Schaefer

Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli today bid adieu to veteran winger Peter Schaefer by buying out the veteran’s contract for two thirds the value over twice the term. That means that Schaefer, who was entering the last year of his multi-year contract, will be paid a little more than $567,000 over the next two years and that amount will count against the Bruins’ salary cap. Last season, Schaefer did not count against the Bruins’ cap because he cleared waivers and spent the entire season with Providence (AHL).

Schaefer, who’ll turn 32 this month, was a disappointment in his one season with Boston, as he posted just 9-17-26 totals in 63 games in the 2007-08 regular season. He showed flashes in the playoffs against Montreal, but did not produce enough during the ’08 training camp to earn an NHL roster spot.

So while this move does little to provide the Bruins cap relief, it does free up some extra spending cash for signing and re-signing free agents.

Gomez

I had just hit post on that item about Mike Komisarek no longer giving Montreal a chance to keep him off the open market when the first murmurs of a deal sending Scott Gomez to the Canadiens from the New York Rangers jumped onto my computer screen.

And I just received official confirmation from the Habs that they have in fact, on the eve of the free-agent signing period, acquired the star play-making center along with minor-leaguers Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto in exchange for restricted free agent winger Christopher Higgins and propsects Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko and journeyman Doug Janik.

Gomez, a bust in New York with just 32 goals and 128 points in two seasons on Broadway after signing a seven-year, $51.5 million deal, fits right in as the Habs’ new No. 1 center. (more…)

Komisarek

While not ruling out a return to Montreal, the agent for Mike Komisarek today issued a statement saying that his client would enter the open market after noon tomorrow as an unrestricted free agent.

“After much discussion and thought, Mike Komisarek has decided to enter the free agent market tomorrow at noon,” said Bay State-based agent Matt Keator in a statement. “Should they desire, we intend to keep Montreal involved in the process as they have treated Mike so well during his time in the organization. He remains interested in resigning with them.” (more…)

Chiarelli

Don’t expect any blockbuster signings by the Boston Bruins when free agency opens tomorrow.

Not that that’s any news flash because it’s no secret the Bruins only have around $7 million of cap space to get deals done with their three major restricted free agents — Phil Kessel,  Matt Hunwick and Byron Bitz — and retain or import a couple complementary unrestricted players.

But today during a conference call, Chiarelli made it clear that he’s going to stick to his cautious persona.

“We’re going to sit back. There are certainly players that we like and we feel that there’s good fits for those players,” the GM said. “Again … history has shown that whenever there’s people talking about being reluctant or conservative going into this period, there are always people that will pay. If you’ve done the homework and the scouting on these players, players that are still available, then you go after them. But you won’t – unless something drastic changes – you won’t see aggressive moves by us to start.” (more…)

Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli just confirmed via conference call that winger Peter Schaefer has cleared waivers. The Bruins have until 5 p.m. to decide whether they want to buy out the contract of the disappointing winger. Chiarelli said that a buyout would add around $566,000 to the Bruins cap number.

Chiarelli also clarified that restricted free agents Byron Bitz and Matt Hunwick are arbitration eligible and have until July 5 to file. The club’s deadline to file is July 6.

Thomas

Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas and right winger Phil Kessel were both officially invited to the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Orientation Camp today by USA Hockey. The camp will be held Aug.17-19 in Woodbridge, Ill., as an aid in choosing the members of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team that will compete in Vancouver in February.

“I was happy (when I got the call),” Thomas told TheBruinsBlog.net today via cell phone. “I found out through a message from (Olympic team GM) Brian Burke. My phone was out of range. I’m up here in Vermont and when I go out on the lake, my phone doesn’t work. So that’s how I found out.” (more…)

It's almost time for teams to go to market.

The July 1 free agency period is almost 24 hours away. Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli will speak with the media about his team’s plans a little later today.

To whet your appetite, here are some links:

The great Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail ranks the top 11 unrestricted free agents.

•Over at Sportsnet.ca, Mark Spector is hearing about a Dany Heatley-Dion Phaneuf swap and a Sheldon Souray move to Los Angeles. Honestly, I don’t know why there hasn’t been more talk about Boston getting in on one of the Oilers’ available defensemen.

•And, finally, Bruce Garrioch of Sun Media is always good for some tidbits at this time of year. You’ll notice he mentions the Bruins’ cap problems but then still lists them as a possible landing spot for some of the bigger names. I’m not sure how that would work.

In case you haven’t been paying attention since Peter Chiarelli came to Boston in July 2006, the Bruins general manager isn’t exactly trigger happy. He doesn’t overreact to wins and losses, doesn’t make moves just to counter what his club’s stiffest competition does, and doesn’t negotiate through the media or declare what moves he’s going to make to the masses.

