Now, as all of you know by now Claude Julien has signed a multi-year contract extension to remain the Boston Bruins bench boss.In his two seasons with the Bruins, Julien has compiled a 94-48-22 record in 164 games. Julien is a proven winner, winning 64% of his games as the Bruins head coach and 60% of his games throughout his stops in New Jersey, Montreal and Boston.
Now, of course this is big and great news over on Causeway street. However, there was another twist to things yesterday that caught my attention.
With about a week and a half to go until training camp kicks off and Phil Kessel still unsigned, the question of course came up of, why not?
Peter Chiarelli seemed real agitated when the question came up. Chiarelli was quick to point the finger at Kessel’s agent Wade Arnott. Chiarelli said that Arnott has created a bit of a 'media war' and that the sides have discussed a contract since the draft, contrary to what Arnott claims.
The Bruins General Manager was then asked if he thought this would cause a distraction for his team? “It becomes a distraction because the other party starts making it a distraction,” he said. “I understand all the tools of their trade, too. I used to be an agent. So you deal with it. We have a strong room, we’ve got strong leadership. It’s just part of the game.
Chiarelli then showed a little more frustration, when he addressed the buzz that has started that the Bruins front office was back to their old habits of not paying their stars.
“I just get a little disturbed when they talk about us being cheap. Because it’s not about that. Look at some of the second contracts we’ve given — Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci. It’s not about that. It’s about a balance.”
Now, I agree with Chiarelli that it is about balance. However, can you really let a potential 40 goal scorer just walk?
By my count the Bruins have $1,304,167 million remaining in cap space. The only contract that the Bruins have right now other than players named Savard or Krejci, that would create the space necessary to sign Kessel is Marco Sturm's, $3.5 million.
This contract shipped out, would leave about $4.8 million in space and would give the Bruins the opportunity to sign Kesel. Now, people have heard Chuck Kobasew's name put into trade rumors, but, with that contract shipped that would only leave just over $3.6 million in space, not enough to sign the 21 year-old forward.
So where does that leave the Bruins and Kessel? To me, the writing is on the wall and Kessel will not be back with Boston in 2009-2010. Chiarelli is saying all the right things, that he will match any of
fer sheet, but will he?
Chiarelli is clearly posturing to send the message out to other teams to stay away. But with the cap so tight for Boston, is it really a stretch to think that if a team were to put out an offer sheet to Kessel that Boston wouldn't let him walk? Boston after all would receive multiple early round draft picks.
Kessel has been mentioned in rumors to multiple teams. San Jose, Edmonton, Vancouver, New York (Rangers), St. Louis and Los Angeles are among the laundry list.
On a day that was supposed to be a happy one for Peter Chiarelli, it ended up being a bit frustrating. Will the onslaught of questions frustrate Chiarelli to the point of ending the soap opera before camp?
My gut would lean me towards no, but hey, we've all been wrong at one point or another in this tango between Kessel and Chiarelli.
With about a week and a half to go until training camp kicks off and Phil Kessel still unsigned, the question of course came up of, why not?
Peter Chiarelli seemed real agitated when the question came up. Chiarelli was quick to point the finger at Kessel’s agent Wade Arnott. Chiarelli said that Arnott has created a bit of a 'media war' and that the sides have discussed a contract since the draft, contrary to what Arnott claims.
The Bruins General Manager was then asked if he thought this would cause a distraction for his team? “It becomes a distraction because the other party starts making it a distraction,” he said. “I understand all the tools of their trade, too. I used to be an agent. So you deal with it. We have a strong room, we’ve got strong leadership. It’s just part of the game.
Chiarelli then showed a little more frustration, when he addressed the buzz that has started that the Bruins front office was back to their old habits of not paying their stars.
“I just get a little disturbed when they talk about us being cheap. Because it’s not about that. Look at some of the second contracts we’ve given — Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci. It’s not about that. It’s about a balance.”
Now, I agree with Chiarelli that it is about balance. However, can you really let a potential 40 goal scorer just walk?
By my count the Bruins have $1,304,167 million remaining in cap space. The only contract that the Bruins have right now other than players named Savard or Krejci, that would create the space necessary to sign Kessel is Marco Sturm's, $3.5 million.
This contract shipped out, would leave about $4.8 million in space and would give the Bruins the opportunity to sign Kesel. Now, people have heard Chuck Kobasew's name put into trade rumors, but, with that contract shipped that would only leave just over $3.6 million in space, not enough to sign the 21 year-old forward.
So where does that leave the Bruins and Kessel? To me, the writing is on the wall and Kessel will not be back with Boston in 2009-2010. Chiarelli is saying all the right things, that he will match any of
fer sheet, but will he?
Chiarelli is clearly posturing to send the message out to other teams to stay away. But with the cap so tight for Boston, is it really a stretch to think that if a team were to put out an offer sheet to Kessel that Boston wouldn't let him walk? Boston after all would receive multiple early round draft picks.
Kessel has been mentioned in rumors to multiple teams. San Jose, Edmonton, Vancouver, New York (Rangers), St. Louis and Los Angeles are among the laundry list.
On a day that was supposed to be a happy one for Peter Chiarelli, it ended up being a bit frustrating. Will the onslaught of questions frustrate Chiarelli to the point of ending the soap opera before camp?
My gut would lean me towards no, but hey, we've all been wrong at one point or another in this tango between Kessel and Chiarelli.
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