The Bruins Off-Season Extravaganza Begins

It's finally here! The NHL Off-Season free agency period officially began on July 1st. Causing fans from every hockey club to dream and hope, that just one move can send their beloved team closer to the greatest trophy in all of sports, Lord Stanley's Cup. The Black and Gold brass made a decision to buy out Bruins D-Man, Dennis Seidenberg. Man it sucked to see him go. The blueliner was an essential piece to the 2011 cup run the Bruins made, helping hoist the trophy for the first time in 39 years and bring it back to the city of Boston. Noticeably his play had declined over the course of the past 5-6 years, so this didn't really come as a surprise to most Bruins fans that he would be moved or bought out if he didn't have any suitors via trade. The German Hammer was due $4 million salary and a two year contract, by buying him out, the B's cut their cap hit on him down to $1.16 million in 2016-17, 2018-19 and 2019-20 and $2.16 million in 2017-18. Best of luck to Seids in the future!

Onto the signings, the B's re-signed John-Michael Liles and extended Torey Krug to a four year deal, giving them a pair of Defenseman who are skilled in moving the puck around. Nothing major on the defensive side. I better not have to watch another season of abysmal defense, last year was a damn horror movie for like... 83% of the season. Yeah, 83%. I don't care how close to the playoffs we were, if we're not in it, it's a lost season. With as much name talent as the Bruins have, we really need to stop wasting years on perfect Patrice Bergeron's prime years. He doesn't deserve this. They did sign Anton Khudobin to a two year $2.4 million contract, at least we know what the guy has got to give. He was backing up Tuukka Rask in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final season we lost. I remember, believe me... 17 seconds. But for the role he was assigned to he did a pretty good job. Hopefully he can take a bit of the work load off Rask and the two can be a nice duo, unlike Svedberg and Gustavsson... they did play... right?

Backes and Liles scrappin with a couple Swedes

THE 'BIG' SIGNING. I'm still really fighting with myself to decide if I like or hate this contract. David Backes, the former captain of the St. Louis Blues is now a Bruin. A forward who can play center or right wing, and be hard nosed down by the net and fight for the puck. The Bruins way, the way every Boston fan loves. But.. with a team that already has Bergeron and Krejci manning the first two lines at center, where will Backes fit in? RW on line one or two? Anchor down the third line? He's already said he is going in with the mindset of being a centerman. Which is great, but where is Spooner going? I can't imagine they keep him on the fourth line. The Bruins aren't known for throwing away talent, ever. No? Oh, right. Seguin whatever. So, we've got a little flexibility here. Possibly moving Spooner to the wing? He played it a bit over the past two years. I didn't hate it. Or, TRADING *gasps* Krejci or Spooner. I don't want it to happen, but I get it, many people in Boston can't stand how much Krejci goes on hot streaks, gets hurt and pretty much shuts down mentally for the rest of the season. Or so it seems. Figure it out Sweeney, and PLEASE don't mess this up. I'll beg, I'll do it. Back to Backes, 5 years $30 Million. Don't hate it, don't love it. More hate than anything, 6 million a year for a 32 year old forward is a bit hefty for me. But you have to pay for talent. Especially one that the front office believes will help mold the game Boston is looking for. He has 20 goal potential, much like he has every season of his career. But Loui Eriksson just signed a contract with the same worth in Vancouver and for 6 years, and he played fantastic for the black and gold in 2015-16, and he is 2 years younger.

And dammit I'm going to miss seeing Loui play at the Garden. Backes, a character guy, leaves it all on the ice every game, fights for every one of his goals. I've seen and heard it all this week. But for a guy coming off his worst offensive production this past season, how much does he really have left? Only time will tell, #InClaudeWeTrust? Please, please don't waste this coming season guys. Also get some defense, yeah. Like, better defense. Ol' Chara is just about running on empty.

Brian

P.S. I kinda like P.K. now. Might have to buy a shirsey.

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