Brian MacLellan on 2024 Free Agency

Brian MacLellan on 2024 Free Agency

so um 12 13 days you turned over a third of your roster um how would you assess the moves youve made yeah I mean uh pretty excited about it I think we did our group did a good job I think we did had a good draft good free agency and a couple good trades I think um we’re excited to start the season feel your team got younger faster 10 yeah all of that I think we added some size some speed um some Youth and um solidified some depth throughout the lineup forward defense goal tending what were you you said you wanted to change up your defense what was the main uh just the elements they provide you know um I think you know the Chen thing you know the offense the shot the ability to jump in the play um and then Roy is stabilizing and I think he has a little more offense too in his game um where he can jump into play he’s a good skater so I think the group uh skill set now U seems to fit better than it did before you didn’t get a lot of offense from your defense last year was that something that you identified I think yeah and it’s part partly function of the way we play but I I think uh more importantly you know we want to spend more time in the offensive zone and I think these guys are going to help that you’ve been able to make these moves while only giving up one pick earlier than the third round how important is that to be able to re I think the stage we’re at uh we’re still trying to acquire young players still trying to develop young guys uh so the picks are important um so I think it’s you know you know we tried not to give High picks or prospects and uh we ended up accomplishing that without doing it I know you don’t make the lineup but where do you kind of in your mind’s eye see CH and Roy slotting in you know I think our I really like our right side I mean it’s got a little bit of everything and I think the left side they’ll experiment with you know you know I mean you could see Chan and Carly you know which I think would be a good pair you could see Chan and Roy you could see CH and TVR I think they can move the left side around depending on what they want to accomplish matchup was we’ve also got 8s now I mean um do you envision going into the season with eight or do you think there might be a little as of now we would I mean what did we use last year 13 14d lost track a lot so I mean I’m always air on the side of too many so I’d be comfortable with eight how much think team I think we’re better I I just think it’s a better slotted team um should be better offensively um we’ll find that out later um I think it’s it’s overall just deeper better structured team than it was last year do you see D and radish being fourth lers are they going to play on either side of of Doubt is that kind I would Envision to start like that yes um we’ll see how it works in training camp um but duim definitely with doubt and then we’ll figure out the right side as Camp goes through D had eight fights last year I think you guys as a team had 12 is that something an element you were looking to no the physicality I think is important I mean he’s he’s uh you know he’s hard for Checker uh finishes checks um and I think we need that element in our game and I think it works well with doubt you know I think him and hathway played well together I envisioned do and him playing well together he’s he’s a he’s an interesting player I think I think we can get more out of him um has a pretty good skill set pretty good size can make plays um it’s just a matter of getting him getting an identity form I think you know 20 goals a couple years ago uh I think he’ll he could complement those two uh with playmaking keep plays alive um and provide some offense obviously you have the guys that have you know been better with the caps for a while you have kind of the younger guys who’ve been having the success in her she and now starting to come up when you bring in this new B players that you’ve just brought in these last few weeks I mean how do you kind of hope to see them mesh and how much do you think they’ll add to those other two groups as well yeah I I think I hope you know the rest of the teams excited um I think they all fit they’re all good players they’re all at the right age so I I just think um it’s going to make our team better you know and it’ll make the players around them better too it’s better for younger guys to be slotted in with good players it’s easier game to play with that and for you in your front office I’m sure you had kind of guys zeroing in on as we leading up to this off season are you satisfied with how this last week or two has gone you know building this rer did did it go basically the way you guys were anticipating I don’t know if we anticipated it but it it played out uh you know uh the way we in would liked it to have played out um um so I I you know it’s still we have to perform on the ice the players have to perform but it you know it looks good so far have you talked to Obie or anyone in the leadership group and kind of got their thoughts on on the you know ret roster uh no not yet uh we be checked in in the middle love it but that was that was it inut yeah yeah he just you know the thumbs up emoji which which was yeah I can’t remember which one I think I think it was dub he gave me the thumbs up yeah that’s great he’s been a little quiet lately