2009-2010 Bruins Highlights

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July 27, 2010

Weighing in on Wheeler

This morning in Toronto the Bruins and Blake Wheeler engaged in a salary arbitration case that will help decided the young winger's salary and possible destination next year. The Bruins, if they accept the salary as decided upon during the case, will only retain Wheeler for a 1-year contract. "I think it was handled very professionally by both sides," said Matt Keator, Wheeler's agent. "Our interpretation of the marketplace is different from theirs, hence the disagreement. I think both sides handled it well, keeping it professional. They pointed out Blake's shortcomings. We pointed out Blake's strengths. But Blake already knew his shortcomings. He knows what he needs to work on. There were no hurt feelings in what was said. It was not contentious at all." Wheeler had somewhat of a letdown this year after showing a strong rookie season. The young, lanky forward has great puck handling skills and has the potential to be an effective scorer and presence in front of the net. There were times last year where Wheeler was effective in front of the net with screens and deflections, but his inconsistent play and seemingly lack of effort caused concern for the Bruins. I highly doubt that the Bruins would walk away from the young winger and will use this season as a barometer for the future. Wheeler may be able to lock up a long term deal in Boston if he returns to form this year as there will be a lot of money coming off the wings next year (Sturm and Ryder will be UFA's). With the likely return of Wheeler and the imminent signing of Seguin, the B's cap situation will remain grim until a player is moved or buried in Providence.

Another interesting rumor that surfaced today was the report that the Bruins are interested in veteran free agent winger Bill Guerin. Obviously, the B's are unlikely to sign Guerin unless cap room can be adjusted. It wouldn't make sense to add another offensive player with the cap as tight as it is. However, this is an interesting rumor to surface, as Guerin certainly has the experience and still has the scoring ability to make an impact on the roster. He would almost certainly become a fan favorite should he wear the black and gold next season.

July 23, 2010

Circle the Dates

The Bruins have been pretty lucky the past two seasons as they have participated in two of the NHL's premiere events. (The 3rd event was a little more elusive). Last year's Winter Classic was a great treat to Bruins' fans and fans of hockey in general. It seemed like everything was done right, and hopefully, the NHL will award Boston with another game in the future. This year, the Bruins will travel to both Belfast, Ireland for a preseason game and then to Prague for the first 2 games of the season against the Phoenix Coyotes. This will definitely be an exciting way to begin the season, especially for David Krejci, the Czech born center who also had the privileged to play for the national team in this year's Olympic Games. Unlike last season with the Winter Classic, lets hope the games in Prague aren't the only premiere event the Bruins take part in (Hint: Philly took our spot this year). Here is a look at the other games that should be circled with anticipation on your 2010-2011 Bruins calendar.

Oct 21, 2010: Capitals at Bruins
Home opener, just like last year. We welcome Oveckin and the Caps crew back to the garden to kick off the season, hoping for a better result than last year.
Oct 28,2010: Maple Leafs at Bruins
Kessel vs Seguin: I am sure this will be built up long before they hit the ice, but fans of both teams will forever link the two players together and rightfully so. The trade could have very well shaped the face of the Northeast Division for years to come.
Nov 10, 2010: Bruins at Penguins
Savard and Cooke meet for the first time. Last year, the B's played down the idea of retribution because of the looming playoff spot that was still in question. Part of me thinks nothing is going to happen, but a larger part of me hopes this still isn't over.
Dec 1, 2010: Bruins at Flyers; Dec 11, 2010 Flyers at Bruins
Vindication. I have been waiting all summer for this, and I simply cannot be more excited for any other two games than these two games for a few reasons. The Bruins want revenge for last year's embarrassing letdown. It still hurts. Additionally, with the Winter Classic and the playoff series playing out as it did, it is safe to say this rivalry is back. The Flyers have seriously revamped their Broad Street Bully image adding fuel to an already intense rivalry. Not to mention, these games are only 10 days apart, so the players will be really familiar with each other when the puck drops on the 11th.

As a side note, I have already put in requests for a BDay/early Xmas present for TIX to the 11th. Cmon Santa.


