Boston Bruins midseason player grades 2025

[@rocknroor]

I give them A for posture never seen so many just standing around watching other team score goal

[@coachd13]

Tooooo funny, but ultimately sad 😔

[@JohnnyD603]

Justin brazeau, cole koepke and Mark kastelic are the standouts this year so far

[@alexschofield944]

Pasta as a C- is wild. Our $11m scorer is on course to be significantly lower than his average and has not only been poor in most games, has been a significant detriment in some. Yes he’s at a point per game pace, but so many of those points have come in bunches (2/3 per game) and have been secondary assists that his stats are hugely inflated and hide just how poor he’s been. He’s our highest paid player, wears an A and is supposed to be an elite level goal scorer so the expectations for him are very high. Based on that alone he’s a D at best. I’d have put Marchand at a C- purely because of his age and as such my expectations were lower for him. Other than that, I agree completely with your grades and explanations. Finally, thank you for putting the time in to do this and all of the content you do. It’s most appreciated and has been one of the more enjoyable aspects of this season as a B’s fan.

[@southpawjimmy9735]

I count seven incompletes which I will now rank. Max Jones wtF, Tufte F+, Wahlstrom D-, Merkulov C-, Lysell B, Viel B+, and of course Patrick Brown gets an A+ because his presence in even one game sends LQBF into quite a tizzy.

[@BradYaateeh.]

That is spot on and you get an A+ for humor.

[@zachhaist6426]

Brazzeau, Kastelic and Geekie are the only ones that are playing at or above expectations. The problem is E.Lindholm, Swayman, McAvoy, Pasta and pretty much the rest of the team are so far below expectations that this team may miss the playoffs. Can we put Brazzeau back with Marchand and Lindholm, since putting Coyle up with them the second line has tanked. Idk what happened to Coyle and freddy but its bad, man.

[@southpawjimmy9735]

Koepke and Oesterle were both pegged for Providence and they've not just appeared in games (mclaughlin) but contributed regularly. I give them A- for that.

[@BobMan-g2z]

Great review, your analysis spot on bro!!!

[@wolfwarrior3]

Love the vid lowqual, appreciate all the time and effort you put into this one! Agreed with most grades, disagreed with a few, (think Coyle deserves a bit of a higher grade and also Marchy. While their numbers aren’t great I think they bring the most consistent effort out of pretty much anyone on the team), but all your grades were fair, well thought out and explained. Time to turn it up for the second half of the season. Go B’s.

[@BradYaateeh.]

I agree with some disagree on some, but your overall assessment gets an A.

[@MurphMM.]

I love that jersey

[@drumitar]

that green B's jersey is prettayyy good.

[@mrkevinhaughey]

Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good

[@DannotheManno8681]

Thank you for taking the time to put these grades out! With a light hockey week it's a welcome diversion!

[@Adam_Ella]

Short Shift Podcast & 52 min of Low Qual in like a weeks time ... Blessed is he 🙏

[@prattfamilytree]

A plus for Geekie Love ❤️

[@ellenbonner6316]

Love the green jersey for this

[@Sweetmilk77-d4t]

Thanks for this, LQ. Not sure if I disagree with the grade, but I wouldn’t want to imagine this team without Coyle. Sure he’s not flashy, but I watched him try his best to impose his will on the game all season when everyone else was coasting. We also take advantage of his versatility- a lot. I liked seeing him with an “A” on his sweater tonight against the Bolts, despite the reason for it.

[@personal6436]

After that Florida game gave me a bit of a heart attack and bad feeling for our future- thought I should comfort myself with the prospects of the future in the providence bears. Watched Poitras give a mediocre game- few scoring opportunities but seemed frustrated finding his spot on the ice. Not sure if it has to do with his mental or some thing holding him back from giving his all, but this one time he got cold shouldered. He got back up fine and he walked over to the guy and slashed him in the skates, full 2 hander. Ended up taking a pen and some loser scores a tap in on the pp. bruins lose in a closeish game after that. Maybe it has to to with his mental, maybe his concussion/s. He needs to find a way to succeed.

