209 replies to this topic

[ThreeIfBaerga]

Signing Chara would be a great acquistion and I'd really like to watch him play night in and night out. The only time I saw him in person was when he played for the Lowell Lockmonsters. He was a truly imposing figure out there.

He had over 200 shots last season and I was actually shocked to see he had 16 goals in each of the last two seasons.

Interesting how he had a minus 27 in 2000-2001 with the Islanders and then the next season with the Sens, he wound up with a +30. Goes to show you how the +/- system can't be taken too seriously to gauge player performance.

Any ideas how much it would take to land him?

[SoxScout]

Pretty much the max. This thread suggests 3/24.

Zdeno Chara: With Nicklas Lidstrom, Wade Redden and Bryan McCabe all re-signed by their current clubs, Chara is now the best available UFA defenseman.

The Maple Leafs, Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Phoenix Coyotes are among those believed interested in him, but the big blueliner won't come cheap. He spurned the Senators' latest offer (believed similar to Redden's two-year, $13 million contract) and could command between $7-8 million per season.

FoxSports

From that same link (it lists all the good FA's):

Brendan Shanahan: There should be considerable interest in Shanahan, particularly given the strong numbers he posted last season.

One team with considerable interest could be the Canadiens, who have been rumored to be on his short list of destinations, but it's believed the Boston Bruins may be topping that list, especially now that former Wings coach Dave Lewis is the Bruins new bench boss.

Edited by SoxScout, 30 June 2006 - 08:31 PM.

[SoxScout]

The B’s did not buy out the remaining two years and $8.2 million on injured center Alexei Zhamnov’s pact, a move that would cost them $5.46 million over four years.
 
Zhamnov, who badly broke his ankle, will receive all $12.3 million of his money for the one goal he scored last season, thanks to a standard NHL insurance policy that protects teams against career-ending injuries. His money will not count against the B’s cap.

    “We don’t think he’s going to play again,” interim general manager Jeff Gorton said. “His doctors and our doctors are telling us the ankle hasn’t gotten any better.”

http://bruins.boston...rticleid=146439

[Eddie Jurak]

The Maple Leafs, Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Phoenix Coyotes are among those believed interested in him, but the big blueliner won't come cheap. He spurned the Senators' latest offer (believed similar to Redden's two-year, $13 million contract) and could command between $7-8 million per season.

But how many of those teams have the money to make that kind of offer? The Rangers would need to have 6-7 minimum salary guys to afford Chara - five of their top 7 scorers from last year are free agents, and they were aleady at the cap.

Will Anaheim want to spend $14-15 million per year (one third of their salary cap) on two defensemen?

Can the Sharks afford two max players and not end up losing someone like Marleau?

I honestly think the Bruins have a shot at Chara because there are not many teams that can afford to compete for a max player.

[SoxScout]

Agree 100%, and if we get him we have one of the best defenses in the league right off the bat.

[NHsoxfan4]

Chara signs with the Kings, per Toronto 590. Update, they say the paperwork "isn't quite complete" yet, not official at the moment.

Who's next? McKee? Mitchell? Jovocop?

Shanahan would be a good get at 2/6, that's probably what he's looking for after Detroit went 2/5.5.

Edited by NHsoxfan4, 01 July 2006 - 01:46 PM.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Extremely disappointing news about Chara.

Right now I'd think Jovo and Pronger would be next on the list.

The Bruins can't fuck around here, they need an impace defenseman badly.

[A Red Canuck]

TSN says differently:

Zdeno Chara's days with Ottawa Senators are over, as the giant defenceman signed with the Boston Bruins.

Chara elected to test the market as an unrestricted free agent after rejecting the Senators' last contract offer on Friday. The Senators locked up defenceman Wade Redden with a two-year $13 million US deal just a day earlier.


Link

[SoxScout]

Sportsnet.ca --The Boston Bruins have pulled off the day's first big shocker by signing arguably the most sought after defenceman on the free-agent market.

Sources tell Sportsnet the Bruins have signed Zdeno Chara to a five-year deal at $7.5 million per season.

It is widely believed the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers were also very much in the running.

