Worst Contracts in the NHL

Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres, 7 years, 50 million (7.143 per).  Now this is not a knock on Thomas Vanek, who is a great player and is going to be one of the best scorers in the league for some time.  This has to do more with Buffalo and their mismanagement as an organization.  Vanek had just finished his 2nd pro season, at the age of 23, and potted 43 goals, 84 points and led the league with a +47.  Now, at this point, Vanek definitely deserved a raise from his rookie deal, but to go from a base salary of under 1 million dollars to 7+ million is ridiculous.  Not to say that he will never deserve that deal, but aside from his 2nd season, he has had back to back 64 point seasons, not really worth the money.  Had Buffalo taken care of its assets, there would be no offer sheet from the Oilers and no mega contract.  Buffalo had also lost Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, so they were forced to match Vanek's offer or the fanbase would have revolted.  

Marian Hossa, Chicago Blackhawks, 12 years, 62.8 million (5.233 per).  Again, this is not a knock on Marian Hossa, but with Chicago's youth movement and a lot of expiring rookie deals, Hossa takes up some unnecessary cap space.  Hossa is 30, and while it is unlikely he will play until he is 42, even when he becomes a 38 year old, he isn't going to be worth that money.  The cap is also going to come down, and have an untradable asset is never a good thing.  While his cap hit for his production is low now, further down the road it could become a hinderance.  

Brian Campbell, Chicago Blackhawks, 8 years, 57.12 million dollars (7.14 per).  This deal was made because Chicago felt pressured to make a big splash.  Campbell will be 37 when his deal expires, and like Hossa, is an untradable piece.  Again, with Chicago's youth movement, they may lose some of those pieces because of an overpaid Campbell.  This deal was also unnecessary because Chicago already had Cam Barker, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Brent Sopel to round out the top 4.  It wasn't like the defense was awful.  Now Chicago has been trying to unload Campbell to no avail.  

Dustin Penner, Edmonton Oilers, 5 years, 21.25 million (4.25 per).  While his cap hit is not too bad, his production has been awful since coming over from Anaheim via offer sheet.  The physical winger has been subject to trade rumors and his production has not improved as expected since being acquired.  

Ryan Smyth, Colorado Avalanche/Los Angeles Kings, 5 years, 31.25 million (6.25 per).  This deal has to do with the name.  Smyth was that sexy free agent name that got the big bucks to sign in Colorado.  For his career, Smyth has been a 50-60 point player, not really worth elite talent money.  In his first season in Colorado, he was injured, and last season he had only 59 points.  In a move to free up cap space, he was dealt to Los Angeles this offseason.  

Michal Handzus, Los Angeles Kings, 4 years, 16 million (4 per).  Handzus has never been the same since his injury in Chicago, and Los Angeles signed him to be the number two center.  While he has played in every game the past two seasons, his totals have been 25 goals, and 38 assists in 164 games.  Not the production they were expecting.  His contract runs for two more seasons.  

Scott Gomez, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, 7 years, 51.5 million (7.357 per).  Gomez, like Campbell, was the sexy free agent on the market.  New York, as always, wanted to make a splash and dolled out huge money for Gomez.  Gomez has been overrated his entire career.  Many view him as an elite player, yet he puts up 2nd line numbers.  He has scored 20 goals only once in his career, and his numbers have not improved since his rookie campaign.  Gomez is an ideal number two center, who gets around the high teens in goals and around 40-50 assists.  The Rangers tried to trade him for a season, and were finally able to unload him to the Canadiens.  

Brian Gionta, Montreal Canadiens, 5 years, 25 million (5 per).  Gionta is a decent player, but he is on the decline.  Since his 48 goal season a few years back, his goal total has decreased every season.  He is now a 20 goal scorer.  He is extremely small, at 5-7, and doesn't really bring much to the table other than scoring.  20 goal scorers are not that hard to find in the league, so spending 5 million on a guy like Gionta makes no sense.  Montreal felt pressured to make big moves like acquiring Gomez because they underperformed last season.  

Brian Rolston, New Jersey Devils, 5 years, 25.25 million dollars (5.062 per).  Rolston had been coming off very good seasons in Minnesota, but he was 35.  While would any sane GM give a guy who is 35 years old a 5 year deal worth that much money?  Rolston was injured for a good portion of the season, and if he retires, his cap hit will remain on the payroll.  Not a smart move for a team that always seems to have cap issues.  

Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders, 15 years, 67.5 million (4.5 per).  I guess Charles Wang wasn't as nuts as we thought, as he set the trend for extremely long contracts.  DiPietro has the talent to be one of the best goalies in the league, and his cap his is reasonable, but he cannot stay healthy.  All his injuries could end up derailing his career, leaving the Islanders stuck with an untradable contract.  Because of his injuries, the Islanders had to go out and sign an aging Dwayne Roloson.  

