(Photo credit: Brian Babineau)
When Peter Chiarelli announced the three-year entry-level signing of the second overall pick in this year's draft, Tyler Seguin, yesterday, the team continued to go over the $54.9 million cap ceiling for the 2010-11 NHL season. However there's no need to fret, as the general manager of the Black-and-Gold organization has a grasp on the situation while filing a Stanley Cup-contending team.
There are currently 22 Bruins players who are signed and ready-to-go for this upcoming season; all looking for redemption after their historical seven-game collapse against the Philadelphia Flyers last May.
Marco Sturm, the Bruins leading goal-scorer (22 goals) during last year's regular season, will remain out of the Bruins' lineup until mid-to-late November as he rehabs his surgically repaired ACL/MCL. Placing the 32-year-old forward on long-term injury (LTIR) will allow Boston to temporarily wipe his $3.5 million salary off of the cap until he's ready to return to the lineup.
“We’re over the cap. But we also have a player, Marco Sturm, who we’ll put on Long-Term Injury. So at some point we’d have to make some changes when Marco’s ready to come back" said Chiarelli during a conference call after the announcement of Seguin's signing. "But that’s the reason why you have long-term injury that you can go in excess of the cap and see how your team unfolds while the other player(s) is rehabbing and recuperating.
"“Right now we can ice a team with 13-14 players [forwards] 7 D [defensemen] and 2 goalies' as it stands putting Marco Sturm on LTIR. So right now we don’t have to do anything, really, but we may still do something."
So even though the Bruins are roughly $3.08 million over the cap, come opening night (October 9 in Prague against the Phoenix Coyotes) the team will be back under with a little bit more breathing room.
Among the 13 forwards, minus Sturm, on the Bruins tentative 2010-11 roster, two new faces will join Seguin at this year's training camp in September -- Nathan Horton and Greg Campbell -- who came from Florida when the Bruins shipped defenseman Dennis Wideman to the Panthers last month. The rest will all be returning familiar faces.
But that all-important 13th spot still remains open come September's training camp. Especially with Vladimir Sobotka now in St. Louis, young prospects such as Joe Colborne and Jordan Caron -- and up-and-down Brad Marchand -- will have a fighting chance to crack the Bruins lineup.
"It's a roster that I'm very happy with right now. There are some spots for young players to earn spot. You're never done with your roster." said Chiarelli. "And I can't say definitively that we're done with it. So there's always things that crop up. We just saw a Stanley Cup winning goalie [Antti Niemi] become available on the free market. So things happen, things crop up. It's never done until the opening day roster's filed.
"Things come up and you’re never filing your final roster until you file your final roster; you’re never going to have a final roster" said Chiarelli. "This thing's a working document so to speak. Opportunities come across my deck that you look at. What I do know is that we have the ability [right now] to ice a team — and a good team — and if that’s all we do between now and the start of opening camp I’ll be very happy."
So as it stands right now, the Bruins' salary-cap situation should be fine until Sturm is able to return. One player who the majority of Bruins backers have disowned while pleading for his departure, Michael Ryder seems to be safe in Boston...so far. A buyout of the 31-year-old disappointing winger would see his $4 million salary (in the final year of his contract) be reduced to $1.67 million for each of the next two season.
Although no names were mentioned (not that there had to be), Chiarelli still stands tall with his roster and emphasized that, despite their buyout window, he has no plans to exercise it.
“We’re not doing any buyouts. I think our window is still open but we’re not doing any buyouts.”
Sorry Bruins fans, but it looks like we'll see No. 73 for one more season...for now.
Follow Mark on Twitter and over at The Hub of Hockey.net
Comments
What if they want to bring up someone like Joe Colborne? Aren't they slightly hamstrung unless they make a move? Basically, they can't do anything without dropping someone.
And I'm not sure Ryder is safe. There has been speculation the Bruins could stash him and his money in Providence...
-Sean
Sean,
Not so sure the Jacobs would want to pay $4 million to a guy to help out their AHL affiliate. Although it goes against the cap, in reality, it's real money.
As far as Colborne: yes. They will need to clear some cap space to keep a 13th forward on their roster until Sturm comes back. Per capgeek.com, the Bruins will have just under $500,000 of cap room to A. keep a 13th forward on their roster B. after placing Sturm on the LTIR.
And don't forget one huge piece of info here: capgeek.com has $3.75 million cap-hit for Seguin when that isn't entirely true. There's a buffer that applies 7.5% of the bonuses towards next year's cap until he meets them (which he will) just like Tuukka RAsk last year.
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