Begin

Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli was originally going to wait until later tonight, but after seeing TSN reported the deal, he announced Steve Begin has been signed to a one-year deal.

Last season Begin skated in 62 games for Montreal and Dallas and posted 7-5-12 totals. But around here, he’s more famous for his crosscheck to the back of center Marc Savard toward the end of the 2007-08 season that severely limited Savard’s effectiveness in the seven-game playoff series in the spring of ’08.

“Players are good. It might take them a little bit of time to get over it, but once they’re off the ice, they jell pretty quickly,” said Chiarelli. “I don’t see any problems there.” (more…)

Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said in a conference call minutes ago that he’s “kicked some tires” but hasn’t made any moves beyond the re-signing of restricted free agent Byron Bitz.

However, Chiarelli did predict he’d have some news later on this evening but that it wouldn’t be a “headline player.” Last season, Chiarelli’s negotiations went well into the evening on the first day of free agency and landed winger Michael Ryder. So don’t expect someone of that magnitude to come on board tonight.

Bitz

Updated with Bitz’s comments.

The Boston Bruins have announced they have signed winger Byron Bitz, a restricted free agent, to a two-year deal.

With his wedding just two weeks away, the timing of the new contract couldn’t have come at a better time for Bitz.

“Well, it’s exciting for me. It’s a good feeling to have it done relatively early,” said Bitz, 24, when reached this afternoon by TheBruinsBlog.net. “And now I’ll be able to go back and focus on training and be able to get ready for camp in September.” (more…)

Updated with Montador’s comment.

Former Boston defenseman Steve Montador has signed a two-year deal worth a total of $3.1 million. Montador was a deadline-day acquisition by the Bruins last season in exchange for forward Petteri Nokelainen. He appeared in 13 regular-season games as both a blueliner and a forward, and he recorded just one assist. In 11 playoff games, he put up 1-2-3 totals.

“I certainly think the atmosphere in Buffalo is always competitive, and teams that play consistently will have that (competitiveness),” Montador told John Vogl of the Buffalo News. “Would I say they needed that? I think they’ve always been consistent with that, but it doesn’t ever hurt to add more.”

Cole

It looks like the Carolina Hurricanes, who ousted the Boston Bruins in last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals in seven games, are going to look similar to their 2008-09 edition when they return for the upcoming campaign.

Today they re-signed veteran winger Erik Cole to a two-year deal worth a reported $5.8 million. The veteran had decided to test the waters as an unrestricted free agent but didn’t wait all that long after noon today to figure out what we all already — he belongs with the ‘Canes. Although he was a ghost in the playoffs, Cole’s only success has come with Carolina, more specifically with Eric Staal centering his line. Depending on what they do with fellow UFA Chad LaRose, the ‘Canes could be back with the same forward corps the next time they cross paths with the Bruins.

Here are a couple more of my quick-hit thoughts on the day so far: (more…)

Knuble

The Washington Capitals, who like the Boston Bruins fell in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs after an outstanding regular season, figure to be a threat in the East for years to come. Today they bolstered their front line by signing Mike Knuble away from Philadelphia to a two-year deal worth a reported $5.6 million.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Knuble, a former Bruins winger, could’ve fit the bill for the Bruins, who are always looking to get bigger up front. Boston’s hope is that Byron Bitz continues to develop into the type of player the soon-to-be-37 Knuble has been for a number of years.

So far Boston has been silent in the free-agent market.

The Florida Panthers today re-signed left-winger David Booth to a six-year deal worth a reported total of $25.5 million. Booth, 25, has three seasons of NHL experience and last season posted career-high totals in goals (31), assists (29) and points (60).

To me, Booth is a solid comparable for Boston Bruins RFA winger Phil Kessel, who reportedly is looking for $5 million per season. Booth has been a little less productive and is four years older than Kessel. So you have to figure the Bruins would have to match the term of the Booth deal or greatly surpass his compensation total in order to retain Kessel. The shorter the deal, the more money per season it should be worth. The Bruins seem less apt to hand out deals that long, so the $5 million rumor doesn’t seem so out of whack after all.

UPDATE: The Hossa deal is official and TSN reports it’s $62.4 million over 12 years. This is from Kevin Allen of USA Today’s Twitter page: “With TSN saying Hossa signed with Chicago for 12 years, I have ‘Hawks at $34 mill for eight players in 2010-11 witn no Kane, Toews, Keith.” All I can say is, wow.

TSN is reporting at this hour that the Chicago Blackhawks have secured the services of free-agent winger Marian Hossa. And they’re reporting that he has signed a 12-year, $62 million deal. I’ll update as this becomes official.

Earlier today, Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe reported that the Boston Bruins were in pursuit of Hossa. But if the term TSN is reporting is correct, Hossa obviously left the Bruins’ stratosphere somewhere around year five.

The Sedins are staying in VAN.

So I’m going to drag my attention away from this Andy Roddick-Lleyton Hewitt Wimbledon match to pass on some of my wisdom about the early moves today.

It seems that even though everybody loves twins, The Twins love Vancouver a little more. So Henrik and Daniel Sedin are going to stay in Vancouver with matching five-year, $30.5 million deals that include no-movement clauses. The fan in me is disappointed that they didn’t try to move to Toronto or Montreal to face the Boston Bruins six times a year, but obviously from a competitive standpoint the Sedins’ decision makes life a little easier in the Northeast Divison for the Bruins. (more…)

The Boston Bruins plan to be pretty quiet when free agency opens at noon today, but that doesn’t mean nothing is going to happen.

Whatever news does break, TheBruinsBlog.net will be your source for all the info and analysis. I’ll also be keeping tabs on all the major deals of the day, including the Dany Heatley situation and the landing spot for the Sedin Bros.

So be sure to log on to TheBruinsBlog.net all day long.