Chris Drury, New York Rangers, 6 years, 42.3 million (7.05 per).  Pretty much the same deal as Gomez.  Drury is a good player, but a 2nd liner at best.  He was overhyped going into the offseason and the Rangers spent huge money on him.  Like Gomez, the Rangers tried to trade him but failed in doing so.  Drury is a 20-30 goal scorer who will net between 50-65 points a season.  He is not worth that money.

Wade Redden, New York Rangers, 6 years, 39 million (6.5 per).  After losing Chara to Boston, Redden was supposed to take over the reigns as the best defender in Ottawa, but his production fell, and he went from being one of the best defenseman in the NHL to just another guy.  He somehow got a raise from his previous contract, and the Rangers signed him to a long term deal that expires when he is 38.  Low and behold, his production slipped even more, and the Rangers are thinking of sending him to the AHL for cap relief.  

Marian Gaborik, New York Rangers, 5 years, 37.5 million (7.5 per).  If Gaborik is healthy, he may earn his money, but that is a big if.  After unloading Gomez's deal, the Rangers blew a load on Gaborik, hoping that he can stay healthy.  Like I said, if he is healthy, then it could be a reasonable deal, but his injury history proves otherwise.

Michael Rozsvial, New York Rangers, 4 years, 20 million (5 per).  The Rangers paid big money to keep their offensive defenseman in New York, but his production has slipped the past two seasons, and it is not evident he wasn't worth the money for his production.  Like the other big contracts in New York, the Rangers tried to move him to no avail.

Daniel Briere, Philadelphia Flyers, 8 years, 52 million (6.5 per).  Philadelphia made this move because they finished as one of the worst teams in the league.  Briere was a sexy name and they bit.  Briere had come off a 95 point season, but Buffalo's offense was ridiculous that season and every had good numbers.  Briere played well that season, but he was injured last year and Philadelphia has tried to move him.  It's not that Briere isn't a good player, but Philadelphia did not need him, and now they have cap issues.  Briere will also be in his late 30s by the end of the deal, and his cap hit will be high.  No team is going to take that and Philly was run into more cap issues.  

Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers, 7 years, 34.5 million (4.921 per).  A bargain cap hit for the first few years, but when Pronger is 38+ making that money, it could cause cap issues for Philadelphia.  The deal also expires when he is 42, and even if he retires, the money will stay on the cap.  

Michael Nylander, Washington Capitals, 4 years, 19.5 million (4.875).  Nylander was supposed to be the 2nd center on the team.  He went from being a point per game player on the Rangers, to under .5 points per game.  He will also be 38 when the deal expires.  Injuries has been an issue for him as well, losing half his first season in Washington.

Honorable Mentions:  

Johan Franzen, Detroit Red Wings, 11 years, 43.5 million (3.955 per). 

Jason Blake, Toronto Maple Leafs, 5 years, 20 million (4 per).

Jeff Finger, Toronto Maple Leafs, 4 years, 14 million (3.5 per).

Ed Jovanovski, Phoenix Coyotes, 5 years, 32.5 million (6.45 per).

Danius Zubrus, New Jersey Devils, 7 years, 23.8 million (3.4 per).

Roman Hamrlik, Montreal Canadiens, 5 years, 22 million (5.5 per).

  

Did Montreal really improve that much?

The Montreal Canadiens had a very disappointing 100th season by many standards.  After the 2007-2008 season, the Habs were supposed wins Lords Stanley Cup.  The Habs spent this season reassembling a team by signing and trading for major players.  But with these additions came subtractions.  Gone are star wingers Alexei Kovalev and Alex Tanguay, captan Saku Koivu, deadline acquisition Mathieu Schneider, centers Robert Lang and Chris Higgins, and arguably their best stay at home defenseman in Mike Komisarek.  In are forwards Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri, and Travis Moen and defenders Jaroslav Spacek, Hal Gill and Paul Mara.  

Over the past few seasons, this team has lost the likes of Mike Ribeiro, Sheldon Souray, Marek Streit, Michael Ryder, Cristobal Huet, Craig Rivet, and Mikhail Grabovski.  

Well many people will point and say I'm biased because I am a Bruins fan, if you take a close look at the moves, you should see that this team is not that much better than they were last year.  Had this team just added instead of subtracting and adding, you could argue they are much better.  But based on what moves they made, they aren't much closer to the Cup than they were last season.

