UMaine Offseason...Belly Up to the Barr Boys

[Chuck Murray]

Barr has a good chance to be Hockey East coach of the year. Imo this team finishes top 5. I've said it before they need to extend him now.

Agree with pretty much all of that. He'll be gaining more and more leverage as he starts to post those results, so don't be surprised if Barr isn't all that eager to enter into negotiations, and backs himself by playing the long game. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango, and I doubt that Barr is desperate for an extension at this point. His stock may never have been higher, but if the rebuild continues in its current path, we'll all be saying the same thing at this time next year, the year after that, and the year after that. Barr does not appear to lack self-confidence.

It's not like he's some washed up NHL'er in his mid-30's looking for a lifeline, like most of the B's new signings ...

[amkirby10]

Im already on record saying that I think they make the Garden and the NCAA Tournament this year. It won't be easy, as BC in particular looks substantially improved, but I think they can do it.

[9twenty]

Im already on record saying that I think they make the Garden and the NCAA Tournament this year. It won't be easy, as BC in particular looks substantially improved, but I think they can do it.

imo...for Maine to make the NCAA's, they definitely need to make Boston and win out to get in....one thing for sure...positive and enthusiasm is running high on Maine's die-hards radar. Been a long time coming.......

[Drew S.]

I’m not sure Maine’s OOC schedule is good enough to get them into the NCAA tourney. I would be pretty happy if they can win one playoff game, regardless of the round.

Giving Barr an extension doesn’t really give you much more security as far as him staying. Assuming the option is picked up there are four years left remaining right now so I don’t think you need to do anything for another year or two.

[BlackBearFan19]

Im already on record saying that I think they make the Garden and the NCAA Tournament this year. It won't be easy, as BC in particular looks substantially improved, but I think they can do it.

I’m really confident in them making it to Boston and the tourney. Maybe I’m delusional but to me this team should be much better to suited to compete on a talent with the upper echelon of teams in hockey east and I also think they will have an edge to them.

I see Maine finishing second in hockey East behind BU. Alfond should be a fortress this year given the number of tickets that are apparently being sold. The OOC isn’t strong but I expect hockey East to be so if they take care of business OOC the rest should take care of itself.

[9twenty]

I’m really confident in them making it to Boston and the tourney. Maybe I’m delusional but to me this team should be much better to suited to compete on a talent with the upper echelon of teams in hockey east and I also think they will have an edge to them.

I see Maine finishing second in hockey East behind BU. Alfond should be a fortress this year given the number of tickets that are apparently being sold. The OOC isn’t strong but I expect hockey East to be so if they take care of business OOC the rest should take care of itself.

Maybe 4th/5th...in Hockey East....but Alfond should be an "ACE" in the hole for Maine....like yester-years..!

[Wayuphere]

Nadeau brothers tweet.
https://twitter.com/toddgibsonwncn/s...f-a-dWTqfk_wiw

[Tango]

Anyone with any info on the Duda situation?

I saw tweets he was going to the USHL and then there were pics of him practicing with the team at the Alfond on Facebook.

Anyone with a firm idea?

[9twenty]

Anyone with any info on the Duda situation?

I saw tweets he was going to the USHL and then there were pics of him practicing with the team at the Alfond on Facebook.

Anyone with a firm idea?

Still think it's in the hands of the NCAA at this point...alot of speculation from all, but really think this situation won't be figured out till mid or late August...and that is just my thinking not anything etched in stone

[tylerzx2002]

Anyone with any info on the Duda situation?

I saw tweets he was going to the USHL and then there were pics of him practicing with the team at the Alfond on Facebook.

Anyone with a firm idea?

Believe BC dealt with a similar situation last season waiting for the NCAA to clear Oskar Jellvik.

He sat out the first couple games of the season and I'm sure it was just because he was waiting on NCAA clearance.

Expecting something similar for Duda but probably a good sign that he's practicing and enrolled in classes.

[Drew S.]

Not good: https://www.pressherald.com/2023/07/...s-financially/

Is the acceptance rate in Orono really up to 96%? That seems way too high to me.

[9twenty]

Arbitration Day today for Swayman..Boston offering $2 million, while Swayman has countered with $4.8 million....maybe Arbitrator meets in middle(? $3.4mil)...if Swayman wins...either he or Ullmark are traded before camp....Boston hard pressed with Salary Cap.

[Chuck Murray]

Arbitration Day today for Swayman..Boston offering $2 million, while Swayman has countered with $4.8 million....maybe Arbitrator meets in middle(? $3.4mil)...if Swayman wins...either he or Ullmark are traded before camp....Boston hard pressed with Salary Cap.

Has anyone in recent memory had a worse offseason than the B's? They could conceivably go from all-time RS record holders to missing out on the playoffs, in a single season. Their farm system is barren, in with the lowest tier of NHL organizations, and depending on the outcome of this arbitration, they could be forced to shed even more salary/talent. If there's a trade, the other side is gonna know they have the leverage in any deal(s) Sweeney tries to make. And he'd almost have to trade a goalie, as his forwards depth has been decimated (assuming Krejci isn't coming back), then Zacha/Coyle are your top six centermen ... but only Zacha qualifies as a legit second line NHL center, and barely so. Besides Pastrnak they no longer have a top line NHL winger either, as Marchand is also deteriorating (age/injuries). On defense, McAvoy/Lindholm looked great in the RS, but the latter was exposed in the playoffs, and with Orlov gone now too, there are no easy solutions there, either.

Unless Sweeney can pull another rabbit out of his hat, I suspect this is just the start of a long inexorable downturn ...

[9twenty]

They(Boston)pushed all there poker chips in...with winning the Cup at all cost...now they are in trouble for the next few seasons. They will have to deal and re-tool on the fly.

[tylerzx2002]

Arbitration Day today for Swayman..Boston offering $2 million, while Swayman has countered with $4.8 million....maybe Arbitrator meets in middle(? $3.4mil)...if Swayman wins...either he or Ullmark are traded before camp....Boston hard pressed with Salary Cap.

The smart option would have been moving that money, committing to Swayman as the #1 and signing a cheap stop-gap or calling up Bussi to be the backup. Could have re-allocated that money elsewhere and been in a good spot to retool the lineup next season is what looks like a solid UFA class.

Years of kicking the can down the road and failing to draft and develop most of their big picks have come back to haunt Sweeney/Neely.