[@izzrk]

Fantastic video: even-handed, thoughtful, and well reasoned, except for one player. According to your own testimony in past videos Korpisalo was the best player on the ice for this team every time he was in net. He was the only reason the scoreboard said the Bruins were in games (even though we all knew the guys in front of him would not seal the deal) for a long stretch. He's had a couple rough outings (again, exacerbated by the abysmal performance in front of him) that have tanked his GAA since he has a lower number of games played (appropriately for a backup), but he has spent the vast majority of his time on ice over-performing expectations which were, frankly, gut-wrenchingly low (remember back when the trade was made how horrified we all were at the prospect of him backing up Sway). I think you probably should have had him in the B, B+ range.

[@owencasson8025]

Swayman has absolutely been below expectations as a whole this season, but his last couple weeks alone should put him above an F.

[@ellenbonner6316]

Like are we forgetting in your accurate anslysis on those who were on our team last year, like even our play offs. You helped us know our players. Agree with you. Own it

[@untitled568]

It is mid-season already? Damn this season flies by..

[@Alexi-j9s]

A+ for being Kinder and Gentler C- for consistent conscientiousness effort F special teams B- potential in-house cat fighting A+ paycheck A+ using 3rd liners in top 6 A+ overpriced defensive slugs

[@Coles900gbutter]

Can Beacher swap to Defence lol he's a lefty, 6'3" and skates well.

[@J-Mo1312]

great vid, thanks. Go B"s

[@bostonwarrior4824]

I like your ratings overall. One thing that stood out to me is Beecher. I would’ve given him a D. I mean I would’ve expected him to at least have a little bit of offense like last year but he he’s just invisible most nights. He’s bigger than Freddy but yet he doesn’t hit or fight or get into the dirty areas. He needs to become physical and a lot more aggressive. Once again another first round bust by the Bruins

[@fhare666]

Morgan Geekie gets a A- 😑. The guy was completely invisible the first quarter of the season and only came alive in the last month. Granted he's a 3rd line player playing a 1st line position on this talent deprived team, but an A-? No. Otherwise, good job.

[@billnyethesciencesguy]

Go D’s!!!

[@CasaleRA]

FWIW I'd make 'expectations' a B-, not a C, but analysis is solid. My guess was Brazzeau for highest grade. Really had no expectations. I think you should have bumped Oesterle more for being decently solid for a guy we didn't even recall we had when he was asked to help. That he is getting minutes ahead of Wortherspoon right now is ahead of expectations.

[@Coles900gbutter]

sweeney will offer geekie 5mil x 7 with nmc

[@unaveragejoe7107]

Completely agree with these rankings, especially the Pasta rank. Pasta has never been great defensively but this ear he is a complete liability in the defensive zone and with the amount the Bruins get hemmed in he does not help.

[@noshield]

A+ big body tax. All those tips/deflections into our own net is at an elite level

[@prattfamilytree]

Did any bounce off Geekie?

[@RoomateNSNL]

Only thing I would change. Is Hampus only person in A. Geekie was too much of problem to start year. I expected Brazeau to score goals from in front of net, and that is all he does, I don't see him skate well enough in either zone to be a really above expectation. I do think Zadorov is getting killed caused of the stupid contract Sweeney offered him. He has been what I though he would be, average defenseman that takes penalties and make plays for both teams. Is he overplayed at 5.5, yup but he is what everyone but Sweeney thought he was.

[@afhostie]

Lorhei should've spend another year in Providence to learn being a dman

[@cam6293]

I mean one night he is our worst guy making big mistakes and panicking, and the next night he’s our best defensemen on the ice, only guy that makes shit happen on the blue line, he’s an nhl player, that’s what u get with rookies this ain’t nothin new….but especially bc he’s a giant, offensive dman.

[@8thGenSlowccord]

Kastelic at least a b the expectations I thought for him was just a throw in who would be in and out of the lineup

[@IdRatherBePiping]

Just wanna throw out that McAvoy likely has a hand injury effecting his passing, he's been spotted with a hand wrap for a huge chunk of the season.