Acquired Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt, and Mike Busto from the New York Rangers for Chris Higgins, Doug Janek, Paul Valentenko, and Ryan McDonagh.  Essentially, this trade breaks down Chris Higgins for Scott Gomez.  Montreal needed to make a splash and did so in acquiring Gomez.  While Gomez is a good player, he is definitely not an elite player and his contract is awful.  Having a cap hit of 7.357 for the next 5 seasons is going to be an issue, especially when the cap figure drops.  Gomez has scored 20 goals once in his career, and has not really played much better statistically since his rookie year.  He is good for between 60-70 points, high teens in goals and mid 50s for assists.  For his price tag, he is not worth it.  If the Habs were going to spend that money on a player, why not a Hossa, or Gaborik.  Spending 13% of your cap on Gomez is not wise.  Gomez likely replaces Saku Koivu.  Koivu signed a 1 year, 3.25 million dollar deal with the Anaheim Ducks.  Last season, Gomez had 16 goals and 42 assists for 58 points in 77 games.  Koivu's numbers were 16 goals, 34 assists in only 65 games.  Is Gomez really worth 4 million dollars more than Koivu?  The counter argument would be Gomez has played in defensive oriented teams like the Devils and Rangers, so his offensive numbers would improve in Montreal.  Maybe, but there is no way anyone should be that excited over this move.  

Signed Mike Cammalleri to a 5 year, 30 million dollar deal.  Cammelleri replaces Alexei Kovalev as the teams top sniper/scorer.  Cammalleri was one of the top players on the market, and this is Montreal's best move of the offseason.  Cammallier is only 26, entering the prime of his career.  Aside from a down year with the Kings in 07-08, he is an point per game player.  While he lacks size, he is a 40 goal scorer and will definitely help Montreal's offense.  6 million a year is a little high, but that is market value for a guy like him.  Would you pay a little more for a Hossa or Gaborik?  Maybe, but Cammalleri is younger and his health isn't an issue like Gaborik.  I would like this deal even more if they had not already had 7+ million committed to Gomez.  One could argue that while Cammalleri puts up better numbers, Kovalev is a more skilled player with more game breaking potential.  Kovalev signed a 2 year, 10 million dollar deal with the Senators.  Kovalev is also 35 while Cammalleri is 9 years younger.  There is a slight upgrade at this position statistically, but the point could be made that Kovalev is the better player.

Signed Brian Gionta to a 5 year, 25 million dollar deal.  This is one of the worst signings a team has done this offseason.  Gionta is good for around 20 goals and 55 points.  While he did have a 48 goal season a few years back, don't expect that again anytime soon, as half the goals were on the powerplay.  A place of concern is his size, at only 5-7, and that a third of his career goals have come on the man advantage, but has improved even strength scoring, with only 3 of his 20 goals coming on the PP last season.  In a tough division with physical teams like Toronto and Boston, it may be tough for the small Gionta to score.  Gionta is also 30, and a small guy like him may not hold up going down the road.  This deal reminds me a little of the Jason Blake deal in Toronto and we all know how that one turned out.  

Signed Jaroslav Spacek to a 3 year, 11.5 million dollar deal.  He is replacing the role of Mathieu Schneider.  With a cap hit of only 3.83 million, it isn't a bad deal.  Spacek will help the powerplay and is good for around 40 points.  He is probably the same level as Schneider at this point in his career.  Spacek is 34 though, so a 3 year deal for a player that old is never a good idea.  Health has also been an issue with Spacek, prior to last year he played in 60, 65, 76, and 58 games.  Can't say I love the deal, but I can't say I hate it either.

Signed Hal Gill to a 2 year, 4.5 million dollar deal.  Big Hal will help the defensive game a lot.  While the "moving pylon" as he was known in Boston is slow, he has been affective in shutting down top forwards like Jaromir Jagr.  His size will help neutralize the size of Chara in Boston.  Gill has virtually no offensive game.  It's a short term deal, so you can't be too upset with the term.  Gill is here to replace the presence of Mike Komisarek though, and Gill is not nearly as talented.  This move clearly does not improve the team.

Signed Paul Mara to a 1 year, 1.675 million dollar deal.  Mara is a nice depth signing that I like.  He will also help the PP along with Spacek.  Mara's offensive game has dwindled since he left Phoenix, but he is still a big guy who can help add depth to the PP.  Nothing wrong with this 1 year deal.

Signed Travis Moen to a 3 year, 4.5 million dollar deal.  This deal helps Montreal get some toughness.  I'm not sure what this means for Georges Laraque, but Moen help Anaheim win the Cup.  Moen isn't much of a scorer, but he is a nitty gritty player who will replace Steve Begin who was traded to Dallas last season.  His cap hit is a little high for what he brings to the table, but Montreal needed toughness and addressed that with Moen.

