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Boston Bruins Should Buyout Dennis Seidenberg

By Andrew Thompson

Feb 20, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg (44) skates in warm-ups prior to the game against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Bruins defeat the Stars 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg (44) skates in warm-ups prior to the game against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Bruins defeat the Stars 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Don Sweeney certain has a lot of things to ponder over the next few weeks. He’s got to try to find the Boston Bruins one or two top-four defensemen. He’s also got to juggle the salary cap, and hopefully find places on the B’s roster fore Torey Krug and Loui Eriksson.

He’s also got to figure out what he’s going to do about defenseman Dennis Seidenberg.

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The veteran German blueliner was pretty invisible for the Black and Gold last season. The 34-year old Seidenberg only netted a single goal for Boston last season, and his 12 point season was certainly disappointing. Seidenberg found himself being left in the dust on more than one occasion, and it’s clear that he hasn’t been one hundred percent since he tore his ACL/MCL back in December 2013. It doesn’t make much sense for the Bruins to keep paying Seindeberg four million a year for increasingly diminished returns.

We’re no longer going to see these kind of hits from the German hammer anymore.

If the Bruins are serious about promoting their young defensive talent, then there going to have to play more at the NHL level. They’re going to have to be run through the gauntlet, and it will be easier giving them the time if there is more time available.

There are some advantages in having Sweeney use his buyout to help the B’s part waves with the 2011 Stanley Cup winner. If the B’s buy him out, they’ll only have to pay him $1.17 million/year for the remainder of the contract. That would give the Bruins a cap savings of $2.833 million next season, and $1.833 million for the 2017-18 season.

Don Sweeney will need to make this kind of decision in the very near future. If the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the San Jose Sharks tonight and win the Stanley Cup, the clock will be ticking. The buyout period begins either June 15 or 48 hours after the last Stanley Cup game has been played (whatever comes later).

The moves Don Sweeney makes in the next few weeks will determine the future of next year’s team. He’s already made ugly moves by overpaying Kevan Miller and Adam McQuaid for the next four seasons. His risky move on Loui Eriksson not only didn’t help the B’s get into the playoffs, they’ll end up with nothing if the lose the Swedish winger in free agency. If the Bruins are a team that will need to get worse before they get better, they might as well just bite the bullet and make the proper moves.

This would include saying goodbye to Dennis Seidenberg.

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