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From the top down, for the next month or so, we’ll look at each team and examine their numbers and needs. First and foremost, lets look at the NHL Champions, the Boston Bruins.

First, a look at the cap numbers. As of today, the NHL has approved the bump in the NHL Salary Cap to 64 million dollars, a full 4.5 million higher than the start of last year. What does this mean to the Boston Bruins? Observe below.

Bruins pose for their first team photo after winning the cup.

Players signed: 18
Total Salary:  51.1 million (including 2.65 million bonus)
Salary Cap Room: 12.9 million (based on reported 64 million dollar cap)
Free Agents: UFA – Michael Ryder, Tomas Kaberle RFA – Brad Marchand

Just looking at those numbers, it’s staggering to think that this team could return almost entirely untouched, and probably better than last year. How often can a defending champion say something like that? That being said, this team does have a few questions looming, none of which larger than what to do with fellow UFA’s Michael Ryder and Tomas Kaberle.

If you’re new to the Bruins, then you probably haven’t lived through the feast or famine years of Michael Ryder in a B’s sweater. Some nights he’s the best player on the rink, on other nights, he has shades of Dennis Wideman. Purely looking at the numbers, Michael Ryder’s regular season numbers (18/23/41) aren’t worthy of the 4 million dollar pay day he’s been getting. His playoff numbers (25 games, 8/9/17) are much better, but will they get him resigned with the club.

My guess is yes, somewhere in the 2 year, 6 million dollar range. If he’s not willing to take a significant pay cut, Chiarelli will likely let him walk, where he’ll earn close to the 4 million he’s been making somewhere else. This Bruins team is stocked full of youth and talent, and Jordan Caron will likely step in and play right away.

On the back end, we have Tomas Kaberle. Many Bruins fans and pundits may say that he was far from worth his 4.5 million dollar cap hit, but I’ll say this for Chiarelli; he sticks to his guns when no one else does. That being said, I imagine Kaberle will take a discount and get a deal done. Expect something around 3 to 4 years, 3.75 million a year.

The one last question mark is Brad Marchand, and the question isn’t do we sign him, but how much do we pay him. I imagine he’ll be willing to sign for a modest pay increase (he’s only making 600,000 or so now). So if PC offers him 3 years, 9 million, I have a hard time believing he won’t take it.

When all is said and done, my guess is Michael Ryder will walk and Kaberle and Marchand will resign. That leaves one roster spot for this team to fill, and it will likely be filled with a gritty, two way player much like a Rich Peverly type. If I had to pick one guy I’d bring in, it’d be Erik Cole who is an UFA coming out of Carolina. Odds are they’ll let him walk, and he’d be relatively cheap (2.75 million or so) and he’d fit their mold.

The make up of this team won’t look much different from last year, and having all of that cap space means Peter Chiarelli can tweak this roster and put a quality product on the ice again next year. I for one look forward to seeing this team play in a few months.

Any feedback, players you think should go or be signed? Let me know in the comments.

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