Bruins

Congratulations to Zdeno Chara (Norris), Tim Thomas (Vezina & Jennings) and Claude Julien (Adams) for cleaning up at the NHL Awards Night in Vegas. All of this hardware reflects a great season, but there’s one trophy that everyone around here is pining for…maybe next season, eh? Congratulations to the Penguins for their thrilling Game 7 win in Detroit. The last five minutes of the game was about as compelling and thrilling as anyone could want.

Draft:

The 2009 Annual Entry Draft was held on June 26th in Montréal, and, as always there were a ton of trade rumors buzzing around prior to the selections. The B’s are on the clock at #25, so it would be late into the night before Bruins fans would know who their first pick would be. One report published by (the generally reliable) TSN.ca had the Bruins peddling Phil Kessel to the Leafs for Tomas Kaberle and the #7 pick. Kessel is an RFA (though the B’s extended a qualifying offer) and his salary demands may be too extravagant under the $56.8MM salary cap. It’s hard to see why inter-divisional rivals would be willing to exchange assets. Kaberle may be a terrific quarterback on the power play, but as a “defensive” defenseman, he leaves something to be desired. Plus, he’s on the books for $4.25 this year and next. Unless Kessel can get more than that from the B’s or someone else, where’s the savings? Besides, 30+ goal scorers don’t grow on trees.

The Islanders have the first overall pick, and they haven’t tipped their hand as to which of the “Top 3” (Tavares, Hedman or Duchene) they’ll select. Who’s it going to be?

1. 7:18: JOHN TAVARES, C, London (OHL) NY Islanders TSN #1

2. 7:26 VICTOR HEDMAN D, Modo (Swe) Tampa Bay Lightning TSN #2

7:26 TRADE: Philadelphia trades Lucas Sbisa & Joffrey Lupul & #1 picks in ’09 & ’10 (and conditional #3/’10) to Anaheim for D Chris Pronger & Ryan Dingle

3. 7:38 MATT DUCHENE C, Brampton (OHL) Colorado Avalanche TSN #3

After the “Top 3” came off the Board, there were a ton of future talents available, but not many were considered to be NHL-ready by the experts or scouts.

4. 7:45 EVANDER KANE C, Vancouver (WHL) Atlanta Thrashers TSN #4

5. 7:54 BRAYDEN SCHENN C, Brandon (WHL) Los Angles Kings TSN #5

TRADE: NY Islanders trade #26 37, 67 & 92 to Columbus for #16 & #77

6. 8:02 OLIVER EKMAN-LARSSON D, Leksand (SWE) Phoenix Coyotes TSN #6

7. 8:10 NAZEM KADRI C, London (OHL) Toronto Maple Leafs TSN #8
(so much for that Bruins rumor)

8. 8:18 SCOTT GLENNIE RW, Brandon (WHL) Dallas Stars TSN #11

9. 8:27 JARED COWEN D. Spokane (WHL) Ottawa Senators TSN #7 (coming off knee surgery)

10. 8:35 MAGNUS PAAJARVI-SVENSSON LW, Timra (Swe) Edmonton Oilers TSN #10

11. 8:44 RYAN ELLIS, D Windsor (OHL) Nashville Predators TSN #12

12. 8:53 Minnesota Wild TRADE #12 TO NY Islanders for #16, 77 & 182. Islanders pick CALVIN DE HAAN D, Oshawa (OHL) TSN #23

13. 9:03 ZACK KASSIAN, RW Peterborough (OHL) Buffalo
Sabres TSN #14

(Kassian’s supposedly the kid the B’s wanted if the proposed trade with Toronto went through)

14. 9:08 DMITRI KULIKOV D, Drummondville (QMJHL) Florida Panthers TSN #9

15. 9:16 PETER HOLLAND C, Guelph (OHL) Anaheim Ducks TSN #24

16. 9:21 NICK LEDDY D, Eden Prairie (USHS) Minnesota Wild TSN #29

17. 9:27 DAVID RUNDBLAD D,Skelleftea (Swe) St. Louis BluesTSN #21

18. 9:34 LOUIS LEBLANC, C Omaha (USHL) Montreal Canadiens TSN #17

19. 9:45 CHRIS KREIDER, C Andover (USHS) NY Rangers TSN #19

20. 9:52 Calgary trades #20 to New Jersey for #23 & 84 New Jersey selects: JACOB JOSEFSON, C Djurgarden (Swe) TSN #16

