Okay, I'll say it again, because I've said it over and over when people have ripped PC's cap management: deftly done, Petey.

For two months, Peter Chiarelli played chicken with the salary cap.  His team has carried more than $4M in salary above the NHL's salary cap during that time.  He managed this using the collectively bargained mechanisms at his disposal - there is no question here of cap circumvention.  For two months, this team was able to assess several players who might have been dealt by a more panicky GM.  Included on that list of players who might have been lopped in a panic move:

- the NHL's top goaltender to this point of the season.
- one of the team's top +/- defenseman, and a guy who filled in on the top pairing when injuries required it.
- the team's fourth leading scorer and third leading goalscorer, who just happens to have the best chemistry on the team with the prize rookie.
- the #1 C, who went from prized signing to questionable signing, and may now have healed enough to prove he should go back to prized.
- Last year's #1 pick, who has proven himself to be a solid contributor.
- The team's 7th defenseman, who has proven himself ready for regular third pairing minutes.

The Bruins used every dollar and every day available to them to ensure they had the best possible combination of available players - and with due respect to Matt Hunwick and the fact that Sturm did not get to prove himself, they've made their choices.  According to Cap Geek, it looks like they even have enough wiggle to make a hockey trade that would see them taking on salary - say, Stuart for Liles or something of that nature (note: names from a hat, not a proposal).

I respect this kind of comfort with contingency. Kudos, sir.

I agree that PC did well.  The team is still in a bit of a precarious situation though, as they do not have much wiggle room in regards to cap space.  If a defenseman goes down to a short-term injury, the team will have to send a forward down to Providence in order to free up enough cap room to call up a defenseman.

That said, it is a relief to have the LTIR cap crisis over with.  The spector of an impending trade appeared to be a distraction to the team over the past few weeks.  Hopefully the team will get down to business now and show some consistency for a change.

I'm right there with you BB.  Chiarelli is grossly underestimated.  Everybody thought he was on the ropes with Phil Kessel and look at how he played that hand.  More of the same here.  Another one well played... 

In Response to The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:


Great post Bookboy, with a very catchy title to boot!

In Response to Re: The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:


True enough, but they're also carrying two extra forwards once Savard returns, so I don't think this is a huge hardship.  My guess is that it would either be tricky for Jordan Caron - who is exempt from the waiver process and so the most likely yo-yo - or for Paille, who might have to take a demotion or a walk.  You can now substitute Paille for Ryder in all of the old discussions of the contingencies of sending a guy down.  If he's claimed, great. If not, he sits in Providence until the playoffs.

In Response to Re: The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:

He's only underestimated on this forum.The rest of the hockey world recognizes the progress he's made since joining the organization.

Kudos to PC, the fact remains he did not pre determine the PCS condition of Savard.  Genius though is in planning not prediction.  Nonetheless, the chess like play of PC did produce the deal with LA.  Meanwhile, the experiment with Wheeler at center can continue in part, trade value.  Seguin can play on wing with Savard, a must.  The greater issue is still at hand, what to do with Ryder.  If PC pulls off a trade with him at this point it will be a "Trifecta!"  Cause Ryder will not sign with the Bs next year!  

Bookboy do you have a job? No offense but living your life here 16 hours a day is kind of ya know... unhealthy... Just sayin

In Response to Re: The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:


I think you're right about that.  It seems like all of the complaining about Chiarella comes from within the New England area.  Outsiders seem to have the clearer perspective that his successes outnumber his flaws by about 2-1.

In Response to Re: The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:

like I said,remember the team when he arrived......no Chara,savard ,Horton ,Seguin,boychuck............I could go on and on.

Great title BB!!  I'm spinning the Miles Davis classic album of the same name right now in your honor!!!!

In Response to Re: The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:


What I am even more impressed with is him doing it all while breaking the normal paradox of:

Good team = weak prospects, bad draft picks
or,
Good prospects, top draft picks = lousy team, rebuilding year

Chiarelli has made the playoffs and fielded a top tier team, while AT THE SAME TIME securing top draft picks and building a enviable pool of young prospects.

He is doing the rebuilding without...rebuilding.

Or... he could have moved Thomas and Savard this summer as was his wont and intention...He didn't, but not from lack of trying. His genius would seem to reside just as much in the trades that are botched or happen then don't (see: Kessel for Kaberle). I guess now, when Marco Sturm returns to the Bruins line-up and starts lighting it up, we'll again applaud Pete's foresight and brinksmanship? His design? 

Still bitter about Jumbo trade and you thought the last remnant's of the Thornton trade was over but you were wrong! You still had time to use your long memory of the MOC debacle to spam the Bruins blog with a TSN cut n paste huh ? Savard has two game winning playoff OT goals Jumbo still hides in the corners during the playoffs.

Regardless if Sturm comes back and scores allot of goals or another team looks at his Xrays to take him Awry will find fault with any Boston GM. Spamming n spewing the BDC with it's hate of the Bruins.

Because McKenzie and Dreger says Chiarelli shopped Thomas and Savard doesn't make it so. Thornton is gone and would not have led Boston to a Stanley Cup just as he has not led San Jose to anything but perenial underacheiver which is what Jumbo is!

Now go spam the Red sox board with some "Fire Franconia" and "Fire Epstein" threads you've shown no sports knowledge here!

