Cap should be good fit for Bruins

Now that the National Hockey League's new financial landscape is upon us -- subject to ratification next week by players and owners -- the next step for clubs will be to figure out what they want their rosters to look like.

For the last several years, the Bruins have been preparing for this eventuality. The front office -- led by owner Jeremy Jacobs, president Harry Sinden, and general manager Mike O'Connell -- have been paring payroll with the idea that the new collective bargaining agreement would feature a hard salary cap.

On Wednesday, the league and players' union agreed in principle on a salary ceiling of $39 million per team and floor of $21.5 million. The Bruins have promised they will spend the maximum to put together a contender. So what will that mean?

The Bruins will be starting from scratch in some ways but appear to be in better shape than most once the unrestricted free agent free-for-all begins.

The team has only five players under contract -- forwards Patrice Bergeron and Tom Fitzgerald, defensemen Ian Moran and Milan Jurcina, and goaltender Hannu Toivonen. They also hold an option on defenseman Nick Boynton.

Their restricted free agents include captain Joe Thornton and Sergei Samsonov as well as goaltender Andrew Raycroft, who was rookie of the year in 2003-04.

Bergeron, who was challenging for the Calder Trophy in 2003-04 before suffering a shoulder injury, played in Providence last season and continues to impress. He could be joined on the Boston roster by linemate Andy Hilbert, who has vastly improved his two-way play. Hilbert had 21 points in 17 American Hockey League playoff games for Providence in the spring. The front office is excited about forward Brad Boyes, who had 15 points in 16 postseason contests. Another impressive candidate for a full-time NHL job is defenseman Milan Jurcina. Feisty forward Colton Orr also might be ready to move up.

The Bruins have every intention of signing Raycroft, but what they'll do for a No. 2 netminder remains to be seen. In 2003-04, coach Mike Sullivan began the season platooning Raycroft and veteran Felix Potvin. It became clear Raycroft could handle the top job and it's possible they will move up Toivonen from Providence to be the backup.

O'Connell said the Bruins have a strategy. They're just waiting to implement it.

''We know what holes we have to fill," said O'Connell. ''We have an idea on who's available and we just have to see if we can, when the time comes, fill them. We just don't know what the specifics are, how we handle our restricted free agents first and how we go from there. We'll find that out in the next couple of days. We're going to digest what it's all about and see how it affects not only your team, but every other team, and then try to guess what they're going to do."

Many clubs will have to make decisions on buying out existing contracts. Under the new CBA, clubs won't be allowed to restructure contracts to fit under the salary cap, which the National Football League allows. Instead, teams will be able to buy out existing deals for two-thirds of their value during the first 10 days of the CBA. If any team elects this option, it would not be allowed to re-sign that player at a lower figure.

For example, it's expected Dallas will buy out former Bruin Bill Guerin's deal for $6.8 million and the New York Rangers will probably rid themselves of Bobby Holik's pact, which will cost them $6.8 million. The Philadelphia Flyers can buy out veterans Tony Amonte for $4.5 million, John LeClair for $6.8 million, and Jeremy Roenick for $4.9 million.

No team will be able to spend more than 20 percent of the cap figure on any one player, meaning the maximum salary for 2005-06 is $7.8 million. That figure could move up or down the following season depending on the league's revenues. Players' salaries can make up no more than 54 percent of what the NHL takes in, which will be recalculated after each campaign.

Prior to the agreement being reached, O'Connell said he fully expected the Bruins to be able to attract quality personnel.

''If we're all spending the same amount of money, it comes down to selling your team, promoting your city, promoting your coach, and that's going to be important," he said. ''That's part of the recruiting process. We feel we [can do] as good a job as any with the city, the fans, and the young players we have. Ownership is committed. The playing field will be leveled with regard to how much money we can spend and we're going to spend as much as any other team."