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Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:17 pm EST

Savard, Bruins reportedly near deal; another off Leafs' wish list?

By Greg Wyshynski

Remember when Rick Nash(notes) was going to leave the anonymous confines of Columbus and claim his birthright as the power forward who leads the resurgent Toronto Maple Leafs?

That was until Nash reaffirmed his status as the Blue Jackets' franchise cornerstone for eight years.

Then came the assumption that Marc Savard(notes), the Boston Bruins No. 1 center who was due to go unrestricted next summer, could be coaxed to rejoin Phil Kessel(notes) in Toronto after assisting on 22 of his 36 goals with the Bruins last season.

Curses ... foiled again, if the following report by Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe is spot-on:

Much like Milan Lucic(notes) in October, 32-year-old center Marc Savard later this month - most likely around Thanksgiving - is expected to extend his contract with the Bruins. At the end of a four-year deal that brought him $5 million a season, Savard is likely to average in the $6 million-$6.5 million range for another four or five seasons, bringing Boston's payroll to upward of $49 million for next season, with only Derek Morris(notes) ($3.3 million this season) remaining as a pricy free agent extension. The Bruins' struggles with Savard and Lucic sidelined only add to Savard's leverage.

Even with solid young talent in Patrice Bergeron(notes) and David Krejci(notes) up the middle, a player of Savard's caliber isn't easily replaced. He's a star-making center and a clutch player, to the tune of 19 points in 18 playoff games.

As for the Leafs and their fans, it was more general sentiment than anything concrete that Savard would be courted; his history with Kessel made that an obvious conclusion to some. Such is life in the center of the hockey universe.

Either way, he's no longer an option; but there will be others for Brian Burke, especially with nine unrestricted free agents coming off the cap next summer for $21,432,500 in cap space (per Cap Geek). The remaking of this roster was never going to be a one-summer process, but Savard would have expedited it for sure.

Related: Marc Savard, Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Rick Nash, Phil Kessel, Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs

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20 Comments

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  1. shula
    1. Posted by shula Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:41 pm EST

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    screw the leafs
  2. Matt S
    2. Posted by Matt S Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:23 pm EST

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    I like the idea of Boston locking up Savy for another good 3 years or so. I would love to see Boston steal Kovy from Atlanta but they need to free up some cap space to do that for next season. If they go that route I don't see Morris coming back.
  3. habs1rule
    3. Posted by habs1rule Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:46 pm EST

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    If Brian Burke has that much cap money for next season, go see Bob Gainey, he'll tell you how to spend it. Trust me. (Straight face to follow)...
  4. Guy F
    4. Posted by Guy F Sun Nov 15, 2009 3:02 pm EST

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    Word is that the Hawks are close to extending Kane and Toews. That's alot of cap space eaten up right there...
    Well, next year the Canucks can unload Mitchell (3.5 million) and Demitra (4 million) plus Schneider may hang em up (1.5 million). Further, they can unload Wellwood (1.2 million for one point so far this season. ONE point) and Shane O'Brien (1.6 million for a guy who is a healty scratch at times). That would leave enough money to extend Raymond (@ about 1.5 million per) Kesler (@ about 4 million per) plus sign Penticton, BC boy Duncan Keith for about 5 million per. That would be sweet! Especially if Duncan lures Vancouver's own Brent Seabrook over the following year when Brent's an UFA and the Canucks finally unload Salo off the books (great player when healthy but 3.5 million for about 35 games a year is not worth it).
  5. Spock
    5. Posted by Spock Sun Nov 15, 2009 3:16 pm EST