'bookboy' Half the guys on your list are still Bruins because - and thankfully - Chiarelli is such an inept horse-trader. Though he does try. Oh Pete is 'panicky' alright, he's just not very good at it. At last count, Savard, Thomas, Wheeler, Ryder and Sturm have all been shopped. I'm going to wait and see just how much of Chiarelli's flailing can actually be called flying

Oh and 'SanDogBrewin', though I realize you're just trying to score some points with the boys, I don't deserve that. You are showing no respect. I don't hate anything or anyone. This is called a 'forum', that means something like a balance can be achieved between divergent opinions. I'm not talking about freedom of speech, just providing a black to a white, a yin for a yang, a nay for a yea and not for its own sake - that would be lame - because i happen to believe it.

In this particular case, my opinion of the success of Chiarelli's performance, diverge from 'bookboy's'. I think 'bookboy' makes a very cogent, eloquent statement about how Chiarelli has managed the last two months. I was merely saying, it think its due more to neglect than design.

Personally, I don't think I made as good a case for neglect as 'bookboy' did for design, I don't think 'bookboy' took it personally.

The Joe Thornton piece was written by Lyle Richardson on the 5 year Anniversary of the trade. He runs a rumour/blog site called Spector's Hockey. I thought, given the weird coincidence that Sturm was almost traded 5 years to the day, that that would be timely, funny even.

Guilty: As a Bruins fan I found the Thornton trade embarrassing.
Guilty: I still find Dupont's weekly bon-mots indictments of Joe Thornton's abilities,...yea, embarrassing,like sour grapes in reverse.
Guilty: I wonder what the Bruins could really do with a different GM. I think he's overpaid a buncha guys. I'm not convinced of his 'horse-sense'. I keep waiting for his 'legacy' deal. Kessel to the leafs might be it.
Guilty: I really wonder what this team could do with a different coach, one with more imagination
Guilty: I think the Bruins Defence, as presently constituted, will not hold water come Playoff time
I'm sure there's more, but now I'm doing your job, 'SanDog'...

But, 'SanDogBrewin' - though you didn't ask and don't deserve, as you chose to ignore it  - I posted yestreday that I was as happy as anyone, with Chiarelli's 'intent to trade' of Marco Sturm, to finally be able to put the Joe Thornton trade behind us. 'Onwards and upwards', I think I said, with not a hint of hate nor malice

BookBoy - well thought out, insightful post.

Awry - no GM has a design or plan that is static. It's just not possible. There are too may things outside of their control and they have to constantly react to numerous factors such has how quickly or slowly a player develops, injuries, guys not playing up to par, guys exceeding expectations, more injuries, a chnge in the salary cap, etc. The real test of a GM is how he handles thos situations while trying to keep/put the best team possible on the ice. Criticizing his "design" is simply misunderstanding the role of the GM. Book is right...PC has managed the current situation very well and deserves credit for it.

And meanwhile the 2 Boston sports talk show hosts (Felger and Mas - don't know if I spelled it right, but then again, I don't care) - just go nuts about PC's cap management as if it's a federal crime.  At worst you can say PC's cap management is debateable, but it's clearly not horrible.

This is the quality of hockey talk in Boston.

I might as well be living in New Orleans.

Awry, At the end of your copy n paste you made sure that "Boston came out on the wrong end of the deal" was the final quote to read. As I did not say "Don't ever come back here" or call you names I as you do have just the same right to put down any criticism of a GM whom had nothing to do with the Thorton trade to begin with But Chiarelli has done a darn good job of picking up the pieces I must say.

In Response to Re: The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:




They talk about hockey? Had me fooled I thought it was a baseball/football only station with the Mark Recchi interlude to remind me that im listening to "The Sports Hub".

I cant stand those guys anymore you'd think with the Bruins making 2 trades, beating the team they collapsed to in the playoffs, and winning a game 8-1 against a real good team. That maybe you'd hear something about the B's but no.

I listen to them 2x a day for about 20-30mins to/from work and more on the weekend when I drive to the cape. Still have heard bruins talk about 2x total on that station.

Chiarelli has brought the Bruins back to respectability.Sure, he's had a few blips like Lewis, Bochenski etc. but, he'a had many more winners. Even if some, like me, are not enamored with Claude, the players, for the most part are quality peices needed to get to the cup. I would expect to see some revisions on defense, and, even though he bleeds black and gold and is a good teamate, I am no longer a Sean Thornton fan as his" bouts" have become more staged than spontaneous.

In Response to Re: The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:


You keep saying this but last night TB had no answer for him. All they could do was run away from him and he brought some good intensity.

Show me a tougher, better skating 4thline forward for that price

In Response to Re: The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:


No, he didn't move on them because he had patience.  How do you know "it was his intention" to move Savard and Thomas??  That would be incorrect.  Everything we have heard is that he was listening to offers, like he should be.

Because he was patient and did not panic, he did not accept the offers or make a move.  He waited.  Yesterday it looked like that was a smart move.  And if he manages become cap compliant without disrupting this team's roster it will be a smart move.

There is no reason that he can only look at one offer.  Listening to other options for Kessel or Thomas does not mean that the deal he ends up making is pure chance.  You might try judging him on his actual deals, not the ones you think he was considering...

In Response to Re: The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:


I thought Thornton was great last night.  Aggressive, intimidating to the Tampa players, sticking up for his teammates, scored a goal.  What more do you want?

In Response to Re: The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:

You will not find one and oh Shawn has more goals than Kovalchoke.

In Response to Re: The Birth of the Cool, Cap Management Edition:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOEN5NOlmGI
ahahaha