Do the Bruins Really Need To Rebuild?
BOSTON (CBS) --- After a horrible ending to the 2015-16 season, the Bruins are a team in limbo. Toucher & Rich debated what changes need to be made in order to get Boston back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs next year, as well as what might benefit the team most down the road.
They agreed agreed that Bruins roster itself isn't the team's biggest problem. While the team will most likely lose Loui Eriksson this off-season, the currently constructed roster still has considerable talent - at the very least, it has enough to make the playoffs.
"The idea that they're not a playoff team isn't true," said Fred Toucher. "They fell apart at the end of the season - they're every bit a playoff team."
Jon Wallach agreed with Toucher's mostly positive assessment of the roster's talent.
"Even with an aging Chara, an underachieving Seidenberg and a lot of youth at the back-end, you still have Bergeron, you still have Marchand, you still have a healthy Krejci and Rask. That's more than enough to get you into the playoffs," said Wallach.
The biggest question is whether head coach Claude Julien is still the right man to lead the group from behind the bench. While the guys acknowledged Julien's successful tenure as Bruins head coach, they believe that his time has run out.
"There's a point - great coaches, outstanding coaches, hall-of-fame coaches - wear out their welcome," said Toucher.
"Maybe the personnel isn't what Claude needs to be successful. I'll give [Julien] a great pat on the back because he did about as much as he could with the youth he was given, but it's time for a change. It's time to move on," argued Wallach. "The key is to get this club turned around fast enough where they could be a cup contender before Patrice Bergeron and Tuukka Rask and everyone else gets too old in order to be a contributing factor to a winner. And that means you have a window of about three years."
"Look at how many goals they scored, the goal differential, how good their power play was," said Wallach. "All those numbers come back 'playoff team.' And you still couldn't get in. There's no excuse for this."
If T&R had it their way, changes would be coming soon.
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