Stanley Cup winners Boston Bruins not to expect much in upcoming Free Agency
Winners of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals against Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins is not hopeful of finding any player that would really make a difference in its already championship winning team.
It certainly does not come as a surprise to most people since Bruins proved that it is truly the best team in the National Hockey League (NHL) currently.
Boston only has two players that it will be sending into the free agency when it officially starts on Friday, July 1, which include Tomas Kaberle and Michael Ryder, who are becoming unrestricted free agents.
This does not mean that Bruins is not willing to negotiate with the two players, it is just that Bruins want to test them in the free market and wait to see what results it finds.
Boston's general manager, Peter Chiarelli, was not reluctant in saying that their relationship has not ended.
“We certainly haven’t parted ways”, Chiarelli said. “I’m weary of the market as it stands now so I said ‘look guys go out there and see what’s going on and we’ll continue to talk.’ The risk that we run is that they’ll get a deal and they can’t come back
to us and I understand that risk. That’s where those two guys stand”.
Both Kaberle and Ryder have a Stanley Cup ring with them and it will not be surprising if they are offered better deals than the previous season.
Kaberle earned $4.25 million and Ryder made $4 million the past season, although according to analysts, it might be tough for them to find anything higher.
Due to salary cap problems of their own, Boston's GM is not willing to sign any free agent to a big, long-term contract.
"So I'm really not in a position to go out", Chiarelli said, "and give a guy a big-term contract".
Chiarelli had a little lift in his salary-cap as veteran player, Mark Recchi, announced his retirement after winning the cup, but there are still players like rookie, Brad Marchand, who are due a raise because of their championship winning performance throughout
the season and playoffs.
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