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    I'm not so sure that the UFA market this summer will be that great an avenue for Brian Burke to turn the Leafs into an instant winner, inspite of all that money that he will have available to him.
    If Savvy is off the UFA market this summer, the only other big name UFA forward that might be available this summer for the Leafs could be Marleau, as Kovalchuk wants to play for a winner (thus see you Leafs) and seems happy in Atlanta (he's the captain, the team is doing ok this year, and Atlanta HAS to sign him or that franchise goes down the tubes).
    At defense, the Leafs are probably not gonna get Lidstrom or Gonchar (they either re-sign with their championship teams or retire), which leaves only Willie Mitchell being a semi-important defenseman being available.
    At the goalie position, there are some players available (Nabakov, Turco, Theodore, Mason), which should help the Leafs. Thus, if the Leafs get Marleau, Mitchell, and one of those goalies, are the Leafs an instant playoff team? . . . . Probably borderline at best.
  6. Spock
    6. Posted by Spock Sun Nov 15, 2009 3:33 pm EST

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    @ Guy F. Those Hawks players that you want for your Canucks (Keith, Seabrook) are RFA's and not UFA's. Most GMs seem to have an unfortunate aversion to making offer sheets, as if it's some evil. Thus that could be a longshot happening.
    @ Alex. You are right about Sturm.
  7. habs1rule
    7. Posted by habs1rule Sun Nov 15, 2009 3:35 pm EST

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    Teams will be interested to see what Ilya Kovalchuk and the Thrashers do after this season..I always though Montreal would have been a great destination for him, but we went after that "other" star...Scott Gomez. Well, at least we have one.
  8. habs1rule
    8. Posted by habs1rule Sun Nov 15, 2009 3:44 pm EST

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    Scotty's pacing himself!!
  9. Guy F
    9. Posted by Guy F Sun Nov 15, 2009 4:16 pm EST

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    @ Spock : True enough. Wishful thinking on my part. Still, Gillis will be able to play. Now that some key pieces are locked up, the only real concerns are Kesler and Raymond (who is playing very well, his hustle last night on Sedin's second goal was incredible). I'll just be glad to see Demitra, O'Brien and Salo off the books (9 million plus). More than ten million if you jettison Wellwood. I find it insulting that he took the Canucks to arbitration after they spent the money on trainers and nutritionists in order to bring his conditioning up to par for a pro athlete. He made 1 million dollars for scoring 27 points last year and demanded a raise??? He got the raise and has one point in 17 games. Yeah, the Leafs will probably make a pitch for Mitchell (most likely well before July 1st, as that is their usual m.o.)
  10. Alex
    10. Posted by Alex Sun Nov 15, 2009 4:21 pm EST

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    @Spock- Thanks
    Sturm is a hack. that got deleted for some reason
  11. Guy F
    11. Posted by Guy F Sun Nov 15, 2009 4:25 pm EST

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    @ Spock : One guy that always looks pretty good whenever I see him on HNIC is Anton Volchenkov of Ottawa. No offence but he lays out some devastating hits. Also, he could help Shirokov with acclimatization (Sergei speaks essentially zero English). Anton could replace Mitchell. Also, hometown boy Shaone Morrisonn may want to play in Vancouver...
  12. Spock
    12. Posted by Spock Sun Nov 15, 2009 4:54 pm EST

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    @ Guy F. That Morrisonn can be a dirty hitter every now and then (unintentional ofcourse). I think he's still on probation from the League for a dirty hit that he made last year (not sure when that probation ends).
  13. Someguy
    13. Posted by Someguy Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:20 pm EST

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    Screw the Leafs, Burke already traded the team's near future to the B's in exchange for Kessel. Savard is gonna be staying in Boston. I just don't see Morris, Bergeron and Sturm returning after their contracts are up. Bergeron just hasn't really returned to his pre-consussion form but he has come a long way. Any of them would most likely be traded during the season for another body.
  14. Matt S
    14. Posted by Matt S Sun Nov 15, 2009 8:03 pm EST

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    Hockeyguru23 - Bergeron has been excellent so far this season. At the rate he is going he will have one of his best seasons ever.
  15. BrianD
    15. Posted by BrianD Mon Nov 16, 2009 5:24 am EST

