McGrattan invited to provide another position fight
McGrattan
Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli and his staff are determined to make sure no one arrives at the opening of training camp Friday thinking he’s guaranteed an NHL job.
Today, according to numerous news reports, the club invited veteran tough guy Brian McGrattan to camp on a tryout basis. So you can scratch Shawn Thornton off the short list of players lacking competition for their position.
In just 34 games last season, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound McGrattan managed to rack up 86 penalty minutes and 14 fights with Calgary. In 2005-06 and 2006-07 with Ottawa, the now-29-year-old McGrattan exceeded 100 penalty minutes, including this bout with Thornton in Nov. 2007.
Prior to joining Calgary last season, McGrattan struggled through the 2008-09 season with Phoenix, first entering the league’s substance abuse program and then injuring his shoulder.
Whether there’ll be an actual physical confrontation in this season’s training camp remains to be seen. However, before today the Bruins only had Jeremy Reich as a player that could be classified as a Thornton-like bruiser, and he (like Thornton) is a bit undersized. Now, just like the under-performing veteran forwards who’ll be pushed by some youngsters and Tuukka Rask being pushed by Tim Thomas in goal, Thornton knows exactly where the challenge to his existence on Boston’s roster is going to come from.
Some of you are way, way off. Thorty has never had any problems taking on the heavies around the league. From Brashear to Laraque to Orr to Godard to Carkner to Peters to Boulton to Neil to Parros to Koci….and that was all in the last 2 seasons. Gotta get your facts straight before you spout off, kids.
Thorton is not a heavyweirgt MaGratten is .the young bruins need to be protected Thorton is too small to take on the heavyweights around the league.teams around the league know it and the Bruins know it. Good move P.C. TOO MANY BRUINS GETTING HURT AND NO ONE STANDING UP TO CHALLENGE. MAGRATTEN WILL DO THAT.
Thornton wins games! He plays with passion every minute he is on the ice. How many times have we seen Thorton’s line change the tempo and momentum to the Bruins? Alot. This guy could help out the Providence B’s and come up if Thornton is hurt after punching some guys face in.
Jon hit it on the money. Thornton brings too much to the table to be replaced by a one dimensional thug. His leadership and poise is a few of the reasons he got a new contract and I say they use him.
On the other hand Paul you’re also right as it would be nice to have McGratton on the ice during a few Pens/Flyers games.
Thank God! While I agree with Aaron’s sentiments that dressing an enforcer only is not the best way to go, the B’s are, and have been for some time, in desperate need of a real heavyweight. If he only dresses when other teams dress their heavyweight, or vs a tough team like Philly, or vs general idiots like Avery or Cooke, I’m fine with that.
If he makes the team over thornton, he’d probably carryb a lower cap hit, saving Chiarelli a few pennies.
As for how many minutes he plays, sometimes i wished Thornton only played 2 minutes a game. I’d rather see the B’s playing their top 3 lines more and hopefully putting the puck in the net a lot more often. And where Jon points out that Claude will throw in the 4th line with 2 minutes left in a game, far too often over the past 3 years I’ve seen that as a problem, as opposed to where Jon and many others see it as claude trusting them and giving them what they have earned. Too many games have gone to OT and the shootout, or the B’s have lost by a goal, when Claude left scorers on the bench in favor of the 4th line dumping, chasing, then failing to break out of the defensive zone cleanly, and instead chipping it (effectively punting) and changing so that the scorers now have 1 minute less and from 200 feet away to try to tie it up or win it in regulation.
This year the projected center for the 4th line is Campbell, and even with Thornton in the lineup, personally I really only see value in the other projected linemate, Paille, being on the ice for more than 5 minutes a game. If you want to roll 4 lines, that’s fine, but do it with better personnel. Otherwise accept the fact that they are role players (notice the difference roll/role), and play them accordingly.
That said, the best goon in the league doesn’t do you any good sitting pretty on the bench, he needs to play to really intimidate the other team and keep them from acting like goons themselves. If McGrattan can’t handle a more regular shift, or at least spot duty riding shotgun with the stars as protection, then he’s no better than the Thornton/Lucic combo.
dress him for the penguin games.
Yep I can’t see Julien willingly giving McGrattan too much ice, and since Claude likes to play his 4th line as much as his first seems like a weird fit.
I’m not sold on the need for enforcers who can’t otherwise contribute, so this is kind of meh for me.
Thornton can play 8 minutes a game safely and will be on the ice with 2 minutes left in a game were as McGrattan is a 2 minute a game player who sees no ice time in the 3rd. McGrattan;s the better fighter due to his size but the coach will dress the better player, If signed he’ll only dress in rougher games probably 15-35 and when Thornton is hurt . look for thormtom to dress for 70 unless seriously hurt
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Thornton got his @ss kicked in that fight. McGrattan has some heavy hands.