Boston Bruins: 5 Players Who Do Not Fit on the Roster in 2011-12

The Boston Bruins are having a great 2011 season so far, but they will make some big changes to the roster for next season.

The Bruins are trying to build a perennial Stanley Cup contender, and to do that you need to build a roster of young, talented players.

There are a few veterans who could find themselves not part of next year's team, and there are some young players who haven't lived up to expectations who could be left off the 2011-12 roster too.

Let's look at the five players whose departures in the offseason will be beneficial to the Bruins' 2011-12 season.

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist; follow him on Twitter.

Tomas Kaberle

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 02: Tomas Kaberle #12 of the Boston Bruins skates during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on May 2, 2011 in Philadelphia, P

Tomas Kaberle was acquired around the trade deadline to give the Bruins a "puck-moving" defenseman, something they've lacked the last few seasons.

The arrival of Kaberle sparked the Bruins to some of their best weeks of the season, including a great West Coast road trip highlighted by a win at Vancouver.

But since then Kaberle has been a disappointment. The power play has been a weakness this season, and the addition of Kaberle was supposed to be an instant fix to that problem.

Kaberle has not been great offensively, and he's not as physical on defense as the other Bruins defensemen.

He had 38 points in 58 games with the Leafs and nine points in 24 games with the Bruins this season. His points per game rating was almost two times greater with Toronto than it was with Boston.

Even though the Maple Leafs are an inferior team and it was easier for him to thrive in that lineup than in Boston, where there are better players around him, Kaberle has still been a disappointment.

His offensive production and power-play performance have not lived up to expectations.

The Bruins did not give up too much to acquire him, so letting him go and spending the resulting cap space on a younger defenseman is the way to go this summer.

Daniel Paille

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 02: Daniel Paille #20 of the Boston Bruins skates during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on May 2, 2011 in Philadelphia, P

Daniel Paille played in 43 games this season, scoring 13 points for the Bruins.

Paille is a decent player, but he has not impressed since becoming a third/fourth-line regular last season. He has also not showed signs that he can improve significantly beyond what he's displayed so far.

Paille is not a physical player and does not possess great offensive skills. The Bruins need to find a player who is more consistent and has more potential to improve than Paille in the summer.

Michael Ryder

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: Michael Ryder #73 of the Boston Bruins skates against Braydon Coburn #5 of the Philadelphia Flyers in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on April 30

Michael Ryder has been a model of inconsistency this season and will almost certainly be let go in the offseason.

He would likely have been moved last offseason, but his salary of about $4 million is too much for other teams to pay for the production he provides.

Fans want rookie Tyler Seguin to play in Ryder's place, and next season they will get their wish. Ryder woke up in the Montreal series this postseason, but he has no part of the team's future plans.

So far this postseason, Ryder has just four points, with three of them scored in Game 3 of the Montreal series in the first round.

Shawn Thornton

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: Shawn Thornton #22 of the Boston Bruins tosses pucks onto the ice prior to playing against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Wells Fargo

Shawn Thornton brings leadership and a physical presence to the Bruins and is a staple of their fourth line. 

With the team gaining lots of playoff experience the last few seasons and several players becoming physical talents, Thornton's role is no longer needed.

He is a poor offensive player and gives little to the team except fighting and penalty killing. Thornton's departure will pave the way for players like Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin to receive more playing time next season.

Tim Thomas or Tuukka Rask

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 02: Goalie Tim Thomas #30 of the Boston Bruins stands frustrated as Philadelphia Flyers celebrate a Flyers goal early during the first period of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs

This is only if the Bruins fail to win the Stanley Cup this season. If Boston doesn't win the Cup in 2011, it should trade Tim Thomas and let last year's young sensation Tuukka Rask become the full-time starter.

The Bruins have never won anything with Thomas, and at his age his current contract is not worth it. They could use his impressive 2010-11 season to get some offensive help or a young defenseman via trade.

Every team needs a great goalie, and there would be no shortage of teams that would want a goalie like Thomas.

Rask has proven he can handle being the No. 1 goalie in the regular season and postseason and is ready to lead the Bruins.

Again, parting with Tim Thomas is only an option if Boston fails to win the Cup this season.

If the Bruins do not end their Stanley Cup drought, it's time for them and Thomas to move on and cash in on his Vezina Trophy season to acquire a star player via trade.