Chara jumps teams within the Northeast Division, which won't make the Senators or fans in Ottawa very happy.

Wooo

Edited by SoxScout, 01 July 2006 - 02:16 PM.

[NHsoxfan4]

How the hell does Chara jump from the Kings to Bs so quickly? Bad reporting, but anyway, YES

Great to see. They had the room to spend, Gorton said the one thing they'd push the max for is a franchise defenseman.

FWIW Kubina to Toronto and Jovocop to Phoenix is the word now, so the B's sure jumped on the premium talent before the next level below was gone.

Edited by NHsoxfan4, 01 July 2006 - 02:39 PM.

[NHsoxfan4]

http://www.tsn.ca/ne...y.asp?id=170214

Centre Marc Savard has a new home for the 2006-07 season, signing a five-year $20 million contract with the Boston Bruins.

Savard, 28, became an unrestricted free agent on Saturday after a career season with the Atlanta Thrashers where he scored 28 goals and 97 points.

The former Oshawa General has played in seven NHL seasons with the Thrashers, Calgary Flames and New York Rangers, scoring 133 goals and 401 points in 503 games.

More to follow.

what???

Any more surprises? New management is coming out with a bang. Now one of Boyes and Bergeron can play back at wing. Savard probably takes the place of a Shanny unless the Bs somehow dump Murray.

Edited by NHsoxfan4, 01 July 2006 - 02:43 PM.

[NHsoxfan4]

Also, Jovo got 6.5 mil over 5 years, Kubina 5 mil over 4 years, I'd gladly take Chara for 7.5 and 5 years compared to those two.

And Savard gets 5 years, $4 mil per? Great deals.

*Chara apparently gets a no-trade clause too.

Edited by NHsoxfan4, 01 July 2006 - 02:49 PM.

[BoSox24]

Great day for us Bruin fans. We certainly deserve it.

Chara is clearly the best defenseman on the market and will play 25 minutes a night, can shut down top players and dramatically imroves special teams.

Savard gives us our #2 (perhaps 1a) center that solidifies the two top lines.

Great signings so far. I dont expect much else. Use the rest of the cash to sign the kids long term and save something for a deadline move.

[NHsoxfan4]

The Leafs just signed Hal Gill to a three year deal. First Rask, then they go for Gill.

If this doesn't prove JFJ shouldn't be an NHL GM, I don't know what will.

[slidingsideways]

Great news about Chara and Savard. I'm already psyched for next season.

Edit: aw, goodbye and good luck, Hal. I had a strange affection for Gill. I won't miss him on D, but part of me is sorry he's gone. God, I would make a lousy hockey manager.

Edited by slidingsideways, 01 July 2006 - 03:10 PM.

[Cha Cha the first DH]

The Leafs just signed Hal Gill to a three year deal. First Rask, then they go for Gill.

If this doesn't prove JFJ shouldn't be an NHL GM, I don't know what will.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That may be better news than the signing of Charra and Savard!

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Holy crap, we did get Chara! Great great news!

And Gill's gone to boot! Oh happy day!

[NHsoxfan4]

Gill's getting $2.1 mil per year. Kubina AND Gill would cost the same as Chara. How could you prefer the first two? Oh wait, that's who the Leafs just got.

The bostonbruins.com press release has Savard as a 4-year contract, which I like better, but I don't know if its 4/20 or 4/16, heard both as possibilities.

Chara throwing down McCabe

[Dick Pole Upside]

D pairings:

Chara/Mara
Stuart/Stuart
Alberts/Jurcina
Tanabe?

I like the alliteration and snarl. Chara, M. Stuart, Alberts provide the snarl... Mara and B. Stuart provide the offens©e.

Bergeron/Boyes/Sturm
Savard/Murray/?
Primeau/Axelsson/?
Statsny/?/?

Karsums/Krecj/Kalus/Kessel to help fill in the blanks, plus 1-2 more grit guys... okay.

It's Called (Somethings) Bruin

[DaveJstice]

D pairings:

Chara/Mara
Stuart/Stuart
Alberts/Jurcina
Tanabe?