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    Yeah, Sturm is gone for sure. I think everybody was waiting to see how he was going to so this season, but he hasn't done squat. I'd hate to see Bergeron go, as he is a true Bruin and having a great comeback season. But with Krejci locked up, and if they lock up Savard, they'll be strong enough up the middle to let Bergeron go for a skilled RW which they sorely need. Recchi will most likely retire. How much longer does Chara have on his contract?
  16. Brewer
    16. Posted by Brewer Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:18 am EST

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    I don't think they will move Bergy hes the best player on the ice so far this season. We desperately need savvy and lucic back asap. Thomas has been solid again this season yea he had a little blip at the beginning and a bad night sat against the pens but he has been standing on his head and hasn't had the goal support to show for it. I really like how morris moves the puck and plays with chara. If it means not signing him to get kovy from atl then ill take that. Sturm has always under achieved for us and its annoying. if hes not injured hes not scoring goals so he should go. I think kobasew should have stayed and sturm should have gone. and chara has one more year after this on his contract. looking at cap geek they should have plenty of cap space to keep him for another 3 years but we will see Chiarelli has been making great contracts and progress at bringing playoff type teams to boston.
  17. andreraccicot
    17. Posted by andreraccicot Tue Nov 17, 2009 4:14 am EST

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    Re: Sturm vs. Kobasew, Kobasew's been hurt already with Minnesota, plus no one would take Sturm at his salary, so B's had no choice but to keep him. Having said that, Sturm has always been streaky and his next one will be most welcome!
    And having said THAT, none of this really matters because Boston D isn't where it needs to be to win a Cup. Someone here wrote that they like Morris partnering with Chara. Well hell, we could say that about almost ANYONE who's paired with Chara. Morris is pretty good offensively, but can be scary defensively, not unlike Chara's now floundering former partmer from last season, Dennis Wideman. By now, Wideman should be able to stand on his own two skates, but he can't apparently. If the right deal comes along, Wideman's gone IMHO, but it would have to be the right deal, as B's have NO ONE on D at Providence worthy of a call-up anytime soon.
    What the Bruins need most is a younger, healthier, faster version of the guy they miss the most from last year's club: Aaron Ward. Steady defensive defenseman who's good in the room.
  18. Jack Death
    18. Posted by Jack Death Tue Nov 17, 2009 11:48 pm EST

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    all this negativity sucks!. Ray bourque is not walking thru that door. bobby orr is not walking thru..... Oh never mind lol
  19. useforstuff
    19. Posted by useforstuff Thu Nov 19, 2009 1:27 pm EST

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    Chi is close to resigning Toews and Kane?? While I appreciate that they will (are) do everythign they can...I can't wai to see how! The cap est. is $56,800,000 for next year. As is stands now Chi has 13.5mil available. With that 13.5 they need to sign:
    Kane and Toews (wouldnt that be close to 13 mil right there??)
    Keith
    Ladd
    Brouwer
    Niemi
    Eager
    and a slew of under-achievers like Skille (or at least plan on spending $$ on people to fill out the roster--i.e. a backup goalie if they dont spend on Niemi...)
    So, how exactly are they going to do it? Sign Toews and Kane for a total of 10 mil and then 3 mil to sign 5-6 other players and lose Keith and Niemi and others?
    Well, I suppose it is possible, but I'd sure like to know why the leafs or some otehr team wouldn't find a way to gather up a couple 1st rounders and make a 6mil+ offer to either Kane or Toews and pay the compensation....cause I don't see Chi matching....
  20. Cramshawbar
    20. Posted by Cramshawbar Mon Nov 23, 2009 6:20 pm EST

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    Screw the Leafs?
    How?
    The entire team? Does that include the coaching staff?
    I don't even know any of them and I'm not into guys.
    I don't know if I could follow your instructions...
    I think I'll just continue supporting them, sorry.

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