens banners, sweaters and, worse, the team itself? Well, it makes everything a great deal harder.

This blog is something that I've been thinking about writing for a few years, but frankly have been so disappointed with the team that I lost my will to blog. However, like a lot of the Bruins nation, I am optimistic about where the team is headed...

...and thought I better capitalize on that before another dream of the post-season ends too soon.

I'll be blogging about the Bruins off-season progress for the next few months as we near the 2008-2009 season. As the year rolls along, I will post about as many games as I can, subject as I am to local TV coverage and whatever highlights I can track down.

Still, there's apparently something called the internet now, so information should be available...

I hope you enjoy your stay here.