Dec 27, 2010: Bruins at Florida

Horton returns. It will be interesting to see how Horton is received by the 2,000 fans that show up in Florida.
Jan 17/18: Home and Home with Carolina
At times a heated rivalry. I still haven't forgot about the Scott Walker sucker punch and then game winning goal in game 7. Anytime we beat Carolina, it makes that hurt just a bit less. Even though Walker has moved on, I have not. Seeing each other two nights in a row will make it that much more intense
Feb 27: Bruins at Oilers
Finally, they met. Hall vs Seguin. Hopefully at this time, both rookies are deeply entrenched in rookie of the year conversations. They will always be compared to each other, and this is the first time we get to see them play against each other.
March 29: Blackhawks vs Bruins
The Bruin's only shot at the defending champs comes late in the year, as both clubs look to solidify playoff position. This will be a good test for both teams down the stretch, and perhaps I am looking too far in advance, but perhaps a possible Stanley Cup Finals preview...ok, knock on wood 3x if you read this.

Commenting & Contact

Before I launched this, I was unaware of how the comments section would work. Unfortunately, you need to either be registered for blogspot or have a gmail account in order to comment. It is really easy to create a login on either, and I encourage you to do so.

However, if you don't want to do that, you can send me your comments directly to me by email. Feel free to ask about my opinion, make suggestions or just check in.


You can email me at bruinsblog@yahoo.com




Thanks! Go B's

July 22, 2010

Interview With Chara

No, not from me, but a good read on the Bruins website today. Chara talks about his off-season, the moves so far and his expectations for the upcoming year.

Good read if you have a few minutes.


http://bruins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=534759#


Go B's

July 21, 2010

Not so Fast

The things you could buy with $102 Million dollars. I bet Ilya already had some pretty big plans. Houses, cars, yacht's and a dream vacation home perhaps in Siberia. But it appears that Kovalchuk has been left out in the cold as the NHL today rejected his 17 year, 102 Million dollar contract with the New Jersey Devils. But don't get me wrong, this isn't a pity Ilya party. I am sure the high scoring winger will do just fine.

It is hard to ignore the fact today that the NHL has put its proverbial foot down on the front loaded contracts by squashing the mammoth deal handed out to Kovalchuk. Front loaded contracts are an easy way for teams to lock up star players and save cap room on them by having them play for less money at the end of the long contract.

Saving Cap Room 101

1) Offer a longer than necessary contract to a star you want to lock down for the long term...10 years is a good start.

2) Decide on the financial terms of the deal... Say 10 years, 73 Million.

3) The way the salary cap works in the NHL, the cap hit would be the average of the contract over the time, not what the player is paid per season. The example would have an avg cap hit of 7.3 Million per season.

4) Load the front portion of the contract with a majority of the salary so by the time player is older and less productive you are paying them peanuts. For the example, put the first $70 Million of salary in the first 7 years, and then spread the final 3Mil out over the remaining 3 years at 1Mil a year.

5)When the player's salary is down to 1Million a year, buy them out. Teams can buy players out for 2/3 of what the salary is for the current year. Then they can spread out the cap hit to double the length of the remaining years on the contract.

Example: 1 Million cap hit becomes $666,000 of a cap hit, but spread over 2 years. So in the example, when the player was bought out, the team would have a cap hit of essentially $333,000 over 6 years.

A bit confusing right? Not really sure how else to explain it, but these are the exact loopholes that GM's and cap guru's have been pulling in the NHL for years. There are multiple examples of this: Zetterberg, Hossa, Loungo, and even Savard to some extent have all received front loaded contracts. In all of these contracts, the players are going to be near the end of their prime, or should be well retired. In Kovalchuk's case, he is supposedly going to play until he is 44. That just will not happen and certainly is not the plan.

What is important to note here is the rumor that general manager Lou Lamoriello knew the NHL was going to reject the contract before it went through. Lou is one of, if not the most respected GM's in the game, and oddly enough, he was one of the GM's who helped shape how the current CBA is structured. Perhaps Lou went over the top with Kovalchuk's deal to point out the absurdity of other deals the NHL has allowed. Or maybe he was just testing the NHL's patience. Either way, the NHL set a precedent today by rejecting the contract which could send a ripple affect through the NHL and how Free Agents negotiate. This will certainly increase some of the tension as we move closer to a new CBA.

Below is a breakout of Kovalchuk's proposed contract.

