Kessel Talks Have Bruins GM Chiarelli Mulling Future, Savard
When recently addressing the contract stalemate with restricted free agent Phil Kessel, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli alluded to the economic climate of the league as one of the reasons a deal hasn't been reached.
"It's a different system now," Chiarelli said last Friday. "It really is. And to be a hard-liner, so to speak, you have to keep in mind what these players make after their entry-level contracts. The percentage of increase is huge. And what it does is it throws everything else out of whack. So there's a balance that you have to keep."
Chiarelli also joked that while he would love to give Kessel a "pail full of money" and be done with it, he has other free agents to worry about next season. He knows that he needs to either start talking extensions with them now or be prepared to try and re-sign them next offseason.
"I think Phil is a great player," Chiarelli pointed out, "but I have to worry about my team, too, and looking ahead there's players I have to start trying to extend."
The most notable of the 2010 free agents are center Marc Savard — who will be an unrestricted free agent — and restricted free agents Blake Wheeler and Milan Lucic. On Tuesday, at the Bruins' annual golf tournament at The International in Bolton, Mass., Savard made it clear that he would love to re-up with the Bruins and finish his career in Boston.
"It's a great city and I've enjoyed my time here so far," said Savard. "It's a place that I'd like to finish [my career] if the chance comes and I'm excited to get the season going. Things keep getting better and our team keeps getting better, so that only helps.
"I want to stay here," Savard continued. "This is a place I love. I love the people. I love the fans. This is where I want to be."
If the Bruins have the money, Savard said he doesn't expect any problems ironing out a new deal with the Bruins.
"I'm not worried about the contract at all," said Savard, who led the Bruins in scoring last season with 88 points. "Peter [Chiarelli] and I have a good relationship. Ever since I came to Boston, I've given everything I had and if things work out well — and I think they will — then I'm going to be here for a long, long time."
Chiarelli was in Toronto for the Bruins' rookie tournament, so he wasn't available for comment on the Savard matter. But sources did inform NESN.com that the Bruins and Savard have discussed an extension, but that both agreed to wait until Chiarelli sorted out the roster for this upcoming season, specifically the Kessel situation.
Speaking of the Kessel situation, in Toronto on Tuesday, Chiarelli and Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke both addressed the rumors that the Leafs are preparing to ink Kessel to an offer sheet, forcing the Bruins to either match Toronto's contract offer or allow him to sign there and accept draft picks as compensation. On Saturday, the Leafs fueled speculation that they were back in the hunt for Kessel by reacquiring their second-round draft pick from the Blackhawks. That move puts the Leafs in position to lay down an offer sheet for Kessel.
The Bruins immediately made it be known that they will match any offer sheet for Kessel, and on Tuesday, Chiarelli reiterated that on AM 640 in Toronto.
"[We] do have the right to first refusal and the right to match, and I have the full endorsement of ownership to do that," Chiarelli told Leafs Lunch hosts Darren Dreger and Bill Watters. "Obviously in this business now with the [salary] cap there is the possibility of offer sheets. It's something that we in the management group in Boston are fully aware of. It's part of the trade now.
"[Kessel] is a talented player, so of course there are interested teams. It is something that I have to balance as a general manager."
Sources also told NESN.com on Tuesday that Burke wasn't necessarily gearing up for an offer sheet but for a trade with the Bruins. There are also rumors that a Maple Leafs deal with the Rangers could be in the works for unsigned restricted free agent Brandon Dubinsky.
The Leafs and Bruins reportedly had a deal in place for Kessel at the NHL Entry Draft, but there was a miscommunication over draft picks and the trade fell apart. Burke apparently is trying to sweeten the pot again now. However, unlike that previous proposal, defenseman Tomas Kaberle may not be part of this deal. Kaberle's no-movement clause kicked in last month and he can now veto any possible trade.
