The Bruins traded Marco Sturm to the Kings on Thursday. (AP)

With Thursday’s news that the Bruins have traded Marco Sturm to the Kings [UPDATE: Multiple outlets are reporting the deal is off for the time being due to health concerns], things may seem to be a bit up in the air for the Bruins. The reality is that they are just the opposite, and that things are finally calm in what was once an endless sea of questions about the team’s salary cap situation.

The Bruins first shed salary when they sent Matt Hunwick to the Avalanche on Tuesday, relinquishing the B’s of Hunwick’s $1.45 million cap hit and allowing them to activate Marc Savard when appropriate. Still, the Bruins weren’t kidding themselves by suggesting their selling off of assets was done, considering that Sturm’s $3.5 million would be back on the books once his knee was fully healed.

“We have another move to make, and we’ll leave it at that,” Peter Chiarelli said after the Hunwick trade.

It had to be a big move, and after months of speculation regarding what it may be, it’s finally been made, and the team doesn’t need to worry about the cap anymore. According to Cap Geek, the B’s are now $46,128 under the $59.4 million threshold. Here’s some quick points regarding Sturm’s dealing.

- After all the speculation that Michael Ryder would be the odd man out when Savard and Sturm returned, Ryder is sticking around. It seemed a logical line of thinking that given his $4 million price tag, a trade or demotion to the AHL for Ryder might be the cleanest move for the Bruins, as it would solve their cap woes without too many pieces having to move around.

Quite frankly, Ryder deserved to stay, and the Bruins are better off for having chosen to keep him over Sturm. He’s third on the team in goals with six, and more importantly, he has perhaps been — surprisingly or not — the best asset for Tyler Seguin. The latest case of their work together was on display Wednesday night when Ryder set up Seguin’s first-period goal on a 2-on-1.

While it may seem a bit odd to think the Bruins, who struggled so mightily to score goals a season ago, would be wise to get rid of the guy who led them in goals in 2009-10, Sturm is too big an unknown at this point. From all indications, he’s still a few weeks from being able to play in games, and the Bruins have gotten enough out of guys like Ryder and Blake Wheeler that of the three, that Sturm was the most expendable. It will be interesting to see how his knees hold up, as he’s had major surgery on each of them.

- Put the kibosh on all of that Seguin World Juniors Championships talk. The team could have temporarily been given some cap relief with Seguin spending Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Buffalo, but there’s no longer a need for that. With Sturm gone, they would benefit in exactly zero ways from letting Seguin play in the WJC.

- There goes the proof of the Joe Thornton trade happening (well, based on the initial members of the deal, at least). Sturm was the last player remaining of the package the Bruins received from the Sharks in exchange for Thornton. The Bruins also got Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau in the deal for the center and former B’s captain.