2010-11: $6 million
2011-12: $6 million
2012-13: $11.5 million
2013-14: $11.5 million
2014-15: $11.5 million
2015-16: $11.5 million
2016-17: $11.5 million
2017-18: $10.5 million
2018-19: $8.5 million
2019-20: $6.5 million
2020-21: $3.5 Million
2021-22: $750,000
2022-23: $550,000
2023-24: $550,000
2024-25: $550,000
2025-26: $550,000
2026-27: $550,000

July 19, 2010

The Salary Cap Situation

Things are looking a little bit tight around the hub these days. With 19 players signed for the upcoming year, the B's find themselves with just over 500K left in the bank to fill up the remaining few roster spots. While it may not be clear how things will all play out, one thing is for certain: the Bruins will have to make some sort of roster move in order for the numbers to all work.

The Bruins have yet to sign the 2nd overall pick, Tyler Seguin. Hall was given an enrty level contract of 900K but with over 2.8Mil in bonuses. It is likely that Seguin will recieve similiar numbers and he will definetly be signed, so that would put the Bruins over the cap by $400K. So how can they get under the cap next year while still improving their current roster and title chances? If I were Chiarelli, here is how I would address the situation.

Who to Trade?

Some have suggested trading Savard for Kaberle but the two have similiar salaries so the numbers just wont work. Both top prospects Hamil(1.3Mil) and Colbourne (1.1Mil) wouldn't offer any relief over Campbell's contract. So assuming the center situation will remain the same, the next place to look would be on the right wing. Ultimately, it comes down to 2 roster spots for 3 players - Wheeler, Ryder and Seguin. As of right now, its a good bet that Seguin will start the year in Boston. This would mean that the Bruins would already be over the cap without addressing Wheeler's contract. The choice will ultimately come between Ryder and Wheeler, and with Wheeler still having an upside and Ryder's cap being higher, I would think Ryder is the skater to be moved.

There has been some talk at the need for another puck moving defensemen, and while I do not know if he is on the market or not, I like Fedor Tyutin of the Columbus Blue Jackets. I would send Ryder to Columbus for Tyutin... this would save $1.2Mil in cap space. Columbus seriously needs help on the RW and has plenty of cap space available. If needed, I think the Bruins could even include Hunwick in the deal if we could get a prospect or draft pick back. That would free up an additional $1.4Mil, bringing the total to 2.6Mil saved which should be plenty to sign Wheeler as well.

Additionally, Boston will have a tough decision to make in regards to Thomas as the season draws closer. I don't think Thomas will be able to be moved until he is proven to be healthy. A potential trade partner could be the Caps, who Thomas may waive his no movement clause for. With their early exit from the playoffs, goalie should be a position they should try to solidify and taking a shot on a former Veizna winner wouldn't be their worst option. Ultimately, the Bruins may not need to move Thomas if they are able to move Ryder. Starting the season with two proven goalies isn't a bad thing as Rask showed signs of fatigue when playing consecutive games.


How would you fix the salary cap situation the Bruins find themselves in?

Go B's

Kovalchuk signs, Gange Traded

Big news in the Eastern Conference today. Ilya Kovalchuk announced today that he will re-sign with the New Jersey Devils, thus ending his nearly month long flirtation with the Los Angeles Kings. I thought for certain the Kings would find some way to land Kovalchuk, but they repeatedly could not satisfy him with a large enough contract. The terms of his new deal have yet to be released and it will be interesting to see how his contract effects the rest of the Devils roster.

The signing of Kovalchuk, as expected, has now jump started the trade market with the Flyers sending Simon Gange to the Tampa Bay Lighting in return for Matt Walker and a 4th round pick. Steve Yzerman has been pretty busy this off season and now has made an immediate impact on the Lighting for next year. The Southeast Division will still belong to the Capitals, but the Lighting are certainly shaping up to be a playoff contender. The Flyers freed up cap room and now find themselves with a full roster with 1mil to spare. They have been incredibly busy this summer and have really rejuvenated the Broadstreet Bullies of the 70's. They have added tough guy Jody Shelley, retained the pest and pirate look alike Carcillo and have added another agitator/fighter in Walker. This is all in addtion to Ian Laperierre, the NHL's active leader in fighting majors. Perhaps they are going with the brawn over brain approach as taking away the scoring of Gange would seem to indicate. For a team that was a few wins away from the cup it sure seems a bit drastic to me.