21. 10:00 Anaheim (from Philadelphia) trades #21 to Columbus for #26 & 37 Columbus selects: JOHN MOORE D, Chicago (USHL)TSN #13

22. 10:09 JORDAN SCHROEDER, C Minnesota (WCHA) Vancouver Canucks TSN #15

23. 10:13 TIM ERIXON D, Skelleftea (Swe) Calgary Flames TSN #28

24. 10:21 MARCUS JOHANSSON, C Farjestad (Swe) Washington Capitals TSN #33

25. 10:28 BOSTON BRUINS select JORDAN CARON, RW Rimouski (QMJHL) TSN #22

26. 10:34 KYLE PALMIERI, RW/C (USDP) Anaheim TSN #25

27. 10:40 PHILIPPE PARADIS, C Shawinigan (QMJHL) Carolina Hurricanes TSN #40

28. 10:45 DYLAN OLSEN, D Camrose (AJHL) Chicago TSN #32

29. 10:54 Detroit trades #29 to Tampa Bay for #32 & #75 Tampa Bay selects: CARTER ASHTON, RW Lethbridge (WHL) TSN #20

30. 10:58 SIMON DESPRES, D Saint John (QMJHL) Pittsburgh TSN #18

So here is your Boston Bruins draft class of 2009:

1 25 25 BOS JORDAN CARON Nov 2, 1990 SAYABEC, QC CA 6' 2" 202 QMJHL RIMOUSKI

3 25 86 BOS RYAN BUTTON Mar 26, 1991 EDMONTON, AB CA 6' 0" 185 WHL PRINCE ALBERT D
4 21 112 BOS LANE MACDERMID Aug 25, 1989 HARTFORD, CT US 6' 3" 205 OHL WINDSOR LW
6 25 176 BOS TYLER RANDELL Jun 15, 1991 SCARBOROUGH, ON CA 6' 1" 191 OHL KITCHENER RW
7 25 206 BOS BEN SEXTON Jun 6, 1991 OTTAWA, ON CA 5' 11" 182 CJHL NEPEAN C

Check back in about three or four years and we’ll know just how successful that Bruins scouting team did.

Free Agency Frenzy:

The NHL’s Free Agency market opens for business on July 1st, and once again, don’t look for the Bruins to be big players as they’re already hard pressed against the salary cap as it is. There are always a ton of UFA’s available at free agency but precious few of them are of the high-end quality that are game changers. According to NHL Numbers.com, the B’s are presently at $50.483, with a cushion of $8.432, but that’s before factoring how much has to be paid to RFA’s Kessel, Bitz and Hunwick.

The Kessel contract situation is causing a lot of consternation among Bruins’ fans as many argue that he’s simply too expensive to keep and of the six UFA’s currently on the roster (Axelsson, Recchi, Yelle, Hnidy, Montador and Fernandez), it’s a safe bet that only one or two will return. Though they’re not in salary cap hell like some other teams who’ll need to shed some bodies, the B’s need to be ultra-cautious with every dollar spent.

Prior to the signings, a couple of interesting moves were made. New York Rangers acquired Brian Boyle from Los Angeles for a 2010 third-round draft pick. Boyle was a former high #1 pick of the Kings, who had a great career at Boston College, but so far has not been able to translate his size and skills to the pro game.

On the second day of the draft, the Calgary Flames also acquired the rights for Jay Bouwmeester from Florida for Jordan Leopold and a 3rd-round pick. Bouwmeester is a UFA who wasn’t staying in Miami, so the Panthers got some value in return. Bouwmeester (a top-flight defenseman) subsequently signed a five-year deal with the Flames.

In another curious move, Canadiens acquired Scott Gomez
with two players from Rangers for Chris Higgins and two players. Gomez was a great player for New Jersey who signed a seven-year deal with the Rangers two years ago and flopped on Broadway. Now the Canadiens are on the hook for five more years (@ $8M/yr) of Gomez. It’s a perplexing move from Montréal’s standpoint. Sure, their season ended badly, but to take on that type of salary for a player who hasn’t scored more than 16 goals in three years appears to be a reach. Higgins is a terrific player, whom Canadiens picked #1 out of Yale a few years ago and Rangers have picked up a tough, gritty forward at a reasonable price.