I like the alliteration and snarl. Chara, M. Stuart, Alberts provide the snarl... Mara and B. Stuart provide the offens©e.

Bergeron/Boyes/Sturm
Savard/Murray/?
Primeau/Axelsson/?
Statsny/?/?

Karsums/Krecj/Kalus/Kessel to help fill in the blanks, plus 1-2 more grit guys...  okay.

It's Called (Somethings) Bruin   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I like your lines. I like both signings today. I don't know how much the B's think about Kessel playing this year, other than the rumblings about the B's though he could this year on draft day.

Personally, if the money is right (aka cheap) I'd like to see them make a run at the newly released Bill Guerin. I'd love to see him back in Boston.

[DourDoerr]

Fantastic news - it almost tempts me to get the hockey package again. Chara is exactly what's been missing since Bouques' heyday. He has the size of Gill (actually more) except he hits like the Mack truck we all wanted Gill to be. Neely behind the blue lines. It's a steep price, but it beats giving up talent AND cap space in, say, a Pronger trade.The combination of Hannu and a stable Thomas (w/ Rask in the wings) and a very solid blueline should go a long, long way to righting the ship.

The Savard signing is clearly an overpayment, but they had to do something to replace a lot of Thornton's production. His numbers should drop, due to the new presumed pairing (it's not as explosive), but he's still a quality player and he's right in his prime. Good signing - brings some legitimacy and balances the defense w/ some badly needed offense. Great day.

[Eddie Jurak]

Personally, if the money is right (aka cheap) I'd like to see them make a run at the newly released Bill Guerin. I'd love to see him back in Boston.

At this point, I think their priority needs to be signing Bergeron and Boyes. They only have ~$10 million left to spend, and there is no free agent left on the market who is more important than getting Bergeron and Boyes signed, in camp, and happy.

As far as lines go, Phil Kessel has been compared to Ilya Kovalchuk. With Kovalchuk's center a Bruin now, I think Kessel is likely to play with Savard if he makes the team. If they go with all of their scorers on the top two lines, I'd expect something like:

1: Savard/Kessel/Sturm
2: Bergeron/Murray/Boyes

Sturm's speed makes him a better fit with Kessel and Savard than Murray or Boyes would be.

Edited by Eddie Jurak, 01 July 2006 - 05:19 PM.

[jacklamabe65]

I would love to see a B's turnaround. Frankly, this board gives too much love to a team that doesn't deserve it these days - the Celtics.

Despite the fact that the NHL has self-destructed, we all know that hockey is a better game than basketball.

[BoSox24]

I would love to see a B's turnaround.  Frankly, this board gives too much love to a team that doesn't deserve it these days - the Celtics. 

Despite the fact that the NHL has self-destructed, we all know that hockey is a better game than basketball. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well said on all points!

Don't be shocked to see Shannahan in the fold at some point as well.

If they can lock up Bergeron, Boyes, Hannu and extend Stuart and Sturm this team is going to be very, very good over the next 5 years.

Lots of good skating, high hockey IQ types making their way through the system along with a potentially dynamic superstar in Phil Kessel. Top it off with an infinitely more proactive management group and things have certainly turned themselves around for the B's.

[BigMike]

This should be the best defense the Bruins have had since Brad Park retired.

Chara is not Ray Bourque, but he is a legitimate #1 D-man, probably top 5 in the game. Brad Stuart immediately becomes the best #2 D-man the Bruins have had since Park. Mara, Alberts, Jurcina, M Stuart are all solid defensemen who each bring unique and complementary skills to the game. The defense has some real toughness, and some real offensive firepower.

Savard is a bit of a gamble, but I assume he is being brought in to be the triggerman for Murray in the short term, and then Kessel in the long run. He has shown himself to be a gifted offensive player and one of the best triggermen in the NHL

EJ, I think Murray makes more sense than Sturm as the wingman for Kessel and Savard. Like or hate Murray, he did actually work harder last year than he ever did before, and he can be more of a grinder type than Sturm. If you play Kessel and Savard together you are going to need someone who plays some defense, and someone who is actually wiling to go into the corners and get the puck.