There will likely be a lot more moves in Free Agency and the trade market this week as pieces and complementary players are moved around. Hopefully this will help the Bruins to free up some cap space (without trading Savard). Look for a post later tonight on some ways for the B's to get under the cap.

July 18, 2010

Campbell, McQuaid, Bodnarchuk, LoVecchio Signed

Last week the Bruins announced the signings of Greg Campbell, Adam McQuaid, Andrew Bodnarchuk and Jeff LoVecchio. While these aren't earth shattering moves, the Bruins have essentially rounded out the bottom of the roster and retained some key pieces in Providence. The McQuaid and Campbell signings will help to boost the toughness and grit that wasn't seen at key times last year. Here is a look at each of the players and their contracts.

Greg Campbell


Campbell was the second player brought over in the Wideman-Horton trade, but came over as a restricted free agent. Campbell only posted 2 goals and 15 assists on the season last year, and his role in Boston will remain the same. Campbell will most likely center the 4th line with Thornton and a RW yet to be determined. Campbell is a grinder who likes to mix it up from time to time, and he will be called upon to help on the PK as well. His contract is for set for $1M this year, and $1.2M in 2011-2012. Also of interest, Greg is the son of Colin Campbell, the NHL disciplinarian who failed to handout a suspension for the Cooke hit on Savard this season. It's almost too ironic how this came full circle. (cue Alanis Morrisette music)

I do think Campbell will be a good addition to the 4th line and certainly an upgrade over Begin. Essentially, the B's had the choice of keeping Sobotka for this money or signing Campbell, so it will be interesting to see which player has the better year next season.


Adam McQuaid

I was very excited about this signing as I didn't think the young blueliner would be back in Boston next year. Please note I said BOSTON. McQuaid had a solid season last year and played well when called up both times, and if it wasn't for his mid season injury, we probably would have seen a lot more of him. The 6-5, 209lb defensemen will certainly battle for a permanent spot on the NHL roster. Most likely it will come down to McQuaid and Hunwick. In his time in Boston, McQuaid showed that he is a strong, physical defender who can bring a downright nasty side to his game. He didn't back down from opponents, and played as if he belonged there. The one critique is that he sometimes tried to play mistake free hockey, which in the end ultimately lead to tentative play and turnovers. If he plays within his game and gets some NHL miles, I think you will see a much improved player by the end of the year.

I also like they way his contract is structured. He is signed for 2 years, with the first year being a 2 way contract, and the second being a 1 way contract. This will allow him to go back to Providence this year if he isn't ready, but it also leads me to believe that the Bruins think he will be on the NHL roster next year. Maybe this is looking too far ahead, but Hunwick will be a RFA next year and McQuaid may already be lined up to take his position if he doesn't do so this year.

Andrew Bodnarchuk

I like the signing of the young prospect defensemen who saw limited time in Boston last year. He was signed to a 1 year deal and will most likely spend his time in Providence unless the injury bug hangs around beantown for another year. If he is given the time to develop in the B's system, he could be a solid NHL player 2-3 years down the road.

Jeff LoVecchio

Played his first season in Providence last year, and will be there again this year. Had a decent rookie season and was given another year to develop. Won't see him in Boston next year.

July 17, 2010

In defense of Marc Savard

Chances are, you have heard of a Savard rumor or two so far this off season. And chances are, you probably have a pretty strong opinion one way or the other. Savard's name had been linked to a slew of trade rumors, most prominently Thomas Kaberle. While I like the idea of Boston improving our defensive rotation, it would be foolish for Chiarelli to ship out Savard. It is well documented the Bruins struggled mightily on offense last year. Perhaps it comes as no coincidence that Savard played only 41 games last year, the fewest games he has played since his rookie season. As a proven play maker in this league, Savard has been a vital component of the offense since he arrived in Boston, and should have a big impact this year. Here is why I believe the Bruins would be making a huge mistake by shipping out Savard:

1) Here are Savard's stats while in Boston

2006/2007 82 GP 22G 74A (39 on PP) 96Pts
2007/2008 74 GP 15G 63A (27 on PP) 78Pts
2008/2009 82 GP 25G 63A (21 on PP) 88Pts
2009/2010 41 GP 10G 23A (11 on PP) 33Pts

Pretty consistent numbers. What I find most impressive is the amount of assists Savard accumulated while on the PP; nearly half his season total in each year came with the man advantage. Last year, when Savard went down, the PP really struggled to score. While only playing in half of the regular season games last year, Savard still managed to be in the top 7 on the team for goals, assists and points. You have to imagine that if he was healthy the entire year, he very well could have led the team in all three. I don't like the idea of taking any scoring off the roster as it is currently constructed.

