The Boston Bruins are going to have some tough choices to make going into next season. The Bruins have committed $62,475,000 of their salary cap for next season. In an ideal world, the Bruins have yet to lock up two forwards, (at least) three defensemen, and a back-up goaltender (it appears that once again the Bruins will be casting off a number two goaltender to free agency (if the Bruins release Niklas Svedberg, it will be the third year in a row that the Bruins have done this)).
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With only ten million dollars to lock up the remaining players, the Bruins will either have to offer slim pickings contracts to certain players or go fishing through their AHL talent pool to stay under the cap next year. This figure will get even smaller if any of the players have bonus clauses in their existing contracts.
With money at a premium, and a rough talent pool to choose from, what is the best option for the Black and Gold next season?
The Boston Bruins need to re-sign Daniel Paille.
Daniel Paille has been an intangibles player, and a solid workhorse for the Black and Gold. He’s one of those NHL players who was fortunate enough to escape the burning train wreck currently known as the Buffalo Sabres franchise. The thirty year old is still one of the fastest members on the roster, and the additional playtime he has been getting has not only increased his scoring but his confidence. He’s been a dependable player ever since he came over in 2009.
He’s the kind of player the Bruins need.
The Boston Bruins have been a scoring by committee team ever since Peter Chiarelli and Claude Julien came to town. He’s good with the Julien system, and knows how to use his speed to the B’s advantage. If his hands were as good as his legs, he be a total terror on the ice.
It would be a shame to see Paille leave Boston. With all the young AHL talent coming up, it would certainly be a very competitive training camp next year. Paille could be acquired by the Boston Bruins for a very reasonable sum. Paille made slightly over one million last year, and that’s what he’d be worth to Boston next year. With the Bruins having to squeeze every last dollar out of the salary cap, it makes an awful lot of sense to keep one of the original Merlot Men on the team.