[@brythkaltaris]

With the performance of everyone in mind, we NEED to beat Tampa if we want a real chance at the playoffs this year. We need to beat Detroit, Ottawa, and Columbus at every chance we get. Ranger and Penguins are still high threats too. We need every point we can get, and we need to take those who are threats to us down, at the moment Tampa in particular. I agree with most of what's said here, and unless we start looking like what we have been doing, we should be set for a wild card or 3rd place spot

[@Joel-gh3qn]

I really believe if Hampus never got hurt we would have a better record, just on those games we couldn’t hold the lead because of defense. I also believe “nobody” is graded higher than a B+.

[@f1naliz3d]

I feel like Poitras deserves a C just for the fact that he was doing okay, great analytically, less so in raw performance. Either that or an incomplete. Lohrei, I'd probably go C as well, of course you hope he was going to be what he was at the end of last year, but in a bigger role he's had his highs and lows. I'd also put Geekie at a B to a B+ he's doing better than you would expect him to do in the role he's put in, but he still proves pretty consistently why he shouldn't be in that role. I'd also give more credit to Swayman and less to Korpisalo. Swayman deserves probably a D- because of how excellent he's been lately, and Korpisalo has actually been pretty bad lately. Just looking at Swayman's last eight starts he has a .918 SV%, doing the same thing with Korpisalo you get a .887 SV%, and if you really want to throw up, his last six starts are at an .868 SV%. We're grading on a curve, but I thought going into the year they could at least coach him into being a .900 SV% goaltender. He's basically what he was in Ottawa, and arguably worse if he keeps up this slump. Wouldn't go a full F, but he'd be in the D's for sure.

[@Hasmik-r1q]

Why can't we put Lohrei on wing?

[@stealthypotatoe1736]

god i hope Freddy can turn it around and stay a B

[@LowQualityBruinsFan]

I'd love to see it. Thank you friend!

[@brandond.7539]

Thanks for the video. I disagree with your rationale for Poitra’s grade. It seems like you’re grading home completely differently than everyone else.

[@KirbyS15]

Your meaning to tell me we had 2 arguably top 5 goal tenders and we came out of a trade for one of them with the worst farm system still 😂 oh my (the Jacky got me all angry)

[@DannotheManno8681]

My only disagreements are Marchand B, Pasta also B.

[@jsenibaldi]

Coyle in the top 6 on a 4th line point pace should be a D at best

[@livenhfree]

Maybe not directly related, but I can't help but think this team was thrown off kilter from the very beginning because of the Swayman drama. I think it's not that different than a starting QB sitting out all of training camp and then coming in after the season officially starts. How is the rest of the team to build continuity? It's all because of Sway, IMO.

[@markboucher6179]

I agree, based on Marchand’s comments on his contract negotiations. Swayman’s approach was a bit over the top, in my opinion.

[@fhare666]

The Swayman drama, combined with all the veteran off-season surgeries and injury recoveries (which took a quarter to halfway through the season to get over for Marchand and E. Lindholm), Pastrnaks obvious injury (whatever it is), the guys they brought in really not having any positive impact even 'til now, and the overall of lack talent at center. Overall lack of speed at forward is also a real problem.

[@southpawjimmy9735]

Just to add on to what's already been well stated, there was clearly something going on with Monty too. But let's not take Sweeney off the hook at all. He spent to the cap on predictably sub-par talent and is unwilling to make real trades.

[@livenhfree]

@@southpawjimmy9735 Sure. A confluence of fk-ups. Can't wait for Sweeney to go.

[@joprzybyloski4821]

Yes but more importantly we don’t have scorers and Morgan Geekie and Charlie Coyle are not top 6 wingers

[@LeoBond]

Recency bias at play on Geekie. He's been hot lately, but for a long time he was nowhere near an A- player! Some of the chances that he and Zacha somehow manage to flub are astonishing! Especially Zacha though! Pasta needs to be better. He's the team's major offensive star, and he's nowhere near where he normally is. Only mitigating factor for him is that he unfortunately plays with Hands of Steel Zacha. Waaay too high of expectations on Marchy! The 3 off-season surgeries alone precluded him scoring 20 goals this year, yet he already has 15. And when did Marchand become the coach?? So why ia he saddled with a coach's expectations?? With Monty very clearly angling to be fired when he was around, what chance did any of the players really have of looking organized? All that line juggling in hindsight was outright sabotage because he had a preferable job waiting. Also, the way Matchy handled that phoney report about Pasta complaining the other day was masterful. If only the Casucks had that kind of leadership!! Lindholm needs a F! Elias that is. Brutal! Hampus is so badly missed!!!!! Sweeney also needs an F. Followed by an I-R-E-D!

