Connor, your thoughts just on training camp to this point?

Yeah, I think probably the overarching theme is, you know, if you're the Bruins, you have to be happy with the fact that you've had a lot of, you know, younger players look the part so far, I think, right? And I think that's going to have to be one of the biggest keys for this team.

If they want to take a step forward this year, it's going to be like, you know what you're going to get in the David Pasternak's and, you know, the Swayman's, the McAvoy's, those guys.

But can, like, these younger guys not say they – you know, step up and they're all of a sudden like lineup fixtures, but can you go into, you know, the 27, 28 season, knowing you've got a legitimate player and James Higgins, if Fraser Minton takes a big step, Brunet, is he a guy that can be in the lineup every day, all those sorts of things.

And I think you look across the board at, you know, the, the top young players that I think Bruins fans should have been keeping tabs on this preseason, whether it's Higgins, Brunet, and then Glashmelis or, I think all those guys have impressed, right? Like, I expect James Higgins to open the year in the NHL, and I think he's looked good when he's with Minton, Huston, Deanoff, and I agree with Mark.

Like, you look at kind of the lineup he's with, all right, how much are you kind of expecting from him in that game? Still had five shots on goal.

Still, you know, you notice him when he has the puck on his stick.

And it was the same thing last night, Connor.

How important is it that the Limerick Hurling supporters do their job?

I think it's very important.

I think we have a very specific job as Limerick supporters to support the team on and give them a kinda second breath if they need it.

They're like a substitute coming on and scoring a goal, really.

When the crowd gets up and active, it's just, it's not like nothing else.

Like, you just know they're behind you.

It's like having a family member at home telling you you're doing well.

Who are you looking at most closely here as we enter a big free agency frenzy day in the NHL?

Yeah, it's going to be a fascinating day, I think, for the Bruins and I think the NHL when you look at all these other rumors that sprout up right before July 1st, right? Like, it feels like Zach Wierenski is going somewhere at some point today based on the way that thing is going.

So it's going to be a pretty crazy day.

Before diving into players, I almost feel like the thing I'm most curious about is just what kind of – what path the Bruins take, right? Like, what do they think is their best path moving forward? Because they're in this spot where, you know, they make the playoffs, but how do you build off of that? Is it, you know, doubling down on this current core? Is it appeasing this current group? Is it building for the future? Or is it doing a bit of both? I think when you bring in a guy like J.J.

Paterka, right, who is 24 years old, helps out your immediate core, where I think he's got 30 goal upside, helps out this, you know, the guys like David Pasternak.

But also, he's a guy that's closer in age to...

The guys they hope are that next wave, right? The Mintons, the Hagans, stuff like that.

top four right shot defenseman.

The question is, why did that happen? And are the Bruins to blame for that not happening?

Yeah, I think probably both parties are at fault there, right? I think you look at Fabian Lysel.

There were opportunities, especially at the start of a couple of seasons, especially the last two, where this was not a team that was competing for a Stanley Cup.

There was an opportunity to seize a starting spot going into the season, and he didn't really showcase all that much, especially during preseason games, training camp.

So I think the onus does fall on the player for not taking that jump.

You look at a guy like Matt Potra, who a few years ago, no one had any expectations for him, but... played really great in the preseason and kind of elevated those expectations.

So I think some of it falls on the player.

lineup does don sweeney have another trade in him for a needed defenseman or is that something for free agency

When you talk about the system and the style of defense that Marco Sturm is trying to get these guys to play, what do I look for? How do I know when they're doing it and when they're not doing it?

Yeah, for what Marco Sturm has kind of preached and where I think there were some growing pains this side of the year, it's a bit of a hybrid defensive system.

They've usually been a zone team.

Now they kind of do a little bit of what the Florida Panthers do, which is usually a good strategy to follow as far as defense.

They do a little bit of man-to-man, especially up high, where they're pressuring puck carriers.

They're trying to force turnovers.

See, that's why Florida is so effective with that.

How do you explain that?