Maybe in the long run Murray gets dealt somewhere for someone who is more of a natural grinder for that line. They really just need a Brendan Morrow type to finish this off, but they don't have that so it will be Murray in that role for the time being

[redsoxstiff]

I will now reawaken my interest in the Broons...I would start evry morning thinking that we could get Chara...Then visions of Harry would walk through my head in hobnailed boots...
BUT he is in the fold...very inerrresting...

[Quintana Daydream]

So so good....Bergeron, Boyes, Muzz, Savard, Sturm all solid top 6 forwards....can Kessel be the sixth? Someone else? Forget replacing Thornton with Savard, Bergeron was the best player on the team from wire to wire last year....Joe's contract is Zdeno's contract...that's the switcheroo....that's why the Joe trade is okay in the current cap climate...Detroit can't just go out and tack on whoever they want...the Joe trade cleared the space and Chiarelli delivered the goods....we're in great shape....

[Marbleheader]

Tremendous news. I've been impressed with the restructuring to date. I'll echo the sentiment that I want Bergeron to be taken care of long before camp opens. Having the key pieces signed and happy going into camp will be a welcome change, as will having some defense.

[Talon]

at least you Bruins fans have a team to be proud off...unlike us Avs fans

first we end up with Jose Theodore

then we lose Alex Tanguay

now Rob Blake goes to Los Angeles

can it really get any worse?

[Monbo Jumbo]

A few thoughts from the owner of a Thrashers' Savard sweater.

He's a one-way player. His penalties (7th among NHL forwards) will frustrate you. He had an extreme home/road split last year - plus 22 at home, minus 15 on the road, where he only had 9 even-strength points (2 g-7 a).

If you've got a great sniper and draw lots of penalties, he'll tally tons of points on the PP.

His point totals last year were because of his effectiveness on the PP. The Thrashers were 4th in the league in PP opportunities. The Bruins were 28th. The Bs will need to draw more penalties to put Savvy to good use.

Savard was the instigator of Atlanta's rally helmet tradition in shootouts.

I like the guy and wish him well in Boston. Clearly, the Bs moves today will sell tickets, and that's a good thing.

I think you overpaid, but I thought he'd go for more, so I don't think you badly overpaid. Also, his new training regimen seemed to really help his durability, where he played 80 games last year after a number of injury plagued years.

[Quintana Daydream]

A few thoughts from the owner of a Thrashers' Savard sweater.

He's a one-way player. His penalties (7th among NHL forwards) will frustrate you. He had an extreme home/road split last year - plus 22 at home, minus 15 on the road,  where he only  had 9 even-strength points (2 g-7 a).

If you've got a great sniper and draw lots of penalties, he'll tally tons of points on the PP.

His point totals last year were because of his effectiveness on the PP.  The Thrashers were 4th in the league in PP opportunities.  The Bruins were 28th.  The Bs will need to draw more penalties to put Savvy to good use.

Savard was the instigator of Atlanta's rally helmet tradition in shootouts.

I like the guy and wish him well in Boston.  Clearly, the Bs moves today will sell tickets, and that's a good thing.

I think you overpaid, but I thought he'd go for more, so I don't think you badly overpaid.  Also, his new training regimen seemed to really help his durability, where he played 80 games last year after a number of injury plagued years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If a team was signing Savard to be your team's best forward, I would be concerned...However, Patty B is going to continue to ascend to the top tier of talent in the league...and Kessel certainly has the skills to be there as well....Marc is part of the solution, which IMO is just fine.

[Sille Skrub]

can it really get any worse?

Well, Talon. Your team could have traded away the '05-06 MVP to San Jose.

I would love to see a B's turnaround.  Frankly, this board gives too much love to a team that doesn't deserve it these days - the Celtics. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Say what you want about the Green, but at least '86 is trying.... At this point, the C's are closer to a championship than the B's. They have an exciting collection of young talent and will contend again soon.

Great signing(s) for the B's. I'd love it for them to become relevant again. I don't know much about these guys but everything I read about Chara is exciting. This guy sounds like a monster. Good stuff.