Then, there was the whole soap opera involving Dany Heatley and the Senators. Heatley (who’s in the midst of a $7.5M/yr contract) recently demanded a trade due to “philosophical differences” with management, even though he has a “no movement” clause in his contract. Brian Murray tried to accommodate his wish prior to July 1st (when a $4M bonus was scheduled to be paid). So Murray worked out a trade with Edmonton subject to Heatley’s waiver. Heatley refused to waive his no-trade, the deal died and Ottawa was on the hook for the bonus.

The First 24+ Hours Of Free Agency:

11:15: The Sedin Twins resign with Vancouver at $6.1 each for five years. Looks like the Twins took a hometown discount to stay in a place where they appear to be most comfortable…

12:20: Tampa Bay signs D Mattias Ohlund (Vancouver) for seven years at $3.75/year. Seven years? He’s already 32 years old; by the time the Lightning pay off this deal, Ohlund will be a grandfather…Even though he’s being brought in to mentor Hedman, the terms are insane.

12:47 Florida re-signs Radek Dvorak. 2 years @ 1.7/yr.
1:14 Toronto Maple Leafs sign Colton Orr 4yrs@$1M/yr. The price for enforcers just went through the roof.

1:46 David Booth resigns with Florida, 6yr@$4.25/yr. 31 goals last year, a great haul for a kid on the rise. Now, if Booth got 4.25, how much is Kessel looking for?

1:55 Marian Hossa (Detroit) signs with Chicago 12 (that’s right, 12) yrs@$5.2M/yr. Dale Tallon ought to be committed for making this stunningly idiotic deal. Maybe Hossa pays big dividends in the first 2-3 years, but after that, it’s a 9-10 year millstone for the Hawks. By the time the deal pays off, either Hossa will be using a walker or Chicago will be eating an obscene amount of money in dead cap space. Right now, Chicago has four young studs (Kane, Toews, Seabrook and Barker) who are RFA’s. How do they hope to retain their future stars while blasting a bazooka-sized hole in their cap?

2:09 Defenseman Matt Walker (Chicago) signs with Tampa Bay 4yrs@1.7M/yr. So far, this signing represents the best value of the day. The Lightning got a steady defensive presence in combination with Ohlund that improves the team significantly.

2:09 Goalie Ty Conklin (Detroit) signs with St. Louis 2 YRS@$1.3m/yr. Another nice value signing by the Blues.

2:26 Dwayne Roloson (Edmonton) signed with Islanders 2 yrs@$2.5/yr. This is an OK move, as Roloson will be adequate veteran insurance for DiPietro.

2:32 Tomas Kopecky (Detroit) signs with Chicago 2 yrs@$1.2M/yr. Now, this was a nice depth move for the ‘Hawks, getting a solid two-way center ice man at great value.

2:44 Steve Montador (Boston) signs with Buffalo 2 yr@1.55M/yr. Good for him, as he wasn’t going to get that kind of coin from the Bruins. He came to Boston at the trade deadline and played his heart out for the team; he’s just not that good enough a player to warrant a two-year multimillion-dollar commitment.

2:55 Former Bruin Mike Knuble (Philadelphia) signs with Washington 2 yr@$2.8M/yr. This is a great pick up for the Caps, as Knuble gives them a tough presence in the corners with a scorer’s touch.

2:56 Tough guy Donald Brashear (Washington) signs with NY Rangers 2 yr@$1.4M/yr.
Wow! The price for enforcers just keeps getting higher and higher.

3:11 Scott Niedermayer stays with Anaheim, 1yr@6M. No surprise here.

4:07: Nikolai Khabibulin (Chicago) signs with Edmonton 4yr@$3.75M/yr. This was a pretty good deal for both sides as the Oil gets a very good goaltender at a good price and “The Bulin Wall” gets another long term deal.

4:26 Erik Cole stays in Carolina 2yr@$2.9M/yr. A smart move for both sides.

4:46 Hal Gill (Pittsburgh) signs with Montréal, 2yr@$2.25M/yr. Good for Hal Gill. It’s always nice to see a local guy do well. First a Stanley Cup ring and now a great contract. It’s hard to say what he’ll bring to the table beyond size and grit, and his salary represents a bit of an overpayment but it sure looks like Gainey is blowing things up…

5:32 Mike Cammalleri (Calgary) signs with Montréal, 5yr@$6m/yr. Cammalleri’s a nice pickup for Habs as he’s a proven and reliable goalscorer, but the terms are a bit steep for a smallish forward who’ll get banged around a lot playing in the East.