One thing to note is that Bob Gainey has not learned from his mistakes, and in 5 years, Gomez, Gionta and Cammalleri will all be UFA's, so the Habs can rebuild again.

Overall, it's Cammalleri for Kovalev, Gill for Komisarek, Gomez for Koivu, Spacek for Schneider, Mara for Dandenault/depth, Moen for Begin/Laraque, Gionta for Tanguay.  No one to replace Higgins or Lang.  

The defense did not improve, losing Komisarek.  Well it may be deeper, they did not address the loss of Komisarek.  The offense is about the same, and may have less depth than last season.  

While Montreal fans may be excited for the coming season, all I have to say is don't get to ahead of yourself and buyer beware.

Soderberg, Alexandrov News

According to Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald, Carl Soderberg will be in training camp in September. Here is the text from his article:

While Swedish winger Carl Soderberg is not at this week’s development camp, Chiarelli said the organization probably has convinced the reluctant 23-year-old to come to training camp in September and try to make the team.

“It’s been communicated to him that there could be a chance for him to play (for the Bruins), with (Phil) Kessel and (David) Krejci both possibly not being ready at the start of the season,” Chiarelli said. “It’s a chance for him to come over and do something.”

The GM said Soderberg, who has been unwilling to play for Providence, might be OK with a brief stint with the AHL team if he felt he was close to making the parent club. . . .

Spindly Russian defenseman Yuri Alexandrov, the Bruins’ second-round pick in 2006, is getting his first taste of the organization this week. He will return to Russia this season but is likely to be signed by the B’s in the future.

Soderberg will finally make an appearance for the Bruins. However, he has stated this before and then no shows. Soderberg could be a solid 3rd line center or wing if Krejci and Kessel do miss time to start the season. As for Alexandrov, who I have heard looks impressive in development camp, another year in Russia may do him good. He has to add size and become more physical to make it in the NHL.

Northeast Division: Free Agent Update

The Ottawa Senators have signed Alexei Kovalev to a 2 year $10 million dollar contract. Interesting move especially with the Senators only having around $2 million in cap space available. Danny Heatley may in fact end up in Edmonton after all.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have also signed Francois Beauchemin to a three year $11.4 million deal. Beauchemin's deal is similar to the one Wideman signed a season ago, with a cap hit around $3.8 million. In addition to Beauchemi, the Maple Leafs previously inked Mike Komisarek and Colton Orr.

Hunwick Files for Arbitration

Bruins young defenseman Matt Hunwick has filed for arbitration today.  

As expected, Matt Hunwick filed for arbitration by today's 5 p.m. deadline. Hunwick was one of 20 restricted free agents to file for arbitration. Hunwick is expected to come to an agreement prior to his hearing.

"Still negotiating with B's," agent Peter Fish wrote in an e-mail to colleague Kevin Dupont. "It will work out."

Last season, Dennis Wideman was the only Bruin to file for arbitration. Wideman agreed to an extension prior to his hearing.

It is good a deal looks like will get done, I'm going to assume he gets around 1-1.15 million on a one year deal and maybe more if it is a long term deal.

Transaction recap

I just returned from my vacation and am pleased with what the Bruins have accomplished.

Mark Recchi - 1 year $1 million. Excellent deal for the Bruins by bringing back leadership and experience to a young team. Recchi gives them versatility with the ability to play both wings as well as the powerplay. If Krejci or Kessel do indeed miss the first month of next season, Recchi can slot in on any of the top three lines. Once they return he could skate on the fourth line. However, Recchi's resigning may be an indication that another forward may be moved, especially since the Bruins still have yet to sign Kessel. I wouldn't be surprised if Sturm or Kobasew are being shopped. If one of the forwards are moved then he easily slides into a top 9 forward role with a potential fourth line of Thornton-Begin-Bitz. Vladmir Sobotka is also an option on that line. Recchi's signing also is an indication that P.J. Axelsson's tenure in Boston is most likely over.

Steve Begin - 1 year $850k. Begin basically replaces Stephane Yelle. Begin is a faster, younger, gritter and more versatile forward than Yelle. The Bruins may suffer in the faceoff circle and if so look for Sobotka to challenge him for the fourth line center spot.

Byron Bitz - 2 years $687,500. Glad to see Bitz back at short money. Bitz is a solid fourth liner with the ability to get to the net and cause traffic in front. He could possibly be slotted into a third line position if Krejci and Kessel are out for an extended amount of time, but look for him to battle Sobotka for the final roster spot on most nights.

