Boston Bruins: Predicting What They Will Do with Each of Their Free Agents

There does not figure to be much subtraction from the Boston Bruins' roster this summer, particularly on offense. General manager Peter Chiarelli has openly pledged to shore up the strike force and would be shrewd to retain the vast bulk of the core group that delivered a Stanley Cup to New England last spring.

Among the team’s pending free agents, it is almost certain that one stale first-round draft pick from 2007 and one underachieving veteran defenseman acquired last summer will be relinquished. And it is sufficiently realistic to envision at least one other player from each position being directed to the egress, whether that be for free or as part of a trade.

Of the 12 who appeared in at least five games for the Spoked-Bs during the 2011-12 regular season, here is an encapsulated assessment of each free agent’s value and their potential to return to Boston for 2012-13.

Gregory Campbell

According to TSN (via NHL.com), Campbell is one of four forwards who have reportedly been in active, off-and-on negotiations with Chiarelli for the last three months. The others are Chris Kelly, Daniel Paille and Shawn Thornton, and only Thornton has since locked up a new contract.

Thornton’s two-year extension raised his cap hit to a relatively slender $1.1 million, which is exactly what Campbell is currently costing.

If he, as well as Paille, really want to stay and keep the “Merlot Line” intact with Thornton, neither of them will request an impractical raise and should therefore be easy enough to retain.

Joe Corvo

Predecessor Tomas Kaberle had four months and 49 games to make an impression after being acquired in February 2011. Corvo had nearly twice as much time to prove himself fit for the Bruins and was comparably unspectacular.

After yet another disappointing experiment with an acquired puck-moving defenseman, the Bruins may be better off waiting on a homegrown, point-based producer, that being Dougie Hamilton. Even if Hamilton is not ready to play, let alone contribute on a regular basis next season, Boston ought to bring a merciful end to the Corvo era.

Zach Hamill

Let’s see. This former first-round draft choice from five years ago has played all of 20 NHL games, was unclaimed after being placed on waivers earlier this season and was excluded from the Black Aces in the 2012 postseason.

The Bruins will likely not endure much pain when they shed Hamill’s cap hit of over $1.3 million.

Chris Kelly

This is doubtlessly going to be one of those Tevye debates inside Chiarelli’s head.

On the one hand, the 31-year-old Kelly just had a career year in his first full season as a Bruin. On the other hand, he produced 20 goals and 39 points in spite of a multitude of cold spells throughout the year, at times failing to meet the expectations he revised on the fly.

But, his line had some of the better moments in the Washington series and he also impressed during last year’s run with a 5-8-13 log in 25 games en route to the cup.

If there is any way to try to extract more of the chemistry Kelly has demonstrated when working with Rich Peverley, his fellow February 2011 import, Chiarelli needs to see it through. But the kicker just might be the fact that Peverley’s pay raise kicks in next season, leaving a little less cap space to maintain the likes of Kelly.

Please stand by on this one.

Lane MacDermid

The Providence mainstay saw action in his first five NHL games during an emergency call-up in March. No telling how much action he will see in Boston next season, if any, but there is little reason to think he will not continue to play for one Bruins team or another.

Mike Mottau

In addition to their five regular holdovers from the 2011 championship team, the Bruins' defense also has Torey Krug fresh out of Michigan State locked in for next season. And then there’s Hamilton, who doesn’t have much left to prove in the major junior ranks.

Whether or not they re-sign Mottau may be swayed by how the likes of Hamilton and Krug are projected and whether a better buy can be found in the free-agent or trade market. Either way, it is in Boston’s best interest to ensure they have a sixth blueliner with NHL seasoning in case Krug requires time in Providence and Hamilton needs the occasional scratch, as Tyler Seguin did in his rookie year.

Of the three defensemen entering free agency, Mottau may be the best choice to retain for his offensive potential and incentive that comes with playing for his boyhood home team. Plus, even if he is re-signed for more money, he will be the least expensive to retain in contrast to Corvo and Greg Zanon.

Daniel Paille

See the slide on Campbell.

Benoit Pouliot

This could go in almost any direction.

Obtained via free agency last summer in the wake of a few not-so-thrilling lift-offs with Minnesota and Montreal, Pouliot tallied a career year in Boston with 16 goals and 16 assists. But not unlike Kelly, he had his share of agonizingly long droughts.

The Bruins could opt out of a second try and let Pouliot go before he has really gelled in. They could dangle him as trade bait in hopes of acquiring a more certifiable scorer. Or they could accentuate the positive and re-sign him.

As it is right now, Boston has 11 established forwards of a top-nine caliber. Whether or not Pouliot is retained will depend on such factors as the progress of a concussed Nathan Horton’s recovery, Kelly’s contract, rising forwards Jared Knight and Ryan Spooner and who might be available in the event of a trade.

Tuukka Rask

Everywhere you look, the Bruins front office is pledging to keep its enviably talented tandem of Rask and Tim Thomas intact. It may require a prompt upgrade from his current $1.25 million salary, but the younger half is bound to stay put and ought to see the torch gradually shuffle in his direction.

Brian Rolston

If Rolston, acquired at the trade deadline for a second term in Boston, is left to be swiped by another employer, his veteran presence on the offensive front could prove detrimentally irreplaceable.

Shortly after the abrupt end to this year’s playoff run, Rolston admitted to csnne.com reporter Joe Haggerty that switching from the Islanders to the Bruins gave him a replenished sense of purpose. It showed in his 4-5-9 scoring log in 49 games with New York and his 15 points in 21 regular-season twirls with Boston.

Granted, the 39-year-old Rolston’s cap hit is currently the most expensive among Bruins forwards. But if his craving for a cup trumps his desire for the same compensation, a lighter-paying contract could go a long way towards retaining this useful alliance. And it may help in the way of re-signing other key players.

Marty Turco

The only way this emergency rental returns to Boston is if, prior to July 1, two of the three goalies between Rask, Thomas and Anton Khudobin suffer long-term injuries while training or in some freak non-hockey incident.

Greg Zanon

With a host of brawny hitters and shot-blockers already in hand, the Bruins will have a hard time finding a long-term position for Zanon. Expect him to be turned loose on other organizations in July.