The Boston Bruins have signed restricted free agent Blake Wheeler to the $2.2 Million tender he was awarded in his arbitration case.
Now the Bruins have a short window of time to perhaps buy-out RW Michael Ryder because they are just over the cap.
Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli has until Saturday morning to decide if he will use the buy out option. The league gives each NHL team 48 hours to buy out a player after accepting an arbitration award.
Peter Chiarelli did say earlier this summer that he would not be buying any player out, but he could always change his mind. Ryder looks like he would be the player bought out if someone was bought out, but with Marco Sturm out until mid November the Bruins will have some cap relief.
If the Bruins cannot trade Ryder or they do not send him to Providence to start the season, one option would be play Ryder until Sturm gets back from the LTIR (Long Term Injured Reserve).
Once Sturm is back, if Ryder is playing well the Bruins could look to trade him. If he is not playing well they may not find a suitor for Ryder, and opt to send Ryder to Providence for the remainder of the season. Sending Ryder to Providence would clear his cap from the Bruins salary cap. There does not appear to be a trade market for Ryder at this time.
Although if Chiarelli finds a team willing to take a chance on Ryder maybe he can move him in the off-season. Will someone take Ryder for a 7th round pick? Would the Bruins trade Ryder and a 6th rounder for a 7th rounder?
According to James Murphy, of ESPN Boston, the LA Kings have interest in Bruins pivot Marc Savard. Savard has been the Bruins number one center since coming onto the scene in 06-07.
LA may also have interest in Bruins defensemen Mark Stuart and Matt Hunwick.
It is no doubt the Bruins are best if they can hold on to Marc Savard, but the Bruins are desperate to clear cap space. Tyler Seguin still has not been signed, and unless they can make room for Seguin he could end up back in juniors. That is unlikely but still a possibility as long as the Bruins are in these cap problems.
Tim Thomas for Simon Gagne is no longer out there with Gagne going to Tampa in the aftermath of the rejected Ilya Kovalchuk signing by NJ. The market for Thomas appears dead.
Thomas is still on Boston’s trading block, but he is coming off off-season hip surgery so the market is weak for Tim Thomas. If he starts the season with the Bruins though, the Bruins may be able to move Thomas to a team like Washington who has been having goalie problems the past few seasons. So Thomas could be in a similar situation as Michael Ryder, get your value up and trade...
I really do not feel the Bruins make any moves until the season starts.
When the Bruins take the ice in Europe to start next season I expect this line up:
Lucic-Savard-Horton
Seguin-Bergeron-Recchi
Wheeler/Caron-Krejci-Ryder/Wheeler
Paille-Campbell-Thornton
-Marchand (extra)
note: If the Bruins are able to move Michael Ryder, expect to see 2009 1st round pick Jordan Caron on the roster. Caron will fight for a roster spot with other prospects such as: Max Sauve, Zach Hamill, Joe Colborne, and Brad Marchand at the foward positions.
Chara-Seidenberg
Ferrence-Boychuck
Hunwick-Stuart
-Alexandrov (extra)
note: Bruins rookie Yuri Alexandrov could challenge for a roster spot, or could end up in Providence to start the season. Alexandrov played in the Russian KHL last season.
Rask
Thomas
note: Thomas will probably start the season with the Bruins. He is in a similar boat as Ryder, get his value up and try to move him. If he plays well though and for some reason Tuukka Rask is struggling the Bruins may opt to hold on to the starting job.
Cheers,
Rich
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