Johnny Boychuk - 1 year $500k. The Bruins are finally starting to give younger players a look on the blueline. Hunwick and Boychuk give them youth and puck moving capabilities. If it were Boychuk or Hnidy, I would prefer to go with the young more offensive minded defenseman, so I am pleased with this signing. Boychuk gives the Bruins depth and will probably slot in the 6th or 7th defense role on most nights. I still feel like a forward will be moved for another defenseman so Boychuk's chances may be limited.

Free agents remaining - Phil Kessel, Matt Hunwick
Matt Hunwick and the Bruins are not too far apart on negotiations so that signing should be done soon. If it isn't that case will go to arbitration. As for Phil Kessel, I still feel he will be back with this team and a forward will be moved to fit his salary in. I doubt Kessel will receive any offer sheets so the longer this thing gets dragged out the better it is for the Bruins.

Current Lineup

If all RFA's sign and no more moves...

Lucic-Savard-Kessel

Sturm-Bergeron-Kobasew

Wheeler-Krejci-Ryder

Recchi-Begin-Thornton

Bitz

Chara-Ward

Wideman-Stuart

Hunwick-Ference

Boychuk

Thomas

Rask

Bruins Moves

Was in Vermont all week with no internet...

Bruins sign C Steve Begin to a 1 year, 850k deal.

Begin replaces Yelle as the 4th line center.  Begin is more physical than Yelle, although Yelle is a more skilled player and good on the PK.  Begin is a banger, and it is always good to have an ex-Hab on the team.  He has played for Julien before, which has been a plus i.e Michael Ryder.  Some people may have wanted Sobotka to have this role, but I think Begin will really help solidify the 4th line with Thornton and Bitz.  

Bruins sign D Johnny Boychuk to a 1 year, one way deal.

Boychuk will likely replace Hnidy/Montador as the 7th defenseman.  Boychuk was outstanding in Providence, winning the Eddie Shore Award, and hopefully his offense can translate to the next level.  I was a little surprise to see him get a one way deal, but I like his potential.

Bruins re-sign Byron Bitz to a 2 year, 1,375,000 deal (687,500 per).

Lower cap hit than most thought, I like the deal.  Bitz is a banger and can cause turnovers on the forecheck.  He really adds a physical presence to the lineup and can play on the top lines and play a Lucic type role.  It's good to have Bitz back in the fold, he deserves a spot on the team.

Bruins re-sign Mark Recchi to a 1 year, 1 million dollar deal.

My favorite move.  I really wanted to have Recchi back as he adds a lot of depth. Even if he wasn't originally in the Bruins plans, this deal is so cheap you have to take it.  It is a complete bargain for his numbers.  It's good to re-sign a deadline acquisition, as it shows that players want to play here, and it makes the Karsums, Lashoff deal that much better as Recchi isn't just a 3 month rental.  

Kaberle Rumors

The latest rumor from TSN had the Boston Bruins offering Phil Kessel to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle AND the 7th overall pick.  Eklund has now reported that Kessel for Kaberele straight up is not enough.  Conflicting...but I take McKenzie's word of Eklund's any day of the week.

I don't want to trade Kessel, as his potential is very high, but the first offer is one of the better ones I have seen.  Kaberle has a very affordable contract for the next two seasons at 4.25 per and is one of the best puck movers in the game.  The 7th overall pick could land us talent close to Phil, but we would not see that player for a few seasons, which is important since we would not have to pay him.  

Kaberle Boston bound?

Reports out of Canada are that Brian Burke has received an offer for defenseman Tomas Kaberle. The proposal would send a player and a pick to Toronto for Kaberle. Kevin Paul Dupont of the Globe believes the Bruins could possibly be that team. GM Peter Chiarelli wants to address the defense, especially by trying to add another puck moving defenseman. If the Bruins are indeed offering a player it would have to be a high salary player since Kaberle has a $4.25 million dollar cap hit next season. If Kessel's name is being dangled, then that would be a very steep price to pay for an inconsistent defenseman in the final year of a contract.

Apologies in advance

I would like to apologize to everyone who visits this site on a daily basis. I have to go on a business trip and will be leaving Friday morning and will not return until the following Saturday evening. Therefore, I will not be able to update this blog until I return. Unfortunately, this trip comes at the worst time of the year, where there is potential to be a lot of important moves made by the Bruins. As you all know the draft in Friday and Saturday and the following Wednesday free agency begins. The Bruins have a number of possibilities, all which seem to revolve around Phil Kessel. They could trade his rights to move up in the draft, sign and trade him for a player, or simply sign him to a long term contract. There is also the possibility that another team signs him to an offer sheet, while the Bruins have said repeatedly that they will match any offer. Hopefully one of the other bloggers will update the moves the Bruins make but that is unlikely, so once again I apology and will speak you to all in about a week.