5:43: BRUINS resign RFA BYRON BITZ to a two-year deal (terms undisclosed). It was no surprise that Bitz was the first of the three RFA’s to sign. He came up from Providence mid-season and stuck as a result of his size and tenacity. He was a later round draft pick a few years ago from Cornell who represents great value on the wing provided that his development progresses.

5:55 Defenseman Mike Komisarek (Montreal) signs with Toronto 5yr@$4.5M/yr. Burke overpaid terribly on this deal, as Komisarek may be a gritty player, but he has a reputation for being dirty and not the greatest defender in his end.

6:09 BRUINS sign Steve Begin (Dallas) 1 yr @$850K. This will prove to be controversial as when Begin played for Montreal, Bruins fans regarded him as a dirty, cheap-shot artist. Maybe he’ll be a big hit in Boston. He has “sandpaper” in his game, a factor that Chiarelli & Co. seem intent on emphasizing this off-season and he comes cheap. He will fill the Stephane Yelle’s spot on the fourth line, only with 200% more intensity. He was brought in due to his relationship with Julien, who will reinforce that Begin play with passion, not stupidity.

6:22 Samuel Pahlsson (Chicago) signs with Columbus, 3yr@$2.65M/yr. An affordable deal for a smart, seasoned puck moving defenseman; a sound move for a team that’s looking to progress.

8:19 Marian Gaborik (Minnesota) signs with NY Rangers, 5yr@$7.5M/yr. This deal is typical of the “Big Splash” moves Rangers make at the start of free agency every year. If Gaborik can stay healthy, he brings one of the league’s best scoring touches to bear and make Rangers one of the favorites coming out of the East. But the problem with this guy has always been injuries.

8:42 Brian Gionta (New Jersey) signs with Montreal, 5 yr@$5M/yr. Another intriguing move by Gainey, getting Gomez’ former line mate in yet another long term deal for big bucks. Gionta’s a nice player who fit perfectly with New Jersey for years, it’s hard to say how well another smallish forward will work with the Habs.

8:43 Chris Neil stays in Ottawa, 4yr@2M/yr. Whether he’s on the ice or in the penalty box, the Sens are paying dearly for their enforcer.

9:03 John Madden (New Jersey) signs with Chicago, 1 yr@$2.75M/yr. A good signing by the ‘Hawks, as they get a veteran “glue guy” at a fair price.

9:26 Fredrik Sjostrom (NY Rangers) signs with Calgary, 2 yr@$750K/yr. This was a great value signing by the Flames as they pick up a smart, skilled forward at a very affordable price.

11:10 Martin Havlat (Chicago) signs with Minnesota, 6 yr@$5M/yr. This is an awfully big commitment for a guy who’s had a history of injuries. He became expendable when Chicago signed Hossa and essentially replaces Gaborik as the Wild’s top scoring threat, but it’s too much money and too lengthy of a deal.

July 2:

10:48: Mark Recchi resigns with Boston, 1 yr@$1M. Re-signing Recchi was a great move for the B’s. He came at the trade deadline last year and brought a veteran’s presence and a scorer’s touch (10 G in 18 GM). Regardless of age, his willingness to play hard in the corners and in front of the net will be of great benefit to the B’s next year.

11:37 Nik Antropov (NY Rangers) signs with Atlanta, 4 yr @$4M/yr. What a unwise use of resources by the Thrashers. Antropov is a stiff who failed in stints with Toronto and New York. This is like throwing money down a sink hole for a guy who tantalizes on occasion but fails to deliver the goods on a regular basis.

1:45 Karlis Skrastins (Florida) signs with Dallas, 2 yr @$1.375M/yr. Ehhh…

2:46: Toronto resigns Mikhail Grabovski, 3 yr@2.9M/yr. If anything, this signing ought to represent the low end of whatever and wherever Kessel signs for. Grabovski had a decent year with 20 goals and appears to be a good fit for the future in Toronto.

Up next for the B’s will be a get acquainted minicamp next week for all the incoming draft choices and other hopefuls.