That’s why those of you worrying that the Bruins’ inactivity — other than selecting five players who won’t be heard of in New England until the next decade — at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, and their expected quietness on the free-agent front because of their cap situation come Wednesday, will cause a disappointing step back in the franchise’s road toward perennial-power status need to borrow one key characteristic from their team’s GM: patience.

There is still a lot of time remaining between now and the start of the 2009-10 season. Chiarelli doesn’t even have to be done working by the close of business July 1 or even by the end of this week. There’s obviously a huge market correction going on here and the Bruins just need to ride out the tide. (more…)

Schaefer

TSN.ca is reporting that Boston Bruins winger Peter Schaefer is one of three major veteran players who have been waived for the purpose of buying out their contracts. The others are St. Louis defenseman Jay McKee and Florida forward Brett McLean.

Schaefer, who spent all of last season with Providence (AHL) after a disappointing 2007-08 season in the Hub, is due $2.1 million next season in the last year of his deal. If the buyout goes through, he would be due just two thirds of that amount ($1.4 million) over the next two seasons and that would be the amount ($700,000) counted against the Bruins’ salary cap number in each season. So instead of banishing his cap number to the minors like last season, Boston will have an amount equal to a solid fourth-liner or seventh defenseman on their cap without a player on the roster.

Schaefer was acquired by the Bruins from Ottawa during the summer of ’07 in exchange for Shean Donovan and never panned out as the second- or third-line winger the club needed.

Placing a player on waivers does not mean he has to be bought out, but tomorrow is the last day to do so. A couple weeks ago, Boston GM Peter Chiarelli had told TheBruinsBlog.net that he could buy out Schaefer but that he probably wouldn’t.

Button

The Boston Bruins won’t know for a couple years if defenseman Ryan Button will make good on the promise that comes with being a third-round pick in the NHL draft.

But at least the club knows right now that it made the Button family’s year by picking the teenager in the third round Saturday. It seems that even though Button grew up in Edmonton and is a fan of the Oilers, his father is a huge Bruins backer.

As John MacNeil of the Prince Albert Daily Herald quoted the younger Button:

“Boston is my dad’s favorite team. He loves the Bruins. It’s been, like, my family team. All of my dad’s side loved the Bruins. As soon as they announced my name, everyone went nuts. My dad was jumping up and down. It was a pretty special moment.”

Gordon

If Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas fulfills expectations and earns a spot on the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team (and he should be among the invitees for tryout camp announced tomorrow), the Vezina Trophy winner will be reunited with one of the best mentors in his career.

Today former Providence Bruins head coach Scott Gordon, currently the head coach of the New York Islanders, was named as an assistant coach for Ron Wilson’s staff in Vancouver this February. New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella was also named as an assistant coach.

Gordon, a former collegiate and NHL goaltender, was instrumental in helping Thomas develop his game on the puck-stopper’s road to becoming one of the best in the game during Thomas’ time with the P-Bruins.

Heatley

There were players who thought they would get picked in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, and they weren’t. There were some that thought they’d get selected higher than they did. But none of them could be as personally insulted right now as Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley, who has to be a bit worried right now that he’ll be back in a Sens uniform when training camp opens this fall.

Heatley, who a few weeks ago requested a trade out of Ottawa, is just too expensive for potential trade partners right now, as the Ottawa Citizen reports. (more…)

Chiarelli

MONTREAL — He didn’t get to make a trade to move up in the first round last night or add a second-round pick this afternoon, but Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli’s time at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft at Bell Centre still went the way he wanted it.

“I really like our blend to start off with (first-round pick Jordan) Caron and (third-round pick Ryan) Button because we got some size and scoring to start and then we get that mobile retrieving guy, puck-moving guy,” Chiarelli said after his team was done picking four new players, in addition to Caron, for his organization today. “So that allowed us to get a little bit more into the sandpaper players. … Size and grit are common denominators in those players.” (more…)

Randell

MONTREAL — The sixth and seventh rounds of today’s 2009 NHL Entry Draft at Bell Centre turned out to be a chance for the Boston Bruins to add a couple “sandpaper” players to their organization.

At No. 176 in the sixth round, Boston selected Tyler Randell, a 6-foot-1, 191-pound winger from Kitchener of the Ontario Hockey League. Then in the last round, 206 overall, Boston picked Ben Sexton. He’s 5-10, 182 pounds and skated for Nepean of the Canadian Junior Hockey League last season. (more…)