Boston Bruins: 4 Ways They Can Manage Approaching Salary Cap Crunch

The Boston Bruins finished the 2011-12 season with $1,003,429 worth of cap space and currently project to have as much as $5,272,024 for 2012-13. The catch there is that number will go down with every free agent they re-sign.

As it stands right now, the Bruins have 10 free agents who have seen regular action in the NHL, including five of their 14 forwards, three of their eight and two of their three goalies. (Although, the rented backup, Marty Turco, need not necessarily be counted.)

If the concussed Nathan Horton can recover and return to normalcy by September’s training camp, or at least October’s opening night, the Bruins could have as many as 11 top nine forwards at their disposal.

But general manager Peter Chiarelli has expressed a desire to shore up that particular portion of the roster, which will inevitably call for some personnel sacrifices. Trying to re-sign every desirable free agent, of which there are up to six or seven, figures to be costly enough as it is.

Whether it is to make room from a salary standpoint or an on-ice, positional standpoint, Chiarelli has at least four realistic options to check off his primary offseason task.

Convince Rolston to Take a Paycut

Brian Rolston supplanted Tim Thomas as the eldest member of the team and Patrice Bergeron as the priciest forward when he was imported from Long Island at the trading deadline.

At 39 years of age, he can still deliver a priceless veteran presence to the locker room and a decent smattering of production on the ice. But he is also running out of time to claim a second Stanley Cup, his only other one being from his rookie campaign with New Jersey in 1995.

Rolston’s 2011-12 salary was an even $5 million while his cap hit was $5,062,500. If he is the team-first, Cup-hungry guy we all assume he is, then trimming at least $1 million, or maybe $2 million, off that need not be a problem.

Let Corvo Go

This is probably the easiest option of all. Releasing yet another disappointing puck-mover in Joe Corvo will also mean shedding a $2.25 million cap hit.

And doing the same with Greg Zanon―which is perfectly doable with the five blue line holdovers from the 2011 championship still under contract―would mean freeing up another $1,933,333.

As for filling the sixth defensive slot, Dougie Hamilton’s entry-level contract runs through 2014-15 and has him inflicting a $1,494,167 cap hit. Another pending rookie in Torey Krug has $1,704,167 coming his way for each of the next two seasons.

If the Bruins would prefer a sixth veteran and to make Hamilton and/or Krug spare parts or AHL prospects, they still have Mike Mottau. And how much more swollen could an $800,000 cap hit possibly get if they re-sign the 34-year-old who came in with Rolston at the deadline?

Kelly or Pouliot?

As could rightly be expected, the more proven third-line free agent between Chris Kelly and Benoit Pouliot is also the pricier one. The former carried a cap hit of $2,125,000 last season while the latter cost $1.1 million. If one is re-signed, that hit might not swell significantly, but it is even less likely to decrease.

Depending especially on the health of Horton and what they might get with the room they create, the Bruins could conceivably let Kelly go and rely on the versatile Rich Peverley to center any combination of Pouliot, Rolston and Jordan Caron.

Or Chiarelli could keep the top six, Horton included, status quo and import another third-line caliber winger who would cost $3 million or less while releasing both Kelly and Pouliot.

Part With a Stanley Cup Star

This is the resort Bruins buffs should hope their team avoids the most, but it’s hardly an unrealistic proposition. In fact, it might be a requirement even with the three other ways of opening more cap room and even if Marc Savard is on long-term injured reserve.

All three of the following players have had their share of disappointing stretches, but could still justify their salaries in the future as they have at times in the past.

With that said, dealing just one of them would amount to a vast increase in cap space.

Two members of the hot-and-cold top line, David Krejci and Milan Lucic, are two of Boston’s three priciest forwards currently under contract through at least next season. Krejci’s salary and cap hit will both increase at the start of 2012-13, moving him ahead of Bergeron in that regard.

Trading either of them for someone a tad cheaper but who also promises to demonstrate more consistency on offense would mean shedding either a $5.25 million or a $4,803,333 million cap hit.

Then there is two-time Vezina and one-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas, whose salary will go down to $3 million next season, but whose cap hit shall remain at $5 million through the final year of his contract.

If finances hold a strong enough sway and the front office takes comfort in Rask and Anton Khudobin, the 38-year-old Thomas could be turned loose to finish his career elsewhere. In exchange, the Bruins would have that much more room for a coveted scorer.