The Bruins had plans to be active in the trade market throughout the offseason, and as anyone who’s seen their current cap situation could infer, they would have been in far better shape had they been able to move contracts out as they brought new ones in. Yet in all their moves thus far, they’ve crept closer and closer to that $59.4 million cap ceiling with moves still left to be made.

Dennis Wideman and Nathan Horton‘s annual cap hits were essentially a wash, with Horton ($4 million) making slightly more, but the $1.1 million Gregory Campbell will earn in each of the next two seasons, in addition to multiple re-signings made by the Bruins, has left the team looking at just over $500,000 to sign both Blake Wheeler and Tyler Seguin, neither of which could be had for such cheap money.

Though the Bruins clearly are in a predicament, it’s tough to blame them. In fact, it could be argued that they have actually done the best with the situation the offseason has put them in, with free agency in particular preventing them from potentially making a deal they may be interested in.

Though Ilya Kovalchuk has gotten plenty of attention for still not having signed a deal, the fact of the matter is that the high-scoring winger is not alone is prolonged free agent status. Alexander Frolov, Lee Stempniak, Marty Turco, Paul Kariya and Maxim Afinogenov are just a few of the big names that remain on the market 20 days into free agency.

As a result, general manager Peter Chiarelli said last week to expect the Bruins to be “relatively quiet” as they wrap up Wheeler and Seguin. This means that anyone who has been strung along by each murmur of a rumored deal including Marc Savard or Tim Thomas may be disappointed. Read the rest of this entry »

…Yikes. It appears that’s what NHL.com thinks. The league’s website put together a few videos of what it deemed the top fights of last season that it had on Tuesday, and it led off with the scuffle between Bruins tough guy Shawn Thornton and Matt Cooke of the Penguins in the ultra-disappointing March 18 3-0 loss at the Garden.

The game was one that Bruins fans had on their calander as the day the Bruins would exact revenge on Cooke and the Penguins for taking center Marc Savard out of the equation with this dirty hit to the head, one that was deemed legal by head NHL disciplinarian and now father of a Bruin Colin Campbell (Gregory Campbell is his son). Read the rest of this entry »

The offseason has been full of trade rumors for the Bruins, with center Marc Savard and his $4 million cap hit getting plenty of attention. Though the team has made offensive improvements by acquiring Nathan Horton and Tyler Seguin, would moving Savard be in the team’s best interest? Vote here.

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TSN’s Bob McKenzie has tweeted that a deal between the Bruins and Flames involving a straight swap of Marc Savard and Calgary defenseman Robyn Regehr is “a serious consideration for both teams.”

Like many of the Savard rumors to come up in recent days, the deal wouldn’t seem to accomplish the perceived Bruins’ goal to cut costs while also improving the team. Regehr makes slightly more than Savard per year (both make just over $4 million per year). Additionally, both players have provisions in their contracts that would allow them to squash the deal.

It’s worth noting that Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli did say the team could be in the market for another defenseman, but keep in mind a deal for Mark Stuart has yet to be wrapped up.

The Bruins have been incredibly busy this offseason, hogging the transactions log with their re-signings (Shawn Thornton, Dennis Seidenberg, Johnny Boychuk, Mark Recchi), a major trade for Nathan Horton, and making the second overall pick in last week’s NHL draft.

In the process, they’ve tacked on more money to an already tight salary cap situation. The inflator clause to raise the cap to $59.4 million helped some, but when considering the raises to Seidenberg ($1 million) and Boychuk ($1.375 million), potential arbitration cases for Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart, and a deal to be done for Tyler Seguin, it’s no wonder general manager Peter Chiarelli has been speaking like someone who doesn’t seem set on being a player when free agency opens on Thursday.

“We’re going to work the trade market,” Chiarelli said Tuesday. “We’re not going out and signing anyone unless 1. We have someone we really want and/or we have the cap space. Right now we don’t really have the cap space to go out and sign a big deal, but that could happen.

“We could make a trade and there could be cap space, but that doesn’t mean we have someone in mind. We’ve got a list. The list is small and in the event we do enter it, unlikely.”

Everyone has heard the rumors involving Marc Savard and Tim Thomas, but as is the team has just $5.40 million in cap space, with the aforementioned players (Wheeler, Stuart, Seguin), Daniel Paille, and Gregory Campbell still to be accounted for. It would appear that they would be pressed for cash even when trying to hold onto their own guys, let alone bring in outside help. They already moved Vladimir Sobotka rather than paying the restricted free agent, but could Wheeler be next?

Many speculated that Wheeler could have been moved to the Oilers in a deal that could have secured the Bruins Taylor Hall, but those rumors were debunked when the fact that the Oilers’ plan was to get both Hall and Seguin came to light last Friday.

