I’m back with another addition of the Wednesday Mailbag. As long as you keep questions coming, I will keep on doing this. If you have a question or just want to rant, just @ me on Twitter or send an email to ohlwriters@gmail.com.
Let’s get to it!
@_jcro via Twitter asks:
Dom, what are your thoughts on the demotion and healthy scratch all in the span of two games with AJ Greer after a solid start to the season in terms of points?
Answer:
Until Coach Monty gives me a reason not to believe him, then I will believe him when he says (paraphrasing) that because of the style Greer plays he wants to make sure he remains good at his role and some time off is necessary.
The coach has 3 spots – third line LW and RW and fourth line RW that are really interchangeable right now and while Greer has shown to be deserving of a spot, so have others until someone dips completely or someone makes it difficult to take them out of the lineup (like Nick Foligno has done).
@mhall_3 via Twitter asks:
With the way the Bs are playing right now (and that can change), what do you think the most likely options are to make room for CMac and Marchand?
Answer:
Mark, I was really hoping that this question would not be asked this week, not because I want to avoid it but because I will have a bigger piece coming out this weekend on it. You see, the November 1 matchup against Pittsburgh marks the ten-game mark for the Bruins on the season and that ten-game point brings up a few scenarios that may or may not affect the Bruins thinking on how they want to proceed cap wise. And I want to avoid getting too deep into the discussion until game nine is completed because things can change before then.
So as not to totally avoid your question for now, it is looking more and more like Brad Marchand will be back before Charlie McAvoy. If that is the case, then the Bruins do not have to make any cap moves to activate Marchand – they are fine there. However, they will have to send a body to Providence to get to the 23-man roster limit prior to activating him from Injured Reserve.
That’s the teaser for now. I’ll have more on the weekend.
@bogsam53 via Twitter asks:
D, what is up with Eduards Tralmaks?
Answer:
Lower body injury. He is practicing and should return on the weekend.
@mike77ca via Twitter asks 3 questions:
Hi Dom… Scouting questions … do scouts to any watching of CIS college hockey to look for late bloomers (Joel Ward) for example, watch him at UPEI for many years he was one best college players at that time…
Hey Dom… with the pending Cap crunch coming with # 63 and # 73 are back, where does the team focus on moving at least 2 contacts from forwards or defense… and what is up with the power play? the entry into the zone is troubling …thank you
Answer:
Short answer is yes. I can only speak for the Ontario region because that’s where I am and who I see and speak to, but they do get to college games along with the OHL and Junior A leagues.
As for your second and third questions: I already touched on the situation when Marchand and McAvoy are ready to return. More on that to come. As for the powerplay, it is my concern as well. My uneducated guess is that McAvoy and Marchand will help fix the zone entries, but we won’t know until we see it. It’s going to require patience.
@Trigger36047580 via Twitter asks:
Mike Reilly has never passed the eye test for me. Can you convince me other wise?
Answer:
Hi Trigger, it’s been a while. Hope all is well. To answer your question, No I cannot convince you. I have found over my 55 plus years of watching hockey that if you can never convince someone about a player if they have already made up their mind. And it sounds to me like you have!
@nhlinsidertweet via twitter asks:
When the team is healthy, who moves to the third line? Hall, Zacha, or DeBrusk?
Answer:
Pavel Zacha.
Dom - Hockey 