[@TheShaggster37]

I figured out the "versatility" conversation. We have too many guys that are "versatile" instead of dedicated and focused in their roles. There's no vision for this team in terms of appropriate deployment. Too many guys playing exactly the same role on every forward line. Defense is still a fuckin disaster though.

[@Norm_MacLeod]

Agree with most except Swayman....Apart from a couple of games, he stank. I give him a G. Think Koepke deserves a B at least. It can only get better....right? Go Bruins.

[@MickRac10]

The Haggs podcast were very hard on the Beecher. If it was a grade, it would be an F. His two goals were an empty net and a pick that ricocheted off of him. He's essentially goal less. I give korpisalo a B-. He sucked last year. He's 100 times better than he was last year. Way over expectations. I also think they can trade korpisalo in a package. Some team will take him as a 2nd goalie. I give Marchands mom an F for her behind the B's skit for moms weekend and the leather pants.

[@vnyand]

I accept all these grades (except Poitras, how dare you ;) ) and raise everyone a full letter grade because when the entire team is playing below their potential then you give them the curve for having F tier coaching.

[@whatsalayo]

I agree with most everything, but I’d switch CMac with Zaddy. CMac has gotten the shaft with having just absolute awful pairings hindering his game. I agree with the overall consensus, but handcuffing the best dman you have on the roster and not allowing him to play his game should not put him at a flat F. Zaddy on the other hand is just atrocious!

[@fhare666]

@@whatsalayo Except Cmac has taken 10,000 stupid penalties this year. That's on him.

[@Leroy-df3ee]

Stop making excuses for him. He is making 9.5M - he should be thrown in jail for stealing.

[@Archimedesu]

i cant wait to trade all our picks away for a 36 year old LD

[@joeboland95]

Put clips in vids plz

[@Leroy-df3ee]

Coyle should get a D- On pace for 25 points. Atrocious.

[@CasaleRA]

But ... wait .... so .......... that means ...... don't blame Sweeney?

[@cam6293]

F for swayman is insane, ur giving all our defensemen D or lower and then still putting THAT much blame on swayman, our defence has been fucking atrocious, and u put any other goalie in there outside the top 10, and we are getting buried every single game….and he also has a .910 save percentage in his last 10, that’s including a 6 game losing streak, like I honestly don’t see how he is below a D+ to C-, I think u guys are really taking a goalie like him for granted….

[@ellenbonner6316]

Hey I just realized you turned off the ads for many of you vids. Listen LQ we are okay with it that few seconds if it helps. Listen we love you.

[@ellenbonner6316]

All true, but this hot mess of bruins players may still get us to a shot at the cup. Yeah we are the Bruins

[@neilsenior4975]

I find the decapitated head in your background distracting.

[@matejhyvl4179]

Wait, you guys are not using the E mark? Does no one respect the alphabet in your country? What is this nonsense? BabyRage

[@shannond4142]

Charlie McAvoy has been overrated for a long time.

[@peterclifford6573]

Good analysis - where I disagreed, you made a good case for reconsidering or paying closer attention to those players. So that may make me a better fan. Personally, I would've rated Peeke higher because his average d-play on a terrible d deserves more respect, and he may have more upside on offense if given the chance.. For future consideration: Can we get stats on shots blocked for defensemen? Seems unfair to rate them by goals and assists. And why not turnovers and steals - they do it basketball? For the plus/minus stat, it may be more revealing if instead of four guys on the penalty kill getting demerits, if the guy who took the penalty gets a minus point if the other team scores on that power play. For this year only, it may be interesting to consider guys who sucked under Monty who got better and vice-versa. I imagine it would be harder for a player new to the Bs to join a team with a partially checked-out coach, and a training camp that looked like Woodstock.