Chiarelli looking to move up

Peter Chiarelli stated today that he would like to move up in Friday's NHL entry draft. The Bruins currently sit at number 25. Here is what Chiarelli said earlier,

''Our guys have an eye on one player, I don't know if we'll get him.''

The New Jersey Devils (23) and the Washington Capitals (24) pick right before the Bruins in this draft. It is unlikely Chiarelli can strike a deal with either one of those teams and would probably prefer to pick before the number 2 and 3 seeds respectively. The Flames at 20 and Flyers at 21 seem like potential trade partners.

Winter Classic : Bruins to host Flyers??

According to Joe Haggerty of WEEI.com and the Boston Metro, the Bruins New Years Day opponent may be the Philadelphia Flyers instead of the Washington Capitals. Here is the link to Haggerty's article

Yuri Alexandrov to attend development camp

Yuri Alexandrov will be attending Bruins development camp which runs from July 6th through July 12th. Alexandrov was the Bruins second round (#37 overall) selection in the 2006 entry draft. The young Russian defenseman, who is listed at 6'1 and 170 pounds, has a shot to make the team this fall. Here is his profile from hockeysfuture.com:

Talent Analysis
Scout 2: A dependable defenseman…shoots left…doesn’t have many weak spots…main area of improvement is his body mass and strength– he is very light…good top speed… skates well backwards …a technically sound skater…a strong leader (1988 born national team’s captain)...aggressive – likes to hit, likes the physical aspect of the game…a capable power play quarterback…dangerous as both a shooter and a passer…shot – not bad, good strong shot…solid first pass out of the zone…controls the puck well, modern two way defenseman…gets ice time in Cherepovets – not much, but consistently gets ice time.

Future
Alexandrov has the potential to develop into a reliable defenseman, capable of quarterbacking the power play. The Bruins were unable to come to terms on a contract with Alexandrov, so it is unclear when, or if he will make is debut in North America. He is expected to play in the RSL for at least one more season in 2008-09.


Alexandrov gives the Bruins another puckmoving option on the backend. His numbers are not very impressive but he does stand a chance to stick as a 6th or 7th defenseman on this team. If one of the veterans (Ward, Ference) are moved look for Alexandrov to get a long look in camp. If Alexandrov doesn't make the Bruins roster, expect him to return to the KHL. Now the question is, will Carl Soderberg ( St. Louis 2004 second round pick, acquired for Hannu Toivonen) be the next to come?

Glen Murray loses hearing

After what seems months of wondering what was happening with Glen Murray's contract situation, arbitrators officially ruled against Murray and he will not be awarded the remainder of his contract. This however, is a bad thing for the Bruins cap situation, as his $1.383 million dollar buyout will continue to count against the 2009-2010 cap total.

Chiarelli's contract extended

The Boston Bruins have announced that GM Peter Chiarelli has signed a contract extension. Chiarelli was in the final season of a four year contract. More details to follow on the length of the contract after the Jacobs address the media tomorrow.

UPDATE: Chiarelli's contract is a four year extension, keeping the GM in Boston through the 2013-2014 season.

Draft Update

With the NHL Draft less than two weeks away, here is a breakdown of the picks the Bruins have available.

First Round - As Assigned - 25th pick overall
Second Round - No Pick (Traded to N.Y. Islanders for Petteri Nokelainen)
Third Round - As Assigned - 86th pick overall
Fourth Round - No Pick (Traded to Minnesota with Petr Kalus for Manny Fernandez)
Fifth Round - No Pick (Traded to Phoenix with Nate DiCasmirro for Alex Auld)
Sixth Round - As Assigned
Seven Round - As Assigned

Conditional Pick

The Bruins also will receive a pick from the Philadelphia Flyers. On October 13, 2008 the Bruins traded Andrew Alberts to the Flyers for Ned Lukacevic and a conditional pick. If Andrew Alberts resigns before the draft it will be a third round pick (pick 81). If Alberts does not resign before the draft it will be a fourth round pick (pick 112).

Notable picks at number 25 in recent drafts:
2006 - Patrick Berglund - St. Louis Blues
2005 - Andrew Colgiano - Edmonton Oilers
2003 - Anthony Stewart - Florida Panthers
2002 - Cam Ward - Carolina Hurricanes
1997 - Brendan Morrow - Dallas Stars
1990 - Chris Simon - Philadephia Flyers

David Krejci Resigned

The Boston Bruins have announced that David Krejci has been resigned to a three year contract. The cap hit will be $3.75 million annually. His salaries will be $3.5 million in 2009-10, $3.75 million in 2010-11, and $4 million in 2011-12.