[The Allented Mr Ripley]

At this point, the C's are closer to a championship than the B's.

I think it's tougher to win an NBA title if you're not a top team than it is to win a Stanley Cup if you're not a top team. There's more of an "anything can happen" vibe about the NHL playoffs that just doesn't exist in the NBA.

I also think it's easier for an NHL team to turn it around than an NBA team, alrhough the new NHL salary cap may change that.

Edited by The Allented Mr Ripley, 02 July 2006 - 01:01 PM.

[SoxScout]

BOSTON (AP) -The Bruins agreed to a two-year contract with unrestricted free agent right wing Shean Donovan on Sunday.

Donovan, 31, played the last two-plus NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames, and last season had nine goals and 11 assists in 80 games. He had career bests of 18 goals and 24 assists in the 2003-04 season when the Flames reached the Stanley Cup finals.

I guess the report on him is that he will be a 3rd line winger and penalty killer who has speed and will play defense.

Jeff Gorton will be in studio tonight on CBS Sports Final

Edited by SoxScout, 02 July 2006 - 05:57 PM.

[Dick Pole Upside]

Bergeron/Boyes/Sturm
Savard/Murray/Kessel? Shanahan? Guerin?
Primeau/Axelsson/Donovan
Statsny/Flotsam/Jetsom

Chara/Mara
Stuart/Stuart
Alberts/Jurcina

Starting to come together...

P.S. Is the Lars Jonssen that signed with Philly yesterday (1-year deal, I think) the Bruin draft reject?

[PedroSpecialK]

It is the same. However, we got a good compensation pick for him (#37 I believe, which became Alexandrov (just a better player than Jonsson regardless).

I agree completely with your forward configuration, with Tenkrat and an enforcer on the 4th line with Statsny (I see Karsums, Kalus, and Krejci starting out in Providence)

This is how I pair the D:

Chara/Jurcina
B. Stuart/Alberts
Mara/M. Stuart

I like the looks of this team. Sign Georges Laraque and I'm ready for the year to start.

[Quintana Daydream]

It is the same. However, we got a good compensation pick for him (#37 I believe, which became Alexandrov (just a better player than Jonsson regardless).

I agree completely with your forward configuration, with Tenkrat and an enforcer on the 4th line with Statsny (I see Karsums, Kalus, and Krejci starting out in Providence)

This is how I pair the D:

Chara/Jurcina
B. Stuart/Alberts
Mara/M. Stuart

I like the looks of this team. Sign Georges Laraque and I'm ready for the year to start.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As do I...and the Bruins are in the mix if Hannu is for real. You can flip a scenario real fast in the new NHL...if Patrice and Boyes continue to ascend, this squad is very solid....

Sille, the Celtics are light years from a title. Not saying the Bruins should get the parade route ready, but I just don't see how that team will get past the Pistons, Nets and Heat right now and the LeBron and Wade teams of the future....

[NHsoxfan4]

With Donovan now in (I like the addition, either he or Bulis should have come in for the 3rd line wing, or Alyn McCauley at 3rd center) I wonder how much is left to add a Shanahan and/or a good enforcer. Right now priority is in signing Bergeron, Boyes, and then Alberts, and on the UFA front, Shanahan is the #1 I'd think, if they don't want Kessel on the top 2 immediately.

I'm not totally sold on Primeau on the 3rd line, but he's a solid PK guy and can hit. At least scoring wise he doesn't rival the 3rd line centers because of the depth of the top teams, but he's not that bad. Donovan is pretty fast and a good forechecker, and he can put it in the net somewhat. He and Ax should look good out there with their styles, should be a pretty good PK line.

4th line I've heard Stastny and Tenkrat also, maybe an enforcer, because I'd like the rest of Special K to get a full season or so in Providence.

The defense won't be so easy to pencil in with pairings I think, at least besides the PP where Chara, Mara, BStuart, and Jurcina should be the ones, because Chara is a legitimate 30 minute a night man, so he'll be playing with different guys, probably Mara for the most part I'd imagine, and maybe alongside his countryman Jurcina too. I think the two Stuarts fit well together, but Jurcina and Alberts on even strength would share some time with the older guys as well I'd imagine.