so I’m okay you know I’m like playing volleyball yeah playing volleyball you know some yeah it’s not that um Conor McMichael uh signed a bridge deal um is that what you kind of were envisioning I think so I think you know I think Connor sees himself is going to be you know take strides forward uh where we’re at right now I think a bridge deal makes sense for both sides how much were you in on CH before he was TR toot was there discussion yeah we were in on him we’ve been in on him a few times yeah and do you see and his contract is up he has one year left you see a future are you waiting on that one as far as yeah we’ll wait we’ll see how the fit is both for him if he likes the organization the coaches his role um you know we got a lot of time to figure that one out challenge you don’t know TJ situation kind of planning for with life without have that yeah I mean it’s you know um you know that decision will happen at training camp um you know we’re going to support ocean whatever way he chooses to go um Ryan Leonard told us a few minutes ago that the day after you guys made the playoffs there was a zoom call uh what is your recollection of that conversation and um he said it was a tough decision for him yeah I mean it’s we gave him the option I mean I thought it was he had a great year um and I thought the timing would have been good on our part you know going into the playoffs we’re missing some bodies and would have been a great chance for him to play against New York talked to his agent we set up a zoom call and just talked through it it was no pressure to sign we just gave him the option of you want to we’re more than willing to do it and if you don’t it’s uh you can’t make a wrong decision here so it was it was good I think we you know we perked his interest um he went through his process and they decided to stay another year he said he did a a frozen cons List brother yeah I thought it would have been fun for him you know it would been good for the team too Obie gave you a thumbs up but just how much it was watching him last year the playoffs you said he ran out of gas may’ trying to get more support overall not just for him team yeah I mean I think we realize where we were at last year I we knew we had to get better we had to add and uh you know for ob2 I mean there’s a lot of pressure on a we to produce last year because we lacked the depth in that area um so I hopefully you know he’s supported here more with a better overall team this year how much have you been in contact the down in Hershey during theup yeah we have number of people there you know uh Chris Patrick’s in charge of that so um a lot of my communication goes through him and Jason Fitz Simmons we got our whole development staff um you know I know Spencer was in and out on that stuff so we have a quite a few people there what did you see from your guys were down there playing yeah obviously a lot of positives Lappy had a great uh finish um I thought Trin F played well in the fourth line and penalty kill miral had a good playoffs goalies played well I mean a lot of positives from the whole thing how do you feel about and good I mean Charlie had a great year last year and then Logan’s Logan’s been a good good goalie here for a number of years going out to get what that decision specifically what do you like about uh just like the way he’s played like the we have a relationship with him our staff has a relationship with him um you know he’s he’s gained a lot of experience he’s got good size uh plays a good style looking forward to have on the team are you done can we go to the beach now like yeah yeah I think so I think so unless something comes up I mean based on training camp yeah we I mean you know I’m anticipating Lappy in the lineup but he still has to have a good camp um we’ll see where Muriel’s at you know what’s best for him how he plays in Camp um you know I think some other guys will get games but not guaranteed spots eth Frank Ethan Frank get some games you know training Camp’s going to dictate uh roster decisions and you know sometimes it can happen right away but you make it happen a little later so I think training Camp’s important for a lot of those guys want to ask about drafting IL protus having Alexi in the organization what did you learn about family and the young um familiarity with the the player um familiarity with the person uh a lot of comfort with them um and I think it really helped us to see um big Pro’s development path um because it looks like little Pro is doing the same thing as he has you know they grow and then they become better skaters and then they game develops so it’s it looks like he’s doing the same thing as his big brother it’s hard to stay on top when you win a championship and you contending team you find yourself taking different risks to stay on top than you did when you were building a team up the lad yeah I think we’ve you know we’ve been trying to take risks you know looking for upside and players trying to find players that we think we can create an environment where they’re more successful I mean that’s been our philosophy versus let’s just tank it and go down and try and be win the lottery which is a painful approach to it so we are taking a lot of risks

President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Brian MacLellan meets with the media after the 2024 NHL draft and free agency