Excellent contract for both the Bruins and the player. A three year contract at a relatively low cap hit for a point-per-game player enables the Bruins to now focus on resigning other key members of the organization. For Krejci, signing this contract enables him to prove his worth and cash in on a huge contract after three seasons. One interesting thing to note is once Krejci's three year contract expires, he will be 26 years old, meaning he will still be a restricted free agent.

Salary Cap Update

Peter Chiarelli did an interview today on WEEI's "Dale and Holley Show". They asked Chiarelli a question regarding the cap and rookie bonuses that I was very curious about myself. In sum, rookie bonuses count towards the cap number but the league is giving teams "bonus cushions" allowing teams to exceed the cap total by that amount. If the bonuses are reached by the player then they count against the cap for that year. If there is no cap room available it counts against the next year cap. Unlike this season where the entire cap number, including bonuses would count against the cap without bonus cushion clauses allowing them to excede the cap.

So for example, Blake Wheeler's cap hit is $2.825 million. Last season that would have counted all against the cap. This upcoming season, since his base salary is only $875,000, it gives the Bruins an additional $1.95 million to spend. If Wheeler does in fact reach those bonuses, then at the end of the season they affect the cap.

Additionally, the same rules apply to all other rookies who have rookie bonuses in their contracts. Therefore the Bruins will be given an additional $2.35 million from Tuuka Rask's contract and $.075 from Vladmir Sobotoka's contract, assuming both are on the team next season.

Here is a quick update looking at next season cap total:
Lucic (850K)-Savard ($5million)- Kessel (RFA)
Wheeler (875K) - Krejci (RFA) - Ryder ($4 million)
Sturm ($3.5million) - Bergeron ($4.75 million) - Kobasew ($2.2million)
Sobotka (625K)- Bitz (RFA) - Thornton (517K)

Forwards under contract - 9
Forwards needed to sign - 3 (Krejci, Kessel, Bitz all RFA)
Forward total cap number - $22.317 million

Chara ($7.5 million) - Ward ($2.5 million)
Ference ($1.4 million) - Wideman ($3.875 million)
Stuart ($1.5 million) - Hunwick (RFA)

Defensemen under contract - 5
Defensemen needed to sign - 1
Defensemen total cap number - $16.775 million

Tim Thomas ($5 million)
Tuuka Rask (850K)
Goaltenders under contract - 2
Goaltenders total cap number - $5.850 million

Total cap number - $44.942 milliom

Assuming the cap will be around $55 million, that leaves the Bruins with $10 million to spend on Krejci, Kessel, Hunwick, and Bitz. So this allows the Bruins to keep Rask to be Thomas' backup next season, without his entire cap hit affecting the cap. Assuming he is the backup and Thomas receives the bulk of the playing time, the bonuses in his contract would be virtually impossible to trigger.

Note: Glen Murray's buyout is still on the books for $1.383 million next season. Murray has gone through the first two steps of his appeal. Assuming the NHL rules in favor of Murray then his buyout cap number comes off the books. The expected decision is due in July.

No Bitz for Baby B's

The Providence Journal is reporting that rookie Byron Bitz will not rejoin Providence for their playoff run. Bitz suffered a rib injury in the second round of the NHL playoffs against Carolina. The injury is more serious then originally suspected, so Providence will not get the big winger back for their playoff push.

Kessel, Krejci to have surgery

Boston.com is reporting that both Phil Kessel and David Krejci will require surgery.

Phil Kessel will have surgery on a torn rotator cuff and labrum on Thursday. Kessel is believed to have suffered the injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday March 10th. Kessel was hit late in that game by Jan Hejda but did not miss substantial time following the injury. Kessel may miss up to 6 months

David Krejci is expected to have hip surgery next month. Krejci showed no signs of any injury throughout the course of the season. Krejci will miss 4-6 months.

Wow, now this is a surprise. It shows the guts the Bruins played with this postseason. Mark Recchi was battling with kidney stones throughout the course of the playoffs. Recchi had surgery the day before game 7. Recchi also is believed to suffered a rib injury during the playoffs. Chuck Kobasew was also playing with broken rips, which he suffered in game one of round two.

Post Season Grades : Defensemen

Here are my grades for the Bruins defenseman this postseason. Grades are based on expectations and performances over the course of both playoff rounds.

Zdeno Chara - B+
11 games, 1 goal and 3 assists +1
After shutting down Alexei Kovalev and the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, Chara didn't have similar results against Eric Staal and the Hurricanes. Chara was dominate for the majority of the postseason but two bad games really hurt the Bruins.

