With the league finally approving the contract of Ilya Kovalchuk on Friday, there is finally some finality to a situation that has sent the NHL and the NHLPA on a crazy ride for most of the summer.
One of the secondary effects was that Marc Savard's seven-year deal with the Bruins was suddenly under investigation for "violating the spirit" of the collective bargaining agreement. That news came amidst trade rumors that have flown wildly since the season ended — rumors which nobody from the Bruins' front office either confirmed or denied.
On Friday, however, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli spoke to The Boston Globe. Not only did Chiarelli express confidence that Savard's deal won't be nulled by the league, he also added the not-so-subtle statement that Savard will remain with the Bruins.
"I expect Marc to be a Bruin under his contract seasons," Chiarelli told the Globe.
Of course, one sentence from a general manager does not reveal all of his intentions, but it is the first full endorsement from Chiarelli since the rumors began to swirl.
In late June, Chiarelli was given the opportunity to squash the rumors on WEEI. He downplayed the significance of them but never outright denied them.
"If there's speculation on Savvy, it's because we've acquired a guy [Tyler Seguin] who's going to be a premiere centerman," Chiarelli said at the time. "That's where it all stems from, and that just grows and mushrooms."
That's certainly been the case all summer, with the discussions gaining steam over the past week with the report that the Bruins are still actively shopping their top-line center. Chiarelli's quote on Friday is not definitive by any means, but it could be enough to quiet the chatter until training camp opens later this month.