Edited by NHsoxfan4, 02 July 2006 - 08:19 PM.

[Deathofthebambino]

As someone who had writte off the Bruins years ago, I think the Chara signing officially signals that the corner has been turned. When I saw the numbers 5/37?, I was looking all over the Globe for the story regarding the new ownership.

I'm not nearly knowledgable enough about hockey to know just how good the team is from top to bottom, but I think the getting Chara shows more of a willingness to actually field a competitive team than anything we've seen from Jacobs and Co. in a long time. For that, Jeremy may actually get me to go to a couple of games next year...

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Death, we've been saying for a while that ownership is less important in a salary-cap league. The Bruins always said they would spend to the cap.

After the disaster that was this season, the Bruins have cleaned house of the dreck (MOC, Sullivan, a bunch of shitty players), brought in a new GM and coach while keeping Gorton who was successful at his end of the job, ID'd the most important needs of the team (Chiarelli talked a month ago that they could see spending the max contract on a defenseman) and have taken actions according to those thoughts.

[NickEsasky]

I must say I am impressed with the signings especially Chara. Looks like the B's learned a lesson last year and are really trying to make an attempt to fix what was broken. They now will have some solid D and have a good mix of young offensive players to build around. I am optimistic about next year and that is a nice feeling. Growing up the Bruins were my #1 Boston team to follow until I was about 15, before the Red Sox overtook them for good.

[Eddie Jurak]

I like both signings, especially Chara, but I hope the Bruins are done with free agents now. They really do not have a lot of money left under the cap, and they do not have Brad Boyes and Patrice Bergeron signed.

Honestly, if the Chara/Savrad signings somehow result in Bergeron and/or Boyes leaving town, then they were bad moves.

[SoxScout]

Chiarelli is a cap wizard, I am sure things are all planned out and there is nothing to worry about.

[BigMike]

Chiarelli is a cap wizard, I am sure things are all planned out and there is nothing to worry about.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am sure it will be ok.

That was the thing that was my biggest gripe with Mike O'Connel, and has surprised me that never gets mentioned.

Mike flat ran out of money under the cap last season. He was forced into making the trade for Tanabe, not just because they needed a defenseman, but also because they desperately needed a little cap breathing room

[SoxScout]

A deal the Bruins could finalize by today or tomorrow is the signing of rookie free agent Chris Collins, the 5-foot-8-inch, 189-pound former Boston College left wing. As a senior in 2005-06, Collins surpassed his expectations and those of his coaches by registering 34 goals and 29 assists, becoming a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, and coming a victory short of the NCAA title. Collins amassed more points as a senior than in his first three years combined.

Collins, speaking yesterday from his family's cottage in Kingston, Ontario (where ex-Bruins coach and Canadian TV icon Don Cherry is his neighbor), said the Bruins were the first team to call Saturday when the free agency period opened.

Collins, a 22-year-old from Fairport, N.Y., also got a sniff from Ottawa but said he would rather sign with Boston. As a rookie free agent, Collins would sign a two-year, two-way contract that would pay him an AHL salary if he played in Providence.

``I'd have two years to prove myself, then re-negotiate," said Collins. ``It's good they have [Zdeno] Chara on the team. It's unbelievable. It's about time. They needed something like that. It's great they got him. It would be fun to be in Boston. That's first and foremost where I want to be."

Bruins wooing BC's Collins

[DourDoerr]

While I'm a big C's booster, I'd have to say that the Bruins are closer to a title than Pierce and Company. Much of this is due to the weight goaltending plays in the playoffs - there is no equivalent in basketball. If your goaltender gets hot, you can really make some noise. The
B's, w/ this greatly improved defense, have gone a long way to giving themselves a chance.

I'm also on board w/ making sure Bergeron and Boyes are taken care of before extending ourselves too far. They're the next cornerstones and, as much as I'd love to see Shanahan in here, that's a move you make if you're only a piece away from a title - and I doubt we're there yet. Getting these young guys in camp on time and w/out contract hassles should be a PRIORITY of the new front office. Seems like that's the smart way to increase productivity and get a read on the team's needs...