2) The notion that Savard is injury prone doesn't hold much weight with me. Prior to last year, he had played in 238 out of 246 possible games. Last year's injuries (caused by the boards and a blindside hit) could have happened to pretty much anyone on the ice. While there are some concerns about the severity of his concussion and the effects moving forward, I don't think we have any evidence thus far to know whether or not it will effect how he plays this season, and it shouldn't play into the decision to trade him.

3) Savard has also taken some hits in the media saying that he isn't a tough player, which is unfair and not exactly true. Savard is listed at a generous 5-10, 195lbs., which isn't exactly the prototypical NHL tough guy. Every NHL team is comprised of different types of players, the snipers, play makers, power forwards etc. Savard is a finesse, play making player who a) doesn't have the size to use the body on other players and b) is much more effective in the open ice when he can create (which is why he is so effective on the power play).

But the notion that Savard isn't tough really bugs me for 2 reasons. First, he took one of the worse shots to the head seen in recent years. The hit was so bad, it prompted the NHL to pass the new rule banning head shots. Many thought this would end Savard's season, and rightfully so. But Savard battled back and gutted it out to make the 2nd round of the playoffs. While he wasn't that effective, you still have to acknowledge how hard it was to come back from a hit like that.

Secondly, this Bruins team has gotten a reputation for being soft at times throughout the past two seasons. While Savard isn't going to be the guy who drops the gloves, he has shown on multiple occasions that he will step in and defend a teammate or that he isn't afraid to mix it up. See the videos linked: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG6wQRnnT8o&feature=related Vid 1, 2008-2009 vs Dallas, forward to 5:30. Vid 2, 2009-2010, in response to a low hit on Sturm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2CpKr9I6FMIf only all the Bruins would follow this example (cough cough Ryder, Wheeler)

4)Savard's contract is awesome for the Bruins. He is making slightly over $4million a year through 2016-2017 and the NTC he has expires after the 2013-2014 season. Savard's salary is a steal when you compare him to other Centers around the same age and stat line (Andy McDonald $4.7mil, Brad Richards $7.8mil, Mike Ribiero $5.0mil, Scott Gomez $7.3mil, Daniel Briere $6.5mil, Joe Thorton $7.2mil). Over the past few seasons, his production has been better or at least comparable to all of those players. Savard is a 1st line center signed long term at under market value... to me it makes more sense to dump the salary of Ryder (4mil as well), who is likely to be a 3rd or 4th line wing this season.

Additionally, with Savard, the Bruins have depth and talent through center. I think it will be better to start Seguin on the wing as he is still an unproven NHL player. It sets up well having Savard's NTC expire in 3 seasons, and by that time, hopefully Seguin will have become the dominant NHL center that we are all expecting. At that time, it would make sense to trade Savard, but at this point, he simply brings too much offense and experience to be a salary dump type of player. Like mentioned earlier, there is at least one other player on the current roster who could save the same amount of money while losing a whole lot less.

Let me know what you think.

Go B's

July 16, 2010

Opening Blog

First of all, I would like to thank you for visiting my blog about Bruins Hockey. I am an avid Bruin fan, I am hopeful that this will serve as an informative and interesting venue to discuss all things relating to the Boston Bruins. I plan on using this as way to discuss the day to day occurences within the Bruins organization while commenting on games, roster moves, player personnel and developement for both the Boston and Providence Bruins with the focus on the Big B's. I will also post relevant issues and topics around the NHL, but again, I will focus on the Eastern Conference and Northeast Division mostly. I am hoping to create dialogue between any of those who follow this blog, so please leave comments.

While the 2009-2010 season suffered a disastrous ending, the anticipation, excitement and hope for the 2010-2011 season is already mounting. I cannot wait for the season to begin.

In the coming days/weeks, I will start off this blog by evaluating the Bruins off-season moves to this point, as well as featuring a player or two each week with my expectations/predictions for the upcoming season.

Again, thank you for visiting, and please be on the look out for more from me soon.

GO B's