If the Bruins try to shed one of their current players’ deals, they might not be able to do so without getting very little talent in return, which could be counterproductive to their chase for a Cup. With the exception of perhaps Savard, none of their bigger contracts are completely desirable for other teams to take on. If they move Thomas’ $5 million, they run a big risk with whichever player they try to sign with the freed money, as history suggests Tuukka Rask hasn’t been a No. 1 goalie long enough for the team to feel completely comfortable without another big-time netminder.

As for moving Savard, you’d have to think the Bruins have seen enough of a shakeup in their offense without potentially offsetting whatever upgrade it got with the addition of Horton. The “he’s not a Neely type of player” talk might quiet down once the two play together.

Chiarelli said Wednesday that the team could look for another defenseman and a third goaltender, both of which would likely be low-cost options (especially the latter). He hinted on Thursday when appearing on Dennis & Callahan that “you might see a couple trades,” but once again downplayed them doing much else.

The Bruins are by no means done when it comes to building the ’10-’11 team. They may even steal a some more headlines in the next few days. Just don’t expect them to be with free agent signings.

BOSTON — Here are the highlights of Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli‘s session with reporters following the Tyler Seguin/Nathan Horton press conference:

- Though the Bruins didn’t tender restricted free agent Daniel Paille a qualifying offer, the two sides are still “moving towards a deal.” Since the team didn’t tender the winger, they cannot sign him until free agency begins on July 1.

“Every year there’s some players that aren’t qualified,” Chiarelli said. “We didn’t qualify Dan Paille but we’re moving towards a deal. Part of it is once you qulify him, they have the right to arbitration, so that number could be hazardous. I’m not saying that’s the case with Daniel, but that’s sometimes what happens. … That’s just part of negotiating and positioning and whatnot.”

- Marc Savard has not asked to be traded and Chiarelli was brief in his answers regarding potentially moving the center to free up cap space. He added that the new media has been overwhelming with some of the rumors they’ve come up with but that the Bruins continue to think very highly of Savard.

“I still think he’s an elite offensive player,” Chiarelli said. “Nothing’s changed in that regard.”

- The deadline for filing for salary arbitration is July 5. Both Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart are eligible, but after meeting with agent Matt Keator, who represents both players, while in Los Angeles, Chiarelli doesn’t know whether either will file.

“I’m not sure,” Chiarelli said. “I hope not.”

- It seems anyone expecting a notable free agent signing will be disappointed. The team will continue to look for upgrades via trade.

“We’re going to work the trade market,” Chiarelli said. “We’re not going out and signing anyone unless 1. We have someone we really want and/or we have the cap space. Right now we don’t really have the cap space to go out and sign a big deal but that could happen. We could make a trade and there could be cap space, but that doesn’t mean we have someone in mind. We’ve got a list. The list is small and in the event we do enter it, unlikely.”

Chiarelli did note that the team will look for a third goaltender and also peruse the defenseman market in free agency.

- Steve Begin and Miroslav Satan are both players in what Chiarelli calls the “secondary market.” The team will pursue other options before potentially negotiating with them.

- The Bruins, who Chiarelli said had been targeting Horton for two and a half years, wanted to get a Horton deal done before the draft. As it turned out, it was the draft pick they parted with (No. 15 overall) that got the deal done.

“I know that was a turning point from Florida’s perspective,” Chiarelli said. “There was another team — there were a few other teams in there — but there was another team that had a pick that was close to 15, but ours was higher.

“It was good to get that deal out of the way, and to add a potential impact player like Tyler is good,” Chiarelli added. “We’ve added one definite top-three forward, and who’s to know what Tyler will become in the short term? We know what he’ll become in the long term.”

- Chiarelli had a good quip when asked whether Seguin wearing Joe Thornton‘s old No. 19 was significant, saying, “I guess. You guys can make it significant.”

“I don’t think there’s any overt attempt to outdo Joe,” he added on a more serious note.

Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke shot down speculation that the team is trying to make a deal with Boston to reunite Phil Kessel with current Bruins center Marc Savard.

“The rumor – what I read anyway – is that Boston is looking to move this player,” Burke told Fan 590 radio in Toronto. “We have some options presented to us over the weekend, trade wise, that do not involve this player (Savard) that we are looking at.”

Savard has been rumored to be on the block as of late. His contract includes a no-trade clause, but rumors have continued to swirl, including a report that he had waived the no-trade clause for a potential move to Toronto.

“Suffice it to say, the media are focused on one name,” Burke said. “And we are looking at multiple names – not including Marc Savard.”

Burke also stressed that he will not move defenseman Tomas Kaberle “unless we get exactly what we need as an upgrade at forward.” TSN first caught wind of Burke’s comments.

UPDATE: 5:54 — ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun has tweeted that a source in the Leafs organization has told him the team has not “ever” spoken to the Bruins about Savard.