[Quintana Daydream]

While I'm a big C's booster, I'd have to say that the Bruins are closer to a title than Pierce and Company.  Much of this is due to the weight goaltending plays in the playoffs - there is no equivalent in basketball.  If your goaltender gets hot, you can really make some noise.  The
B's, w/ this greatly improved defense, have gone a long way to giving themselves a chance.

I'm also on board w/ making sure Bergeron and Boyes are taken care of before extending ourselves too far.  They're the next cornerstones and, as much as I'd love to see Shanahan in here, that's a move you make if you're only a piece away from a title - and I doubt we're there yet.  Getting these young guys in camp on time and w/out contract hassles should be a PRIORITY  of the new front office.  Seems like that's the smart way to increase productivity and get a read on the team's needs...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It seems like the Savard deal is set to expire right when the big bucks could come Bergeron's way in his mid-20s...I'm sure Chiarelli has it all planned properly, but Boyes and Bergeron can't truly break the bank for a while....

[Will78]

Donovan agrees to two-year deal

The Boston Bruins have agreed to terms with right wing Shean Donovan on a two-year contract, it was announced today by Bruins Interim General Manager Jeff Gorton. Donovan was an unrestricted free agent and terms of the contract were not released.

"Shean is a good character guy," said Gorton. “We feel he fits in well with what we are accomplishing with this team.”

Donovan, 31, enters his 12th NHL season and Boston becomes his sixth NHL team. He was drafted by San Jose as their second pick, 28th overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft and turned professional in the 1994-95 season upon completion of his four-year junior career with Ottawa of the Ontario Hockey League. He split his first three pro seasons between the Sharks and their minor league affiliates in Kansas City (IHL) and Kentucky (AHL) before a multi-player November, 1997 trade sent him to the Colorado Avalanche.

The 6'2", 200 lb. native of Timmins, Ontario went on to play for Atlanta and Pittsburgh before going to Calgary for Micki Dupon and Mathias Johansson in March, 2003. He has played the last two-plus NHL seasons with the Flames and enjoyed his best offensive NHL season with Calgary in 2003-04 when he recorded career season-highs of 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points. He added 5-5=10 totals in 24 playoff games that season as the Flames advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals where they fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a seven-game series. His career NHL totals are 94 goals and 103 assists for 197 points with 502 penalty minutes in 698 career NHL games.

http://www.bostonbru...ses.asp?id=1727

[ThreeIfBaerga]

Was just looking at the landscape of the Bruins roster as of right now:
http://sports.espn.g...roster?team=bos

If you plug Samsonov back into the LW group, you're looking a great core. Even without him, I still felt like I was looking at a team that can create a lot of offense.

I'd love to see Savard playing with Murray. Dealing to Murray is a bit different than dealing to Kovolchuk or Hossa but I think it would work well.

Perhaps the part that stood out the most when looking at the roster was the defense.
Between Chara and Alberts alone, there'll be plenty of hitting from our blueliners. Jurcina, Brad Stuart and Mara are also more than adequate back there. I'd be fine with Tanabe as the 6th d-man.

You've got Chara, Alberts and Jurcina as your stay-at-home guys and then Stuart, Mara and Tanabe as their more offensive-minded counterparts.

Chara's going to be fun to watch. Here's a few samplings of his work if you're interested:

Beating the shit out Hal Gill:


And I'll add this one simply because of the restraint he showed around the :45 mark by not crushing Vincent Lacavalier's skull in:


And he'll give you about 200 shots on net.

[ragnarok725]

Beating the shit out Hal Gill:


And I'll add this one simply because of the restraint he showed around the :45 mark by not crushing Vincent Lacavalier's skull in:


And he'll give you about 200 shots on net.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can just haer Lacavalier yelling "uncle! unnncllleee!" Christmas story style on that one. Chara could have just destroyed him. Great stuff.

I had the NHL package last year because I thought the B's were going to be worth watching, and I regretted it more and more as the season progressed. But I think what they've done this offseason is enough to rope me back in, even after that mess.