Shane Hnidy - B-
7 games, 0 goals 1 assist - 1
Hnidy was forced into duty once Andrew Ference went down. The quick forwards of the Hurricane really exposed Hnidy for what he really is, a 7th defenseman. A few bad turnovers and breakout passes and his lack of mobility hurt the Bruins at times, but overall he played steady and wasn't beat on too many occasions.

Steve Montador - C-
11 games, 1 goal 2 assists +5
Montador had to step in and play big minutes once Andrew Ference went down. Mondator provided the Bruins with steady defense at times but his ill-advised pinching often created odd man rushes against and resulted in Samsonov's goal in game 7. He didn't provide anything on the powerplay and probably scared everyone in the building everytime he stepped on the ice.

Mark Stuart - B+
11 games, 0 goals 1 assist +5
Stuart showed up big this postseason with his steady, shutdown defensive abilities. He has been underrated all season long because of his lack of offensive production. Stuart deserves more credit then he gets especially with his outlet passes.

Aaron Ward - B-
11 games, 1 goal 0 assists + 4
Ward played great in a shutdown role along side Chara early, but struggled against Eric Staal and the quick Hurricane forwards. The weakness with Chara and Ward paired together was their lack of mobility and ability to transition the puck for quick breakouts.

Dennis Wideman - C+
11 games, 0 goals 7 assists +3
Wideman partnered with Montador to be the shakiest defensive combinations on the back end. Wideman played well at times but his consistency was not there. Had many bad turnovers throughout the playoffs. When the Bruins needed Wideman to step it up and run the powerplay, he simply did not come through in the clutch.

Game 7 Lineups

No changes for the Bruins. Savard back in there as expected. For the Canes, Frantisek Kaberle is in for Anton Babchuk. Babchuk is one of their best offensive defensemen and has a cannon on the powerplay. During the regular season he totalled 16 goals and 19 assists with a +13. During the playoffs he has 1 assist and a -3 in 13 games.

Lucic-Savard-Kessel
Recchi-Bergeron-Kobasew
Bitz-Krejci-Ryder
Axelsson-Yelle-Thornton

Chara-Ward
Montador-Wideman
Stuart-Hnidy

Whitney-Staal-Cole
Samsonov-Jokinen-Ruutu
Larose-Cullen-Walker
Bayda-Brind'Amour-Eaves

Gleason-Corvo
Pitkanen-Seidenberg
Wallin-Kaberle

Chiarelli interview: "Ward Good to Go"

Aaron Ward, who was sucker punched by Carolina forward Scott Walker, will play tonight according to Peter Chiarelli in an interview with Dale and Holley this morning. Chiarelli stated Ward had a previous injury to his orbital bone but will play tonight. Chiarelli also stated Zdeno Chara, who suffered a slash to the back of the ankle, will be fine but is sporting a bad bruise. Walker will not be suspended as the NHL rescinded his suspension but he will be fined $2,500. To hear the interview go to WEEI's webpage and click on the Audio on Demand page.

Blake Wheeler is expected to be a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Wheeler will sit in favor of Shawn Thornton and Byron Bitz. Bitz is expected to take his spot on the second line. With Wheeler's absence in game five, the Bruins went to five forwards instead of six during the penalty kill.

The Bruins have not recalled any defensemen from Providence, providing further evidence that both defensemen will be 100% to go tonight.

UPDATE: Aaron Ward made it through the entire practice without a visor.

Keys to Game 4

The last two games could possibly be the worst the Bruins have played all season. This team looked like the team we saw go on a terrible skid after the lose to the San Jose Sharks back in February. Here are some of my keys to game 4

Play 60 minutes of hockey.
In game two the Bruins completely outplayed the Canes in the third period. The problem was that they got beat in the first two periods. The Bruins need to play a complete game of hockey without taking periods off.

Get the powerplay going.
The powerplay has been so predictable that the Bruins can't even set up in the offensive zone. Changing up the personal or atleast changing the approach is a must. The Bruins continue to rely heavily on the first unit to create offense. Therefore, putting Krejci or Kessel out with that unit may should be considered. If the Bruins continue to want to roll both units, the second unit should get more time.

Get a clean breakout.
The most important aspect of creating offense, the breakout. The Bruins were the best 5 on 5 team during the regular season. Why? Because of the transition game. The problem here is without Hunwick the Bruins lack secondary puck movers on the blueline after Wideman. Hunwick's absence really hurts this team especially against a fast group of forwards that the Canes have.

Traffic in front.
The Bruins simply need to get more bodies in front of Cam Ward. All of the goals that have been scored have occurred because traffic in front. The Bruins have plenty of big bodies, but they lack the willingness to get to the net. Lucic and Wheeler must live at the top of the crease like Recchi does. Ward is so good right now thats the only shot they have at beating him.