Stanley Cup Finals 2011: Who Stays and Who Goes for the Boston Bruins?
The Boston Bruins are the Stanley Cup champions for the first time in 39 years, and while the fans and players will be partying long into the summer, the Bruins management, led by general manager Peter Chiarelli, will be back to work soon to construct the 2012 roster.
The Bruins don’t have any major free agents to re-sign, but there are some important players to think about keeping with the team.
Forward Michael Ryder and defenseman Tomas Kaberle are free agents, but both had disappointing seasons despite playing pretty well in the playoffs.
Backup goaltender Tuukka Rask is still under contract, but has already proven he is fully capable of being a starter in net for a contending team.
Will Rask want to be a backup for a few more seasons to Tim Thomas when he is ready to enter his prime?
Chiarelli will not make a big free agent splash this summer, and likely will not pursue a major trade. But he does have several important decisions to make in order to have the Bruins ready to repeat their title next season.
Let's look at which members of the 2011 Stanley Cup champions will stay or leave this summer.
Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the Stanley Cup Finals in Boston. Follow him on Twitter for Bruins playoff news and analysis.
Forward Mark Recchi: Leaves Via Retirement
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Mark Recchi has played in the NHL for about two decades, and by winning his third Stanley Cup title with the Bruins this year, it looks like Recchi will retire on top.
Recchi said to reporters earlier in the year that 2011 would be his last season if the Bruins won the Cup. Now that the Bruins are champions, there’s no better time to leave the game for Recchi.
Recchi played well this season, but it’s clear he is no longer a top forward. He is not a good choice for the power play, and his spot on the second line would better be filled by young forward Tyler Seguin.
Recchi scored 14 goals with 34 assists in 2011 for 48 points.
After a successful season in which he helped the Bruins win their first Cup in almost 40 years, Recchi, a three-time champion, is ready to retire from hockey.
Defenseman Tomas Kaberle: Leaves Via Free Agency
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Tomas Kaberle was acquired in a blockbuster trade (by Bruins standards, anyway) a bit before the trade deadline this season from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Kaberle’s offensive skills as a defenseman were supposed to help the Bruins power play and fill their need for a puck-moving defenseman.
But Kaberle struggled with the Bruins, even on the power play, and was not the offensive help the team thought he would be.
He scored one goal with 20 total points as a Bruin, not the production Chiarelli was looking for when he gave up a lot to acquire Kaberle.
Kaberle looked soft at times, and made some critical errors on defense that put the Bruins in bad spots.
He will likely want a contract at around $4 million per season, but at age 33, the Bruins would not be wise to re-sign Kaberle near that price.
Forward Michael Ryder: Leaves Via Free Agency
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Michael Ryder is a frustrating player for Bruins fans because he’s shown to be capable of being a top forward, but his play is far too inconsistent.
Ryder is a goal scorer, and a true sniper, but he has long stretches of seasons where he cannot get going offensively and makes himself a liability defensively.
The Bruins will not pay him around the $4 million per year salary that he earned this season, so unless he wants to take a home team discount, he will likely depart in the summer.
Ryder scored 18 goals and dished out 23 assists in 2011, and will be helped in free agency by his good playoffs, which might make a team overpay for his services.
Forward Brad Marchand: Re-Signs to a Long Term Deal
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The Boston Bruins' lone restricted free agent this summer is forward Brad Marchand, who began the year as a fourth-line forward, only to see himself as a second-line regular as the season progressed.
Marchand surprised many in his rookie season by scoring 21 goals and dishing out 20 assists and playing with a ton of energy and aggression.
He also became one of the few rookies in NHL history to score 10 or more goals in a postseason this year.
His pest-like play annoys opponents, and makes Marchand one of those players you love to have on your team and hate to play against.
Marchand is also a fan favorite, and plays with the game with the big and bad style the Bruins organization is known for.
The Bruins will likely re-sign Marchand before the free agency period begins July 1. He is a player who will be good for a long time, and can play with many types of linemates and excels on the power play and penalty kill.
Expect Marchand to get a multi-year deal from the Bruins at around $4 million per season.
Goaltender Tuukka Rask: Stays in Boston for Another Season
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Backup goalie Tuukka Rask is under contract for the 2012 season, and will likely remain with the Bruins for at least another year.
His superb 2010 season as the Bruins' No. 1 goalie proved to the team he can be a starter for a playoff contending squad.
He actually began this season as the starter, only to have Tim Thomas regain his own starting role.
Rask is only 24 years old and has not reached his prime yet, so the Bruins will want to keep him around as long as they can.
Rask is the future of the team in goal and will get his chance again someday, because at age 37, Thomas won’t be a Vezina Trophy-caliber goaltender for many more seasons.
The question is, will Rask be willing to wait out Thomas' time as a starter? Either way, the Bruins win.
The Bruins can take comfort in the fact they have a great backup goalie in case Thomas gets hurt, and they have a valuable trade chip to use if they need to. Young, talanted goalies are highly coveted in the NHL.
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